I heard there is an RFP for development of Dolman street in Lafayette Square. Any thoughts to share, i.e. do you think a developer will come forward with a substantial investment given the slow pace of the housing market?
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It will be hard for me to refrain from swearing in answering this question. But I'll try.
Various gubmnt entities, in their infinite wisdom, kept all vacant property in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Dolman TIED UP for years during the recent building boom years. Various plans and ideas were floated. Various plans and ideas fell by the wayside. The Feds were heavily involved in these plans and ideas.
Fairly recently some (all?) of vacant lots have been released and some developers have snapped them up.
But overall I think that the housing market STINKS for new construction and I'm not optimistic that anything will go great guns there. The townhouses on Mississippi aren't selling, the proopsed development near Missouri/Choteau end of the Square is dead. Who's gonna do up another project? Only someone who is very optimistic.
I am deeply resentful of gubmnt agencies locking it all up when the free market would have had it all done up by now. F&*K Them! is all I gotta say about that.
One developer has done a FABULOUS job on the big Victorian federal style house on the west side of the street. There's no way that developer is gonna make money on that project, bless 'em. That house changed hands numerous times over decades, and each owner found out it would cost a lot more to renovate thatn the market would bear.
Various gubmnt entities, in their infinite wisdom, kept all vacant property in the 1100 and 1200 blocks of Dolman TIED UP for years during the recent building boom years. Various plans and ideas were floated. Various plans and ideas fell by the wayside. The Feds were heavily involved in these plans and ideas.
Fairly recently some (all?) of vacant lots have been released and some developers have snapped them up.
But overall I think that the housing market STINKS for new construction and I'm not optimistic that anything will go great guns there. The townhouses on Mississippi aren't selling, the proopsed development near Missouri/Choteau end of the Square is dead. Who's gonna do up another project? Only someone who is very optimistic.
I am deeply resentful of gubmnt agencies locking it all up when the free market would have had it all done up by now. F&*K Them! is all I gotta say about that.
One developer has done a FABULOUS job on the big Victorian federal style house on the west side of the street. There's no way that developer is gonna make money on that project, bless 'em. That house changed hands numerous times over decades, and each owner found out it would cost a lot more to renovate thatn the market would bear.
Pretty sure this was mentioned in the latest Marquis (neighborhood newspaper), but I'm out of town and not able to easily access it.
I *think* that most of the lots were taken by people in the neighborhood, and intend to build low density developments on the lots. Don't quote me, and if someone could check, it's in the notes from the August neighborhood meeting.
I *think* that most of the lots were taken by people in the neighborhood, and intend to build low density developments on the lots. Don't quote me, and if someone could check, it's in the notes from the August neighborhood meeting.