Fifth Time's A Charm? A 21-Unit Development Is Back On The Table For Georgetown Exxon Site

• February 18th

by UrbanTurf Staff

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Fifteen years later, plans appear to be back in the works for one of Georgetown's most prominent development sites. 

Altus Realty Partners has resubmitted an application to the Old Georgetown Board for a five-story, plus penthouse, development with 21 residential units at 3601-3607 M Street NW (map). The Handel Architects-designed project will have two below-grade levels with 47 parking spaces, and amenities will range from a rooftop pool to a yoga studio and a communal wine cellar. 

The concept for the project was previously approved by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts in 2018, and Altus is now reapplying for construction approval, as no changes to the project have been made since it was previously given the green light. 

The road for this M Street site has been a long and winding one. 

Way back in 2011, Eastbanc submitted plans for a 35-37 unit at the site when an Exxon gas station was still in operation. Those plans went through several different design iterations and size changes over the next few years.

While the new development was being worked through, UrbanTurf learned that the Exxon site was determined to be a frontrunner for the DC stop of the proposed DC-Rosslyn aerial gondola. Meanwhile, in 2017, Altus took over as the developer for the residential project and pitched the 21-unit development that is now back on the table.

In 2021, DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto included in her budget priorities a request for a total of $14 million to take the proposed gondola a step closer to being a reality. Of the $14 million ask, $2 million would go toward completing an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the project, and the other $12 million would go toward purchasing the Exxon site. This never came to fruition.

A year later, Altus submitted new plans for the site that consisted of a building that would house 50-60 graduate students. That concept has now been scrapped for the plans approved back in 2018.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/a_21-unit_development_is_back_on_the_table_for_georgetown_exxon_site/23201.