32 Units and a Crate & Barrel For H Street?

• September 6, 2013
• 6 Comments

by Shilpi Paul

501 H Street NE is on the right. Courtesy of Google Maps.

Is there a name-brand furniture store in the H Street Corridor’s future?

UrbanTurf recently learned that Douglas Development has plans to build a 32-unit residential building and three-story, 30,000 square-foot retail space, possibly with a furniture store like Crate & Barrel as the tenant, at 501 H Street NE (map).

On Wednesday, Douglas Development’s Paul Millstein stopped by the ANC 6C Planning and Zoning Committee meeting to discuss the early vision for what is currently a one-story structure on the hot corridor. Douglas bought 501 H Street NE from the H Street Community Development Corporation after JAIR LYNCH scuttled plans to build a 48-unit project at the site earlier this year.

While still in the very early planning stages, the developers have been communicating with the Office of Planning and have a rough idea of what they foresee at the site. Currently, they are considering building a two-story retail space, plus an additional underground level, with four-stories of residential above, totaling approximately 32 units, each averaging 600 square feet. Each retail floor would be around 10,000 square feet, and Millstein told the committee they are looking for a retailer like Crate & Barrel or Forever 21 to lease the space. Crate and Barrel stores generally measure out at 25,000 to 35,000 square feet.

Douglas will likely go through a Planned Unit Development (PUD) process, so the ANC and community groups will have many opportunities to hear about and weigh in on the plans.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/32-unit_residential_and_a_possible_crate_barrel_for_h_street/7519

6 Comments

1. SB said at 7:01 pm on Friday September 6, 2013:
   I thought there was a crate and barrel in Penn Quarter that they shut down in order to open a Forever 21. Odd... I would think that if Crate and Barrel closed their doors there, they wouldn't be willing to open on H Street. Also, with the giant Forever 21 so close, why would they want to open another store there?

1. Daniel said at 7:10 pm on Friday September 6, 2013:
   @SB I think that was a West Elm in Penn Quarter. I like the idea of a furniture store opening up along H Street, but imagine that a CB2 or a slightly less expensive option would be a better fit.

1. might93 said at 7:27 pm on Friday September 6, 2013:
   I'm guessing that what is now a vision for a furniture store will turn out to be the DC Special - a Sweetgreen, a CVS and a Yes Organic Market.

1. Uggghh said at 1:55 am on Saturday September 7, 2013:
   Man... Crate & Barrel? Really? Not that I want another CVS either. Or Room & Board. Can we please have something a little different instead of recreating a bland experience from elsewhere.

1. PC said at 4:00 pm on Monday September 9, 2013:
   Hmm, I think someone's reading too literally. "A retailer like" rarely means the ones actually mentioned. What the broker meant was a "junior anchor" selling soft goods who wouldn't be afraid of a two-story space. I'm having trouble imagining who that might be for this site, but I'm glad someone sees demand from non-food retailers. And, of course, the mention of any big names brings out whiners: somebody else should do the tedious work to make "something a little different" magically happen. Lazy locals deserve lazy "bland experiences from elsewhere."

1. Alan said at 5:06 pm on Monday September 9, 2013:
   There are two furniture stores on H already (four if you count rental furniture places). The two we have are nice (especially Hunted House, but 8th & H Furniture is nice as well), but more retail is always welcome. Can't wait till the neighborhood can support a bookstore (someone tried one on 4th and H and it lasted a few months).