Friendship Heights Finally Gets a New Condo Project (And Sells Quickly)

July 8, 2010
5 Comments

by Will Smith

Dozens of people braved the heat yesterday evening for a first look at The Harrison, the still-under-construction new condo in Friendship Heights. Nearby vendors Maggiano’s, Potomac Pizza, Frosting, and Paul’s Wine and Liquor helped keep visitors fed and cool under a tent behind the building site. A sales trailer was also open, where agents were on hand to answer questions from potential buyers. Between the tent and the trailer, about 30 people were in attendance while UrbanTurf was there.

Rendering from the Harrison Street side

The Harrison has 49 units and already 25 have sold since sales began less than two months ago. Anne Blakeman, lead agent for the project, explained that many buyers already live in the neighborhood and have been eager to buy but were waiting for a new condo building to be constructed. The last new projects built in the area were 107-unit Chase Point a block from the Friendship Heights Metro, which delivered in 2007, and the 204-unit Cityline at the Tenleytown-AU Metro, which delivered in 2005.

One buyer UrbanTurf spoke with was a good example. He is married and lives and works near Friendship Heights already. When he and his wife saw The Harrison going up, their decision to buy was essentially already made.

The project is located at 5201 Wisconsin Avenue, at the corner of Wisconsin and Harrison (map). Its four stories rise behind an adjacent Bank of America, and it sits on what used to be the bank’s parking lot. It is a three-minute walk to the Friendship Heights Metro and retail area — a huge selling point for buyers, no doubt.

The builder is aiming to complete construction by November.

The majority of the units are one-bedrooms, though there is also a selection of two-bedrooms. Many of the units have balconies, and there is a courtyard that will have a fire pit and fountain. Below the building is a parking garage with spots selling for $35,000.

Lead agent Blakeman said that the most expensive units and the most affordable are among those already sold. Currently the most affordable unit is a 493-square-foot one-bedroom for $299K. As you can see from the price sheet below, however, a variety of sizes and prices are available.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/friendship_heights_finally_gets_a_new_condo_project_and_sells_quickly/2242

5 Comments

swester said at 7:12 am on Thursday July 8, 2010:
Damn, a 493 sq. ft. 1 BR, and for $300k? What is this, NYC (or parts of Dupont)?

I’m sure it’s a nice building!

jag said at 10:16 am on Thursday July 8, 2010:
Surprising to me that units would sell that fast for that price (especially for such an ugly exterior)...course I guess I don’t really understand the neighborhood. To me it feels like Bethesda meets Cleveland Park, but it’s much worse than either of them (loses the charm of Cleveland Park and loses the retail options of Bethesda). Maggianos being the vendor basically sums up how boring retail in the area is. At least bring Cheesecake Factory in if you’re going to go with chain restaurant food when trying to sell a $560+/sq building.

Cesar A Prieto said at 9:42 am on Friday July 9, 2010:
Bank of America is a preferred lender.

http://mortgage.bankofamerica.com/cesaraprieto

What? said at 10:40 am on Friday July 9, 2010:
Ridiculous pricing!! Why not buy in an up and coming neighboorhood like H Street or SW for a fraction of the price and much more space?

HStreet said at 10:49 am on Friday July 9, 2010:
@What? - Do you really think that people looking for homes in Friendship Heights are going to start looking at H Street? I currently live on H Street and it is like night and day compared to Friendship Heights, there is no Metro unless you want to walk about a mile, and while it is up and coming it is still taking a while to get the new businesses up and running. The whole area is completely different. While you might think the prices are high at The Harrison I think they are right for that area and the building.