Thanks to a reader for sending the heads up that construction had restarted at 605 Florida Ave, NW. You can see the original post here and the owners perspective here. This was a very controversial selection due to the history of the home. I’m happy to see progress and look forward to the return to glory of a beautiful home.
I’ve been really hoping this one on the 1400 block of 12th St, NW would get fixed up but alas it hasn’t budged in ages. Therefore it gives me no pleasure to nominate this one for a horse’s ass award. It looks like it’d look great with some finishing touches.
Please send your nominations via email with a photo attached.
As previously noted, I’m a huge fan of the painting but it’s time this property has been called out. It’s been boarded up for as long as I can remember. It’s located on 7th and L St, NW near the Convention Center.
So how exactly does this work, one guy/company buys up all sorts of vacant properties and then just lets them sit until he/they can get top dollar? I’m not trying to be a jerk, I’m genuinely asking if that is what happens? I’m not a communist or anything, I just can’t stand all these vacant boarded up buildings… Do you think the current system is working well? If not what changes (besides tax rates) can/should be implemented?
“Dear PoP,
I live near the boarded up church on 10th & V Streets and noticed what seems to be a recently crumbled outer wall on the top floor at the back. You can see it in the top of this iPhone snapshot taken from the alley. This must be a horses ass contender.”
I absolutely agree with you, this property has been vacant way too long. And the extra crime here is that the potential is astronomical. This is such a beautiful building. I’d love to hear from the owner of this one.
This week’s horse’s ass award goes to the owner of the building directly across the street from the convention center. They’ve been a boarded up mess for years. Like most of these horse’s ass award nominees, these boarded up buildings are a disgrace to the neighborhood and to the city.
If you have a horse’s ass award nominee please send me an email to princeofpetworth(at)gmail(dot)com with a photo if possible.
Well it’s been a year and a half since I said the Carter G. Woodson House deserves better. The home is located at 1538 Ninth Street, NW and its Web site says:
“On February 27, 2006, the building was officially dedicated as the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site, the 389th unit of the National Park System. The National Park Service will be restoring the building and developing a visitor center for the historic site.”
Well this is new:
A reader wrote in suggesting this property in Eckington be nominated for this week’s horse’s ass award. The work this reader put together is incredible. He compiled all of his research in PDF format here: 329 Rhode Island Ave NE
The reader writes:
“My Eckington neighbors and I have been battling the owner of 329 Rhode Island Ave NE (a 6 story boarded up building that has stood vacant for 12+ years). It’s been on a “watchlist” since 2000 (http://www.dcwatch. com/mayor/ 000314.htm). Last year, it magically caught fire a day after it was placed on the tax sale list, and burned for 3 days since the firecrews couldn’t extinguish the tar roof. You also featured video of the blaze on your website… And now the building owner has collected his insurance money, but the building still languishes and the owner gets even more exemptions from vacant and blighted property taxes.
DCRA has been unwavering in their dedication to giving exemption after exemption to the building owner, since he always says he’s trying to renovate it, or sell it. However no work is ever done on the building, and there certainly isn’t any MLS listing the building as “for sale.”
Continues after the jump. (more…)
Well I’ve kinda morphed Horse’s Ass Award nominees to those who have let great buildings in DC stay boarded up in serious states of disrepair. This week’s is from Ledroit Park not far from Anna J. Cooper Circle.
Anyone know how long this building has been in this condition?
Back in early January the murals on this vacant building were painted over. I thought it was a tragedy as they added a lot of color to an otherwise depressing corner. Perhaps tragedy was too strong a word but, to me, it was and is def. disappointing. And the corner continues to be depressing primarily because of this vacant building. I wanted to wait a few months to see if anything would happen. I wrote that it would be great if a business actually moved into the space. Alas, it is mid-May and nothing.
DCist wrote at the time:
“These murals were by no means a celebration of the neighborhood’s history, though a pair on the adjacent wall, one of Robert Gould Shaw and Duke Ellington, and another depicting Carter G. Woodson, were added later by volunteers organized by ANC 2C commissioner Alex Padro.”
Just because some of the murals weren’t a celebration of the neighborhood’s history (even though some were) doesn’t mean that they didn’t have value. But I’ll throw it out to you guys given that the building continues to be vacant- do you like it better now with the murals painted over or with the murals?
Well this nominee doesn’t get me as agitated as the burned out apt. building at 3145 Mt. Pleasant Road, NW but it’s still disappointing. The house on the right is an iconic Mt. Pleasant row house. You know the one with all the tricycles on Park Road, NW. Well the one on the left has been boarded up for what seems like years. I think it’s time to renovate or sell, right? I’m seriously curious about what you guys think about this one? Do you think it’s ok for the owner to keep it a boarded up shell as long as they pay vacant property taxes? Though serious taxes only come when a property is deemed blighted.