A proposed five-story, 44-unit, residential building at 1412 Chapin Street received Zoning Commission approval Monday evening. The project joins two other planned developments, Nehemiah Center and 14 W (the latter two sitting idle, for now), in 
the Meridian Hill neighborhood, equidistant from the Columbia Heights and U Street Metro stations. Buwa Binite of Dantes Partners first submitted the PGN Architects-designed plan to the Zoning Commission in November 2009. Despite the approval, Binite is staying mum on any details about construction timelines.
The proposed building would replace a vacant lot that once held the Berkshire, a residential building larger than the proposed structure that burned down in 1996. The ground floor, which will include a community room, will occupy 100% of the available lot space, with the above-grade floors taking on a "U-shape" to occupy only 80% of the footprint. Most units will have a balcony and all residents will have access to a rooftop deck.
According to Jeff Goin a Partner at PGN Architects, the design for the building was a challenge, "it's a lot of competition for a project like this to keep it affordable, to kind of match the Solea, the Union - the PN Hoffman [project]. Other projects you see are high-end and quite articulate." In a neighborhood full of new luxury buildings, "the challenge is to meet some of the other newer designs and be competitive and also meet the constraints of affordable housing," explained Goin. The design uses banding of brick, masonry and metal panels, adding three large bays of metal panels to address the planned developments along the Eastern alley of the building. Along the hill on Chapin Street, the structure continues the masonry and metal closer to the planned Nehemiah building, but switches to brick facade "to have a contextual relationship" with the existing traditional structures more typical of Meridian Hill.
The proposed project will offer all rental units as affordable and the developer has agreed to provide a $50 SmartTrip card and subsidize membership fees for either a SmartBike or Zip Car membership for each unit upon move-in. Because of the site's proximity to the metro, below-grade parking will provide precisely 34 bicycle spaces (don't even try getting a 35th bike in there) and 17 car spaces, according to the zoning application.
The developer could file for construction permits over the course of the summer for work to begin in the fall, if Binite's comments at a community meeting last summer hold true. Washington, DC real estate development news
11 comments:
Great, more "affordable" housing in my hood. Just what we need more section 8 crackheads...
Your federal and local governments - both hugely in the red - never seem to run out of money for more of these projects. Makes it easier to build too, don't have to worry so much about making them salable, just make them livable and the government will make up the difference.
That's Columbia Heights. I've never heard of anything being called the Meridian Hill neighorhood, and I live two blocks away from there.
@ anonymous 3:14 PM
I am sure you are against the government tax deductions for homeowners then also. This is a huge gift/subsidy to homeowners at the expense of the rest of the taxpayers.
Anon;
I would explain to you the difference between making someone pay less taxes and paying someone's rent on their behalf, but if that isn't apparent to you by now I doubt you'd listen. And the people who qualify for this also already qualify for EITC and other subsidies as well. Mind you, there are plenty of affordable places to live without the government needing to make sure that lower income people have a right to live where they can't otherwise afford.
Plenty of affordable places to live for low-income residents in the District? Where? Show me.
Seriously? Search this blog under "affordable" or "subsidized" and it will show all the projects being built right now, there are hundreds of others throughout DC.
I would hardly call the Solea "high end." Its just about the most god awful ugly building around. It looks like an outdoor toilet....really poor design and use of space. That architect shouldn't have graduated.
1) There is a Meridian Hill and a Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association. Logically, the Meridian Hill neighborhood surounds Meridian Hill Park.
2) I love the Solea. It's post-modern industrial, not for everyone, but I love it!
Section 8 and Afforable housing are not the same thing and do not apply to the same demographics. Affordable housing attracts hard working individuals with stable jobs that simply make less than the median income for their neighborhood.
Affordable and Section are two completely different things.
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