The Georgetown Metropolitan

Photo by Ehpien.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown Business Association (which isn’t the BID) pledges to work closer with other Georgetown organizations.
• Inside the old Jesuit Residence.

GM noticed a new listing for one of the penthouses of 1055 High, Eastbanc’s ultra-luxury new building along the canal and Wisconsin. And wow, is it something.

At first the thing that caught GM’s attention was that one of the units was for sale again. It was reported last June that all the units were sold, and for cash. GM doesn’t know if this is a flip, or if the original transaction was canceled somehow. Either way, it’s a little unusual that it’s already back on the market.

But that aside, look at what it’s like to own a New York style loft in the middle of Georgetown:

Continue reading →

1600 block of 28th St.

Photo by Ron Cogswell.

The mighty King Sisyphus was cursed by the gods for his trickery by being forced for eternity to slowly push a boulder up a steep hill, only to have the boulder roll back down before it reached the top, over and over again.

It’s not clear what act the National Parks Service has done to suffer the wrath of the gods, but it sure seems like its goal of building more boathouses along the Potomac is a boulder that repeatedly rolls back down the hill. As far back as 1987, the National Park Service charted out plans to build multiple new boathouses around Key Bridge. Continue reading →

Photo by Daniel Lobo.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Hipster band playing…the Doc Marten’s store?
• Chadwicks…scandalous.

3000 block of R St.

With the listing for sale of the old Fillmore School, it occurred to GM that we are in the midst of a rather dramatic, and long lasting, trend that GM is calling the decommissioning of Georgetown. What he means by that is the conversion of major properties that are used for institutional or commercial purposes into residential uses.

Of course, it’s not certain that the Fillmore School will be converted to condos, but given the fact that just five years ago Eastbanc was under contract to do just that, it seems likely that that will be the ultimate use for the building.

But even setting aside the Fillmore School, consider these projects that have been completed or announced in the last several years:

Hurt Home:

This major property across from Montrose Park was once a home for the blind. The city purchased the property from the institute in 1987 and used the building for housing of emotionally disturbed foster children. It was used for this purpose until about 2005. In 2010 the city sold it to a developer who restored the main part of the building and sold it as 15 condos. The building is now called The Montrose.

Alexander Memorial Baptist Church:

This historic church, built by Georgetown’s mostly departed African American population, was sold last year. The purchaser received approval to convert the church into a multi-unit condo. Construction has not begun yet.

West Heating Plant:

This monumental building on 29th St. was used by the federal government as (you guessed it) a heating plant for decades after it was built in 1933. Following years of disuse, the federal government sold the building to the Levy Group in 2013. The developer proposed demolishing most of the building and constructing 80 extremely expensive condos in a new building essentially the same size and shape. The approval process for the razing is still under review with various engineers weighing in on whether the existing building can be saved.

Cameroon Embassy:

The Cameroon Embassy, which once occupied the office building on the northwest corner of R St. and Wisconsin Ave. was kicked out in 2011. The new owner of the building, Harvard University, then converted the building into housing for fellows of Dumarton Oaks, which it also owns. Continue reading →

Photo by David Fulmer.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Oscar winner once lived in Georgetown (besides Elizabeth Taylor).
• Carol Joynt lands the mayor for her next Q&A Cafe.

1800 block of Wisconsin Ave.

As GM has detailed here several times before, Hyde-Addison elementary school is planning a significant expansion. It will add a gym (which the school lacks), a more significant library, a cafeteria that can fit more students, and several more class rooms. The expansion is crucial to the school’s future, which has grown in leaps and bounds over the last couple years. It will be a beautiful addition once it’s complete.

But due to budget confusion, just when it gets done is up in the air. It is absolutely critical that construction start right after the school year ends this June. Unfortunately, the expansion is only clearly funded starting next fiscal year (i.e. October). A delay of five months, might not seem like much but it puts many things into limbo. For instance, it’s not clear that with a delayed construction that the school will be able to fully function next year.

And if you’re like GM and have a three year old, it’s particularly troubling if the project isn’t approved to start in June. That’s because with the addition of the Pre-K3 program next fall, many spaces in the following year’s Pre-K4 program will be taken up by this year’s lottery. If, however, the construction timeline is clear, then the school can give parents like GM comfort that it can use the completed expansion for an additional Pre-K4 classroom in the fall of 2016.

Moreover, there’s always a chance that if the project slips further back that it may get delayed indefinitely. If you like the success that Hyde has achieved recently, you will appreciate the need for a modern campus to reflect the quality teaching the school is providing. Continue reading →