Development

“we encourage you to watch”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

In just the latest display of our city being effectively run by property developers, this flyer was circulated to those living on Florida Ave NW, just north of U Street where the new Whole Foods is going in. We’ve already experienced a year of unbearable construction noise – with the work often commencing prior to 7am (in contravention of city ordinances) and reverberating off the tall apartment buildings that surround the construction site. To put up a crane at 1am is just adding insult to injury.

The local ANC Commissioner should be ashamed of himself.”

“Crowdy Court” to be Mt. Vernon Squangle’s Newest Address

By Prince Of Petworth

The following was written by PoPville contributor David McAuley, founder of Short Articles about Long Meetings.


photo via Wikipedia by AgnosticPreachersKid

At its regularly-scheduled meeting May 1, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw voted to support a proposal to name a set of Mt. Vernon Squangle alleys “Crowdy Court”. After the vote, Councilmember Charles Allen (Ward Six) told the ANC that he would introduce a law to the City Council to make the name official.

“I’ll proudly introduce that legislation,” Allen said.

The alleys are located in the interior of the block bordered by Fourth Street, M Street, Fifth Street, and New York Avenue NW. They will be named in honor of William Saunders Crowdy, who was born into slavery in Maryland, escaped, served in the Union Army, and became, in 1896, the founder of The Church of God and Saints of Christ, a Black Hebrew Israelite religious group, according to Wikipedia. (more…)

Holy Moly! Stop Work Order Issued for Development at St. Thomas’ Parish

By Prince Of Petworth


18th and Church St, NW before construction started

Ed. Note: CityPaper reported that the building’s ground floor footprint exceeds the 80% maximum lot occupancy and “The issue will now go back to the Board of Zoning Adjustment for further consideration.”

A reader passes on from St. Thomas’ Parish:

“Dear neighbors,

As you may have noticed the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) has issued a stop work order (SWO) for 1772 Church Street as a result of the decision from the DC Supreme Court, which sent the decision back to the zoning the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). Our hope is to resolve this matter as quickly as possible and resume work. There is a great deal of construction fatigue in this area and I suspect we all would all want this project to resume and be completed as soon as possible. I don’t know anyone who wants a semi-built building in the neighborhood.

Vacated And Remanded decision from the DC Supreme Court (PDF)

In the mean time, you may notice workers on site performing certain tasks to ensure the site is safe, delivery of materials, and people performing administrative tasks. All of this is permissible under a SWO. DCRA officials have been on site this morning and clarified this issue. Below is an email from Garret Whitescarver (DCRA) which authorizes us to perform tasks to ensure the safety of the building and the public safety of this neighborhood. (more…)

Gas Station at Georgia and Upshur St, NW Could Still Become a “57-unit residential project”

By Prince Of Petworth


Georgia and Upshur St, NW. Back in February I saw these Exxon signs up.

Thanks to all who emailed the big Petworth development news from the Washington Business Journal:

“A judge for the U.S. District Court for D.C. on Friday sided with the owner of a Shell gas station who wants to redevelop the property into a 57-unit residential project in Petworth.”

Check out the plans and renderings for Phase Two of The Yards, which, at full buildout, “will be the largest waterfront development in the city.”

By Prince Of Petworth


Renderings courtesy Forest City Washington

From a press release:

“Forest City Washington has announced its vision for phase two of The Yards, which is anticipated to break ground in 2019 and be completed in 2030. The next phase of the project’s master expansion plan focuses on the development of 3 million square feet of mixed-use space, which will be built on the currently undeveloped 18 acres of land on the western side of The Yards, between 1s t Street SE and New Jersey Avenue.

Once completed, The Yards will encompass 48 acres, featuring 1.8 million square feet of office space, 400,000 square feet of retail and dining, and up to 3,400 residential units in what will be the largest urban waterfront development in all of D.C. Dozens of chef-inspired restaurants and bars, best-in-class retail, entertainment and office space, luxury residential properties and outdoor communal green space will anchor the development as D.C.’s premier, mixed-use waterfront neighborhood. The Yards will also be home to the first hotel in the development with the flagship Thompson D.C. hotel slated to open in 2020. The luxury hotel will have 225 rooms, 38 suites and will have a ground-level restaurant and an expansive rooftop bar with 360-degree views of the city.

The second phase of development is expected to include the following key elements: (more…)

“Plans Resurface to Demolish ‘Spy House’ and Build on Glover Park Lot”

By Prince Of Petworth


“renderings via Perkins Eastman, the architecture firm.”

Update on “D.C.’s Historic Spy House” across from the Russian Embassy in Glover Park.

“Dear PoPville,

A new 40-foot-tall building is being proposed for the lot at 2619 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. The new structure to be developed by MED Developers is intended to be used as an assisted living facility.

The plans for the lucrative parcel of land resemble MED Developers’ previous plans for a Ward 3 homeless shelter that was to be built on the same spot (plans that were dropped after an investigation by the  Washington Post).

The new structure would require demolishing the infamous “Spy House,” used for decades by the FBI to spy on the Russian Embassy. The proposed facility would also violate multiple zoning regulations in this residential neighborhood due to its size and scale.

MED Developers are seeking numerous special exceptions from the Board of Zoning Adjustment in order to move forward with the plans, including a special exception to build a facility in a neighborhood zone for single family homes and an exemption from limitations on parking.”

“The complex, which has been vacant since 2007, will have mostly family-sized units and provide workforce development training to residents and energy savings through the installation of solar panels through the Solar for All program.”

By Prince Of Petworth


via google maps

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Bowser today kicked off Roots to Roofs Week at a revitalization groundbreaking for 220 affordable housing units at the Parkway Overlook Apartments in the Ward 8 neighborhood of Congress Heights. The complex, which has been vacant since 2007, will have mostly family-sized units and provide workforce development training to residents and energy savings through the installation of solar panels through the Solar for All program.

“The revitalization of Parkway Overlook has been in the making for over a decade, and we are proud to finally get this project moving forward,” said Mayor Bowser. “With these investments, we are making it possible for residents to return to Parkway Overlook and for more families to secure the housing and community services they need to get their fair shot.”

The $82.2 million rehabilitation of the complex, located at 2841 Robinson Place, SE, near the Congress Heights Metro Station and St. Elizabeths East Campus, will be comprised of one-, two-, and three-bedrooms and all will be affordable to households making up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI) or about $54,600 for a family of four. Eleven units will be available for households at or below $33,090 (30 percent of AMI) and will be set aside as permanent supportive housing. (more…)

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