This Week’s Find: One of DC’s Oldest Garages Has Investors in Mind

• June 11, 2013
• 6 Comments

by Shilpi Paul

New Union Garage

For This Week’s Find, UrbanTurf features one of the city’s oldest garages on Capitol Hill that recently hit the market with developers in mind.

Tucked between rowhouses near Stanton Park is New Union Garage, a neighborhood institution that has been in existence for more than a century.

The property, which hit the market, is currently zoned R-4, and could be built to three stories, with four units, by matter of right. The plans for a four-unit building are included in the sale, as well as assistance from the architect.

The New Union Garage has a storied history; it was one of the first garages to open up in the city, and it is rumored that Lyndon B. Johnson had his car repaired there. More details below.

• Address: 643-645 Maryland Avenue NE (map)
• Price: $1.9 million
• Zoning: R-4 Residential and Commercial
• Year Built: 1906
• Listing Agents: ADMC Realty Group

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/this_weeks_find_an_investor_opportunity_in_capitol_hill/7184

6 Comments

1. Jacqueline Reed said at 4:06 pm on Tuesday June 11, 2013:

   It is very likely that there are environmental considerations since this was a garage and dealt with oil.  So a buyer should have an environmental study before they buy to build housing on this property.  It could have expensive clean up requirements before you can build a house.

1. makeba said at 5:19 pm on Tuesday June 11, 2013:

   Seems a little pricey considering it needs to be converted. Let’s say you spend another $600-700k for the 4-units. That’s $2.5-2.6m in the door. You would have to sell them for amazing amounts of money.

1. Jeff said at 6:17 pm on Tuesday June 11, 2013:

   I just read the listing.  It has actually passed its Phase 1 environmental.  I live on the hill, the properties on this block sell well, three single family houses across the street sold in the $2.5M range each.  Cool opportunity for a conversion project to multi units or an incredible single family!

1. Steve said at 10:31 am on Wednesday June 12, 2013:

   When did the R-4 zone become a mixed use zone permitting multi-family residential and commercial?  I thought R-4 was intended for rowhouses and flats.

1. Mac said at 11:46 am on Wednesday June 12, 2013:

   It was on the market 3 months ago for $1 million.  Sounds like a broker got to him and raised his expectations.  It’s way overpriced-you’ll never make a profit at $1.9m. It’ll easily cost another $1.0 million to renovate.  Also, you have historic preservation to deal with.  Cool block, but at that price, sounds like a loser to me.

1. Angie - Custom Garage said at 3:52 pm on Wednesday July 24, 2013:

   This should be saved and restored. If it has that much historical value then they should get it fixed up. But at 1.9 million I don’t know if anyone will bite on it unless it has value to them.