What's Hot: More Down Than Up: A Look at Detached Home Prices Around DC | Inside Bradley Beal's $10 Million Bethesda Home
Blagden Alley Micro-Units Get Final Approval

The bridge design for SB-Urban’s project.
SB-Urban and Rooney Properties got a warm reception in a final appearance before the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) on Thursday for the team’s Blagden Alley project, which will house millennial clientele in 121 furnished, short-term micro-units.
The HPRB approved a design for the project’s pedestrian bridge and referred the developers and architect, Hickok Cole, to the HPRB staff for final tweaks to the project.
The board initially approved the concept for the project last summer, but hesitated on a key factor in the design: A pedestrian bridge traversing the alley and connecting the project’s two buildings. One of the buildings houses the project’s amenities, which are planned to be substantial given the small size of the units. Residents at the project may even have access to a continental breakfast, developers have said. For that reason, they felt it was important to connect the two buildings.
Board members approved the bridge concept, provided the developers make it open, rather than an indoor walkway. As a compromise, Hickok Cole gave the little bridge a glass roof, which HPRB ultimately approved.
The development team had trouble getting the project approved by the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) due to its lack of parking, but prevailed before the BZA in late February. The company successfully argued that residents would walk, bike and take public transportation rather than use cars to get around.
Given that, one of the board members quizzed the architect on why, exactly, the glass covering over the bridge roof was necessary.
“We think if it’s weather-protected it’ll be much more used,” said Hickok Cole’s Devon Perkins.
“But these are people you’re expecting to walk two blocks to a Metro station!” the board member responded playfully.
See other articles related to: blagden alley, historic preservation review board, hprb, micro units, micro-units, microunits, sb-urban
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/sb-urbans_blagden_alley_project_gets_approval_from_historic_preservation_re/9694.
Most Popular... This Week • Last 30 Days • Ever

Even though flipping is not as prevalent in the city as it used to be, there are sti... read »

The change would allow for an 80-acre portion of DC's 272-acre Armed Forces Retiremen... read »

The Capitol Hill home has been listed for sale that has a number of serious security ... read »

The listing will hit the market on Wednesday, according to the Washington Business Jo... read »

Today, UrbanTurf looks at what we think will be the metrics that will determine the d... read »
- Home Flipping Drops in DC, But Three Zip Codes Are Still Seeing Profits
- 3,000 Units, 20 Acres of Open Space: Zoning Change Looks to Pave Way For DC's Biggest Development
- A Secret Room, A Safe Room and Quite a Security System on Capitol Hill
- Inside Bradley Beal's $10 Million Bethesda Home
- Listings, Rates, Prices: The 3 Most Important Charts For the Fall Housing Market
DC Real Estate Guides
Short guides to navigating the DC-area real estate market
We've collected all our helpful guides for buying, selling and renting in and around Washington, DC in one place. Start browsing below!
First-Timer Primers
Intro guides for first-time home buyers
Unique Spaces
Awesome and unusual real estate from across the DC Metro