The NorThwesT CurreNT
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Vol. XLIX, No. 7
Serving Chevy Chase, Colonial Village, Shepherd Park, Brightwood, Crestwood, Petworth & 16th Street Heights
Tenley offices slated for residences
A WIN FOR WILSON
■ Development: AU sells
three parcels for $45 million By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
A local developer has purchased three Tenleytown office buildings from American University with plans to convert them into housing. Urban Investment Partners
closed on the $45 million deal on Friday for properties at 4000 Brandywine St. NW, 4620 Wisconsin Ave. NW and 4545 42nd St. NW, the firm’s Brook Katzen said in an interview. The university is shifting administrative offices from those locations to its former law school building at 4801 Massachusetts Ave. NW. Katzen said his firm is still hammering out the details for its plans, but the idea is to renovate
and possibly expand the existing buildings, ideally starting at the Wisconsin and Brandywine sites within about a year. Those two sites would collectively represent “somewhere north of 200 [housing] units,” Katzen said in an interview. “We think Tenleytown is a great neighborhood with a lot of infrastructure in place,” he said, citing its Metro station, Whole See Buildings/Page 6
Planned shelter sites spark initial debate By CUNEYT DIL
Current Correspondent
Brian Kapur/The Current
Wilson High School’s girls indoor track team raced past the competition to capture the D.C. State Athletic Association championship last Wednesday at the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex. The Tigers were led by a pair of triple medalists — Xabriah Glenn and Soljala Jones. See story, page 13.
In the wake of a proposal to build a network of family homeless shelters across the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration is hearing general support for the idea but some concerns about the specific locations selected for the facilities. The neighborhood shelters are part of Bowser’s plan to close the dilapidated and overcrowded D.C. General facility. Every ward will house a family shelter under the proposal, except for Ward 2, where an all-women’s shelter opened last week at 810 5th St. NW with Bowser cutting the ribbon. The goal is to house residents in the other ward facilities for about 100 days until they can move to longer-term housing. The city estimates there were 1,311 homeless families in 2015, a sharp rise from 800 six years ago. At community meetings held in every ward last Thursday, the public got its first chance to weigh in
Rendering courtesy of D.C. government
Some neighbors of the proposed Wisconsin Avenue shelter say the building is too dense for the site.
on the approximately $22 million project. In Ward 3, most attendees said they would welcome a shelter at Wisconsin Avenue and Edmunds Street NW, currently a grassy plot of vacant land across from the Russian Embassy. See Homeless/Page 6
WIS scales back plans for Tregaron campus
Crackdown on pub crawls to face upcoming hearing
By CUNEYT DIL
■ Alcohol licensing: Rules
Current Correspondent
Washington International School recently scaled back designs for an expansion project on its historic Tregaron Campus in Cleveland Park — a change that has reversed some community criticism. The private school at 3100 Macomb St. NW is looking to construct a new academic building and a two-level underground parking garage between the Macomb Street entrance and former Tregaron mansion. At Feb. 2 public meeting at Washington International, head of school Clayton Lewis said he has heard concerns about whether the building, initially proposed as three stories, fits with the character of the community. Architect Douglas Bothner showed new designs that bring the building down one story and
now in effect pending review Rendering courtesy of Washington International School
The latest design for the science building has won some community support, although other residents consider it inappropriate for the historic campus.
shrink the space by 1,200 square feet, making it more “compact and less of an impact.” “Sometimes the constraints actually make the project better,” Bothner told about 30 residents attending. “I have to say this makes the project better.” The Cleveland Park Historical Society ultimately See School/Page 16
By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer
An extended battle between pub crawl promoters and city officials will reach the D.C. Council within the next two months, following emergency action from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board in January. The board issued new emergency regulations on Jan. 13 restricting pub crawl activities — organized events for all-night
drinking at multiple nearby establishments — following months of complaints from citizens, police and business improvement districts. If the regulations hold, pub crawl promoters planning events for more than 200 people will have to apply for a $500 license at least 45 days before their event. Applications will be sent to the alcohol board and the Metropolitan Police Department and will need to specify plans for litter removal, hours of the event and protocols for dealing with unruly patrons who might violate laws. See Pub Crawls/Page 7
NEWS
SPORTS
SHERWOOD
INDEX
New animal hospital
Fleet of feet
Heading to Cuba
Calendar/20 Classifieds/29 District Digest/2 Exhibits/21 In Your Neighborhood/14 Opinion/10
CityPaws expands from 14th Street to additional site in Cleveland Park / Page 3
Wilson girls, Gonzaga boys capture team titles at DCSAA indoor track finals / Page 13
Mayor Bowser and other regional leaders seek economic ties to once-isolated island / Page 10
Police Report/4 Real Estate/15 School Dispatches/8 Service Directory/27 Sports/13 Week Ahead/3
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