A bunch of mixed-use development projects around the city have divided communities, forcing arguments about who has what rights and how the neighborhood should grow (or not). The Hine School project on Capitol Hill is one, Cathedral Commons in Tenleytown is another. But perhaps none has been more acrimonious than 901 Monroe Street NE across [...]

The lovely mixed-use project at 901 Monroe Street NE in Brookland that has been downsized at the Zoning Commission, faced crazy ranting from neighbors, and had an historic landmark application launched against it is finally coming to community votes. Up tonight was the Brookland Neighborhood Civic Association, and according to the twitters, came out on top [...]

The problem with neighborhood branding is that many neighborhoods are similar: They have trees. They have history. They are close-knit communities.
For that reason, the four design concepts the Office of Planning has offered for a Brookland brand could probably apply to any number of neighborhoods in D.C. (The "small town, big city" trope has in [...]

In response to vocal neighbors opposed to the size of a mixed-use project on Monroe Street NE near the Brookland/CUA Metro stop, developers have significantly scaled back a new set of plans for their second submission to the Zoning Commission.
The project, a partnership between the Menkiti Group, Horning Brothers, and the owner of Colonel Brooks [...]

Tucked just off busy Monroe Street NE in Brookland, an artist's paradise is taking shape: The Artspace apartments at Danceplace, where a few dozen lucky creative types will be living and working by this time next year.
The 41-unit project, funded by a combination of federal stimulus money and city and non-profit grants, broke ground in [...]

Over the three decades Brookland Hardware has operated on the corner of 12th and Monroe streets NE, it seems to have nested in place. Floor-to-ceiling shelves are densely hung with every kind of fastener, cleaning agent, and kitchen implement a home improver might desire. Narrow aisles are further crowded by power tools to rent, which [...]

Jim Abdo's big Brookland project, which will add some 825 new homes, "eclectic college town retail," and below-market-rate spaces for artists, got final approval from the D.C. Zoning Commission on Monday night, the Washington Post reports. (Click here for more renderings of the Abdo plan, and here for details of what's coming and location info.)
According [...]

Within seven to nine years, the area around Brookland's Metro station will be built up with artist studio spaces, condos, townhouses and "college town retail—coffee shops, sit-down restaurants, book shops, bike shops" as one representative for developer Jim Abdo put it.
But Abdo's not the only developer sticking a shovel in neighborhood soil soon.  Just down [...]

One view of the Brookland project by Abdo Development
The gentrification wave's moving up and over to Northeast.
Earlier this week, the Zoning Commission granted preliminary approval to two huge projects that will transform Brookland and Fort Totten, the Washington Post reports. "To receive final approval, the groups behind the projects, the Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation [...]

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Ft. Totten's new look (above) and its current state below.
And since we're discussing the Art Place @ Ft. Totten, let me provide a few numbers, for comparison's sake, on its enormity.
The Art Place@Ft. Totten—located next to the Fort Totten Metro Station—will include a children's museum, a grocery store, tons of retail space [...]