We’re a bit late on discussing this, because yours truly was on the left coast last week when the news came out, but considering the potential impact of the issue, we’re posting late, rather than never. The Armed Forces Retirement Home made news earlier this year after announcing plans to develop a portion of its large Northwest property. The news was greeted with excitement by many, but neighbors of the property, particularly on the western, Petworth side, quickly aired concerns over the scale of potential development and the ways in which it might affect their streets and views. DCist examined many of these issues here, and here.
Last week, the AFRH announced that three developers — Crescent Resources, L.L.C., JBG/AFRH, L.L.C., and Clark Realty Capital, L.L.C. — had been chosen as finalists in a competition to design proposals for the campus. According to the AFRH press release:
The development plan requires developers to include affordable housing in the mix of residential units in keeping with a high priority of the District of Columbia government. It also includes 77 units of housing for veterans in transition to reflect the AFRH’s commitment to serving the needs of military veterans.
The development plan also requires adaptive reuse of existing buildings which contribute to the historic character of the site. The precise nature of the development will be determined by the AFRH and successful developer, based on detailed proposals to be included in the second phase of the developer selection process.
The proposals put together by these finalists will be used for construction on the southeast portion of the campus, bordered by North Capitol on the east and Irving Street and the Washington Hospital Center on the south. While neighborhood activists are still anxious about further stages in the development process, they have expressed, so far, a sense of relief that development has not moved forward on the west side of the property.
Other changes in the vicinity are moving forward as well. We commented not long ago on plans for the McMillan Reservoir site, which includes the historical and eerie towers and tunnels of an old sand filtration plant. Next week, the National Capital Revitalization Corporation will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, June 28th to discuss the NCRC’s plans to develop that 25-acre property, which lies just to the south of the Washington Hospital Center.
