A look at what's going on in Trinidad, on H Street, and in the larger area north of Capitol Hill.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
WBJ: Autozone Lot Sold
This item is from late last week, but it's still news. The H Street CD sold the AutoZone lot (1200 block of H Street) Westmill Capital Partners LLP for 3.9 million dollars. The Washington Business Journal reports.
28 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I think this is the best news for H St since the streetcar announcement. Now can we target the storage facility?
I think there is a consensus that an autoparts store/surface parking lot is not the most sensible use of that parcel of land. Patience is required though. Even if Autozone doesn't have a binding long term lease, I'd be surprised if a new building went up in less than 4-5 years.
Anon: It doesn't necessarily mean Autozone loses their lease, unfortunately. Also, the storage facility doesn't mean the a stop to progress on H. There is a big ole storage place on U between 14th and 15th and that corridor continues to grow. The Autozone is a problem for the hazards the parking lot/mechanics pose. Plus they won't let the stick ball league use their parking lot.
On a related note, tbd had an article on the streetcar trying to find a spot for a power substation. They planned on using the Southeast corner of 12th and H, right where the Autozone is. The owners asked them to hold off until they have redeveloped the land and can incorporate it into the new building (so that means they do plan on developing it)
Also worth mentioning is that they are trying to move it across 12th St, but the owner there is fighting it because he plans to open a sports bar with outdoor seating. Apparently, the spot should open next month. This is the first I heard of it.
Eric, It's not really a sports bar. It's Khan's Mongolian Bar-B-Q. It's a restarant with a full bar. Bowls will run about $9. They plan to keep late hours to accomodate bar goers. The place looks pretty close to me.
I am your personal vehicle also known as a car. I am sure you never knew that I was capable of communicating my own thoughts.
Perhaps you remember the time when you finally realized that my right headlight wasn't working. I purposely took it out of commission, just like a babe dropping a handkerchief for the sake of getting attention. I felt some real TLC when you dug inside me to change my bulb. I was about to make you change my left side as well but I knew it would only make you swear and kick my tires which hurts a lot!
Also there was a time when my wipers needed to be replaced and I was looking forward to feeling your hands touching me again but you decided to drive me to a shop where an old fat mechanic put his hands all over me. It was a terrible moment.
That made me reflect fondly on Autozone because that place provides all the tools and means for some "intercourse" between you and me. Now I am learning that it will eventually cease to exist which will result in more old fat mechanics touching my underside.
I sincerely hope, with all my heart and battery, that you will work up the courage to buy a book on how to please your car and take it for a drive to the nearest auto love shack where you can choose any tools and accessories of your liking and penetrate me with them.
It have come to my attention that some of you were dissing my place of business, some subtle and some not so.
My establishment is literally responsible for 90% of the hoarded junk of Trinidad, Ivy City, Old City #2, and the northern part of Capitol Hill. Somebody gotta store their junk somewhere!
It is with such pleasure that I mention that our facility also serves as a midday resting spot for some of our customers who decide to nap in the darkness of their units (we are currently in the works of renting some port a johns for each floors so our "tenants" don't have to resort to urinating in the hallways.
Our facility also have housed numerous of illegal transactions, and most of our security cameras are fake, so they have nothing to worry about. (a note to consider: make sure you seal your items well otherwise our late night crew might end up taking your stuff) With that said, we invite you to our humble place of business where customers can become sellers themselves.
Have you also tried the "trippy" giant elevator? It is one of a kind and rather fun.
I conclude this with a promotional comment... we are now advertising 5x5 units at half the price that comes with a free mattress.
H st storage - Very funny. This should be part of "Best of FT". He forgot to mention that "some of our convertible units serve as stand in showers thanks to generous leaks from the faulty plumbing"
Did u know that the manager/owner of the storage place was one of the first male African American models in vogue? Yup. He told me so (I used to rent a unit during my home renovations). He's got a really interesting story re: his life and the acquisition of the property. Someone forward to PoP so we can get some background!
No? Looks like it's up to me, once again..... *sigh*
What we need more of are gastropubs. Really big ones with recessed lighting and exposed brick. You can open 3 of them on the autozone lot. Think of all the upscale urbanites with turtlenecks.
Sorry but I dont understand how his background/life story has anything to do with the quality (or lack thereof) of service and facilities at the H Street Storage business.
The storage building would make a nice set of lofts. But Im sure people would scream since it wouldnt have any included parking and OMG isnt a parking space guarenteed by the constitution!!
H Street storage was originally a car dealership and had (has?) a ramp or car elevator. I actually like the building - all the horizontal lines - when it eventually changes hands/function, I hope it gets revamped not torn down...
