D.C. and federal officials have come to an agreement on how parts of the redevelopment of an 80-acre portion of the Armed Forces Retirement Home campus in Northwest D.C. should proceed.
The development project is one of the largest of its kind in the District and would create more than four million square feet of residential, retail and leisure space.
Officials with AFRH (also called the Old Soldiers’ Home), the District and federal agencies have now signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines the review and development process and “ensures a single, clear set of land-use regulations and building code standards.” It also provides the agencies and the public opportunities for comment.
The memorandum is the latest step in a more than decade-long process that has hit some roadblocks in the past. Two years ago, AFRH indicated it would bypass the city’s zoning and approval processes for the project. D.C. officials disputed whether this would be possible. A press release announcing the memorandum indicates some movement on this issue. It references a “shared goal” between the city and the feds “for high-quality development that respects the historic campus and benefits the adjacent community.”
While no new renderings or plans for the redevelopment have been released, the memorandum indicates the project is moving forward. Last November, the firms Madison Marquette and Urban Atlantic were chosen to lead the project. Madison Marquette had previously worked on redeveloping The Wharf, and Urban Atlantic worked on the renovations to the former Walter Reed campus.
AFRH anticipates completing the zoning process and leasing discussions next year.
The development of the southeastern border of the 272-acre campus — the land is being leased, not sold — is expected to raise money to help sustain the Old Soldiers’ Home through recent financial struggles.
Stephen T. Rippe, a retired U.S. Army major general who serves as the home’s CEO, told WAMU in a previous interview that expenses to operate the facility have increased while fees from service members have declined. Congress has been kicking in $22 million a year to help cover costs.
“We’re over here trying to close that budget gap and ensure the future of the home,” Rippe said previously.
This isn’t an entirely new tactic for facility, which was founded in 1851. It sold 46 acres east of North Capitol Street to Catholic University for $22 million in 2004.
AFRH anticipates completing the zoning process and negotiations with the development team on a long-term ground lease in 2021.
