With Last Unit Under Contract, Solea Sells Out

• January 8th 2010

by Mark Wellborn

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Just ten months after it started sales, Solea, the 59-unit condo complex at 14th Street and Florida Avenue, appears to have sold out. UrbanTurf received word today that the development’s remaining unit, a three-bedroom, went under contract in the last couple days.

“Our last five units fell like dominoes,” a representative from developer Jair Lynch told UrbanTurf. “December was a good month.”

Solea offered some of the more affordable new-construction units in the city, and it shows in the demographics of its residents: over 85% are first-time buyers.

The development engaged in some creative marketing techniques over the past year to get those units sold. For example, in July the condos launched a campaign to explain the potential of its live-work units. The ideas that were submitted yielded a wide variety of ideas – everything from a food bank to a youth writing center to a cereal bar. A cocktail party was held at the end of the competition where the winning design concept was staged by local designer Fabian Bernal.

Little-known fact: Solea was originally called Gateway 34 because the developers saw the location as the gateway to Columbia Heights from U Street (the 34 came from the parcel number).

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/with_last_unit_under_contract_solea_sells_out/1658.