18th and Columbia Road, NW
Almost exactly three years ago to the day, we shared an Adams Morgan’s SunTrust Plaza Saga Update – Land Donated to Jubilee Housing!!
On my walkabout this past weekend they had some renderings up:
The event was put on by the Kalorama Citizens Association.
They wrote: “CELEBRATE OUR COMMUNITY WIN ON THE ADAMS MORGAN PLAZA, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 11 A.M., WITH REFRESHMENTS BY SOLELUNA! The Kalorama Citizens Association, Adams Morgan for Reasonable Development, and Jubilee Housing late last year reached a legal agreement to keep the Adams Morgan Plaza at 18th Street and Columbia Road open to the community. The three groups also worked with Eric Colbert & Associates architects to design a beautiful new plaza for future neighborhood enjoyment when Jubilee builds highly affordable apartments at the site.
Join us Saturday, October 3, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the upper Plaza to celebrate this win-win for our neighborhood! All are welcome!
KCA, AM4RD, AND JUBILEE REACH AGREEMENT IN WIN FOR ADAMS MORGAN
The Kalorama Citizens Association and Adams Morgan for Reasonable Development on December 12, 2025, successfully concluded their lawsuit against Jubilee Housing Inc. with an agreement that ensures continued community access to the 4,000+-square-foot plaza at 18th Street and Columbia Road, NW.
Jubilee, which became the property owner during the eight-year legal battle, will build deeply affordable housing on the footprint of the old bank building at the site and construct a new, greatly improved plaza. KCA and AM4RD negotiators worked with Jubilee and its architects, Eric Colbert and Associates, to design the future plaza, which will include seating, greenery, a covered portico area, and a small stage. The DC Historic Preservation Review Board in September 2024 approved Jubilee’s construction plans. (See the building and the beautiful plaza that will serve the neighborhood for years to come.)
The lawsuit began in 2017, when KCA and AM4RD sued then–property-owner SunTrust Bank to preserve public access to the plaza, which was created for community use in the late 1970s. SunTrust planned to sell the site to developers who wanted to construct a luxury condo building that would have covered the entirety of the plaza.
The lawsuit, Kalorama Citizens Association vs. SunTrust Bank Company, made its way through the legal system with mixed rulings for each side. In December 2022, the DC Court of Appeals ruled that the case should go to trial, in a win for KCA and AM4RD. SunTrust, which became Truist Bank during the course of the case, then donated the property to Jubilee Housing, Inc.
Attorney Paul Zukerberg originally represented KCA and AM4RD but retired before its end. Attorney Cynthia Pols, who also worked on the case from the start, and attorney Amanda Fox Perry brought the lawsuit to its successful conclusion. The attorneys provided their expert services to KCA and AM4RD pro bono, while KCA donations helped cover court costs.
After nearly three years of discussion, KCA, AM4RD, and Jubilee reached agreement to ensure the public’s continued use of the privately owned plaza. Under the agreement, Jubilee, the property owner, granted KCA a conservation easement to help plan events, recommend upgrades, and ensure continued community access to the existing and future plazas in perpetuity.
Judge D.W. Tunnage of the D.C. Superior Court dismissed the case on December 12, 2025. You can read the Jubilee-KCA easement agreement here.”
Stay tuned.