Despite Delays, Union Market Redevelopment Will Make Moves in 2019

• November 15th 2018

by Nena Perry-Brown

Earlier this week, Edens and development partner Great Gulf celebrated the groundbreaking of a new residential project at 1300 4th Street NE — a block away from the Union Market building where a redevelopment was shelved earlier this year. 

Citing issues including looming steel tariffs increasing the costs of construction and the partner contract expiring due to the "chilling effect" of planned-unit development (PUD) appeals, Edens requested and received a two-year extension on the approved PUD for the Union Market ("South") building at 1309 5th Street NE (map), which had been slated for a previously-approved addition of office space, retail and a theater. The first-stage PUD also included the construction of a sister "North" residential building. Now, Edens has an idea of when the ball will resume rolling on the redevelopment.

"The second-stage PUD for the sister building is in process," Jeff Kaufman, Edens managing director of development, told UrbanTurf. "Because of the steel issues and theater issues and [logistic] complications with the South building, we're looking at having to build it in two phases, which is not ideal." In order to minimize any disruption to the operation of Union Market, Edens would like to construct both buildings concurrently.

In the meantime, the developer anticipates notifying neighbors of an intent to file the second-stage PUD application for the North building by the end of the year, potentially setting them up to submit the application next February or March and, ideally, break ground by the end of 2019.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/despite-delays-expect-union-market-redevelopment-to-make-moves-in-2019/14697.