Poor Man’s Brookland?

by Prince Of Petworth April 4, 2016 at 10:02 pm 37 Comments

poor man's brookland

A reader reports on Saturday:

“Attempt by Zuckerman to avoid the vacant property tax? Saw this going up the side of the old Murry’s building today.”

Ed. Note: Brookland’s sign went up in April 2013.

murry georgia
previously 3400 Georgia Ave, NW

Park View Resident

There’s actually a great business going in there soon. Eric Zuckerman has supported the community with recent use of this space By making it available for the Georgia Ave Winter Fest. The new business going in was actually one of the local vendors at be Winter Fest. And the muralist is a local artist and designer, who was also a vendor at the Winter Fest and graciously donated his services for the outreach of that event. So, loads still to do in Park View, but want to give props when they’re due.
- jcm
  
  Zuckerman has brought three development projects to a screeching halt, and replaced them with ugly short term businesses. I’m not sure why he’s due any props.
  - Park View Resident
    
    I didn’t mean just Eric Zuckerman deserved props. I also meant the residents, business owners and other contributors in Park View. The title of the post, “Poor Man’s Brookland,” didn’t suggest the most glowing review of the community. So I also tried to highlight the local artist and business involved in this project, as well as the recent community event hosted there. But I realize not everyone is going to share my point of view, so agree to disagree.
    - jcm
      
      I don’t think he was slagging on our neighborhood and community ( I live here, love it, and would much rather be here than Brookland). I think rather he was comparing this mural and it’s likely effect to the Brookland lettered mural. The Brookland mural is much larger, more effective, and is on a new development that was changing the entire neighborhood. This one’s getting slapped up on a shitty old vacant grocery store that was due to be redeveloped, and is now apparently going to house a temporary tenant until Zuckerman can get their shit together. And it’s across the street from another shitty old vacant property that was due to be redeveloped, and is now apparently going to house a temporary tenant until Zuckerman can get their shit together and move. And it’s down the street from another shitty old vacant property that was due to be redeveloped, and is now apparently going to house a temporary tenant until Zuckerman can get their shit together and move.
      .
      As far as I’m concerned, Zuckerman and Howard U are neck and neck in the running for Worst Property Owner on Lower Georgia, and this mural doesn’t do anything to change that. And that’s why it’s a Poor Man’s Brookland (Mural).
      - Rufus
        
        This.
      - Barijho
        
        +1
      - Anony
        
        +2
    - Anon
      
      I knew someone would take that the wrong way and get all huffy. PoP is comparing the murals, not the neighborhoods.
- Anon
  
  Umm…Zuckerman has been a massive drag on the re-development of this strip, by keeping his properties vacant and blighted in the hopes (I presume) that the value will go up and he can sell. I appreciate that he is now at least putting tenants in some of them, but I award him no props, and may God have mercy on his soul.
- D
  
  What “great business” is going in there, and when?
Park View Resident

Actually, Eric Zuckerman has been supportive of recent community work by making that space available and useable for the Georgia Ave Winter Fest. Also, there’s a great local business going in there soon and it was one of the vendors from the Georgia Winter Fest. And the artist doing the mural is a fantastic local artist and designer, who was a vendor at the Georgia Ave Winter Fest and graciously donated his services to create outreach materials for the event. So, yes, there’s still a lot of work to be done in Park View, I just think that props should be given when they’re due. And no, I don’t work for the Zuckermans, I just worked closely with Eric Zuckerman when I helped organize the Georgia Avenue Winter Fest.
- Park View Resident
  
  Well damn, the original comment didn’t go up for a while so I re-wrote and posted it from memory. Sorry for the double posting.
  - ConWomanN
    
    It’s Ok commissioner
  - NotEric
    
    It’s OK Eric…
Formerly ParkViewRes

I seriously doubt painting a mural on a wall would help you avoid the vacant tax rate. They don’t pay the vacant tax rate, but apparently that’s typical b/c they have development plans on the books. However, Zuckerman has been placing short-term tenants in these properties. I didn’t know (as Park View Resident states) that a tenant was planned for Murry’s, but Alfie’s is now in the old Mothership space and Wall of Books is in the old strip mall.
- textdoc
  
  Yep — I don’t think the mural has any bearing on the tax rate.
  .
  Apparently all that a commercial property owner needs to do to avoid the vacant tax rate is have development plans in the works OR be advertising the property for lease.
- pitharat
  
  The Midlands is going to open soon also! I’d rather have temporary tenants than empty buildings. I don’t think any of Zuckermans properties will get started until Park Morton Redevelopment starts.
  - Anony
    
    So in another decade?
    - Formerly ParkViewRes
      
      Construction is set to start on Park Morton in Q1 2018. We’ll see if that actually happens, but I think it will be sooner than a decade.
textdoc

“Poor man’s Brookland?”? Them’s fightin’ words!
- Tsar of Truxton
  
  I think he is referring to the murals, not the neighborhoods…
Anon

Zuckerman’s represent all that is wrong along Georgia Avenue. These “developers” bought up vacant buildings and lots only to sit on them for years and years. Hats off, you painted a mural. Great. The neighborhood support is waning. It’s time to either develop these sites or sell them to someone who will.
- Anonymous
  
  I like the mural and there are numerous positive things happening in the immediate area such as the formentioned Alfie’s (which is near impossible to get a table at), Small Fry, Heat da Spot, Yoga, Heights, Walls of Books, etc…. Not to mention the upcoming Midland’so beer garden by the KBC guys which is looking to be awesome. Or a two block walk from the mural to the 11th St. strip. I assume calling this a ‘Poor Man’s Brookland’ is referring to the visual similarity compared to the size and location of Brookland’s and not the Park View neighborhood.
  
  That being said, Zuckerman hasn’t done the neighborhood any favors with regards to long term development. Sure they have been more engaged with the community in recent times allowing access for Winter Fest (which was a nice success) and other ‘short-term’ tenants but the fact remains they have done ZERO new construction (and halted several existing projects after they purchased the properties) over the several years they have owned large plots of along GA. In fact the Murry’s site which is now slated for a new short term tenant and was supposed to be their first actual construction project is telling that they might not be being as transparent with their real plans. Even with DC construction bureaucracy, this is strange for a well-funded developer like Zuckerman Partners.
  
  Zuckerman has been
anon

The Skeet Ulrich (poorman’s johnny depp) of murals
Jeff

Saw this in the neighborhood the other day and I love it.
Philippe Lecheval

Are there any Murry’s stores left? I used to love those french toast sticks. So greasy that they basically fried in the toaster.
kallie

I think the aesthetic of both signs is different actually. I really like it. Park View pride.
- D
  
  And it’s not actually DONE yet, ya know? I mean the guy is actually painting it in the photo. Can we wait until he at least puts the brush down?
  - Prince Of Petworth
    
    It’s done: https://twitter.com/rootbranchinc/status/717344871808430082
    - Ben
      
      Also noted they tagged the building as vacant 😉
Tony

Park View a poorman’s Brookland? Park View does have a ways to go, but Brookland has even further IMO.
- Prince Of Petworth
  
  just talking about the mural…
- Park St and Park Ln in Park View next to giant Park
  
  Park View is the best kept secret in town.
  - JS
    
    Rowhouse condos are selling for $850K. It’s not a secret, and hasn’t been for a while.
  - jd
    
    there is no secret in DC are you serious? it’s an international city with a revolving door of deep pocketed residents for school, work, and so on.
KBT

I think the mural is great — walked past the artist finishing it up this weekend and was super excited to see it.
Park View Resident

Love the mural, looks great!

Subscribe to our mailing list