965 Florida Avenue Project Expects Exit Soon from Bowser Hold

The developers of several parcels of land at and near 965 Florida Avenue NW told a meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street February 5 that it will soon exit the hold put on the project by the Mayor Bowser.

Red Star = 965 Florida Avenue (photo credit below)

"We are on the goal line on getting this in front of the council," said Matthew Robinson of MRP Realty.

965 Florida Avenue is one of five development projects approved late in the administration of former Mayor Vincent Gray which were put on hold January 29, pending review by the new Bowser administration team. The Bowser administration has said it wishes to confirm that upcoming projects are compliant with soon-to-be-enacted regulations concerning affordable housing.

Just before the developers spoke, the ANC also heard from Marc Bleyer, Senior Project Manager at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), on the multiple project hold. The bulk of Bleyer's remarks were about the possible long-term hold of a separate project to develop the former site of the Grimke School (1923 Vermont Street NW) -- see SALM blog post of February 9. However, about 965 Florida Avenue, Bleyer said: "We're working to get that done quickly."

Joining Robinson on the team of developers presenting were James Nozar of The JBG Companies and Chip Ellis of Ellis Development Group.

Nozar outlined the scope of the project, which involves three separate parcels of land. Nozar said there would be an announcement soon about the "neighborhood-oriented retail" that would appear in the new development. This included "food that is non-tapas oriented", he said.

Ellis announced there would be a 40,000 square foot grocery store on the site, but said he could not yet name the retailer. A report from last year named Harris Teeter as the "likely" grocery retailer for the project.

"We are pleased to announce that the project will be adhering to 30 percent affordable housing," Ellis also said, perhaps meaning that the project as currently envisioned is already compliant with the upcoming new regulations on affordable housing.

After the presentations, ANC1B Commissioner Ellen Nedrow Sullivan (district 02) told the presenters: "You're really answering the needs of the community."

See a February 3, 2015, article from the Washington City Paper's Housing Complex blog about the partnership of JBG and MPR Realty on this project here.

See a page from the DMPED web site about this project, including a link to the original Request for Proposal, here.

(Photo credit: detail from the DMPED 2012 Request for Proposal for 965 Florida Avenue)

Proposal to Permanently Remove 13th and U Bikeshare Station

At its regular monthly meeting on June 19, the Transportation Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street, heard a proposal by development company JBG that would permanently remove the Capital Bikeshare station at 13th and U Streets NW. The committee decided not to take a decision on the proposal this month. Instead, it will solicit community input and discuss it again at its next meeting, scheduled for Thursday, July 17, at 7pm, at the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th Street).

The Rite-Aid as seen from across 13th Street

JBG is getting ready to construct an eight-story building on the southwest corner of 13th and U Street, in a building currently occupied by a Rite-Aid and other tenants. Representatives of JBG told the committee they were "very far along in design" and planned to break ground by the end of the year.

The new building will have 130 apartments and brand-new retail space for the Rite-Aid, who have a 20-year lease on the spot.

In order to get Rite-Aid on board for the renovation, JBG reported, "we had to promise them the nicest Rite-Aid ever."

Temporarily moving the bikeshare station

There is a Capital Bikeshare station on the 13th Street side of the Rite-Aid. During the construction, it will have to move. The committee discussed possibilities for a temporary home for the station.

JBG proposed four destinations for the temporary move, which qualified by virtue of having wider-than-normal sidewalks:

• In front of the metro entrance on the south side of U Street
• On the southeast side of 12th Street
• On the northwest side of 11th Street
• On the southeast side of 11th Street

See a series of JBG-supplied photos here of the above-listed possible temporary locations for the displaced Capital Bikeshare Station.

The committee unanimously recommended the first option above for the temporary location. ANC1B will probably vote on the recommendation at its next meeting, scheduled for July 10, 7pm, at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets).

Permanently moving the bikeshare station

The fate of the bikeshare station after the construction is completed was the subject of some discussion. The design favored by JBG puts a small green space, with some trees, bushes, flowers, and grass, in the current bikeshare space. However, the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) wants to move the bikeshare station back to the same spot.

"If you don't vote to support the garden, the bike share is staying there," JBG representatives told the committee.

JBG tried to sell the committee on the garden idea, but they could not guarantee they would be able to convince the DC government and/or neighboring property owners to permanently put the bikeshare station in a convenient nearby spot.

"This needs to be vetted by a wider swath of the community," said one committee member.

The motion to revisit the topic next meeting was passed unanimously.

ANC1B's Transportation Committee would like to hear community comment. Email the chair of the committee, Ben Klemens, at bklemens at gmail dot com.

Some of JBG's plans and drawings for the site, including the small green space, are available here.