French Embassy-owned lot in Kalorama sells for $6M

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in August 4, 2017 and has been updated with the most recent information.

For $6 million, D.C. power couple, Karen Dixon and Nancy Schaffer, have acquired a plot of land that adjoins the French ambassador’s private residence and was formerly owned by the French government. Located at 2221 Kalorama Road NW, the Kalorama lot is comprised of three parcels and measures half an acre.

In a statement, real estate agent Alex Venditti said, “We had interest from across the globe for this property.” The reasoning behind this is that when it first listed in February 2017, that was the first time in 40 years that a residentially-zoned Kalorama lot was up for sale in the open market, according to a press release. When it first landed on the market, it asked $5.6 million.

Washington Business Journal reported that Schaffer is a veterinarian and reproductive specialist who was inducted into the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame in 2004. Dixon is an attorney who sits on the board of New York-based non-profit Lambda Legal.

There are no reports yet as to what will be built on the lot, but it will likely be a single-family home that will fit with the character of the neighborhood. The lot is zoned R-1-B, which means that the area is intended for detached houses on moderately-sized lots.

The Alex Venditti Group, affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, represented the seller. The Venditti Group co-listed the property with the Morrell-Roth Team

• Wanted: Next door neighbor to the French Embassy [Curbed DC]

• Here's who bought the property next to the French ambassador's home [Washington Business Journal]

[UPDATE 8/8/17: This article has been updated with news on the identity of the buyers.]