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Articles
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| Near Northeast commission endorses developer for 5th and I site |
VOICE writes, "Voice Staff Report
The Near Northeast advisory neighborhood commission, at a May 28 special meeting, voted unanimously to recommend the Donohoe Co. and the Holland Development Group for development rights to build on a city-owned vacant lot at the northwest corner of 5th and I streets NW.
The Donohoe/Holland proposal calls for a mixed-use project that would include an "eco-friendly hotel," a local jazz bar with a restaurant and a neighborhood cafe. It would also include neighborhood-serving retail and 80 units of housing.
The 20,680-square-foot property is located on Mount Vernon Triangle, a 30-acre, 15-block area. Commissioner Anne Phelps characterized the property as "experiencing a radical transformation from a hodge-podge of vacant properties and parking lots into a vibrant, mixed use community."
Four developers submitted proposals to the city, according to Clinton Jackson, a representative of the deputy mayor for economic development. His group will make a recommendation to Neil Albert, deputy mayor for economic development, who will submit his recommendation to Mayor Adrian Fenty. A decision should be announced by July 18.
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A land disposition agreement will then be negotiated within three or four months, Jackson said, subject to D.C. Council approval, and a community benefits package should be announced in September.
Jackson told the commissioners that their recommendation will be carefully considered, but reminded them, "We have to hold some information proprietary, especially financial information. ... We're in a position to see a broader picture, but we absolutely value your feedback."
Jackson said he will inform commissioners Charles Docter and Keith Silver of the decision before any public announcement is made, as requested by the commission.
The commission, in a written statement, prepared largely by Phelps, praised Donohoe/Holland for meeting nearly all the criteria the commission hoped would be included -- “much needed neighborhood retail, a neighborhood gathering spot at its café and an entertainment venue well-suited, both in scale and theme, to the area."
The commissioners had asked not to have nightclubs, bars, big-box retailers, late-night uses, banks, liquor stores and adult entertainment for the project.
The statement also praised the Donohoe/Holland team for its willingness to enter into an agreement with the advisory neighborhood commission imposing limitations on the hours for construction work. "Most importantly," the statement adds, "Donohoe recognizes the importance of assembling additional parcels all along 5th Street and is actively pursuing them." The firm already has an exclusive contract for two neighboring properties.
"These parcels" the statement continued, "would provide additional neighborhood retail, which is critical in making this corridor safe and viable."
Donohoe/Holland is a joint venture of Donohoe Development Co., a family firm started on Capitol Hill in 1884 and Robert Holland of Holland Development Group of Flint Hill, Va. James Donohoe, IV, a project development director for Donohoe and a fifth-generation member of his family in the business, said after the meeting, "The community really let us know what they wanted. and we did our best to produce what they wanted."
Of the eight or nine speakers at the meeting who live at 555 Massachusetts Ave., all but one spoke in favor of the Donohoe/Holland proposal.
The commission did discuss the other proposals. It criticized a proposal from i5, a consortium of five firms headed by local developer Potomac Properties, because it dealt with just the block in question, stating "the assemblage of additional 5th Street parcels is critical to the transformation of the corridor."
The commission strongly praised the i5 proposal for its mixed-use proposal designed to make the area an artistic center with housing studios and display space for artists.
The commission also was critical of a proposal from the Buccini-Pollin Group, a District developer, because it "did not incorporate any of the community concerns” from the requests for proposals. It also said the group concentrated on “an element clearly included in the dislikes columns -- principally a large scale entertainment venue" as well as a "complete lack of street-level retail and neighborhood serving businesses."
A proposal from the JBG Co. of Rockville was criticized by the commission for a lack of specificity. It was for a mixed-use project with a 230-room boutique hotel opening onto 5th Street, street-level restaurants, cafes and retail shops.
The JBG proposal also included 187 market-rate residential units and 34 that would be "affordable." The entrance for this portion would be on I Street. It was praised for the company's willingness to give priority to local businesses and to even defer some rent for them.
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Posted on Jun 16, 2008 20:01pm.
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