Standard Starts Construction on $290M Mixed-Use Congress Heights Development
By Keith Loria June 8, 2023 12:44 pm
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Standard Real Estate Investments has secured a demolition permit to begin construction on Congress Heights, a $290 mixed-use property in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8.
The 2-acre project near the Congress Heights Metro station will constitute two buildings with office, retail and affordable housing. Standard Real Estate is partnering with developer Trammell Crow Company to complete a 240,000-square-foot mixed-use commercial building, while a third partner, NHT Communities, will build a 179-unit affordable housing component in a later phase of the project.
Demolition of the existing buildings on the site will begin later this month, to make way for the commercial property, with construction expected to wrap up in 2026.
The partners acquired seven parcels on Alabama Avenue Southeast at the southern entrance of the Metro station in January of 2022. “This was an opportunity to help resolve a long-standing issue for the benefit of the city and the community and unlock unrealized value,” Jerome Nichols, president of Standard, told Commercial Observer at the time. “It was one of [the] few [sites] east of the river that can accommodate office use at scale. It’s an undervalued site that can benefit from activation.”
The property is next to the MedStar Health Performance Center and the historic landmarked St. Elizabeth’s East campus.
“We are incredibly honored to usher in a new era for this well-located site, and the demolition of the existing buildings is just the first step in importing economic activity, amenities and jobs to the Congress Heights neighborhood,” Nichols said in a prepared statement.
NHT’s development will be affordable for those earning between 30 to 80 percent of the area median income.
Keith Loria can be reached at Kloria@commercialobserver.com.
