Wednesday, September 19, 2012

WBJ: Big Plans for 600 Block of H Street

The Washington Business Journal has details (and renderings) for the massive project coming to the north side of the 600 block of H Street.

30 comments:

Chris in Eckington said...

Isn't the future Hikari sushi in that block? Did they sell out or does anyone know what the status is? I thought it was going to open "soon".

Anonymous said...

The article says:

"The corresponding project, on 101,110 square feet of land area, will feature roughly 450 residential units . . .(snip) . . .442 below ground parking spaces, (snip)"

So, there'll be 450 residential units; and if we naively apply the 1.2 cars/residential unit that seems to hold for DC, that's 540 cars. There'll be 442 below ground parking spaces; we don't know whether they'll cost the residents extra or not. But let's figure on 100 extra cars trying to park on the residential streets nearby.

I don't live at that end of H. How is parking in that area? Can you easily absorb another 100 cars looking for overnight street parking?

Anonymous said...

I couldn't find a proposed start/finish date in the article. Anybody have any ideas?

boris said...

Oh hell no.

I'm pro development. This one, though, is way out of scale and character for H and does not relate in any way to the neighborhood that we know.

I am not okay with the removal of five classic storefronts at H & 7.

This is block-busting NoVA architecture.

Dave B said...

Do they own the whole block. I thought they just from the corner through H St storage, thus leaving Hikari, Inspire, and the store with the creepy human/gazelle head in the window.

I'm going to assume this is at the process where they say "we want all this shit" and then various red taperies give them half of that.

I dont know if it is the renderings, but it does look huge. nice. but huge.

Even if they could build this monster, the block will still be 26times better than it is now with H St Storage there

H Man said...

The whole PUD is on ANC6a's website (9/19/12 EDZ mtg). It doesn't take those old storefronts. Just Murray's, H Street Storage, and some area behind them.

http://www.anc6a.org/agendas.html

I think it looks great. H Street needs residential density to support retail other than just bars. This is a step in the right direction. It will be a happy day when I see the eyesores that are Murrays and H Street Storage demolished.

Marc said...

Agreed, this is kind of a monstrosity. We need to issue some regulation in H street regarding air rights / height restrictions...

Boris said...

So sorry everyone, I jumped to conclusions and was dead wrong about the five storefronts - they are NOT part of this project and are reprieved!

Maybe the rendering perspectives are not doing the developers any favors--they accentuate the building's imposing mass.

To be clear, I won't mourn Murray's parking lot, but I find the architects have missed the boat on relating to H. Just looks boring 80s office park to me, without the elements that make this area interesting. Don't like the recessed retail bay with brick column. I street facade looks uninspired.

Compare this to the new 3rd Street development or the H-Street Connection plans. The former is a big building but with human scale and the latter at least tries with some industrial and even art deco elements.

Jeff said...

I live on I street right behind this site and I think it should be bigger and taller.

I don't have off-street parking so the loss of guaranteed street parking will be an adjustment - but one I will gladly trade in exchange for the new retail options this building will bring to the neighborhood.

Not sure where anon 3:29 gets the figure of 1.2 cars per unit in DC but I doubt that average holds in a builing with a streetcar stop at its front door.

Anonymous said...

The pics in the PUD application thing posted on the ANC6A are much better than the ones in the WBJ article. They show some of the nicer elements and don't look so imposing.

adl said...

get over the fact that its a large building. no one is going to build a block's worth of row houses simply to make it look like the rest of the street. and even if row houses were built, there would undoubtedly be people posting about how they are pre fab and not authentic enough. so just be happy that this would be a huge improvement over what is there currently.

resident not evil said...

Actually the proposed site plans are in accordance with the current trending styles. For example if you notice the facade mimics the row houses but only in large scale.

Anonymous said...

ANYTHING is better than that awful monstrosity that currenty sits there.

yo! it's the POO! said...

anon 8:17

i'm cool with the design, but your comment is sort of silly.

not just ANYTHING is better than what is currently there. building something there now takes away from any of its future potential to bring in a cooler design, or more retail, or whatever. whatever is built there now is what it will be for a looooooooong time. would i rather wait another year until they fit a whole foods into the design? yep.

it's not so much the bland architecture, it's about timing.

