Last we looked in on the Florida Avenue Market and the controversial plan to redevelop this historic area into a $1 billion “new town” of condominiums, retail shops, a hotel, and offices, the DC Council had approved legislation that would create a public-private partnership between DC and New Town Development LLC to handle and oversee the project. Now comes word that the DC Office of Planning will hold a public meeting on Tuesday April 24th to gauge community reaction to and gather input on the development. The Office of Planning is conducting an economic, and operational study of residents, business owners within the market, and stakeholders around the Market.According to Jeff Davis, Ward 6 Neighborhood Planner, the next landmark for the development is a meeting on May 30th to examine various alternatives to the project. The Office of Planning is in the process of preparing a report that examines the fiscal impact of the proposed plan, identifies the best uses of the space, and analyzes what the proposed project would bring to the area in terms of jobs and “unique services” preserved. The report will be completed in June at which time several sets of alternatives and their consequences will be compared with the current proposal.
The public meeting will be held in Gallaudet University’s Foster Auditorium at 800 Florida Ave, NE. There will be two presentations of the same information, at 3:30 and 6:00 pm.
The 24-acre Florida Avenue Market is located to the northwest of Gallaudet University between New York and Florida Avenues NE, just blocks from the New York Avenue Metro station. The planned "Gateway Market and Residences" project would put condominiums, retail shops, a hotel, and offices in this location. Up to 40% of the planned 1,700 residential units would be made affordable and available to DC employees, while the remaining 60% will be set aside for DC residents who are first-time buyers. In addition, the developer plans to build a 570,000-sf wholesale distribution space (with hope of luring back displaced vendors who now operate out of the market), plus almost 330,000 sf of retail, restaurant, and merchandising space. Also envisioned is a YMCA building, a health clinic, and library.
7 comments:
This will be very interesting.
There are a LOT of people for development, and a LOT of people for a scaled-down alternative approach.
Either way, it's pretty clear the topography is going to change.
I hope to attend the meeting and film it, as I do most meeting I'm able to attend... if they're not blocked.
I encourage interested readers of this blog to attend, if at all possible.
Up to 40% of the planned 1,700 residential units would be made affordable and available to DC employees,
Um, yeah, right. If the past is any indicator, once construction starts, that 40% will be whittled down to 15%. Once construction is finished, that 15% becomes 5% with the definition of "affordable" being raised to "anyone making less than $150k a year."
This is pure marketing nonsense. Show me an economically viable urban development where 40% is setaside for affordable housing and the place isn't a Great Society era housing project.
monkey's on the money.
but that's the way it goes.
they have to say that to get the city to cooperate.
but look at it this way:
right now there is 0% affordable housing on that site. :o)
Some of you are dismissing to quickly that 40 percent of the planned 1,700 residential units would be made available to DC residents.
DC is a partner in this development, so DC has more say in what happens than you are giving them credit for. There are numerous projects around the city where DC has partnered with a developer to increase the amount of affordable units in those projects.
DC has financed the construction of almost 15,000 units of affordable and workforce housing throughout the city since 1999.
correction:
Some of you are dismissing to quickly that 40 percent of the planned 1,700 residential units would be made available to DC employees
I hate to be contrarian, but if DC decides it will happen, it will happen. 40% is a high number, but the District routinely mandates that developers subsidize 20% of the purchasers - or rather the rest of us subsidize 20% of us - all around the city. CityVista, Highland Park, Park Place, and many others are examples (20% each) of the city forcing private housing providers to solve the city's social problems at their expense, and then people ask why costs on the rest of the units are so high. Someone has to pay for that.
Right now the area is run down, falling apart and dangerous at night. A new viable neighborhood would be a fantastic addition.
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