NOTES:
During the monthly ANC6A Economic Development and Zoning Committee meeting, H Street NE community members got their first peek at preliminary ideas to redevelop the 800 and 900 blocks of H Street NE, current home to the H Street Connection. Drew Ronneberg chairs the committee.
Developer presented three very preliminary ideas for developing the property under the provisions of the planned unit development (PUD) process, which provides the community a much larger role in the planning phase.
The architects stressed the draft designs concepts were extremely "preliminary." The developer was reluctant to post the designs online until the architect had a chance to refine them.
The developer and attorney said the current property does very well financially. They said there are no pressing needs to re-develop it.
Initial concepts call for an eight-story, 90 foot tall building. This is about the same height of the Capitol Hill Towers building south of the H Street Connection.
The project will contain retail (with 14-foot ceilings) on the first floor and residential units above. No office space.
About 350 residential units are planned.
A decision whether to sell or rent the units will be made later.
Plans call for about 500 parking spaces, all below grade. About three spaces for every 1000 feet of retail, and about one space for each residential unit.
The parking and service entrances would be located in the 700 blocks of 8th St and 10th St NE. There would be no access point at the current 9th St NE traffic signal.
The building is planned to be a highly-rated LEED certified (environmentally-friendly) building.
The developer and H Street Main Street's Anwar Saleem said the H Street Corridor needs residential density. They said this project—including all eight stories—would help. The project doesn't conform to the H Street overlay, which they said may now possibly be "outdated."
Most everyone at the meeting agreed they'd like to see the property redeveloped. Most concerns were about the building's mass, particularly the project's height.
The ANC6A Economic Development and Zoning Committee voted unanimously to empower Drew Ronneberg, Rich Luna, Annie Swingen and Barbara Haleck to represent the community in the PUD process.
THE PLAYERS:
Gary Rappaport, president/CEO of Rappaport Companies.
H Street Connection owner and developer: Rappaport Companies, Gary Rappaport is CEO:
http://www.rappaportco.com
Developer's attorney: Chip Glasgow, attorney with Holland + Knight
http://www.hklaw.com/Biographies/Bio.asp?ID=76384
Sarah Alexander (right), of Torti Gallas and Partners, stands with two of three "extremely preliminary" design concepts.
Preliminary designs for redevelopment of the H Street Connection. Note the traffic will enter and exit onto 8th and 10th Streets NE.
The architect: Torti Gallas and Partners, Inc.
http://www.tortigallas.com
Projects by Torti Gallas:
The Ellington at 13th and U Streets NW
http://www.tortigallas.com/project.asp?p=50192
CityVista at 5th and K Streets NW
http://www.tortigallas.com/project.asp?p=84746
Columbia Heights Revitalization
http://www.tortigallas.com/project.asp?p=50215
ANC6A Economic Development and Zoning Committee members Rich Luna (left) and Drew Ronneberg question the developer's attorney, Chip Glasgow, attorney with Holland + Knight.
