Big news for the Logan Circle area… “Wow” is about all I can say—a 32-unit condo building with 3,000 square feet of retail space is going up at the southwest corner of 14th and R NW at 1638 14th Street. Go to the WBJ article for a rendering of the building.
It’s a tiny patch of land next to an AYT auto service center, across the street from the Verizon building (north), the Union Baptist Mission (east across 14th) and Whitman Walker Clinic (on the northeast corner). This intersection is in desperate need of retail and foot traffic.
From the Washington Business Journal:
New Condos To Rise on 14th Street: A corner lot on 14th and R Streets sold for $3.8 million and a boutique condo will grow out of it. The property had been under contract to the buyer, a D.C.-based developer, since April 2008 and finally closed this month.
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I really, really hope this won’t force AYT out. They’re the last trustworthy mechanic in the area.
Agreed! I will only take my car to AYT.
agree re: AYT. love me some Asian-American auto mechanics!
I hope the ANC insists that this new building provide an appropriate amount of parking for both the residents of the condos AND customers of the retail space.
I have to disagree with jdola.
There is no need for the ANC to demand a certain number of parking spaces. Residents will have plenty of space to park on the street during the day, when parking is limited to 2 hours.
There is no reason to assume customers will be driving to this location. This new building will be 4 blocks from the U Street Metro, 5 blocks from Dupont, and 6 blocks from McPherson. It is along the major 52/53/54 bus route and new Circulator route. It is near the intersection of 14th Street, R St, and Q St bike lanes.
I don’t want more parking, because I don’t want to encourage people to drive to our neighborhood. I want them to take these other options (as they have proven to do with the failing parking garage at Target in Columbia Heights).
And for those neighbors who feel the need to put conditions on development so as to protect their parking spaces, my answer is simple: First, you live in the city; if you can afford the luxury of a car, then you can afford the luxury of a parking space–go rent one, but don’t treat street parking like an entitlement.