More development is coming to downtown Anacostia! Four Points, LLC and Curtis Properties recently submitted second stage plans for a six story residential building at 2255 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. The development is part of a larger 7.5 acre PUD slated for downtown Anacostia.  It is the second of eight new buildings  approved in 2008 under the first stage application. The first building, located at the new 2235 Shannon Place is also nearing completion and will house various D.C. government agencies

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The newly submitted plans call for a roughly 68,000 sf. Building with approximately 71 residential units of which 80% will be devoted to households earning up to 60% AMI. 26 below grade parking spaces and 37 bicycle parking spaces will also be provided.

Given the  backlash the proposed development at the Big K site received, Curtis/Four have taken great strides in detailing who the target audience of the new building is. The development team has signed a memorandum of understanding with teach for America in preparing marketing plans tailored to attracting teaches to become residents of the property.  They have also proposed to provide live work artist space in collaboration with ARCH development to assist with leasing the building to local artist addressing both the need for artist and studio space. The proposed roof deck will also be made available for ANC 8A to hold community gatherings and events twice per year.

Roof deck

The brick, cement, and metal panel building was designed by architects Grimm & Parker to respond “to specific elements of the built environment such as scale, views, orientation, and urban fabric”. It serves at the transitional element between the existing low and mid-rise structures and the future office buildings which will be taller.

It is exciting to see these plans being realized for downtown Anacostia. Slowly but surely Ward 8 is getting the development it deserves.