From Tom Hay. Questions for Tom? Send him an email. You can follow him on Twitter @Tomonswann.
Construction banners just went up at the long vacant lot at the southwest corner of 14th and R Streets NW. A spokesperson at Ellisdale Construction confirmed that construction of a 31-unit condominium project would begin around May 15. The property is currently a parking lot and was once a Zipcar location.
A check of D.C. property records shows that the owner of the property is Loford LLC. Back in February DC Mud reported on another property owned by Loford at 11th and V Streets NW that is being developed by Habte Sequar.
Sequar is also the developer behind The Josephine at 440 Rhode Island Avenue NW and Renaissnace @ Logan at 1618 11th Street NW.
The 14th and R property has had a number of owners and false starts over the years. At one time Robertson Development was going to develop the property. Robertson was behind the Visio, Woodson Row and Beauregard projects, all along the U Street corridor.
Just a block north of the property at 14th and S, developer JBG and Grosvenor broke ground two weeks ago for the District Condos project.
Of course many in the neighborhood will miss the love-it/hate-it mural on the side wall of the auto body shop adjacent to the vacant lot. A few years ago the mural was the subject of of an article by Washington Post art critic Blake Gopnik.
How much is your condo worth per square foot? (Image: Washington City Paper.)
Ruth Samuelson at Washington City Paper has a story this week on the price of condominiums by square footage in different D.C. neighborhoods. This is from her blog posting, which links to the full story (“That Erie Feeling”):
“Metropole… Finally Ready.” (Photo by Luis Gomez, One Photograph A Day.)
Saturday’s Washington Post ran an article, “Condo Sellers Banking on Extravagance; Open Houses in D.C. Lay on the Luxuries.” The newly opened Metropole — right here in Borderstan — at the northeast corner of 15th and P NW is featured in the story, including Thursday’s opening party. The gist of the article is what developers/sellers are doing to move high-end condos during the current financial unpleasantries.
The businesses on the first floor, and the VIDA Fitness gym in the lower levels, are opening, too. Borderstan.com will bring you some reviews and photos later this week.
From the opening of the WaPo story on Metropole:
Outside Washington’s hot new address, four swirling floodlights illuminated the heavens. Bow-tied waiters in top hats served pink champagne to guests, who entered the lobby between two oversize reproductions of golden Oscar statuettes.
