Photo from Clark's website
Urban Turf looks at Clark Realty's 257 unit apartment development going up behind Hechinger Mall. The Clark plans to deliver its $36 million luxury project (which also features 5,000 SF of ground floor retail) next spring*, and that's big news for the eastern end of H Street which has not seen as much large scale residential development as is completed/planned on the western end. Here's the money quote from the Urban Turf piece: "the news that another apartment project is coming to H Street is further proof that the neighborhood has become ground zero for apartment developers in the District." So, did you see that one coming back in 2005?
*the Urban Turf piece says spring 2012. Clark's page says spring 2013, so make of that what you will.
16 comments:
This is great news!!! It gives me hope that eventually the Hechinger "Mall" as it stands now will go awayyyyyy. What a waste of space.
I'm hoping enough people will go to the Giant on 3rd and H once it opens up. Put that Safeway out of business so we can raze that mall and put in a few anchor stores. The area badly needs it.
Anonymous 11:22, what a selfish and callous thing to wish Safeway out of business. It was one of the first businesses to invest in this area, and they've run a decent store in a difficult environment. You actually want your neighbors who work there unemployed too, right?
Ever wonder why some folks are distrustful/resentful of new residents to this area?
There are in fact ways to develop Hechinger Mall without forcing Safeway out of business (see O-street market in Shaw, see Waterfront Metro Safeway).
Sorry, but that Safeway blows. And Hechinger Mall as a whole is a huge waste of space. It needs to be rebuilt, move the stores down to sidewalk level either along Benning, 17th or the Maryland side so pedestrian customers don't have to scurry through a massive parking lot dodging speeding SUVs just to reach the front doors.
That Safeway is a horrible. I hope it does close. The vegetables are often wilted, if they have what I'm looking for at all, eggs are missing from the cartons, you have to check the expiration dates on EVERYTHING. And try contacting their corporate office about it- its a joke. Also, the lines are always long with 2 people working registers and there are no self-checkout lanes.
HT is MUCH better. Even if they dont run Safeway out of business, maybe they'll force them to clean up so they can compete.
Anon 12:03 -
I've lived in the area since 1998. That Safeway has been in horrendous shape for about 99.8% of the time I've been here. The .2% being in good shape that one time when they went through that rather big rennovation a few years ago. However that only lasted a month before it went back down the shitter.
Yeah I probably do sound selfish for wishing them out of business but come on I mean how much more time am I supposed to give them to clean up their act? It's been a shithole for almost 15 years. I say Raze the building to the ground.
Unemployed? They can apply for jobs at whatever new anchor opens up in its place.
You seem to be okay with settling for crappy service and crappy products. Why is that? Is it because you don't want your neighbors to be unemployed? That's kind of selfish of you to deprive the neighborhood of quality products just so your fellow neighbors can have a job. Selfish and callous.
I dunno. In terms of e.g. produce quality, I find the Maryland Avenue Safeway superior to both the 14th Street SE Safeway (near Potomac Avenue Metro) and, for that matter, to most Giant stores I've been to (e.g. the one in Del Ray or the one on King Street near 395 in Alexandria). None of them are any good, though, and debating whether the 3rd and H Giant will have better produce is probably like debating whether it'd be worse to stab yourself in the heart with a chef's knife or a dagger.
Harris-Teeter, OTOH, is definitely better; but it's also more expensive.
My main gripe about the Maryland Avenue Safeway is that they almost never have hand baskets or working shopping carts. I've asked; and they've said it's because the folks living nearby it steal them all the time.
I'm just glad we now have 2 HT's nearby.
By 2014 that Safeway will be gone. You heard it here first.
MO - where is there another HT other than the one near Florida Ave metro? I hope you're right on the prediction - or sooner.
The one on pa ave and 14th ish st
Hey Anonymous @ 12:03- I'm not the poster from 11:22, but thanks so much for being "distrustful/resentful" of me just because I bought a home in the area. That's really big of you. bravo.
luxury apartments, really? i was hoping this building was going to be a bit more mixed income. for the longest time, i could've sworn there was a giant banner hanging on site that labeled it an affordable-unit project, funded partially by HUD. does anyone know details?
my feeling is that safeway will want to take advantage of the wealthier crowd moving in and will provide better services, that in turn mean everyone benefits.
lets not hope for displacement but a more socially and economically diverse neighborhood!
Pea pod.
I wouldn't even use PeaPod because I don't support that Brentwood Giant either. That one is just as horrible as the Safeway.
The poster abovwe may have a point about Safeway making a play for the folks in the high income units if only because the nearby Aldie will undercut them on the low income shoppers.
Chelsea - Inclusionary zoning in DC requires that X percent of units be dedicated for those earning Y percent of AMI.
It's likely a 221(d)(4) was used, which would be the reason you saw the HUD sign. That or GRP funding was used in the deal.
Note that groceries don't own the building they're located in. Therefore if the store received a facelift 5-10 years ago, it's unlikely they will make any improvements until they re-sign their lease. Grocery leases are much longer than smaller retail, extending out 20-25 years.
i'm in the camp that believes the safeway will be gone sooner or later. and what kills it won't be harris teeter, or giant, but walmart.
when walmart builds there suburban-esque development with lowe's up at bladensburg and ny ave., it's pricing will kill safeway. dead.
once that happens, i agree with those who say we should raze the mall. punch neal street through, punch 16th street through to kill the superblock. build something on the 3 new smaller blocks that's human scaled, addresses the street, and is wholly urban. no more suburbia in the middle of the city.
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