Zoning Change Would Make Way for a Mixed-Use Project at Penn Branch Shopping Center

• June 1, 2017

by Nena Perry-Brown

Penn Branch Shopping Center

Last fall, the Washington Business Journal reported that Jair Lynch had purchased the Penn Branch Shopping Center at 3200 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (map). Now, a new zoning application suggests that the company is looking to move forward with a mixed-use redevelopment for the site.

Currently, the shopping center is a one- to two-story commercial building with 16,000 square feet of office space, 28,000 square feet of retail and a surface parking lot with 85 spaces. The application for a zoning map amendment would rezone the 3.57 acres at Pennsylvania and Branch Avenues from MU-3 and R-1-B to MU-4, allowing for moderate-density development with a maximum height of 50 feet.

A rendering of Penn Hill

While specifics of the plans for the site are not known at this time, Rappaport Companies developed a leasing flyer last fall suggesting that the development would be dubbed “The Shops at Penn Hill” and would construct a new building behind an expanded version of the existing center with a total of 348 parking spaces.

A potential aerial rendering of Penn Hill

An additional 35,000 square feet of retail would be appended to the existing center on the site at the corner of Branch Avenue and Q Place SE, a new street that would be created behind the building. There would also be 52 new covered parking spaces serving the Q Place retail.

The newly-constructed building would contain a 22,000 square-foot grocery store on the opposite corner, 22,000 square feet of office space, and 100-150 units of senior housing. Two underground levels would deliver 105, 22 and 148 parking spaces respectively for each new use.

A rendering of the Q Place corner retail

The development team has been meeting with the community and the ANC since the purchase last fall; a community open house is also scheduled for June 10th.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/zoning_change_make_way_for_mixed-use_at_penn_branch_shopping_ctr/12641