After telling neighbors for months that they hadn’t finalized the floorplans for their ongoing construction, the owners of 605 P ST NW finally admitted at the April 27th Convention Center Community Association meeting that they are planning a boarding house for this property. Sadly and unfortunately, they misled the city about the scope of what they are building and evaded all kinds of review (parking, disability, et cetera) that new construction is normally subject to.
The construction is particularly alarming because it is occurring on the site of a former rooming house that became a famous crack house ten years ago, went into disrepair, was the site of drug deals and fires put on by squatters, some of which forced neighbors to evacuate temporarily due to excessive smoke a couple years back. To our knowledge, the managers of the project don’t have a clear plan for the property; they’ve publicly admitted calling it a “bed and breakfast,” “luxury corporate apartments for World Bank employees,” “a European hostel,” and “student housing,” all within the course of a week and their contractors have said that they expect there to be conflict between the temporary residents and neighbors and for it to be a blight to the neighborhood.
We feel without further action there’s every reason to expect that things will go downhill from there, which is why we hope you’ll share our concern and lend your support to the petition. You can also help by sharing the petition with other local friends and neighbors, particularly those who live, own or work near or in Shaw and the Convention Center.
