Bowser Administration Breaks Ground on 88 New Homes at St. Elizabeths East

Tuesday, March 23, 2021
The new town homes represent the first opportunity for homeownership on the campus.

(Washington, DC) – Today, the Bowser Administration, led by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), broke ground on 88 new town homes at the St. Elizabeths East Campus in Congress Heights. The new town homes represent the first opportunity for homeownership on the campus and include 27 affordable homes.

“These new town homes bring us 88 homes closer to our goal of adding 36,000 new homes by 2025,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “We are proud that St. Elizabeths East is bringing world-class amenities and housing to Congress Heights and creating new jobs and opportunities for DC residents and businesses.”

Located on Sycamore Drive adjacent to Alabama Avenue Southeast, and within walking distance of the Congress Heights Metro Station, District Towns at St. Elizabeths will deliver 88 for-sale town homes; 27 of the homes will be affordable units, including 14 homes for households with an annual household income at or below 50% median family income (MFI) and 13 homes for households with an annual household income at or below 80% MFI. Additionally, the developer, in partnership with MANNA, will offer a Homebuyers Club to support first-time home-buyers with education and resources.

“Home ownership is one of the best ways to build wealth, and 88 townhomes in the heart of Ward 8 will give more residents a fair shot at pathways to the middle class,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “The momentum on the St. Elizabeths East is picking up, and after the completion of the first rental housing community, The Residences at St. Elizabeths, we are looking forward to delivering the first for-sale units with the District Towns.”

District Towns is being constructed by The Knutson Companies with developers Redbrick LMD and Gragg-Cardona Partners.

“We are looking forward to contributing to the growth of the vibrant St. Elizabeths East neighborhood with the development of accessible new townhomes,” said Don Knutson, of The Knutson Companies. “We take pride in sharing the excitement of the future vision for the community and we are committed to building every home with excellent design, quality, and care.”

“Redbrick is thrilled to be commencing the next phase of the St Elizabeth’s East redevelopment with our partners, The Knutson Companies, Gragg Cardona Partners and DMPED,” said Tom Skinner, Managing Partner, Redbrick LMD, LLC. “Bringing the homeownership dream and associated wealth building opportunities to 88 families in Congress Heights is consistent with our mission-based development objectives. We are especially proud of our ability to deliver 27 affordable dwelling units as a part of the project.”

“We are honored to be part of an incredible team that, in partnership with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, will be creating home ownership opportunities for District residents in the Congress Heights neighborhood at St. Elizabeths East,” said Oussama Souadi, Partner at Gragg Cardona Partners.

DMPED is also working in partnership with the Department of General Services (DGS) to deliver the new Parcel 6 St. Elizabeths Parking Garage located at the intersection of Cypress Street SE and the future 13th Street SE. The Parcel 6 Parking Garage will deliver approximately 750 new parking spaces, is being constructed by GCS|Sigal and Grunley Construction’s joint venture, and is designed by Cunningham Quill Architects and Lee & Associates. According to the 2017 Parking Plan Study for St. Elizabeths East, as activity continues to increase with new residents and special events, particularly at the Entertainment and Sports Arena, the District anticipates over 700 additional visitors to the campus during peak hours. The parking garage will replace many of the temporary parking lot spaces that are currently available for visitors. The structured parking garage is a part of the campus infrastructure improvements, which will make the historic campus more accessible and will allow the newly developed buildings to function within an improved transportation network.

“DGS is excited to be a part of the continued redevelopment efforts at the St. Elizabeths East Campus,” said Department of General Services Director Keith A. Anderson. “The commencement of the Parcel 6 Parking Garage project is another major milestone in a series of planned infrastructure projects to be implemented by DGS, that will serve as the basis for the future growth at the campus. DGS along with its sister agencies, and in partnership with DMPED, looks forward to delivering this project and taking another step toward bringing equality, equity and opportunity to the Ward 8 community.”

“Grunley Joint Venture is proud to play a key role in realizing the District’s vision for historic St. Elizabeths East,” said GCS|Sigal Vice President Daniel Waldo. “Along with our design team led by Cunningham Quill Architects and Lee and Associates landscape architects, we are committed to delivering this important project successfully for the Department of General Services, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, and rest of the St. Elizabeths East team.”

At the start of her second term, Mayor Bowser set a bold goal to deliver an additional 36,000 units of housing – including at least 12,000 units of affordable housing – by 2025. From January 2019 through March 2020, the District has produced 14,613 units, of which 2,099 are affordable. You can track the District’s progress toward #36000by2025 at open.dc.gov/36000by2025. Mayor Bowser reaffirmed her commitment to investments in affordable housing with her Fiscal Year 2021 budget, recognizing that both short- and long-term efforts must be ongoing to preserve housing affordability and stability for all District residents. The Mayor’s FY21 budget includes an investment of $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund – for the sixth consecutive year – and a $1 million investment in the leveraged Housing Preservation Fund.

Today kicks off March Madness Week in the District of Columbia. The week will feature a series of economic development events and announcements, focused on health and housing, opportunity, prosperity, and equity. Tomorrow, the District will host the annual March Madness event at 10:00 a.m. to showcase upcoming real estate projects, discuss recovery efforts, and more.