The redeveloped H Street Connection as imagined by Rappaport
I know that many of us have wondered from time to time about what exactly is happening with the H Street Connection. There have been redevelopment plans in the forks for the strip mall for several years now. Why hasn't anything happened? It seems they were mostly waiting on the streetcar to start service. Now that that's in sight, we're getting a bit of an update.
The H Street Connection in October of this year
A reader recently wrote in with the following:
I'm sure you're already on this one, but I just heard from a friend who is a business owner in the H Street Connection shopping center that they've been informed that redevelopment will begin on the complex early next year. He didn't want to say anything further because he's still trying to figure out what to do with his business once that happens, but just wanted to pass that tidbit along to you. I believe a couple of stores have already closed recently in anticipation of the redevelopment.
The H Street Connection in August of 2006
The reader is referring to Rent-A-Center and Rainbow, both of which another reader noted on Twitter do not seem to have for lease signs going up.
I had not gotten around to checking the timeline yet, but local blog District Source sought out a Rappaport representative who said that construction could start as early as the beginning of 2016. Download a pdf of the brochure for the project.
Stats:
-368 residential units
-51,200 square feet of street front retail space
-Structured parking to accommodate 530 vehicles.
The building design features various heights and cornice lines reaching eight stories at its highest level.
-433,530 square feet.
-87,052 square feet of land.
32 comments:
whoa! hold on... do you hear that? listen closely....
hear it?
YEP! that's my heart going "pitter patter!"
I can hear it. Do you hear mine too?! Early 2016? I am still disappointed. Why not 2015?
Did you mean 2015? I would think so if they are already closing shops.
I hear it! It sounds like Starbucks. And Chipotle! Maybe even a Potbelly in the distance....
This was one of the first big projects I remember being excited about on H Street, but unfortunately has been such a laggard. It is about time! H Street Connection is now the #1 eyesore on H Street. This can't get rolling fast enough.
10:54,
District Source says 2016. Most stores are still open. I would imagine businesses need more time to prepare.
Wonderful news. This should end 8th and H as a congregation point for scoundrels, ruffians, rouges, brutes, and other undesirables.
they're just waiting for the bus. that won't change.
Isn't there some sort of deal where the 7-11 will remain in the new construction?
do we know what stores will be in the retail space yet?
**praying for trader joes***.....
Uh, the brochure says 45,500 square feet of retail. 1200 is basically none... I'm going to go ahead and believe the brochure?
Even District Source said "51,200 square feet of retail" not 1,200, looks like Inked forgot a 5. Typing lazily, I guess.
Wonder why Rappaport says 45,500 and District Source says 51,200 and which is the most update to date projected retail square footage?
4:10 & Editor,
I left out the 5. That number came from Rappaport's project page.
4:10 & Editor,
I assume the brochure is a bit older than the project page. So I'll assume 51,200 is correct.
It's scheduled for 2016 probably because that's when most of the leases are set to expire. That and the they have been timing it with the arrival of the streetcar. I imagine that this development will get pushed back if the streetcar plans continue to lag; public transit is H Street's achilles heel and no developer wasn't 300 units of housing that can't be leased up quickly.
I highly doubt Trader Joe's will locate itself blocks from a Giant and Whole Foods. I'm hoping that a cluster of big retail stores comes in (a la nordstrom rack or home goods); the street desperately needs to diversify away from food and beer and food. we need to give people a reason to visit H and spend money there other than nightlife options.
11/14 11:29am: They definitely are not waiting for the bus. If you stand there and watch the buses go by - different route numbers and in each direction - you will see that some of them never get on the bus…. they are simply hanging around...
I'm am also hopeful for Trader Joe's since there will be under ground parking. Trader Joe's typically moves in after Whole Foods (ex: Clarendon) and within a few blocks of Whole Foods since they do not compete with one another but rather compliment each other.
Definitely not looking for big box stores or chain restaurants...we could use some mid-level retail...I for one think it makes more sense to have a Rack, Chipotle's, etc...inside Union Station. But I agree, we need more neighborhood serving uses...like a Zips, another hardware store and i'll say it begrudgingly...a Starbucks...although, I'd prefer Tryst.
MWV,
We're actually getting a huge local hardware store in Trinidad. They hope to open in mid-December.
If you mean the place coming to Bladensburg Road, Inked, they seem to be more of a contractor supply/equipment rental type place than a hardware store for do-it-yourself-ers, but I'm still really happy to see one of those huge empty places fill up with something.
As far as retail for H Street, I'd love to see some mid-level home-goods type of place as an anchor, like a Target or Crate and Barrel. The success of the Columbia Heights Target and the Walmart near Union Station shows that there's a huge market for urban locations of those kind of stores. It would also draw that much-coveted daytime foot traffic that H St has always lacked.
we need a movie theater on H.
1:31,
My understanding is otherwise. I toured the place and spoke with a representative. They will have equipment for rental and stuff for bigger jobs, but I believe they also plan to have stuff for working on your own house. I know they will have paint, plumbing, construction, electrical, and gardening supplies.
The people on 8/H aren't waiting for a bus and wouldn't actually work if you built a manufacturing plant at the Starburst plaza. That liquor store is gone, H ST Connection is going, get rid of Majors and that fried chicken place and there will be no reason to be out there drunk all day pissing on the sidewalk.
10:47,
Three things:
1. Loitering in the 800 block of H seems be way down since Family Liquor closed;
2. I feel like lots of people there are either waiting for the bus, or working the crowds waiting for the bus (it is the intersection of two major routes);
3. I doubt that either Major's or Crown Fried Chicken actively encourage loitering. It wouldn't exactly help their businesses. Both are clean, pretty well run, and make very decent food. I think you might be unfairly scapegoating them a bit.
"It would also draw that much-coveted daytime foot traffic that H St has always lacked."
I remember when it was the opposite. The daytime traffic is about the same now as it was when I lived there in 2006, but the night traffic was dead. You could drive down H St and not encounter any other cars or people, except perhaps someone getting food at the Chinese carry-outs, or perhaps a few people at the new bars that had just opened.
used to be the only reason to drive down H St at night was to look to score drugs.
Now it's going to be artisanal marijuana.
it's a pity the Apollo Project didn't include a multi-purpose Theater.
That site once held a gorgeous theater, a project as part of the building would have been awesome.
The Angelika movie theater is coming to Union Market so a theater on H St. makes little sense.
a multi-purpose theater with music, and food
could rock.
Specialize in Jazz venues, and encourage people to dress up that could be something.
I use 7-11, Subway, Smile Cleaners, and Rite Aid on a regular basis there. As much as I like to see progress, I don't look forward to two years of construction, traffic, dirt, etc.
I really hope they don't put in a bunch of big chains. That's the main reason I never moved to Columbia Heights: it's too corporate and destroys the soul of the neighborhood. It'd be nice to see some new small businesses and local 'chains' come in (I think someone suggested Tryst, as opposed to Starbucks, and I agree). Either way, I never liked the strip mall that's there now and it'll be nice to see it go.
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