The X2

Dirt is being moved at the site of Flats at Atlas Phase II in Carver Langston; at least for utility works.  The original Flats at Atlas building opened in 2012 with 257 units and 3,450 square feet of retail. The new building, Phase II, is located at 1676 Maryland Ave NE, just east of the current site. There is an empty lot there at the moment. A joint venture with Kettler & Westbrook Partners acquired the current building and the adjacent lot for $95,000,000 almost exactly three years ago. Phase II is expected to add another 325 units and be 5 stories tall, with no new retail. This second building has always been planned to accompany the original building, so many of the amenities like on-site parking deck were built to accommodate the total number of apartments. They will also share the circular drive area on Maryland Ave.  I have yet to see renderings or a site plan for Phase II, but there was an ANC meeting about two years ago outlining the outer rim la...

Rendering courtesy of KGD Architecture . Delta Towers --located at the Starburst intersection of Florida Ave, H Street, Bladensburg Rd, and Benning Road, NE-- is gearing up for a major expansion. Fences are already up around the perimeter of the property, presaging a significant transformation and addition of residential units to the H Street corridor.  There are 179 new units slated for "Fortitude at Delta Towers" as part of a nearly $1 billion bond issue via DCHFA (PDF) All units in Fortitude will be for seniors and all units will be affordable as each will leased at a maximum of 30% AMI. From the DCHFA press release  (PDF): "The redevelopment of Delta Towers is $96 million project. Delta Towers is a 100 percent affordable senior community with all units leased at a maximum of 30 percent AMI. Thirty of the apartments will receive LRSP subsidy and 18 will be designated as permanent supportive housing with housing assistance payments via the DC Housing Autho...

Rendering courtesy of Bennett Frank McCarthy Architects . S2 Development is building an art deco(-ish) styled residential building at 21st and Benning Road NE. 633 21st Street NE is expected to have 31 units and is planned to deliver by late next year. Construction appears eminent.  The site is currently in the process of being cleared to prepare for the construction. Million Man Tires was the previous occupant of this site --then addressed as 2101 Benning Rd NE-- and they appear to have moved to 3401 Benning Rd NE. The project (unsure if there is a clever name awaiting) is currently planned as for sale condominiums. It would be 5 stories tall on the Benning Road side, although it is unclear to me if the developers won a variance to include a significantly set back penthouse level. The 31 total units would range from 0BR efficiencies to 2 BRs. The rendering reminds me a little bit of the Majestic  in Mount Pleasant or Highland Park in Columbia Heights. I will up...

The DC Department of Transportation will hold a meeting to discuss the Environmental Assessment for the streetcar's eastward expansion. The meeting is on Thursday May 19 . Details from DDOT are listed below. One of the reasons the development for streetcar is so important is that people should have some level of confidence that, when necessary, they can rely on a transit alternative to Metrorail or Metrobus. This is especially pressing since there are now planned delays and closures due to the SafeTrack initiative . Driving is one alternative, but so are walking, biking, car share, taxis/ride share, and now, streetcar. So, if your normal mode can't work today, well, there's always a backup, and a backup to that backup. Some redundancy in transit is OK ( some ). The basic plan is to extend the streetcar line from its current eastern terminus Oklahoma Avenue NE down to the Minnesota Ave Metro station, the Benning Road Metro station, or both. With this mild expansion, t...

Cross-posted on The 42 Bus End of the line: Oklahoma Ave NE. Our trip from Union station to Oklahoma Ave took 21 minutes. My best guess: no fares until 2017. Maybe people are catching on: park inside the red lines. There are only 8 stops for now. The car barn and maintenance facility aren't quite complete just yet. 26th & Benning Rd NE. Saturday's trains were packed with curious riders, young and old. Lots of kids, because who doesn't love trains? The streetcar "turning around" (really just the operator moving form one end of the train to the other) near Benning Road bridge.