DC Historic Rehab for Senior Living Back on Track
By Keith Loria May 13, 2020 2:37 pm
reprints
After years of false starts, the redevelopment of the former Petworth’s Hebrew Home for the Aged, located in Washington, D.C., is finally on track.
In 2017, a joint venture between nonprofit Victory Housing and Brinshore Development were chosen to redevelop the property, located at 1125 Spring Road NW, into Spring Flats, consisting of 185 new homes, including 88 affordable apartments, for seniors.
Last week, the District closed on financing for the affordable units included in the project, according to the Washington Business Journal. Rehab finally started on the former Hebrew Home this week and is projected to be completed in May 2021, according to David Brint, Brinshore Development’s principal.
“This project involves the extensive rehab of a historic property that has long sat vacant,” Brint told Commercial Observer. “The development team is working on the financing for the balance of the site which will include 89 units of mixed income family housing and 10 condominiums. We expect to start construction on those phases in late summer or early fall.”
The mixed income housing will be 66 percent affordable while the condos will be 30 percent affordable, he said.
The project is being designed by Wiencek + Associates Architects and Planners.
Several District agencies were involved in this project including the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Planning and Development, the Department of Housing and Community Development, DC Housing Finance Agency and DC Housing Authority, Brint said.
The plan was designed to meet the preferences in the request for proposals issued by Washington DC Economic Development, which included high levels of affordability, an upgraded 10th Street, the incorporation of historic elements into design, and exceeding green building requirements.
The site includes a vacant, 85,000-square-foot community health center formerly known as the Hebrew Home for the Aged, a fire-proofed utility building at the rear of the Hebrew Home, the nearly 5,000-square-foot former Paul Robeson School and a parking lot.
“The development site presents a rare opportunity to create a strong focal point for a rich and diverse community in an urban setting,” Brint said. “Our plan aims to inject high quality mixed-income family and senior housing as well as homeownership into this important corner of the Petworth neighborhood.”
All original features will be preserved and enhanced with accessibility upgrades such as ramps to primary entrances and elevators at building corners, a large leasing/social service office with additional multi-purpose amenity space at the penthouse level and universal design are part of this adaptive reuse development program. The project will be certified LEED Gold.
