1109 CONGRESS

Congress Place will offer 64 condominium units, a 22 space bike storage area underground parking for 16 vehicles and a rooftop community room with small terrace surrounded by a green roof. Offered will be one bedroom, one bedroom + den and two bedroom units ranging in size from approximately 605 square feet to approximately 935 square feet. Some units will offer private balconies and all are designed with large windows. The majority of units at Congress Place will be one bedroom. Two penthouse units will be built; an 834 square foot one bedroom + den unit with private terrace, and a two bedroom, two bath unit of approximately 935 square feet with a private terrace. Penthouse units feature 10-12' ceilings and oversized windows that are expected to provide outstanding views. Inclusionary Zoning units will comprise 8% GFA. The building's lobby will be situated between a small retail space and a large PDR space, facing Congress Street. The project replaces a vacant warehouse building constructed in the late 1940’s and a three story office building constructed in 2011.

The PDR or PDR-related uses may include production, distribution or repair of goods including accessory sale of related products, uses encompassed within the Arts, Design, and Creation use category in 11 DCMR § 100.2, but not including a museum, theater, or gallery as a principal use;
production and/or distribution of food or beverages and the accessory sale or on-site consumption of the related food and beverage, including Union Kitchen; design-related uses including media/communications, computer system and software design; fashion design; graphic design; or product and industrial design; an urgent care center; a neighborhood hardware and/or paint store; or a package distribution center.

2017 updates to the project include an increase in affordable housing to equal 12% percent of the residential square footage in the project, or approximately 5,658 square feet of the net floor area. Agreement was reached an alternative means to achieve this proffer; 8% of the total 12% will be provided off site. The developer entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Habitat for Humanity to assist in the construction of 5 off-site units, each with an average size of 900 net SF and an average of two bedrooms. DC Habitat and the developer intend to build larger, three-bedroom units if possible, and are investigating sites that can maximize the number of bedrooms and the square footage of the units. A contribution of at least $125k will be made for each of the five units, or a total of at least $625k. The proposed off-site units will be located within Ward 6 or Ward 5, and will be made available to households earning no more than 50% of AMI. The off-site units would be located in ANC 6C, 6A, 6E, 5D, or 5E to ensure that affordable units would be interspersed with market-rate housing to avoid an over concentration of IZ units in any one location. J Street Development sought and received flexibility from the off-site IZ requirements without meeting certain pre-requisites of 11 DCMR § 2607, as follows: