The building seems to be nearing completion and is looking great. The rumor I heard a while ago is that the first floor will be commercial (office) space and the upper floors will be residential.With two buildings on the block for sale and (hopefully) soon to see new ownership and corresponding renovations, several buildings having undergone renovations in recent years (including most recently 1416 9th Street), Vegetate's success, and the O Street Market redevelopment soon to take place across the street, this block's renaissance is apparent and it will soon be unrecognizable from what it was a few years ago. Hopefully the vacant building on the corner of 9th and O and the liquor store at 9th and P will both see neighborhood-enhancing change soon.
6 comments:
i have to disagree with your characterization that the building is looking great. i hope that front door is not the final product, because it doesn't even fill the original door space. it looks like a slapdash job. i hope that they're planning to repaint the cornice as well, as that looks like it needs some help. don't get me wrong, i'm glad to see things getting fixed up, but i'm always concerned things could end up like this
imgoph - agreed. This building's renovation has been subject to HPRB scrutiny before, receiving a SWO for the windows initially installed in the front bay, and also having been forced to move its gas meters, which were placed prominently in front. Hopefully HPRB is on the case re: the doors. I don't think they can force someone to paint, but I imagine that painting the cornice is on the radar of the owner anyway (surely the painting isn't complete, given the front bay is still under construction).
The constant complaining about corner liquor stores is kind of interesting to me. Were they not there when all of us moved in? Why then do we say they should be gone? I've lived in Shaw a very short time compared to most people and fully well understood the realities of living here before moving in. Were all of you fooled or something?
-Nate
Nate - I actually *like* having a liquor store closeby, as it's convenient (like a grocery store). Granted, I didn't house-shop based on proximity to liquor stores, while proximity to grocery stores was a key consideration.
That said, the liquor store at 9th and P could do a much better job with its curb appeal and signage. It also could be better stocked (a la Modern Liquors). I also have a feeling they are not in compliance with their ABRA agreements -- I think the payphone outside is violative of the agreement. Finally, they would earn some neighborhood goodwill by cleaning up the tossed empty liquor bottles, no doubt purchased from their store, found frequently along the 1500 block of 9th (where loiterers hang out on the steps of Shiloh's vacant properties and the NPS's Carter Woodson site).
Not only are they loitering there but it appears they are now causing damage to the property. While NPS takes their sweet time "researching" the Carter G. Woodson House, said loiterers are destroying the facade including the iron hand rails and trim around the door. We watch as they wander back and forth between the liquor store and the front stoop of this building... take a second and check under the staircase, you're guaranteed to find liquor bottles undoubtedly purchased from our "neighborhood" liquor store at 9th and P. It appears the trash can on the opposite corner of the street is too far for some, not just the loiterers but also the chicken wing eaters and plastic bag toters.
The liquor store at 9th & P is a nuisance. They constantly serve pocket whiskey to the same inebriated people who come in there 10+ times a day (even though they have a sign on the door that says they won't serve anyone who is drunk when they enter the store. They serve their booze in brown bags most times, which is a violation of most voluntary agreements (bags are to be clear). And yes the payphone outside is a violation and I think the advertisements in the door/windows are not supposed to be there either. And all of the bulletproof glass is really annoying.
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