The Latest Designs for Douglas’ Hecht Warehouse

• April 3, 2015
• 3 Comments

by Lark Turner

Douglas Development recently updated its bold plans for the historic Hecht Warehouse at 1401 New York Avenue NE (map) in Ivy City.

The latest renderings of the project, submitted to the Zoning Commission in late February, focus on a planned two-story addition in front of the warehouse that will house retail. The space is currently occupied by a large driveway, and the Office of Planning has recommended that the Zoning Commission consider allowing Douglas to build the structure.

The proposed building, designed by Antunovich Associates, would bring another 8,000 square feet of retail to the ambitious project. Washington Business Journal has reported that the building will include a restaurant, coffee shop or more retail.

The plans for the warehouse itself, which were approved by the Commission last June, include 338 residential units on the upper five floors of the seven-story building. The unit breakdown had a clear focus on single renters; Douglas proposed building three micro-units, 56 studios, 100 junior one-bedrooms, 68 one-bedrooms, and seven one-bedrooms with dens. The remaining units are two- and three-bedrooms.

A proposed interior rendering of a unit at the warehouse.

Douglas asked for, and was granted, flexibility to vary unit size by 10 percent in either direction, which is standard.

The warehouse will also include two floors of retail and restaurants totaling 196,000 square feet, plus more than 1,000 parking spaces.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the_latest_designs_for_douglas_hecht_warehouse/9719

3 Comments

1. Eponymous said at 4:09 pm on Friday April 3, 2015:
   Meanwhile they have gutted a building that's actually in a desirable location (block from RI Ave Metro) and have left it exposed to the elements for months. And they have plans to build a massive parking garage right next to the Brookland Metro. Douglas Development is such a joke.

1. skidrowedc@gmail.com said at 7:43 pm on Friday April 3, 2015:
   Aside from in the aerial looking down onto the roof deck, the diaphanous quality of the perforated cladding doesn't come across well in these renderings. It needs to, because otherwise we've got a dumb box! But even a dumb box is better than the current driveway, and the smaller scale is a welcome contrast. The smaller scale is what's missing in entire areas of DC such as NoMa, Mt Vernon Triangle, and parts of the Ballpark District.

1. Shark said at 7:55 pm on Friday April 3, 2015:
   Douglas Construction has done a lot for DC. At this point, the building you are referring to by RI ave metro is awaiting approval from the DC government to start construction.I have to agree with you that he does seem to buy property and sit on it before starting construction but there are various reasons, good or bad, as to why he might choose to do so. They may not be perfect but they are much more then a joke.