Mr. May – whose qualifications and background are unknown – doesn’t seem to understand that DC liquor license applications require demonstrating the business is on solid financial ground. The “if we only had a liquor license, we could get financing” puts the cart before the horse.

The city sold this property under terms which obviously will never be fully met. If a deadline (say, five years) had been specified, the property could’ve been reclaimed and eventually re-sold to become something that actually has a prayer of succeeding. Instead, I see it languishing indefinitely in limbo.

As for the “Borf building”, for which residences are planned, well, that’s zoned C-M-2 … just like the Icehouse property on Florida, for which residences are also planned. New residential units are prohibited under this zoning designation, but that hasn’t stopped the owners from proceeding with their plans as if they have a right to do so.

Will the city bother to make the developers request a zoning change for these commercial properties? And if it does, will Eckington, Bloomingdale, and Truxton Circle residents be smart enough to oppose it?

Eckingtonians, in particular, have a weakness for empty promises. They will merrily follow a charming pitch down the path, never noticing they are heading AWAY FROM their stated destination.

The line is always “retail isn’t possible in this area yet; it doesn’t have the right demographic”. Yet all the new condos/apartments in Eckington and NoMa have finally provided that elusive “right demographic” (or will, before long). Besides, nothing is more attractive to retail than OTHER retail. Most importantly, there can be no retail without a place to put it!

Investors not being willing to risk getting involved in retail projects in this area YET does not justify converting all the commercial buildings/plots to residential. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

not good at all.