From Artist Lofts to e-lofts: Where DC-Area Renters Can Live/Work

• April 21st 2020

by Nena Perry-Brown

While the DC area already had a relatively high share of workers who worked from home, the current stay-at-home orders mean that the line between work and life is blurred for many more people.

For those comfortable walking that line, here are some projects that have delivered or are in the pipeline that are tailor-made for working from home. 

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e-lofts

We are kicking off with one of the earlier projects in the area to combine the live-work ethos with adaptive reuse. In 2016, an office building at the old Park Center Association (map) in Arlington was converted into 200 units that can be individually rented as either offices or residences.

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Mission Lofts

Another project by e-lofts' Robert Seldin, the Mission Lofts just began move-ins on Columbia Pike (map). The 156-unit building was also an office in a past life, and leverages that construction to give potential tenants flexibility for residential or office use.

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Galena Old Town

Earlier this year, Galena Capital Partners submitted plans for a three-part development in Old Town Alexandria's Parker-Gray historic district; two of the buildings will include five live/work units, sized from studios to one-bedrooms with dens. Designed by Winstanley Architects and Planners, the development on King and N. Henry Streets (map) will deliver 44 other residential units and will be served by a 140-space automated parking garage.

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One 501

Over in Eckington, the 327-unit development under construction at 1501 Harry Thomas Way NE (map) will include four maker/artist live-work lofts. The remainder of the Foulger Pratt-led project will include 9,200 square feet of restaurants and retail and realignment of the Metropolitan Branch Trail. 

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Art Place

The next phase of the Art Place development at South Dakota Avenue and Ingraham Street NE (map) will not only include 30 affordable live/work artist units, it will also include makerspace and work studios rented at a discounted rate. Overall, the Fort Totten development will deliver 270 apartments; a food hall; an ALDI; an Explore! Children’s museum, and a Meow Wolf outpost.

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The Thread

As part of the redevelopment of the historic Grimke School off the U Street Corridor (map), Community Three Development is retrofitting and expanding the gymnasium building to create 40 residential units that will include a handful of ground-floor live/work units along the newly-created, multimodal 9½ Street.

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Brookland Artspace Lofts

Although this development is nearly nine years old and leased up shortly after delivery, Brookland Artspace Lofts also deserves a nod. The 39-unit affordable live/work building anchors the Monroe Street Market/Arts Walk district in Brookland (map).

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/where-dc-area-renters-can-livework/16744.