I thank retired council member Sharon Ambrose for h street storage. She did so much for h street development. Oh yeah, there was suppose to an ANC 6A office in there too. That was very short lived.
Great article on H Street development. The irony of course is that the people who are holding out for the big payday are exactly the one impeding the progress. Someone has to make a move and sell so that other businesses can come in and re vitalize the crumy store fronts.otherwise the property will not become as valuable as they hope when they look run down.
joy, i don't really think that is true. h street gets nicer all the time. the street construction is holding up a lot of evidence of this. the building projects on the eastern end of the strip will vastly improve h and are already underway. the project at 8th and h will be a gigantic leap forward. the project on the western end will totally change that area.
the people sitting on their properties are not really holding back anything. and they will make a ton of money without having to invest another dime.
personally, i think it would be nice to fill these vacant buildings. but it is not all all necessary.
it will happen without them. to change this, there needs to be incentives to rehab, not just disincentives if they don't.
You are right when you say that there has been vast improvements on H street - but even as you cite that, you mention why it has made progress: because of all the redevelopment that has been done. Meaning owners SOLD to developers or inevestors who then turned around and renovated and brought in thriving businesses. I probably shouldve been clearer in my original post. I meant that businesses who refuse to sell, holding out for the big payoff AND refuse to spruce up their business are hendering progress.those businesses that look decent are going to make H Street more desirable - not the broken down storefronts. I don't think H Street will be FULLY re vitalized until all the storefronts look decent.
Just wanted to give a shout-out to St John's Church of God 1301 H Street for doing absolutely nothing to shovel their sidewalk. Such a great way to contribute to the community. Maybe on Sunday morning, when all the parishoners drive in from Maryland, if there's still any snow left, someone will break out a shovel and clear things up.
Hat tip to the ATLAS Theater for clearing the sidewalk from the alley to their entrance, and keeping the pristine whiteness from there to St John's. Whoever did the shoveling certainly went above and beyond the call...
28 comments:
I think this is the best news for H St since the streetcar announcement. Now can we target the storage facility?
I think there is a consensus that an autoparts store/surface parking lot is not the most sensible use of that parcel of land. Patience is required though. Even if Autozone doesn't have a binding long term lease, I'd be surprised if a new building went up in less than 4-5 years.
Anon: It doesn't necessarily mean Autozone loses their lease, unfortunately. Also, the storage facility doesn't mean the a stop to progress on H. There is a big ole storage place on U between 14th and 15th and that corridor continues to grow. The Autozone is a problem for the hazards the parking lot/mechanics pose. Plus they won't let the stick ball league use their parking lot.
On a related note, tbd had an article on the streetcar trying to find a spot for a power substation. They planned on using the Southeast corner of 12th and H, right where the Autozone is. The owners asked them to hold off until they have redeveloped the land and can incorporate it into the new building (so that means they do plan on developing it)
Also worth mentioning is that they are trying to move it across 12th St, but the owner there is fighting it because he plans to open a sports bar with outdoor seating. Apparently, the spot should open next month. This is the first I heard of it.
Eric,
It's not really a sports bar. It's Khan's Mongolian Bar-B-Q. It's a restarant with a full bar. Bowls will run about $9. They plan to keep late hours to accomodate bar goers. The place looks pretty close to me.
It's not a sports bar, it's Mongolian BBQ. http://hstreetgreatstreet.blogspot.com/2010/05/khans-bbq-mongolian-bbq-coming-to-1125.html
KHANNNNNNNN!!!!!!
If a compromise isn't worked out on the streetcar substation they may feel the wrath of Khan.
Dear Driver,
I am your personal vehicle also known as a car. I am sure you never knew that I was capable of communicating my own thoughts.
Perhaps you remember the time when you finally realized that my right headlight wasn't working. I purposely took it out of commission, just like a babe dropping a handkerchief for the sake of getting attention. I felt some real TLC when you dug inside me to change my bulb. I was about to make you change my left side as well but I knew it would only make you swear and kick my tires which hurts a lot!
Also there was a time when my wipers needed to be replaced and I was looking forward to feeling your hands touching me again but you decided to drive me to a shop where an old fat mechanic put his hands all over me. It was a terrible moment.
That made me reflect fondly on Autozone because that place provides all the tools and means for some "intercourse" between you and me. Now I am learning that it will eventually cease to exist which will result in more old fat mechanics touching my underside.
I sincerely hope, with all my heart and battery, that you will work up the courage to buy a book on how to please your car and take it for a drive to the nearest auto love shack where you can choose any tools and accessories of your liking and penetrate me with them.
Yours always with love and lots of hope,
Your Car
give me genesis.
