Here’s a Photo Progress Report on Seven Major Capitol Hill SE Developments

Here’s a Photo Progress Report on Seven Major Capitol Hill SE Developments

by Larry Janezich

On May 11, 2019, Capitol Hill Corner posted a photo progress report on seven major Capitol Hill developments http://bit.ly/2E2Ft91.  Here’s a progress report 10 months later.  The seven projects will provide 1,185 residential units to Capitol Hill’s housing stock.  Below are photos of where construction stands today, coupled with renderings of how the projects will look when finished.

Frager’s, mixed use retail/residential – project finished. Units are being sold.  Frager’s Hardware is open and Emilie’s restaurant occupies the prime corner ground level retail space. View from 12th and Pennsylvania Avenue. looking Southeast, February 24. Click to enlarge.

Frager’s – The now developed original Frager’s site on the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE, provides 34 condos. One, two and three bedroom units are intended to accommodate families. 10% of the residential space is required to be designated for affordable housing, under Inclusionary Zoning requirements. Frager’s Hardware occupies 8,500 s.f. of retail space.

Watkins Alley is under construction at 1309 E Street, SE. View from E Street, SE, looking Southwest, on February 24.

Watkin’s Alley – will provide 44 units, (uncertain whether condo or apartments) including 8 – 2 BR flats, 6 lofts, and 1 carriage house. Five units (3 townhouses and 2 flats) will be designated affordable housing units under Inclusionary Zoning requirements.  This view is from E Street, looking south, and fails to capture much of the project which is in the center of the block – see next depiction.

Here’s another view of  Watkins Alley looking Northeast, showing the scale of the project.  The former Safeway is top center.  This view shows the backs of the units in the previous rendering, barely visible between the green roof tops, center and left.

Lockwood – 1300 Block of E Street, SE. View from mid-block on E Street, looking Southeast, on February 24.  Units are now leasing.

Lockwood – Lockwood will provide 145 boutique apartment units: 1, 2, and 3 BRs. Thirteen of the units will be affordable under Inclusionary Zoning.

Capitol Courts is under construction at 1234 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. View from mid-block looking Northeast, February 24.

Capitol Courts – the former site of the Frager’s Garden Center – a mixed use building that will contain 119 micro apartments and a few 1 BRs. The plan includes 5,000 s.f. of ground floor retail. Ten percent of the residential space will be designated for affordable housing under Inclusionary Zoning.  This view is from Pennsylvania Avenue, looking Northwest.

Work continues on the mixed use building at 1401 Pennsylvania – Blackbird. View from the median strip at 14th and Pennsylvania, looking Southeast. February 23.

Blackbird – A mixed use residential/retail building under construction will provide 167 apartments and 18,000 s.f. of retail. Ten percent of the residential space will be for affordable housing, with a large portion of that for family units: 4 – 3 BRs, 2 studios, 2- 1 BRs and 2- 2 BRs.  The Neighborhood Restaurant Group has announced plans for a “culinary clubhouse,” a multi-restaurant, multi-bar concept – “The Roost” – for the building’s ground floor retail space.

The Safeway Development at 14th and D Streets, SE – “Beckert’s Park” – is under construction. View from 14th and D Streets looking Southwest, February 24.

“Beckert’s Park” –  Will provide 329 apartments, a new 60,000 s.f. Safeway, and several thousand additional s.f. of community friendly retail. The developer says that 70% of the units will be studio and 1 BR apartments and 30% will be two bedrooms. A number of penthouse apartments will be set back on the roof. Rents will be calculated at a cost of approximately $3.25 a square foot – meaning that a small 500 square foot studio apartment will rent for between $1500 and $2000 a month. Ten percent of the units will be affordable under DC regulations, at 60% of AIM – average median income.

The first of two mixed use projects is underway on Reservation 13. View from 19th Street near the south entrance to the Stadium Armory Metro canopy, looking Southeast, February 23.

Reservation 13 – Two parcels are being developed. The larger south building is under construction as shown in the previous photo; work on the smaller north building will begin soon, under a phased development plan. The total number of apartments in the two buildings is 353 – 262 in the south building and 91 in the north building. Originally, it was intended that 106 of the units in the project would be designated affordable.  Last fall, DC city agencies announced that the smaller north building will be 100% “deeply affordable” units for those with 0% – 30% of Area Median Income.  It is unclear if the new designation will affect the number of affordable units in the larger south building. In addition, the project will provide 22,000 s.f. of retail.