DC To Seek New Developers For Grimke School Project As Roadside Deal Falls Through

Grimke School redevelopment

Shaw residents upset over the delays of the Grimke School redevelopment are going to have to wait even longer.

The District has parted ways with Roadside Development, the developer it had selected for the project, and will now seek alternative proposals, the Washington Business Journal reports.

Roadside had planned to renovate the historic school into 20k SF of offices, a 13k SF African American Civil War Museum and a 7,500 SF dance studio. On the same block, the plan, rendered above, would have built a 35-unit condo building, 3,300 SF of retail and seven townhouses.

Roadside had run into roadblocks with the project as it discovered the vacant building suffered decay and needed more work than expected, founding principal Richard Lake told Bisnow last month. The developer had also experienced difficulty financing the project, since many of the nonprofit uses couldn't have afforded higher rents.

The District is now considering the runner-up proposal from Community Three, which called for a 10k SF museum, 1,500 SF U Street Arts League space and 4,400 SF of offices for the project's architect, Torti Gallas. If a deal with this development team isn't reached by March, the District will likely seek new proposals.

Roadside last week bought Fannie Mae's HQ for $86M and is formulating a redevelopment plan with its partner, North American Sekisui House, so the developer will have plenty on its plate without the Grimke School project. [WBJ]

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Washington, D.C. Newsletters
Related Stories

270-Unit Manassas Gated Community Sells: The D.C. Deal Sheet

King Of Prussia Pursues Stadium To Anchor $200M Mixed-Use Complex

BXP Closes In On Next D.C. Office Development As It Shrinks Assets

How Metropolis Is Bringing Parking Into The Future With AI And Recognition Technology

Montgomery County Approves 18-Month Data Center Moratorium

With New $250M Deal, Elme Is Fully Set To Liquidate

Simpson Thacher Appears In Talks For What Could Be One Of D.C.'s Largest Office Leases In 2026

Hines Nabs 4 Prince William Housing Sites: The D.C. Deal Sheet

1200 White St., Atlanta's Newest Creative Hub, Is Transforming The West End

AvalonBay Sells 217-Unit Community Next To Greensboro Metro

GSA Head Says Federal Government Has 'Place To Play' In Southwest D.C. Redevelopment

Downtown D.C. Office In Receivership Hits Market For Conversion