“Dear PoPville,
The first meaningful dust is flying at Walter Reed. The building at Butternut and Georgia (across Georgia from the main campus) is nearly demolished. This will be a new fire station.
Just up the street (Georgia and Elder-Fern), several vacant properties have been razed. Not sure what’s going in there. I don’t think this is part of the Walter Reed plan. My guess is condos. There have been several low- and mid-rise new construction and renovations in that immediate area.”
16th and Euclid St, NW
From a press release:
“air Lynch Real Estate Partners (“Jair Lynch”) announced it entered into a 99-year ground lease with Howard University for 2601 16th Street, NW, a property adjacent to Meridian Hill Park. Jair Lynch intends to renovate the now- vacant dormitory into a boutique multifamily housing community. Jair Lynch acquired the rights in September 2015 from Howard University through a competitive process and closed the transaction on December 17, 2015.
The 2601 16th Street, NW building, constructed in 1942, was the site of the first government- owned and -operated hotel built exclusively to house young women who moved to the District during World War II to fill government jobs. Howard University operated it until 2013 as an off- campus dormitory known Meridian Hill Hall. (more…)
Photo by PoPville flickr user Kevin Wolf
From a press release:
“Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C. will open in September 2016 dramatically ahead of schedule. With its opening, the Nation’s Capital will now be home to an iconic and historic super-luxury hotel rivaling the best of other international capital cities.
“For decades people have looked in wonderment at the magnificence of the Old Post Office building and structure. There is nothing like it and we are so proud to have not only brought this incredible building back to life, but also to a position far greater than it ever was at its previous zenith. It was an honor to have dealt with the professionals at the General Services Administration. It was their total passion and hard work that helped bring this unrivaled project to fruition,” says Donald J. Trump.”
Ed. Note: Still waiting to hear which restaurants will be accompanying the hotel at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW…
10th and V St, NW
A few readers report:
“The Mayor will announce plan to construct 30 units of transitional housing for young mothers on the corner of 10th and V NW on the lot owned by Sorg. Will use existing design and city will enter into a 30 year lease. Will announce soon. City community meeting pending.”
You can see a rendering posted by the U Street Neighborhood Association here.
From the Mayor’s Office:
“Last fall, the Council of the District of Columbia voted in support of Mayor Bowser’s plan to close DC General and replace it with small, safe and dignified short-term housing facilities across the District. This morning, Mayor Bowser detailed the next stages of her plan as well as the sites for new short-term family housing facilities in all 8 wards.
“In a city as prosperous as ours, there is no reason we should keep families at DC General. The building is too big, too old and too far removed from the services that get families back on their feet,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “When I ran for Mayor, I heard loud and clear from our residents across our city that our city can – and must – do better. I have been working with the Council on a plan that will create small, short-term family housing. These facilities will be modern, safe and dignified – and will bring us one big step closer to our goal of ending homelessness in the District of Columbia.”
The District’s Department of General Services (DGS) conducted a months-long search to identify suitable sites for the new short-term family housing. DGS looked for spaces that could collectively serve the same number of residents at DC General, with access to services and public transportation. The locations include a mix of District-owned properties, as well as newly purchased or leased private property. They are:
2105-2107 10th Street, NW (Ward 1)
2619 Wisconsin Ave, NW (Ward 3)
5505 Fifth Street, NW (Ward 4)
2266 25th Place, NE (Ward 5)
700 Delaware Ave, SW (Ward 6)
5004 D Street, SE (Ward 7)
6th Street & Chesapeake Street, SE (Ward 8)
On Wednesday, the Mayor will cut the ribbon on a brand new women’s shelter in Ward 2, at 810 5th Street, NW. The innovative facility will accommodate up to 213 women and will replace two outdated facilities at 2nd and D streets, NW.
