I can't vouch for the following (just a rumor),but here's what I received:
On the corner of 15th and Duncan St. NE there is a empty Apt building that used to be one of the biggest drug havens in the area. In fact there was a homicide there in 2006. Renovations started and real estate king Stuart Long was fixing the place up to be condos. Now rumor has it that he has sold it to John Spicer, a man who has been convicted of real estate fraud [according to the sender, but not truly known to me]. Supposedly his plan is to turn the building into section 8 housing or homeless housing.
20 comments:
Uh, sounds an awful lot like this:
http://www.examiner.com/a-926045~D_C__real_estate_deal_has_ties_to_investor_convicted_of_fraud.html
The 10 September 2007 Examiner has an article that refers to the 28-unit complex at 4300-4304 12th St. SE: "A $2.7 million deal between the District and a convicted real estate swindler and his family is raising red flags among D.C. Council members, who are questioning the purchase of an apartment complex that the city wants to transform into residences for the homeless."
A swindler, D.C., and misguided attempts to find housing for the homeless; sounds like D.C.
I would be more concerned about the developer making substandard housing for section 8 or the homeless. Frankly, DC needs more low cost housing AND more transitional housing.
according to the washington post, this looks like there was a mix up or someone was hearing this rumor late. Spicer Construction sold it in June, not the other way around. So if someone was fixing it up they probably still are. You can see sale record in the washington post.
Anon 11:22, look closer at the sales data. Spicer Construction bought it on June 15th for $1.5 million. They sold it to an LLC (with no name on it) one week later for a little over $2.0 million. Not a bad week's worth of work.
wow, $500k in one week? Sounds to me like it might be easy to launder suitcases full of cash that way, lol
Wow - potential section 8/homeless housing right across from a liquor store? That doesn't sound like the developer is being very socially responsible...
Anon 2:14,
Are we sterotyping disadvantaged people? How is that socially responsible?
This sounds more like what Eric said than anything else. I love the restraints this city has on carrer criminals, even the white collar ones get away with everything.
8th and el,
It is no "stereotype" that Section 8 housing near a liquor store like Viggy's is a volatile mix, ask any long time DC resident black or white, rich or poor who lives in a neighborhood that has this combo. Your PC posturing is silly, and the type of thing that makes it so difficult to address any persistent crime and public nuisance problems in DC.
Not that it matters, because I really don't need to prove anything to you, but I am a long time resident of DC. The time I did not spend living in DC, I spent in another safe part of the country, The Bronx, where there are entire communities of Section 8 housing. If I wasn't living around Section 8 properties, I was living in them. It helped my family turn around, gave us the boost it needed. This my not work for everyone, as I'm sure you have had similar expierences to call me out, but to label everyone who needs a helping hand a degenerate alcoholic crimial is not un-PC, it's just palain wrong.
Please do not presume to educate me on the status of low income neighborhoods because you think that living all of your life in this city makes you an authority on crimal society demographics, and show some class when using a public forum such as this.
Here here 8th! And Anonymous's opinion might get more respect if he or she would NOT be anonymous! Especially since it might be several DIFFERENT people commenting.
tom aloisi,
I think you mean "hear, hear!"
8th and el,
No one labeled "everyone who needs a helping hand a degenerate alcoholic crimial" (sic).
That assertion would be "just palain wrong."
No one who disagreed with you claimed to be an "authority on crimal society demographics," whatever that might be.
Very classy post on "this public forum," btw. Bravo.
"No one labeled "everyone who needs a helping hand a degenerate alcoholic crimial" (sic)."
"Wow - potential section 8/homeless housing right across from a liquor store? That doesn't sound like the developer is being very socially responsible.."
"It is no "stereotype" that Section 8 housing near a liquor store like Viggy's is a volatile mix"
I beg to differ.
"No one who disagreed with you claimed to be an "authority on crimal society demographics,"
"ask any long time DC resident black or white, rich or poor who lives in a neighborhood that has this combo. Your PC posturing is silly, and the type of thing that makes it so difficult to address any persistent crime and public nuisance problems in DC."
Again, I beg to differ.
Look, I'm not trying to advocate human rights or anything, and I will not pretend to be qualified enough to prove anything socially related. I'll also admit that I don't know what's best for this city. I simply grow weary of DC residents, native and new, young and old, each having the best idea on how to curb the problems with this city. You should too, but I won't force it on you:)
Yes. I can see how you're weary of that. Perish the thought of DC residents having ideas about "how to curb the problems with this city." We should celebrate the problems, and enjoy our wonderful "diversity"!
Sheesh.
I live within a block of this development, and I must say I was pleased to see work and progress on the building. My initial concern was that it would be another condo conversion and would continue to push up the rents of the area. Within the last 1.5 years a great deal of the 4 unit apartment buildings on Isherwood St., adjacent to the building in question have been converted and upgraded...good in a way but the average rent has gone from 850 ish to close to 1100 for 1 bedroom apts. Section 8 (The correct term in DC is HCVP) Housing Choice Voucher Program is full of respectable citizens who are trying to make a go of it to support their families and stay in the neighborhood they grew up in. I welcome these residents to my neighborhood. I hope the building remains an affordable, safe residence for those who may not be able to afford the skyrocketing rents in the area.
Why don't you rent out your own place to a section person anon 2:12 ??? Too bad if they move in all of their drinking druggy friends and trash your place, because you be able to evict them EVER, unless you shut down your rental for rehab.
lived next door to the flying bullets
How dare you imply that someone who needs public assistance to keep a roof over their head might have reasons to steer clear of alcohol while they "get back on their feet."
Why, the idea!
I live close to the building and I've been watching its progress. It has been completely gutted and they have been working on it every day for the last 3 months or so. I'd be surprised if they were putting so much time and $$$ into it if it was going to be some kind of subsidized housing. There were people living in it up until about a year ago so I don't think it was totally uninhabitable as it was. I have no idea how this kind of thing works, but I know I would be happy to have people living in the building, no matter who they are.
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