JES says: (12/13/13 2:47 PM)
Love that Blue Castle snippet. Step 1: buy land. Step 2: do nothing. Step 3: profit!

Re: Parcel N, there's some equipment there now; looks like they've started tearing up the asphalt, though every time I walk by, it's already dark out, so I can't be sure.

JD says: (12/13/13 2:57 PM)
Well, there's the DC Water construction going on at the northeast corner of Parcel N (on 4th south of Tingey), but once people start complaining about the constant rumbling of dump trucks through the streets carrying out the dug-up soil, then we'll really know it's underway.

monkeyrotica says: (12/16/13 7:37 AM)
Jemal didn't get rich by buying land and doing nothing with it for years. Oh, wait. Yes he did.

Gamble Rogers says: (12/27/13 11:57 AM)
Total bummer about Madison Marquette putting the Blue Castle property up for sale. Back in March I met with our ANC6B rep, the ANC6B transportation committee rep, and Daniel McCahan of Madison Marquette to gauge initial neighborhood interest to development proposals for the property. Based on the mock-ups I saw, it looked like Madison Marquette was targeting Whole Foods or another grocer, perhaps Trader Joe's, with the intention of seeking greater height density (higher than the 45 feet currently allowed) to build a residential tower on the side of the property that aligns along 7th Street SE. We never discussed project costs or timelines, but McCahan said Madison had several interested possible retail "anchors" for the property -- and their portfolio showed they could possibly pull off the project. Looks like they've made a business determination otherwise.

That's too bad for Lower Eighth. The area has loads of potential -- once the 11th Street Bridge project, the CSX tunnel, and the SE Boulevard work ends, the area might draw more interest. The problem is that those projects might not finish until 2017! Until then, we'll all just wait and keep chasing the heroin junkies away.

JD says: (12/27/13 5:21 PM)
Perhaps once Whole Foods signed with WC Smith for 800 New Jersey, and with Trader Joes apparently headed for Hine Jr High, Madison Marquette didn't quite have the options for anchor tenants it was hoping for anymore?

JD says: (12/27/13 5:24 PM)
Oh, and back to the question of whether Parcel N is actually started or not--they don't appear to have an approved building permit yet. They have an approved demolition permit, but the shoring/sheeting permit they've applied for hasn't been approved yet, and the building permit application was only filed right before Christmas.

Gamble Rogers says: (12/30/13 1:26 PM)
JD! I'm slow on the draw (and commenting on my lunch break) but didn't know the Hine project has been targeting Trader Joe's. That would be great news. But any thoughts or rumblings on possible tenants or uses of the Blue Castle?

JD says: (12/30/13 1:37 PM)
I was a little inexact with my phrasing above, I will admit and apologize. But I know I read something in the past few weeks about how a Trader Joe's at Hine was still on the table (it's always been one of the rumored potential tenants), but now I can't find the story I read. Argh.