In The Works: Top 3 Developments Coming To Capitol Hill
RFK Stadium
Developer: Events DC
D.C. United played its last game at RFK Stadium against the New York Red Bulls Oct. 22, concluding its 22-year residence at the venue.
For the Washingtonians among the 41,000 who filled the stadium last month, the soccer match had a disappointing outcome. But future plans for the site carry exciting potential.
Events DC, which operates the 200-acre stadium, plans to repurpose it as a campus for sports, recreation and waterfront activities. It is estimated to cost $490M, half of which will come from Events DC, and serve the community for approximately five years. The development would offer three sports fields, an indoor sports complex and a 62K SF food market. The sports complex may also feature go-karts, indoor skydiving, bowling and batting cages.
Additional proposals for the site include a $2.3B Redskins stadium, a $1.47B, 20,000-seat ice hockey/basketball arena for the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, and a mixed-use development with an affordable housing component.
D.C. United will relocate to Audi Field in Buzzard’s Point, which broke ground in February and will open in June. The team will continue to use RFK’s fields and facilities next year as it looks for a new training complex.
Hine School
Developers: Stanton Development and Eastbanc
Stanton Development and Eastbanc partnered to redevelop the Hine Junior High School, which closed 10 years ago. The mixed-use property will feature 60K SF of retail, including Capitol Hill's first Trader Joe's, a 156K SF, seven-story trophy office building on the corner of Seventh Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, and 158 apartments, roughly one-third of which will be affordable.
The development, designed to meet LEED Gold and Silver certifications, was stalled by local residents concerned about the project’s scale and features. The developers also have plans for a two-level underground parking garage, flea market Antiocha and a landscaped plaza. They plan to reopen a portion of C Street connecting Seventh and Eighth streets.
Frager’s Hardware
Developer: Perseus Realty
Frager’s Hardware, an almost century-old Capitol Hill landmark, was consumed by a four-alarm fire that burned for five hours in 2013. Frager’s was able to continue business after the local community contributed $100K to support its operation out of an Eastern Market pop-up location.
Out of the ashes will rise Perseus Realty’s 34-unit condo building with ground-floor retail. Frager's, acquired by Logan’s Hardware in May, will be able to return to the new mixed-use development at 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. SE at the end of 2018. Residents will be able to move into the units, priced between $500K and $1M, in 2019.
