A new, mixed-use project on Grant Street? Maybe, if the City approves a rezoning request for properties at 375 and 383 Grant Street. The properties at the northeast corner of Grant and Potomac include a remudeled three-story building and two residential buildings with a one-story commercial front, are zoned N-2R. Michael Morton of 268 Potomac LLC is seeking a rezoning to N-2C in order construct a five-story building with 36 residential units and commercial space. It shares a corner with two mixed-use projects that HES Properties recently completed at 363 and 386 Grant.
The Planning Board will consider the application at its meeting today. From the application:
This request is being made with the intention of submitting a redevelopment proposal to the Planning Board later this year. The project would include this property, as well as the vacant I dilapidated N-2C properties located at 375 and 383 Grant Street. The current concept for redevelopment is a five-story mixed-use podium building with community-focused commercial space (e.g., medical, day care, cafe, etc.) on the first floor and 36 affordable & accessible units on four residential levels.
The redevelopment site would include 137.5′ of Grant Street frontage and 98′ of frontage along Potomac Ave. The site depth on Potomac Ave. is consistent with the depth of N-2C zones along much of Grant Street – including all of the adjacent properties. The most comparable project is 363 Grant Street (a three-story mixed-use N-2C building), which fronts 120′ on Potomac Ave., directly across the street from my property. The properties immediately north of my property are N-2C and have depths equal, or greater, than my frontage on Potomac Ave.
268 Potomac Ave. is located just east of the intersection of Grant Street and Potomac Ave. The immediate area is going through significant rejuvenation, including new build development and rehabilitation projects on the surrounding blocks. More specifically, directly to the south of my property on the southeast corner of GrantIPotomac is 363 Grant Street – a new build mix-use with apartments over a retail store and law office. It includes 120′ of frontage along Potomac Ave. – directly across from my property. To the west of Grant, the north and south sides of Potomac Ave. also have N-2C frontages along Potomac (Black Dots on the south side and Gypsy Parlor on the north side). My property is the only lot within 100′ of Grant on Potomac that is not N-2C.
More generally, there is significant precedent for N-2C zoning on side streets within 100′ of Grant Street. A few additional examples include 398 Grant at Garner (one block north with a book store and LMT clinic), Grant/ Lafayette with the former S7 Cafe and Guercio’s, Grant I Bird with WEDI on the southwest corner and mixed use on the southeast corner, etc.
The State Historic Preservation Office sent Morton a letter stating the properties are not historical.