What’s Going on at 14th and U?

This post is in reponse to a request by my friend Jim to find out “what is going on” with the property shown here located at 2001 14th Street NW, at the intersection of 14th and U.

Construction is underway to renovate this building and construct an addition on a neighboring lot. The building was designed by Boeckl Gates, Inc. and is being offered by the Rockville-based VIP Realtors LLC at the rate of $55 per square foot. A PDF pamphlet posted to their website describes the property as ideal for a club, specialty restaurant, or other retail use.

Some preliminary research shows the property at this historic intersection had formerly been home to a restaurant and club, however I can’t find much more about it. The existing structure is described simply as a “monumental two-story commercial structure” in the Historic Preservation Review Board staff reports for the project, which suggested modifications to the facade to maintain a distinction between the new and historic parts of the project.

Jim dug up a couple more items. Councilmember Graham and others working on developing the property in 2002:

Date: Wed, 8 May 2002
From: GrahamWOne@aol.com
Subject: 2001 14th Street Progress

Dear Friends: First let me say, how much I appreciate
the advocacy and hard work of Dan Brown, Ron Renchard,
Scott Pomeroy and others on the problem of the
Northeast corner of 14th and U (2001 14th Street NW).
This has been an eyesore in the neighborhood for
years, and various efforts to have those responsible
do something have not produced the results we need.
The history of this building is a tormented one.
Suffice it so say, that the present lessee (who owns
the adjacent empty lot) has 24 years remaining in a
30 year lease. Each month he has faithfully paid the
$7,000, and done nothing else. (Why he has done this
year after year puzzles me.) Originally there was an
idea of a Burger King. But that was abandoned for
various reasons not relating really to community
reaction.
Anyway, thanks to community activism, the building
is to come before the Board o Condemnation on May 22.
Not for demolition, but for cleanup by the city.
After various attempts, I reached the owner and, in
turn, the lessee earlier this week. I expressed in no
uncertain terms the frustration with the appearance
and nonuse of this building on this important corner.
The lessee, Mr. Blant (or was it Bland?), promised
to take “immediate steps” to clean up the property.
Thereafter, I agree to sponsor a meeting with our
community leaders to work with the lessee who is eager
to put this property back into productive use.
Hopefully we can find that common ground.
Please stay in touch. Bests Jim Graham, Ward One
Councilmember

And this from the August 2006 InTowner:

The biggest news in Mid-City comes surrounding perhaps one of its smallest developments. Long vacant and boarded up, the 10,500-square-foot building at the prominent northeast corner of 14th and U streets is set to undergo renovations and be reintroduced to the commercial fabric of U Street. A building permit has recently been issued and construction is set to begin on this elegant two-story structure. The owner, while initially just building out a “vanilla box” to be able to accept a range of tenant categories, is seeking a “landmark tenant” which will contribute significantly to the neighborhood, and is actively marketing the building to a bank or a fine dining restaurant/lounge. “Discussions are underway with a very reputable local restaurateur,” owner’s broker Ken Naroozi told The InTowner, “who is looking to build a flagship restaurant.” If a restaurant is built, it will contain two floors of dining, lounge and service area plus a mezzanine, in addition to a roof terrace.

Discuss D.C. Neighborhood ‘Turf Wars’ Thursday

This event featuring a new book about the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood caught my eye. It’s the first I’ve heard of the book which sounds quite interesting. As a note, Mt. Pleasant was also the subject of Brett Williams’ 1988 work, Upscaling Downtown: Stalled Gentrification in Washington DC, meaning it has been “gentrifying” in somebody’s mind at least as long as I have been alive.

Discussion Forum with the Author of the Book:
Turf Wars: Discourse, Diversity, and the Politics of Place.
Thursday, February 22nd, 6:30 to 8:00 pm
(Busboys and Poets)

Gabriella Gahlia Modan discusses and signs her new book, Turf Wars: Discourse, Diversity, and the Politics of Place. Turf Wars is a fascinating and innovative ethnography of Mt. Pleasant, an urban neighborhood undergoing rapid gentrification. It is a story about how the members of a multi-ethnic, multi-class Washington, DC, community use language to project conflicting images of their neighborhood. By waging wars around such issues as public toilets and public urination, the “morality” of co-ops & condos, and characterizations of “good” girls and “bad” boys, community members create identities for themselves as legitimate community members (e.g., as tough urbanites or sophisticated historic preservationists) while creating identities to discredit others (e.g., “People who belong in the suburbs”). Turf Wars provides insight into the ways that local activity shapes larger urban social processes. Cultural anthropologist and linguist Gabriella Modan offers a detailed, rich, and highly engrossing ethnographic account of a neighborhood and the people who live and work there. She also provides readers with a little background in linguistic anthropology, cultural geography, and urban anthropology. This event is co-sponsored by Sol y Soul, Sol Y Soul promotes, nurtures, supports, and presents the work of socially-conscious established and emerging artists. This event is free and open to the public and will be held at Busboys and Poets which is located at 2021 14th St. NW. No pre-registration is necessary.

> See my Books about 20th Century Washington, D.C.

14th Street Photos

I just uploaded to Flickr a number of photos I took around 14th Street today. Click here to view the set.

Mural No More

I noticed yesterday a large mural on the side of the 14th Street bookstore Candida’s World of Books is being bricked over for new construction that’s part of the Matrix condo building. A number of large luxury condo buildings are under construction on that stretch of 14th Street.