HPRB Approves New 54-Unit Condo Project At Former Fight Club Site

• June 6, 2012
• 7 Comments

by Shilpi Paul

The latest rendering of 1250 9th Street NW. Courtesy of PGN Architects.

Last week, the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) unanimously approved plans for a five-story, 54-unit condo project at 1250 9th Street NW (map), right across the street from the Convention Center.

Developer CAS Riegler, who is working with PGN Architects, has been adjusting the renderings for the project over the past few months. In February, they received unanimous approval from ANC 2F regarding variances having to do with height and a few other details. They tweaked the design based on commentary from the committee and the HPRB.

The view from N Street NW.

The revamped project looks notably different than what we reported on back in February. The new renderings reveal a brick-heavy facade on most of the building, a modern, glassy corner, and pop-ups set back from the front of the development. A garden courtyard with floating bridges for residents is planned for the back of the building.

Earlier rendering of 1250 9th Street NW.

The space is currently occupied by the pop-up art gallery Contemporary Wing, and was formerly the event space known as Fight Club. The project will also have a ground-floor retail component, and they hope to start construction in the fall.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/hprb_approves_new_54-unit_condo_project_on_9th_street/5625

7 Comments

1. jag said at 8:28 pm on Wednesday June 6, 2012:
   Looks about a bazillion times better now.

1. jan said at 4:26 am on Thursday June 7, 2012:
   If the entire development built off of the "glassy" wing furtherest from the corner of 9th and N (large areas of glass windows, recessed balconies, and bluish gray - at least on my computer - masonry, it would be even better by a significant margin. The roof element at the corner is awkward, the masonry middle looks like lower income walk-ups, only a story or two higher.

1. Eric K said at 1:39 pm on Thursday June 7, 2012:
   I liked the old design better, but you can't please everyone.

1. Johnny said at 2:36 pm on Thursday June 7, 2012:
   Wow. Not only is the earlier rendering far better but it actually looks MORE in place in the neighborhood than the ridiculous design they were bullied into. The first looks like a nice urban loft building that belongs there. The second design just looks pastiche with the ridiculous step down between the building and the townhouse made to look autonomous, but it just looks like a butt ugly hybrid of townhouse and modern building in a failed attempt to transition from one to the other. The outcome as always is that the architecture is a complete bore. Too bad.

1. Miguel said at 2:54 pm on Thursday June 7, 2012:
   The old design was more interesting than the new design.

1. Matt said at 11:11 pm on Thursday June 7, 2012:
   Couldn't agree more. the original proposal had an urban grittiness which is definitely in keeping with the area, the revised drawing looks like every other condo popping up. Looks a little Logan Stationish. I do think the floating bridge thing is a cool idea.

1. William said at 1:22 am on Friday July 26, 2013:
   I am not an "expert" on architecture or design, so I'm not sure what "urban grittiness" is. (It sounds like something that needs to be cleaned up -- "Oh, dear, "urban grittiness", I'll get a bottle of Super Suds to take care of that!") Although I like the original design, I think the design approved by the HPRB "fits-in" better with the "look" of Washington D.C.