Residences in the Bridge: A Few Design Changes For 700-Unit Poplar Point Development

• July 19th 2017

by Nena Perry-Brown

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Five months after the Zoning Commission set down the application to construct a massive five-building development on Poplar Point, the development team has submitted revised designs for the proposal.

Redbrick Partners plans to deliver 680 to 700 residential units, 1.6 million square feet of office space and 49,980 square feet of retail to a site located along Howard Road SE between I-295 and South Capitol Street SE (map). Two levels of underground parking will provide 930 vehicular and 541 long-term bicycle parking spaces.

In the new design, architect HOK has added more setbacks to the residential buildings to reduce the appearance of massing in the upper portion. The bridge connecting the buildings has been redesigned, sitting 18.5 feet higher than originally planned and now contains six stories that will also house some residential units.

The new design has fewer rooftop architectural flourishes that made the buildings appear taller and more imposing, as well as fewer bay windows and projecting balconies, the latter of which have been replaced with inset balconies.

The “glass wall” has been removed from the roofline of the office buildings and the overall streetscape has improved. Retail will also now be included on the ground floor of each building, creating a retail-lined avenue along Howard Road leading from the Anacostia Metro station.

The development team is no longer requesting flexibility to place above-ground parking in the cores of the residential buildings and to vary the locations of office and residential use. Now, flexibility is requested to vary the construction phasing of the buildings and their interim uses and adjust the number of parking spaces downward based on market demand while keeping it above the minimum required by zoning.

The new design has yet to be scheduled on the Zoning Commission docket.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/residences_in_the_bridge_a_few_design_changes_for_700_unit_poplar_point/12808.