Construction Begins Quietly At 7th & S Streets NW

Shaw seems to be the land where development dreams go to die, or at least be indefinitely put on hold, where groundbreakings happen and aren't followed by actual construction. Too often news of impending construction starts dissolve quickly, giving way to news of severed financial partnerships and runaway tenants. Such was the case for Broadcast Center One and their developers (Four Points LLC and Ellis Development) which, even after the loss of Radio One (and the project name along with it), predicted an August groundbreaking earlier this year. The programming was downsized, United Negro College Fund was brought in as a major new tenant, and the project was renamed Progression Place, but August (and a few other months) has come and gone without a groundbreaking celebration. But construction equipment can at last be seen sprawled across the grounds, and the porta-johns are installed, sure signs of progress. As the plan stands, Progression Place will have 100k s.f. of office space, 224 apartments, and wrap-around ground level retail, serviced by 188 below-grade parking spaces. The development plans also call for a face-lift for 7th Street retail frontages.