Each short-term family housing site will accommodate up to 50 families. Unlike DC General, these facilities will have places for children of all ages to play and do homework. They will also include the kind of services and programming that helps families exit shelter and move to permanent housing as soon as possible. In addition to providing safe and dignified short-term housing, Mayor Bowser is committing to making continued investments in the solutions that work to end homelessness—affordable housing, permanent supportive housing and rapid rehousing.
This week, the Administration will submit to the Council a package detailing the sites for their approval.
The buildings for the short-term family housing will need to be renovated or built from the ground up. The new sites will begin to open and serve families starting in 2017. The short-term housing for families will be some of the most dignified and innovative in the country. Once they are all in place, the District will close the DC General Family Shelter.”
And from DC.gov’s website:
Replacing DC General with Short-Term Family Housing
The District of Columbia has a plan to end homelessness. As part of that plan, we will close DC General – a former hospital that has served as the District’s largest family shelter for seven years. DC General is too big, too old and geographically removed from the services that individuals experiencing homelessness need to exit shelter and get back on their feet. We will replace DC General by developing several short-term family housing facilities across the city.
Click here for a fact sheet with more information on the District’s plan.
Photo by PoPville flickr user Erin
On twitter I also saw a tweet from @DCMeadows saying “plan to locate a 50 bed homeless shelter at Blind Wino property” in SW.
A reader reports:
“there are finally workers again at the Leaning Popup of RIA and NJ Aves. Did they get permits worked out?”
“Dear PoPville,
Boutique hotel proposal goes to BZA Monday. Plans to turn Union Arts located at 411 New York Ave NE into an “arts hotel”. Has collected 80 letters of opposition which can be found on the zoning case search #15-19. Facebook group calling for more signatures and stand in at case Monday:
#SaveDCArts – The Union Arts building at 411 New York Ave NE is the last collective art space of its kind in Washington, DC. It has been home to more than 100 artists and numerous organizations for many decades working as a catalyst of creativity for many communities throughout the city.
Regrettably, our building was sold to development groups who plan to evict all of us – the resident artists and organizations – by September 1. They intend to displace us so they can build an 11-story luxury boutique arts hotel. The DBLee and Brook Rose development groups have enlisted Cultural DC to convert the now affordable and diversely accessible art space into a chic hotel, where only 7 art studios will be made available to no more than 20 artists. This is far fewer than the number of artist collectives currently working in the building, who after being displaced will then be forced to compete for studios at a significantly higher price. In addition, the new building will greatly alter the character of the area into another sterile development, not suited for creative inspiration.
What is definite is the building has been sold. The current tenants at 411 New York Ave NE must vacate out by September 1st.
HERE’S WHAT YOU CAN DO: (more…)
images courtesy MidCity
Well this is huge. From a press release:
“MidCity, one of Washington, DC’s most respected and experienced developers and property owners, has launched a new name and dynamic new website — www.riadc.com — for its ambitious 20-acre mixed-use development designed to be the future centerpiece of the Rhode Island Avenue community. The website moves far beyond a branding exercise and includes candid FAQ’s, phase-by-phase diagrams, master plan and block plan renderings and details of the meticulous and innovative approach being employed by MidCity and architect and planner, Perkins Eastman. MidCity has retained interdisciplinary and strategy collective, Streetsense, for branding, communications and retail consulting for the project.
With initial demolition of the Brentwood Village shopping center scheduled for late 2016 and groundbreaking on the first phase of this inclusive, community-design driven neighborhood set for late 2017, the RIA website and brand set the stage for the next phases of development – an array of residences, an inviting new town center, new connective streets, local shops and retailers and pedestrian promenades and green spaces. (more…)
How long does construction typically last?
“I’m considering buying a condo in a building at 18th & Q, but I know that the St. Thomas Church half a block away is planning to build a ~6 story building on their property in the near-ish future. What I’m wondering is, how long does construction typically take for a mid-size building like the one planned? (You can google something like ‘st thomas parish dc redevelopment’ to see the renderings.) And during what hours are builders allowed to operate loud machinery in DC?
Thank you as always for your collective wisdom!”
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