Lock 7 Development will break ground this month on a mixed-use building at 1350 Florida Avenue NE.
The five-story, 40,000 square foot building will be built atop five adjacent one-story retail buildings that are being combined into a single lot, according to David Gorman, Lock 7 principal.
“The original brick facades along Florida Avenue will be preserved and then four new stories are being built above,” he says.
The building will contain 50 units total, of which 49 will be condominiums and one will be retail. Gorman says the final configuration may change but initial plans call for five studios, 26 one-bedrooms and 18 two-bedrooms. The building will have some eco-friendly elements, incluidng a green roof and Energy Star appliances in the units.
Following D.C.'s inclusionary zoning requirements, six of the 49 units will be affordable. They will be split between units reserved for buyers making 50 percent and 80 percent of the area medium income, which is $107,000 for a family of four.
There will be eight parking spaces. The retail space could be up to 1,600 square feet in size if the tenant chooses to install a mezzanine.
“The ceilings are soaring so there is room for two levels,” he says. “We envision something that serves the neighborhood and would become a meeting place, like a coffee shop.”
Gorman says condo pricing will be determined as the building gets closer to completion. He expects to finish the building in 12 to 13 months, by early 2016.
Gorman says he chose the neighborhood for several reasons. “One of my first projects almost a decade ago was in Trinidad on Pennsylvania Street NE, and I’ve always thought that there was a great opportunity for redevelopment in the neighborhood,” he said.
“It’s very convenient to downtown, H Street NE and Union Market,” Gorman continued. “It’s one of the last neighborhoods in the city where you can be downtown in less than five minutes but the prices are still affordable.”