EastBanc W.D.C. Partners has gotten the green light on their plan for the public library/market-rate residential/retail project at on the West End. They have a permit to construct a unit mock-up in an adjacent townhouse. A stud-framed structure, the mock-up will have interior finishes for the kitchen, bathroom and living room. And while there will be plumbing fixtures for show, there will be no plumbing connection or water or sewer connections.
It's been a long time coming. The $150 million West End project, a public-private partnership, was first pitched in 2007. The original library was razed in 2014. And after legal challenges from Ralph Nader's team got cleared in December, it seems like the momentum is gaining.
The block is undergoing major change overall. West End Residential Properties III LLC, an EastBanc affiliate, acquired 1111 24th St. in December 2012 for $825,000, and the home next door at 1117 24th for $875,000 in August 2012. At 1211 23rd St. NW, EastBanc and its partners are building a nine-story, 61-unit affordable apartment building over a new fire station. When complete, the EastBanc West End redo will include about 10,000 s.f. of retail. So the challenge for new residents will be deciding what to do next: read, sleep, or eat.
· EastBanc builds a West End unit mockup, two corporations relocate their D.C. offices [WBJ]