Two Developers Bid on Florida Ave. NW Parcel

Back in November, officials from the office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development walked developers around a valuable plot of land at the intersection of Florida and Sherman avenues NW. The property at 965 Florida Ave. NW—obtained by the city through a swap with Howard University that gave Howard the land it's now developing into the Howard Town Center—may not look like much, but it's located in a neighborhood, just north of U Street, that it's in increasingly high demand.

Developers had until Feb. 12 to submit their proposals. Now we have the results: Two developers have made submissions. According to DMPED spokesman Jose Sousa, two proposals came in: One from MRP Realty and Ellis Development Group, and the other from JBG, Gragg & Associates and Moddie Turay Co.

"Our office is currently evaluating the offers for responsiveness and to determine next steps for presentations to the community and ANC1B," says Sousa.

In November, I wrote that JBG was thought to have a leg up in the process, because DMPED is looking for proposals that incorporate adjacent parcels of land, and JBG owns a lot just south of the parcel in question. Now we know that JBG's interested. The company is reportedly hoping to build a Harris Teeter supermarket on the site.

DMPED was seeking proposals that would not rely on city funding, would meet inclusionary zoning standards (though additional affordable housing isn't required), and would extend Bryant Street NW between Georgia and Sherman avenues. As of November, DMPED was planning to make its final selection of a development team in May. Now, Sousa says there's no set date for selection, but that more information on the time frame will be shared within the next month.