Zoning Approves Conversion of Dupont Circle’s Frat House to 6,000 Square-Foot Residence

• July 15, 2014

by Lark Turner

2123 Twining Court NW

The Spencer Carriage House and Stable in Dupont Circle is set to become a nearly 6,000 square foot house after the Zoning Board approved its new use on Tuesday.

The historic building is the former home of two DC nightclubs: Frat House and then Omega. The alley property at 2123 Twining Court NW (map) was built in 1905 by John McGregor and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Owners Gerard Boquel and Lew Hages, who bought the property for $1.9 million last year, plan to turn it into their dream house. The plans includes a master bedroom where each occupant has their own room-sized walk-in closet and bathroom that appear to be connected by a walk-in double-head shower. On the home’s second floor, what looks like a spiral staircase in the open-concept living and dining space leads up to a terrace. The property will also include two guest suites, a one-bedroom in-law suite and a two-car garage.

The Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) approved Boquel and Hages’ plans on Tuesday after hearing from their representative David Smith, who said the property wasn’t viable for commercial uses and that Omega’s owners had trouble finding a buyer for the space.

“The previous owners were winding down their business and trying to sell the building,” Smith said.

Board member Jeff Hinkle said it seemed like a “quirk” in zoning that a commercial property would be preferred over a residential use. The Historic Preservation Review Board has approved Boquel and Hages’ plan for the space, and ANC 2B supported it as well.

“It has to be extremely viable and visible to sustain itself as a business in the District,” Smith said. “For all of those reasons I don’t see the continued use of the property for commercial use to be viable and certainly their single-family dwelling to be an excellent addition to the neighborhood.”

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/zoning_board_approves_home_conversion_of_dupont_circles_frat_house/8736