Naylor Court Stables

A neat new residential development has been proposed for Naylor Court by OPaL, DC.  Here are a few renderings of the project (grabbed from their blog here):

I think the renderings look great and would compliment the historic alley well.  What think ye?

Back in July, Urban Turf reported that the project architect is Gregory Sparhawk and that the earliest that ground would be broken would be late Spring 2012.  Urban Turf also provides a photograph of the location of the proposed development.

The project went before ANC2f last night.  I haven't heard about the outcome.  Drop a comment if you have any insight.

SunDeVich Now Open

Back in November we learned that a new gourmet sandwich shop -- to be called SunDeVich -- would be opening on Naylor Court in the rear of 1314 Ninth Street, NW.  Finally -- after building out what was once a dog washing business, overcoming permitting issues, and getting many ducks in a row -- the exciting new casual dining option opened last Friday.

Brought to us by the amazing folks of Seasonal Pantry (with which I am obsessed), SunDeVich's sandwiches are named for the world cities that inspired them. For example, the Kingston features jerk chicken, mango chutney, and spicy slaw, the Buenos Aires features skirt steak, chimichurri, fried onion strings, aioli, and the DC is a half smoke, with mustard relish, caramelized onions). They also have some awesome sounding side dishes and desserts.

SunDeVich's hours are 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM Monday through Sunday for the rest of the month, then Monday through Saturday, 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM thereafter. I plan to stop by to grab a sandwich for dinner tonight.  And I have a feeling I'll be back this weekend for lunch...

SunDeVich
1314 Ninth Street, NW (Rear/Naylor Court)



Note - the business directory has been updated to reflect Sundevich's opening.

Sundevich Coming to 1314 Ninth

Prince of Petworth has the scoop on a super cool new sandwich shop coming to Naylor Court in the carriage house of 1314 Ninth Street. I can't wait to grab a bite to eat here for lunch soon!

Valet Parking Lot Proposed for 1300 Block of Ninth

For many years, the former car lot in the 1300 block of Ninth Street has cried out for new life. It sits in an area that has seen so much renewal: Immediately adjacent to it is a long-vacant building that's about to receive a huge renovation to house offices and the show room of noted designer Darryl Carter; a few doors away are notable neighborhood businesses EFN Lounge, Azi's Cafe, Maruka Yoga and Boutique; across the street is the new headquarters to Independence Bank and a handful of fully occupied, market rate apartments; and so on and so forth. I've secretly dreamt that the lot would be utilized as a weekly flea or farmers' market.

The wide lot has frontage on both Naylor Court and on Ninth Street. There is a very old brick structure on the back of the lot fronting Naylor Court (the building is known as "old Abate building "). The old Abate building is in poor shape and is not likely a highly contributing building from an architectural historic perspective. That said, the old Abate building sits in the Naylor Court Historic District and is one of a collection of buildings that are protected by federal law.

I recently heard that the lot has been leased to someone planning to use it as a twenty four hour a day, seven day a week valet lot -- a place where valeted cars will be parked while their owners dine or drink nearby. I certainly see the value in such a lot, given the parking constraints around the convention center. There are two controversial aspects of the plan, however:

First, the lessee has supposedly expressed a desire to get a curb on Ninth Street for easier access. I believe that ANC2F must be given the chance to weigh in on any new curb cut applications, and I am not aware of the ANC having yet had a chance to consider the issue. Without the curb cut, Naylor Court will be negatively impacted by increased traffic in the alley. On the other hand, the curb cut eliminates valuable, publicly available street parking.

Second, the lessee has supposedly expressed an interest in demolishing the old Abate building to maximize the number of spaces available for surface parking. I have heard that the current plan is to keep the structure for now, and possibly to stabilize it for the short-term. Neighbors and those who value alley dwellings and their unique contributions to the character and authenticity of our city and of unique places like Naylor Court are understandably concerned. For now, however, it sounds like the structure is safe.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. What do you think of the plan for a valet lot? A curb cut? Razing the old Abate building?