The First Phase of The Portals Will Be Converted to 450-Unit Residential Project

• September 14th 2022

by UrbanTurf Staff

Lowe Enterprises has big plans in the works for what was the first phase of The Portals development in Southwest DC. 

The developer plans to convert the 8-story office building at 1250 Maryland Avenue SW (map) into a 446-unit residential project. The plans for the adaptive re-use of the office building are going before the Commission of Fine Arts this week and will also need approval from DC's Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). Representatives at Lowe Enterprises declined to comment on the development to UrbanTurf. 

As part of the conversion, the building, designed by Beyer Blinder Belle, will be reskinned with a contemporary facade redesign and a three-story addition will be constructed with modest setbacks that are meant to balance the new design with the massing of surrounding buildings.

"The Applicant has worked extensively with Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) staff regarding the proposed design, and the plans include multiple alternative façade approaches under consideration by the Applicant," documents filed with the BZA stated. "The Applicant expects to continue to work with CFA staff regarding these alternatives and bring the concept design to CFA this fall."

This is just the latest bit of news regarding change at The Portals. In late 2020, Republic Properties Corporation proposed to replace the surface parking lot beside the Bureau of Engraving & Printing's coal shaker facility at Maryland Avenue and D Street SW (map) with a 13-story, 353-unit residential building. And this week, the Mandarin Oriental hotel, which is part of the Portals campus, was rebranded as a Salamander property. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the-first-phase-of-the-portals-will-be-converted-to-450-unit-residential-pr/20071.