I watched the construction of this building at 10th and Rhode Island with great intrigue. I think the design is great--modern but appropriate to the area. The materials appear to be high quality, including copper-topped turrets and copper finishes, brick, wrought iron, and slate. I've been unable to find out any information about it--like who built it, if the units in it are for sale, when occupancy will occur, and so forth. It appears to be complete.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Beautiful New Development on 10th
I watched the construction of this building at 10th and Rhode Island with great intrigue. I think the design is great--modern but appropriate to the area. The materials appear to be high quality, including copper-topped turrets and copper finishes, brick, wrought iron, and slate. I've been unable to find out any information about it--like who built it, if the units in it are for sale, when occupancy will occur, and so forth. It appears to be complete.
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10 comments:
too bad u didnt get a shot of the Seaton School across the street which has some nice kids going to school in a horrible looking facility. the rusted mesh steel over the opaque windows accuractly define the current state of the DCPS system. the brick school needs powerwashing and repointing.
rr - agreed. Seaton looks awful and appears to be in poor condition. The 2006 DC education master facilities plan suggests that Seaton be torn down and rebuilt within the next 5 years. I'm not holding my breath, especially given the many unknowns with the future of the D.C. school system under Fenty's takeover, but at least it's on someone's radar that the current school building is unacceptable.
fwiw, I think the steel window coverings were recently painted.
5 years ago that development was a hole in the ground, okay exposed basement. The basement wall or the 1st floor had a cool mural on it. Now such artistic urban decay has been lost to time. Good riddance.
oh yes, back in 1998 there was a horrible fire at the location, for years it stood idle while tiny kids went back and 4th to school. got me slightly angered at the govt for doing nothing for all those years. well when most DC govt empolyees live in Maryland who cares right? good to hear on the painting fluff up at Seaton. atleast now it looks like a recently painted detention center.
I remember the fire, Richard. At the time all four townhouses on that block were up for sale. Talk was that the four owners were colluding to get the block zoned commercial. The owner of the original corner building, whose footprint the current building follows, defaulted on the mortgage and the property was sold at auction. Not ten days later the place burned, being blamed on "crack lightening." (crack lab or crack whore squatters). Everyone knew it was arson. I think the other owners were hoping their properties would have also burned. But with respect to the current owner/developer, I am not sure what the deal is. I have spoken to him and he is very private. I am not sure if the city is holding up occupation or him. Odd. The city put all sorts of obstacles in his way but he seems to have built the place by stealth, one row of bricks per week. He was really pissed at having to put those fake, historically incompatible panes in the windows.
I remember the fire, Richard. At the time all four townhouses on that block were up for sale. Talk was that the four owners were colluding to get the block zoned commercial. The owner of the original corner building, whose footprint the current building follows, defaulted on the mortgage and the property was sold at auction. Not ten days later the place burned, being blamed on "crack lightening." (crack lab or crack whore squatters). Everyone knew it was arson. I think the other owners were hoping their properties would have also burned. But with respect to the current owner/developer, I am not sure what the deal is. I have spoken to him and he is very private. I am not sure if the city is holding up occupation or him. Odd. The city put all sorts of obstacles in his way but he seems to have built the place by stealth, one row of bricks per week. He was really pissed at having to put those fake, historically incompatible panes in the windows.
When these places were being built there was a sign on the fence with a web address for Apex Studios... back then they had a website that showed several small scale developments in the area, but not that one on the corner of 10th and Rhode Island. I can't seem to find their website any longer.
Apex did a house on further down on Tenth Street too between M and N, a non- descript brown-brick house that they swished up beautifully inside. I can't imagine how anyone will get any furniture to fit inside the Rhode Island and Tenth site. Those rooms are minescule.
There is still work going on there most weeks. From what I can tell it is small things because there are not many tools in there, and the entrance to the basement collects a new bag of trash every couple of weeks. I imagine it is tile work, or maybe some floor work. I can't speak for the materials, but I can say that only the smallest windows on both faces of the house open. All those lovely windows in font are a single pane of glass with framing glued on for appearance. In fact, if you get close enough, you can see the back of the glass and the gobs of glue holding the frames on the glass.
I may be wrong, but I swear I saw a deck up there too.
Very pretty, I can't imagine how much those things are going to sell for if the other new development in that line of houses went at 650+.
Hey,
The building has two units...both are three bedrooms and three baths and the finishes are absolutely incredible. I have been working with the owner for for a short while but the will probably be rentals for the first year or two (unfortunately). After that we should be listing them. The top floor has an elevator and a breathtaking roofdeck. You should see the bedrooms!!!
We are looking for his next project down.
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