12 Units Proposed for Anacostia Site Scarred by Gas Explosion

• April 27th

by UrbanTurf Staff

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A new vision has been pitched for a pair of Anacostia properties that were the site of a gas explosion a few years ago.

A concept submission has been filed with the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) to develop 12 market-rate apartments at 1223 and 1225 Marion Barry Ave SE (map).

The project, designed by McClennan Architects and My Ly Design, would bring new housing to a block that has been largely idle since January 2024, when a ruptured gas line — set off after a vehicle struck an exterior meter — triggered a pair of explosions that destroyed one building and left two others badly damaged. The cleared lot where the destroyed convenience store once stood has remained empty ever since.

The two-story brick building at 1223, which previously housed a small commercial tenant named Jazzy's, will be substantially preserved along the Marion Barry Avenue frontage. Rather than demolish what remains, the design team is proposing to repair and repaint the existing brick, restore the cast stone detailing, replace the ground-floor storefront, and fit new windows into the existing second-floor openings. The concept will go before the HPRB in May. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/12_units_proposed_for_anacostia_site_scarred_by_gas_explosion/24565.