80-Unit Mixed-Use Development Planned For Payless Shoe Site in Adams Morgan

• March 2, 2017
• 9 Comments

by Nena Perry-Brown

An early rendering of the proposed development at 1777 Columbia Road NW

A large new rental building is on the boards for a prime Adams Morgan location.

On Wednesday evening, Foxhall Partners shared plans for a matter of right mixed-use development at 1773-1777 Columbia Road NW that will consist of a six-story, 80-unit apartment building over 9,500 square feet of retail. In 2015, Foxhall entered into an agreement with ANC 1C and the Kalorama Citizens Association to preserve the one-story commercial facades of the firm’s properties from 1767-1777 Columbia Road NW (map). The former retail tenants at these buildings include Old City Cafe, Payless Shoes, RadioShack and T-Mobile.

Streetsense is the architect for the project, which will also include 30 underground parking spaces. The rental apartments will be a mix of studios, one bedrooms and one bedroom lofts and will also include inclusionary zoning units. The bones of the building should be erected by the end of the year, setting delivery out to the third quarter of 2018.

While Wednesday night’s presentation was purely informational, some ANC commissioners and members of the community expressed concern about the design and logistics of the development. Several people pointed out that the combination of color, materiality and modernity made the appended portion of the building look stark in contrast to the rest of the neighborhood. The architect has already expressed interest in proposing a different color palette. Others noted that the alley, from which the building will have loading and parking access, is already very congested and would need to be organized in a way that doesn’t exacerbate the existing problems. The development team is expected to work closely with Commissioner Wilson Reynolds to resolve those issues.

The proposed development will be surrounded by a slew of new projects either on the boards or scheduled to deliver soon, including The Line hotel across the street, the hotly-debated PN Hoffman development at the intersection of 18th Street and Columbia Road NW, and Eastbanc’s 120-unit development planned for 2800 16th Street NW.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/80_apartments_above_retail_for_adams_morgan/12282

9 Comments

1. CB said at 6:23 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017:
   I was at the meeting last night. One thing that struck me was the environmental lady's comment about Pho14. Does anyone know what exactly the environmental problem is inside the restaurant? By the way, I think this project is great for Adam's Morgan.

1. Ecg0792@gmail.com said at 3:45 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017:
   I like this. It works for Adams Morgan. One day this building will be concealed along it’s lot lines (it’s happened to me multiple times), so the primary facade will add an interesting rhythm in the future. Take a look at the renderings of 3831 Georgia Ave. I designed the building to the south that is currently under construction, and when I designed that building there was only 2-3 story context on that block. Now the majority of building are 6 stories plus. This is the right direction for this neighborhood, and I hope it creates a new normal for the city…it really needs it.

1. anderlank said at 8:20 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017:
   I am so excited to see some modern architecture come to Adams Morgan. The black is striking, but it should be. I really hope they don't tone it down too much.

1. dcblogs@gmail.com said at 10:39 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017:
   Hopefully, this design will survive the neighborhood's permanent criticism infrastructure.

1. UrbanPlanner said at 10:39 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017:
   Regarding the Pho14 building, the developer's environmental consultant stated that during their investigation they found perchloroethylene (perc) in the kitchen area of the restaurant. I wonder if the lessee and the employees are aware of this? Perc is considered to be "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" by the NIH. On their website it states that the primary routes of potential human exposure are inhalation and ingestion of contaminated water and food. Yikes.

1. Cardplayer said at 11:16 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017:
   Perchloroethylene has been classified by the EPA as "likely to be carcinogenic in humans by all routes of exposure." This is cited on the American Cancer Society's website. If this is an issue in the Pho14 building, an immediate cleanup of the site is warranted. This is in addition to the fact that the proposed development would be a significant upgrade to the block from a visual and practical standpoint.

1. smllanierheights said at 11:57 pm on Thursday March 2, 2017:
   Will the new development also incorporate the Pho and Burger King buildings?

1. Jay said at 10:30 pm on Sunday March 5, 2017:
   They should have just looked across the street at the new hotel for inspiration. This looks awful and trendy. Does not look like it belongs in this neighborhood. I'm so disappointed crap like this keeps getting approved.

1. Leisure Suit Larry said at 12:04 am on Thursday March 9, 2017:
   I'll have the spicy vermicelli soup with the perc on the side! what the hell Pho 14!