H Street LL said...

Love it! Wish they were going higher than 90 feet though. Shame that the development at 3rd and H is only six stories... looks oddly squat.

Amenities are dope too - smarttrip recharge station in the garage? public bike pump? Love it.

Anonymous said...

Great design. Can't wait to see this materialize!

Anonymous said...

I'm assuming that this project is at least eight years from completion and that may be generous. Anyone have an idea or educated guess about the timeline?

4th and G said...

Good stuff! Greater population density means better amenities. That block of H Street doesn't have much in the way of historical character, so the proposed development seems to offer many more benefits than it does detractions.

Anonymous said...

Unless you pay taxes in dc or the federal government , you don't have a vote according to mitt romney. Its progress on h. I am sick and tired of the John format waiting on development idea and holds his dilapidated properties and makes the area still look like a horrible area. Progress is better than family liquids. However on 13th block, redevelopment is asking upwards of 5 to 10k a month for renevated space to prevent new businesses from moving in.

The anon above said...

"Has anyone really been far even as decided to use even to want to do look more like?"

Yancey said...

As Supreme Leader of 6th St. (north of H), I give this project my full support.

fatty said...

ADL nailed it.

that is all

MJ said...

Are there people legitimately complaining that the building isn't tall enough or is FT being trolled?

inked said...

MJ,
I believe those are legit.

Elise

Blue Car said...

A representative from SK&I Architectural Design Group was at the H Street festival. They had some great pictures that I feel were much better than those published in the WBJ. The representative said that Murray's had a lease through 2017. That said, it doesn't mean Murray's will stay until then. With the new Giant coming and the Aldi on the other end of the street, Murray's may decide to close up early. If they do, SK&I Architectural Design Group is ready to move forward. If they hold out, then we have to wait for the lease to expire.

wylie coyote said...

Hoping Murray's closes WAY sooner than 2017. Bring on the progress, that block is dying to be developed and all the plans for secure bike parking, electric car re-charging, and the like sound great. As for the person worried about parking, if they charge the market rate for parking spaces, I guarantee you 442 will be enough for the residents. Lots of people go car free in the city. My block is quite dense, yet I regularly find off street parking, even after most 9-5 folks have come back from work, due to numerous neighbors going car free (even with the plethora of bars next door and Horace & Dickies fish customer traffic).

Bring on the development!

Any update on when Giant on 3rd & H will open?

ps: Murray's parking lot is never full. They can't hold on much longer if there are annual rent increases...I'm sure they'll make plenty of money in another neighborhood where they face less competition...I think with Giant and Harris Teeter a few blocks away and WalMart across the bridge, all the local grocery demand should be satisfied.

Anonymous said...

How dare this developer come into MY neighborhood and using their own money build the building they desire on property they own. The very nerve of them! I hereby demand that the all powerful fist of government be used to crush their spirit and force them to build only in the size, proportion and style acceptable to me. In accordance with ensuring a development of only the highest quality, they should copy the historically significant and fully government committee approved style of Cabrini Green. Also, it should have no parking, but rather supply tax dollar subsidized unicorns for transportation. Also, it should have free ice cream between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Anonymous said...

To the above, the community has a lot of sway when it comes to the buildings in our neighborhood. No developer can just plop anything down anywhere they want. Development is a compromise between many many different people and entities. If the community doesn't approve, the project won't move forward. I own my land, but just because I own it doesn't mean I can do whatever the hell I want with it with no regard to my neighbors.

Anonymous said...

How dare this developer come into MY neighborhood and using their own money build the building they desire on property they own. The very nerve of them! I hereby demand that the all powerful fist of government be used to crush their spirit and force them to build only in the size, proportion and style acceptable to me.

Welcome to the developed world! I hope you'll be very happy here.

I too weep for Galtian overlords everywhere whose spirits were crushed by the all-powerful fist of government, when all the wanted to do was build a lead smelter next to an elementary school. It's enough to make you cry "FREEDOM!!" I tell you...

npm said...

I wrote Giant a few month ago asking about their opening date, and they responded, "We hope to complete the new store in the first half of 2013, but we don't have a firm date at this time."