What’s Up With Parcel 42?
4 02 2010Back in 2007 the District selected Parcel 42 Partners to build a $28 million mixed-use affordable housing project on city-owned land on the corner of
The project will eventually consist of 94 apartments, which will be priced for renters earning no more than 60% of the Area Median Income. We spoke with the developers and they are still committed to delivering the project. Projects like this that help keep people in the neighborhood and don’t push them out are important, we just hope they can get this thing off the ground. Wouldn’t it be great if they kept the blue facade color too?
[Photo: Parcel 42 Partners]
projects like this that warehouse low income people in one space, with no mix, are just a bad idea. i’m glad it hasn’t gotten off the ground, and hope it won’t in its current configuration.
IMGoph, isn’t 60% of median income is not exactly a housing project. I’m not sure this is so bad, especially as the rest of the neighborhood gentrifies.
Mixed income projects are proven to have better social benefits for communities: creates a social safety net for all residents, promotes responsibility, reduces neighborhood crime, increases the life of the buildings, etc. They’ve been doing these types of development in European cities for over half a century with much success.
If it does get off the ground, I do like the blue/grey colors… I hope they are metal panel - that would be very innovative for DC. I wish there was a little more glass, though.
I’m happy to see the height right next to the Metro. Speaking of, anyone know who owns the housing across the street and behind the Howard apartment complex (9th & R)? I had heard Shiloh was somehow invovled. If it is public housing, it would be a great ‘new communtities’ site with lots of mixed income housing through dramatically higher densities… Nearly a block and a half of suburban-style, asphalt parking lots, 2-story, single-income level housing adjacent to an inner-city Metro station is unfortunate. One could keep the same number of low income housing units in a new development and add workforce housing and market-rate units to pay or it all.
Ugh for several reasons.
First, as this plan provides for all residents to make at or below 60% of the median income, it doesn’t seem to be “mixed income” housing. I would support mixed income housing — including market rate housing — but this seems to be another all low income project in an area saturated with low income housing (e.g., directly across the street is Lincoln Westmoreland).
Second, I think the architecture of this plan is really harsh looking. There were several groups competing to develop Parcel 42; I wrote about the proposal I liked best here:
http://remakingleslumhistorique.blogspot.com/2007/11/parcel-42-what-might-have-been.html
If I recall correctly, the proposal I liked was a true mixed income development with better ammenities for the community. Plus I think it’s aesthetically superior to the winning plan.
Incidentally, OneDC vigorously campaigned for the winning plan.
snoozefest architecture.
Shaw Rez, I wasn’t very clear in my posting, but I am opposed to the income limits proposed for this project - I am in favor of creating a true mixed income development here, one with market rate units.
And thanks for the name of the low income housing complex… Lincoln Westmoreland… awful.