Church Turned Apartments, Co-Working Space Coming to Shaw

• May 2, 2013

by Shilpi Paul

1538 New Jersey Avenue NW. Courtesy of Google Maps.

On Wednesday night, the owner of 1538 New Jersey Avenue NW (map) stopped by the monthly ANC 6E meeting to present plans to turn the church building at the address into a 7-unit apartment building.

The building would rise to four stories and each one-bedroom unit would measure out to 550 square feet. Though it looks modest from the exterior, there is good amount of square footage on the interior, and the footprint will not change.

The developer came to the meeting seeking approval from the ANC in advance of a hearing with the Board of Zoning Adjustment. The plans require zoning relief, as the current zoning allows for two units. The ANC voted unanimously to support the project, which could start construction in about six months.

In other news from the meeting, plans were presented to open a creative co-working space on 9th Street (map). The space, dubbed SWATCHROOM, will differ from other co-working spaces in the city because it will almost exclusively be a workspace for artists. The ground floor will have a gallery and studio, while the second story will offer smaller work spaces. An example of a user, said the owners, would be a photographer who occasionally needs a place to meet with clients.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/church_turned_apartment_coming_to_shaw/7011