45-Unit Townhouse and Loft Project Proposed for Auto Repair Shop on Capitol Hill

• January 7, 2015

by Lark Turner

An early sketch of an alley courtyard created by the project. Courtesy gps designs.

A plan to redevelop industrial buildings near Watkins Elementary School on Capitol Hill into a 45-unit residential project was floated before an ANC 6B committee on Tuesday night. The proposed buildings at and around 1311 E Street SE (map) would include roughly 30,000 square feet to be constructed on what’s now an auto repair shop and a warehouse.

The site is currently zoned for industrial use, and the project will require a planned unit development (PUD) to move forward.

Sean Ruppert, the principal of OPaL LLC, gave the ANC committee an informational presentation on the project, which is still in its preliminary stages. Gregory Sparhawk of gps designs is the project architect.

Though the design is in its nascent stages, early renderings show an ambitious project with about 30 three-bedroom townhomes, eight flats and six lofts, with much of the homes’ activity centered around an alley. Ruppert said he is targeting empty nesters and families in the homes, the most expensive of which would sell for around $1.3 million. The houses will have underground parking, including one space for each unit. The team plans to file their PUD with the Zoning Commission within the next couple of months.

OPaL is the developer behind Naylor Court Stables, a Shaw project similarly centered around an alley, and Canal Mews, a luxury home development in Palisades.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/45-unit_townhouse_project_proposed_for_auto_repair_shop_on_capitol_hill/9374