Ground Breaks on 76-Unit All-Affordable Development Near Audi Field

• January 24, 2020

by Nena Perry-Brown

Just over two years after receiving zoning approval, ground has broken on an all-affordable development a block from DC's Audi Field.

A ceremony this morning marked the groundbreaking of the 76-unit development at 1550 First Street SW (map). Led by TM Associates in partnership with United Planning Organization (UPO), the 11-story building will also deliver 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. 

The apartments will be affordable to households earning up to 50% of area median income (AMI), with the exception of 16 units of permanent supportive housing for households earning up to 30% AMI. The unit mix will span from studios to four-bedrooms.  UPO will also have an outpost on the ground floor to administer support services to building and neighborhood residents, including job training and placement. There will be 46 below-grade parking spaces.

UPO president Andrea Thomas noted that this project will be the first affordable development built in the neighborhood in over a decade. TM Associates Senior Vice President Neil Mutreja thanked designer PGN Architects in his remarks, noting that the building design breaks tradition with the perception of how affordable housing is expected to look.

"Your vision and quality of design for what will be built here will change the landscape of affordable housing in the District forever," Mutreja stated. "We were able to achieve a truly market-rate product for the affordable community."

A second phase for the development received zoning approval last year and is expected to deliver an additional 101 affordable units above ground-floor commercial space to 1530 First Street SW (map). The development team hopes to close on financing for the second phase this year.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/ground-breaks-on-all-affordable-development-near-audi-field/16376