926 N Street NW, bird's eye view.

A little birdie sent me the bird's eye views and elevations of the new development the United House of Prayer has for the property they own at 926 N Street NW on what is currently a loading dock and warehouse. It's great that the development market has finally in$pired UHOP do cash in on what looks like market rate housing in the area. Not hating market rate housing, increased tax revenue for the city, or more neighbors with significant personal financial stake in making a new home in Shaw, but I wonder with all of the stated need for low-income housing, how many of these units will accommodate low-income residents. It would be great to see at least four low-income units.

There are two spaces designated for some street level retail that would help to activate the street. A cafe version of the UHOP cafeteria on M Street would be nice, especially if they would include some healthy fresh fruits and veggies to the menu.

926 N Street NW specs at a glance:
Three floors (no underground parking)
Gross footprint: 5,000 sq ft
Retail space 1: 2418 sq ft
Retail space 2: 804 sq ft
1 three-bedroom unit
6 two-bedroom units
5 one-bedroom units
2 efficiencies
14 total units (includes four units with lofts)

The four top units include roof top terraces, all units will have balconies.

926 N Street NW, bird's eye view.

Like their hideous white and candy-colored condos recently completed on the 600 block of M Street, Susan Reatig's plans suggest a mininmalist modernistic design that seems out of place among the fantastic historic victorian and federal style buildings around it. (Even Valor's current massing plans for the P Street Residences/condos planned for the 600 block of P Street have more imagination and vision for creating an interesting piece of design and Valor has suggested that they will attempt to give those plans further revision so the exterior reflects the style of some of the historic homes nearby.) It seems like a missed opportunity to create something that should not only generate income, house low- and hi-income residents, but all so celebrate some of the best practices in creating attractive and stylish environmentally-friendly buildings. There seem to be plenty of surface parking spaces, which seems wise, and a step in the right direction (in contrast to the doomed plans for the so called "BicycleBuilding" at 9th&N Streets which included no parking in light of the significant transit and bicycle options in the immediate area).

Floor plan indicates seven surface parking spaces. I suppose underground parking would be too expense, though it might give more room for to include some low-income residential units which might earn them some subsidy from the city.