D.C.'s former Hebrew Home’s seven proposals, revealed

Expect an abundance of senior housing and affordable housing

By Michelle Goldchain@goldchainam May 31, 2017, 2:32pm EDT

There are seven proposals on the table for redeveloping the former Hebrew Home for the Aged in Petworth, located at 1125 Spring Road NW.

The historic building once served Jewish seniors from 1925 until the late 1960s. Afterwards, when the District bought the property for $13 million, the building became a mental health facility for the homeless. Since 2009, the building has been vacant. In 2010, the Department of Human Services proposed redeveloping the property into a homeless shelter, but Mayor Muriel Bowser shot those plans down. In 2014, there were also plans to redevelop the site with 200 affordable units, but those plans also fell through.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development revealed the most recent proposals for the site online, but Curbed readers can read through all of the highlights below.

Borger Management & Spectrum Management

With plans to create a new development, dubbed The Appleton, this project will restore the Hebrew Home for the Aged with a new building to the east that will house 202 apartments.

There will be a range of studios, one-, two-, and three-bedrooms. 30 percent of the rentals will be designated for affordable housing, while 15 percent will be for households making at or under 30 percent of the area median income.

Amenities will include approximately 49 surface parking spaces, a multipurpose event space that will be available for community use, and an enclosed interior courtyard.

Gilbane Development Company and NHT-Enterprise

In this proposal, The Hebrew Home for the Aged will be rehabilitated, while a 168,000-square-foot, mixed-income apartment building will replace the former Paul Robeson School on an adjoining vacant plot of land.

At the vacant Hebrew Home for the Aged, there will be 71 affordable residential units, 55 of which will be for seniors and 16 will be for families. Up to 12 of these families will be formerly homeless. There will also be one level of podium parking.

The new, mixed-income building will house 132 apartments and nine for-sale rowhouses. 10 percent of the rentals will be for residents earning at or below 50 percent and 80 percent of the area median income.

Community Preservation and Development Corporation (CPDC) and NVR

Similarly to the other proposals previously mentioned, this proposal plans on creating a mixed-income, intergenerational community of rentals and for-sale housing. There will be 77 all-affordable units for seniors and 32 for-sale townhomes, four of which will be designated affordable housing. The townhomes will be constructed on the site of the former Paul Robeson School.

The developers are pursuing a LEED Gold certification for the project along with a fitness trail, community garden, and “therapeutic courtyard.” There will also be a green roof and off-street parking.

Mission First, UrbanMatters Development, and Lock7 Development

This two-phase project will create a new residential community, called The Community at Spring and 10th. There will be a total of 224 units across the three buildings planned.

At the vacant Hebrew Home for the Aged, there will be 86 total units, 73 of which will be one-bedrooms and 13 of which will be two-bedrooms. 95 percent of these units will be designated for affordable housing. This residential project will be for those who are aged 55 years and older.

A multi-family building will be constructed at Spring Road NW and 10th Street NW with 12 studios, 70 one-bedrooms, 21 two-bedrooms, and 14 three-bedrooms. 79 percent of the units will be designated for affordable housing.

A third building will also be constructed with 21 condos, 15 of which will be two-bedrooms and six of which will be one-bedrooms. Only 10 percent of these units will be designated for affordable housing.

NHP Foundation, Fivesquares Development, and Warrenton Group

Next up, this planned development will create a total of 131 mixed-income rentals and 75 for-sale condos with over 50 percent of the units designated for affordable housing.

The vacant Hebrew Home for the Aged will be preserved with the exterior completely renovated. A new linear park is also planned along 10th Street NW. The developers hope to achieve a LEED Gold certification with this project. There will be below-grade parking.

Victory Housing and Brinshore Development

If these two developers have their way, they will create a brand new mixed-income community, called Spring Flats. This LEED Gold-certified community will house 187 mixed-income residential units.

91 of the units will be rentals with 66 percent of these units designated for affordable housing. 88 of the units will be all-affordable and tailored for seniors. Finally, eight of the units will be for-sale townhomes.

Some of the many building amenities planned include a community kitchen, computer room, wellness center, library, exercise room, and arts and crafts room. There will also be off-street parking included.

Bozzuto Homes and The Menkiti Group

Finally, the last proposal for the vacant Hebrew Home for the Aged is a residential community with 50 market-rate, family-sized townhomes, six affordable, family-sized townhomes, and 90 affordable apartments for seniors making up to 30 percent, 50 percent, and 60 percent of the area median income.

• These teams are vying to resurrect D.C.'s former Hebrew Home as mixed-income housing [Washington Business Journal]