WASHINGTON D.C., DC — New images of a potentially transformative mixed-used retail housing development planned for Ward 8 were released Tuesday.
Plans for the second phase of D.C.’s new “Bridge District” in Poplar Point just across the newly redesigned Frederick Douglass Bridge will include nearly 1,000 housing units and more than 24,000 square feet of retail according to a design review application recently filed with DC Government.
The new buildings will be located along Howard Road in Southeast D.C., between South Capitol Street and I-295, a short walk from Anacostia Metro Station, and will bring a much-needed housing boost housing east of the Anacostia River. The lack of housing options in Wards 7 and 8 has long been a focus of District leaders.
According to a design review application recently filed with DC Government for the Bridge District’s second phase, 12% of the units will be set aside for lower-income households. A specific emphasis of the building's design focuses on outdoor space, with over half of the housing units including balconies.
The design plan shows the entire ground floor, with the exception of the lobbies, will be devoted to social space retail, with recessed plazas designed to encourage walking shopping spaces.
The second phase of the Bridge District is expected to be complete by 2025. The first phase of the development broke ground earlier this year with a 750-unit development known as “The Douglass.”
The design team is led by Redbrick LMD, a real estate investment, management, and development company with a focus on the Washington, DC metropolitan area.