Is Georgia Avenue the next 14th Street? One developer seems to think so.
Adrian Washington is the founder of Neighborhood Development Co., which is working on a few projects on the avenue and thinks it could be the next big development spot. Obviously their opinion would help their projects, but it’s an interesting idea. The Wash Biz Journal article linked above, however, notes that the city is less optimistic:
The D.C. government’s Retail Action Strategy for Georgia Avenue, for example, describes lower Georgia as “somewhat gritty, but lively,” with small-scale retail generally in “poor condition” and bearing “no obvious anchors or hierarchy of streets.”
The Office of Planning portrays lower Georgia Avenue as having an “underlying bone structure” of densely packed row houses and tight alleys that “make this section unlikely to change from its current live-work set-up.” There are some infill development opportunities, according to the Retail Action Strategy, but few opportunities for anchor retail.
But it certainly seems like a lot is happening. In the last few years, Temperance Hall opened (which became the Looking Glass Lounge), then condos and retail next to the Metro, redeveloping Bruce-Monroe School is in the works, and now more is planned.
Neighborhood Development is hoping for city approval of a new project, The Vue on Georgia Avenue at 3333 Georgia Ave NW, at Morton, which is about 1/2 mile south from the Petworth Metro. It will have 112 residential units and 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The same company also has a project called The Heights at Georgia and Lamont which is mixed-income residential with more ground floor retail.
It’s going to be an interesting few years on Georgia Avenue.
