Bowser Puts Five Gray-Approved Projects on Hold

• January 30, 2015
• 2 Comments

by Lark Turner

The awarding of the Grimke School project to Sorg Architects
and Roadside Development is now on hold.

One of Vincent Gray’s last acts as mayor was picking a developer for the Grimke School in the U Street Corridor. Now that development, and four others, are back to the negotiating table.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development is taking a second look at five contracts approved late in Gray’s tenure. The decision was widely reported on Thursday, though no officials at DMPED went on the record to talk about it. Bowser, however, alluded to the administration’s focus on real estate development at a lunch event on Thursday.

“I won’t be the mayor who slows down growth,” Bowser said, according to The Washington Post. “… It’s important to me as we move forward that we continue to think about how we grow in our city.”

An agreement with developers hoping to build on Shaw’s Parcel 42 will reportedly be withdrawn and put out for bid a third time. The Franklin School development is being held for lack of funding. And three more contracts — on the Grimke School, 8th and O and 965 Florida — will be renegotiated to ensure compliance with a new affordable housing requirement.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/bowser_puts_five_gray-approved_projects_on_hold/9472

2 Comments

1. Chase said at 5:57 pm on Friday January 30, 2015:
   I'm excited about the 965 FL Ave. project being rethought. I think the priority should be helping manage traffic flow in that area between LeDroit and U St./Shaw by connecting W St. Additionally, there is a serious need for a large grocery chain store in this norther portion of Shaw, Ledroit and Parkview.

1. Daniel Wolkoff said at 11:38 pm on Friday January 30, 2015:
   Visionless McMillan Partner's "Monstrosity on Michigan Avenue", needs to be canned, but Bowser and the City Council are controlled by the Growth Machine, big money. The corrupt deal to transfer $billions in public money and land is THEFT. Hopefully, when we provide healthy, engaging, integrity building, educational activity and career training at our restored McMillan Park and Community Eco-campus, DC youth will grow up responsible and stop mugging, killing each other, and taking drugs. This is my hope. Stop the City government from handing over a $billion public park site, to Visionless McMillan Partners and start building a healthy community, it is simple. Grocery and anyother community service can be developed on the grid, whereit belongs. Whole Foods in Tenley adaptively re-used a derelict parking garage, no corrupt "surplus and land disosal", deal was made with mediocre developer EYA and Jair Lynch. Just like inn Maryland, Glen Echo provides 365 days a year of activity, arts/education to Potomac ,,,why not us? Why not a Wolf Trap DC outdoor concert space..thank your council-member McDuffie and Bowser, Gray, Grosso, Mendelson, Catania, Wells, Cheh, Bonds, who moved 25 acres of YOUR recreation green space to Trammel Crow, a theft from the public to the corporations, next time your mugged! Do you know how many $billions VMP is making on the DC public, and at the expense of our youth? We want a world class capitol, with long term cultural and community planning, not corruption, and racism,,stop VMP,,make the city a proud place,,,dump Bowser ASAP.