The Nearly 1,500 Units in the Friendship Heights Pipeline

• August 29th 2022

by UrbanTurf Staff

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Below, UrbanTurf takes a look at the residential projects that have sprouted up on the Maryland and DC sides of the Friendship Heights neighborhood this year.

If you've missed any of the other development rundowns that UrbanTurf has done this year, check them out here:

• The 1,500 Units Landing in National Landing in the Next Two Years
• The Verge, The Stacks and the Soccer Stadium Development: What’s on Tap at Buzzard Point
• A Metro Development; A 7-11 Development and a Whole Foods: A Look at the Takoma/Georgia Ave Pipeline
• The 3,000 Units in Progress, and 600 Units on Hold, in Rosslyn
• 166 Steps Forward, 54 Steps Back: A Look at the 13 Projects in Georgetown’s Development Pipeline
• The Soon-to-Deliver, and 700 Proposed Units, Destined for The Wharf
• The 22 New Developments on the Boards For Downtown Bethesda
• The 1,500 Units Coming to Tenleytown and AU Park
• A Food Hall, A Fitness Bridge and The Nearly 1,700 Units in the Works For Navy Yard
• DC’s Busiest Development Neighborhood? The 20 Projects on the Boards In (And Around) Shaw
• The 1,200 Units that Delivered on South Capitol Street Over the Past Year
• The 150 Units Coming to Adams Morgan
• The Next Decade of Development at Howard University
• The 9 Potential Developments in the Works Along the DC Streetcar Line
• The 250 Residential Units Proposed Along the 14th Street Corridor

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5500 Wisconsin Avenue

Carr Companies and The Donohoe Companies have plans in the works for a mixed-use development that will replace the 44,700 square-foot retail structure that was previously home to Brooks Brothers and Saks Jandel at 5500 Wisconsin Avenue (map). The proposed development would have two seven-story "shoulders" flanking an 18-story tower, delivering up to 380 rental apartments above up to 15,000 square feet of retail.

The Courtyard by Marriott hotel will remain and a 47 foot-wide woonerf, or a curbless pedestrian-friendly right-of-way, will run between the hotel and the new building. Between 45-57 of the apartments at the new development will be moderately-priced dwelling units (MPDUs).

SK+I Architecture is the designer, and SpringHarbor Financial Group and Kruger Real Estate are also investors on the project. 

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Lisner-Louise Dickson-Hurt Home Senior Housing

A map amendment application has been filed with DC's Zoning Commission to upzone the Lisner-Louise Dickson-Hurt Home at 5425 Western Avenue NW (map) enabling a senior apartment development on the 5.4-acre site. The proposed addition is expected to be four stories tall and deliver up to 93 affordable one-bedrooms. Urban Atlantic is the developer and Wiencek + Associates is the architect.

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Mazza-Gallerie Transformation

Developer Tishman Speyer presented plans in July as to how the Mazza Gallerie mall on Wisconsin Avenue (map) will be transformed. 

The plans call for demolishing the above grade portion of the mall while retaining the retail pavilion and the existing four levels of below-grade parking. The mall will be reimagined as a 7-story, 325-unit apartment project with 25,000 square feet of retail along Wisconsin Avenue that will could feature food and beverage establishments and fitness operations. The project is designed by Danish architect 3XN, and Willard Retail is advising on the retail component of the redevelopment. 

The new design of Mazza will include an undulating facade along Wisconsin Avenue, and the units will range from studios to two-story townhouses to terrace penthouses. The project will have a number of internal courtyards for residents, and approximately 40 of the units will be inclusionary zoning (IZ). 

The plan is that Tishman Speyer, which acquired the mall about a year ago, will start demolition this year. It is unclear at this point if TJ Maxx, which will remain on-site, will stay open during construction. 

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Friendship Center Redevelopment

In June, Federal Realty submitted a modification to the approved planned unit development for the Friendship Center, which houses DSW, Maggiano's, Marshalls, and the former Nordstrom Rack space at 5333 Wisconsin Avenue NW (map). 

The plans call for a 310-unit residential development above 12,000 square feet of retail. Designed by Shalom Baranes and landscape architect Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, the building is expected to employ biophilic design principles like greening on balconies. Fifteen percent of the residential space will be affordable to households earning up to 60% of median family income.

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Fox 5 Headquarters Redevelopment

Donohoe Development has filed a zoning application to build a six-story, 214-unit project at 5151 Wisconsin Avenue NW (map), the former WTTG-Fox 5 headquarters. The development would include a 1,500 square-foot retail or restaurant space at Wisconsin Avenue and Harrison Street, along with 86-167 vehicular parking spaces and at least 71 long-term bicycle spaces.

The current application seeks to extend the MU-4 zoning (moderate-density mixed-use) 35 feet deeper into the split-zoned site. Torti Gallas Urban is the architect.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the-nearly-1500-units-in-the-friendship-heights-pipeline/20014.