There are two finalists for the Request for Proposals (RFP) for Anacostia’s MLK Gateway, which was introduced during the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development’s (DMPED) March Madness event. This “Gateway” is located at 1201-1215 Good Hope Road SE and 1909 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE with plans for small to medium scaled commercial and mixed-use developments.
Recently, the DMPED chose two development teams as the finalists for the RFP process. The two development teams are The Menkiti Group and Enlightened, Inc.; and the Anacostia Economic Development Corp. and Republic Properties Corp.
Below, see what to expect from the The Menkiti Group and Enlightened, Inc.’s plans.
The goal of the 50,000-square-foot project is to create accessible neighborhood-serving retail and a full-service sit-down restaurant. There will also be a fresh food market, health and wellness facilities, and civic plaza with public art. Overall, the project will create 224 potential new job opportunities and $25 million in new tax revenue to the District over a 15-year period.
UPDATE 11/21: Republic Properties Corp. sent Curbed DC their plans for MLK Gateway. With their project, Republic Properties Corp. hopes to create an affordable, sustainable design that will provide 183,000 square feet of mixed-use space for commercial and cultural amenities.
For the Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue SE site, there are plans for 9,399 square feet of ground-floor retail (five shops), 78,665 square feet of residential space (91 apartments), and an 8,970-square-foot hydroponic farm. The rentals will range from studios to one- and two-bedroom units. The majority of the units will face the west in order to take advantage of unobstructed D.C. views. There will also be a public space and community garden on the rooftop as well as below-grade parking.
At the Good Hope Road SE site, the development team plans on creating what they call a “cultural heart.” The project intends to create a cultural facility for a variety of programs. The Blues Alley has already sent a letter of intent to anchor the commercial mixed-use program.
At Good Hope Road SE, plans also call for 1,940 square feet of ground-floor retail (two shops), 15,135 square feet of space for a two-level cultural retail conference and event space, and 16,930 square feet for a two-level office incubator space. On this building, there also will be a public space and accessible rooftop.
For more renderings of this development team’s proposed project, see below.