Dear PoP – Real Estate and Development in Pleasant Plains

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“Dear PoP,

I’m looking to buying a house in Columbia Heights, more specifically, the Pleasant Plains neighborhood (b/w Sherman and Georgia Avenues). Do you or any of your readers know if development in the area is non-existent or hurt by the recession? In particular, whether there has been any word on what will be built on the site of the now-demolished Old Bruce Monroe School, or if the proposed street car line up 7th/Georgia Avenue is still viewed as a possible route?”

You have asked the million dollar question. Yes that area like the city in general has been hurt by the recession. But I think Pleasant Plains will be a great neighborhood for a long term investment but my opinion is that you better like it a lot now too, because who knows how long it will take for the proposed projects to be completed. The old Bruce Monroe school will be a community space for the short term. The street car is still slated to come to Georgia Ave in the 2nd deployment but realistically that could be many years from now. Unfortunately there are many vacant storefronts along Georgia Ave at the moment.

What do you guys think about the prospects for development in Pleasant Plains over the short term and long term?