MORE GASTROPUBS NOTHING BUT GASTROPUBS
Hi all...
It have come to my attention that some of you were dissing my place of business, some subtle and some not so.
My establishment is literally responsible for 90% of the hoarded junk of Trinidad, Ivy City, Old City #2, and the northern part of Capitol Hill. Somebody gotta store their junk somewhere!
It is with such pleasure that I mention that our facility also serves as a midday resting spot for some of our customers who decide to nap in the darkness of their units (we are currently in the works of renting some port a johns for each floors so our "tenants" don't have to resort to urinating in the hallways.
Our facility also have housed numerous of illegal transactions, and most of our security cameras are fake, so they have nothing to worry about. (a note to consider: make sure you seal your items well otherwise our late night crew might end up taking your stuff) With that said, we invite you to our humble place of business where customers can become sellers themselves.
Have you also tried the "trippy" giant elevator? It is one of a kind and rather fun.
I conclude this with a promotional comment... we are now advertising 5x5 units at half the price that comes with a free mattress.
Sincerely yours,
H st Self Storage
H st storage - Very funny. This should be part of "Best of FT".
He forgot to mention that "some of our convertible units serve as stand in showers thanks to generous leaks from the faulty plumbing"
Did u know that the manager/owner of the storage place was one of the first male African American models in vogue? Yup. He told me so (I used to rent a unit during my home renovations). He's got a really interesting story re: his life and the acquisition of the property. Someone forward to PoP so we can get some background!
No? Looks like it's up to me, once again..... *sigh*
What we need more of are gastropubs. Really big ones with recessed lighting and exposed brick. You can open 3 of them on the autozone lot. Think of all the upscale urbanites with turtlenecks.
God you just cracked Oboe up. He's flat pissing himself right now. You are one funny cat.
Sorry but I dont understand how his background/life story has anything to do with the quality (or lack thereof) of service and facilities at the H Street Storage business.
The storage building would make a nice set of lofts. But Im sure people would scream since it wouldnt have any included parking and OMG isnt a parking space guarenteed by the constitution!!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't H Street Storage originally deck parking?
H Street storage was originally a car dealership and had (has?) a ramp or car elevator. I actually like the building - all the horizontal lines - when it eventually changes hands/function, I hope it gets revamped not torn down...
Donna
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2011/01/26/the-h-street-waiting-game-how-a-commercial-corridors-bright-future-holds-back-its-present/
I thank retired council member Sharon Ambrose for h street storage. She did so much for h street development. Oh yeah, there was suppose to an ANC 6A office in there too. That was very short lived.
Great article on H Street development. The irony of course is that the people who are holding out for the big payday are exactly the one impeding the progress. Someone has to make a move and sell so that other businesses can come in and re vitalize the crumy store fronts.otherwise the property will not become as valuable as they hope when they look run down.
joy,
i don't really think that is true.
h street gets nicer all the time. the street construction is holding up a lot of evidence of this. the building projects on the eastern end of the strip will vastly improve h and are already underway. the project at 8th and h will be a gigantic leap forward.
the project on the western end will totally change that area.
the people sitting on their properties are not really holding back anything.
and they will make a ton of money without having to invest another dime.
personally, i think it would be nice to fill these vacant buildings. but it is not all all necessary.
it will happen without them.
to change this, there needs to be incentives to rehab, not just disincentives if they don't.
Block aid,
You are right when you say that there has been vast improvements on H street - but even as you cite that, you mention why it has made progress: because of all the redevelopment that has been done. Meaning owners SOLD to developers or inevestors who then turned around and renovated and brought in thriving businesses. I probably shouldve been clearer in my original post. I meant that businesses who refuse to sell, holding out for the big payoff AND refuse to spruce up their business are hendering progress.those businesses that look decent are going to make H Street more desirable - not the broken down storefronts. I don't think H Street will be FULLY re vitalized until all the storefronts look decent.
Just wanted to give a shout-out to St John's Church of God
1301 H Street for doing absolutely nothing to shovel their sidewalk. Such a great way to contribute to the community. Maybe on Sunday morning, when all the parishoners drive in from Maryland, if there's still any snow left, someone will break out a shovel and clear things up.
Hat tip to the ATLAS Theater for clearing the sidewalk from the alley to their entrance, and keeping the pristine whiteness from there to St John's. Whoever did the shoveling certainly went above and beyond the call...
Dc snow shovelling law:
http://dcist.com/2011/01/dc_snow_shoveling_law_hasnt_been_up.php
$25 is a good deal but we shoudl still collect it.
St. John's did have clear walks by last night. A good deed since the bus stop is there too.
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