The 4000 Connecticut Avenue entrance to the former Intelsat/Whittle School. (March 2026 photo)
Some Forest Hills Connection reporting involves poking our heads through open doors.
Doing so recently yielded the news that the last remaining vacant retail space at Park Van Ness (4455 Connecticut Avenue) has been leased to an IV hydration spa. A contractor getting the space ready told us Hydralive Therapy is moving in.
Similarly, we heard from contractors at 4250 Connecticut that “a bookstore” will be occupying the space formerly occupied by Chalin’s. We’ve reached out to UDC, the building’s owner, for more information.
Intelsat’s foreclosure auction has been canceled. The Washington Business Journal reports a lender filed the foreclosure notice of cancellation Monday, April 6. The foreclosure auction had been scheduled for Wednesday, April 8. Previously up for sale: the lease on the complex that formerly housed the Intelsat headquarters and Whittle School.
It’s not yet known why Winthrop Capital Partners canceled the foreclosure auction. In some cases, the lender moves to cancel after a loan payment is made or a loan modification deal is reached. In others, the auction is canceled if a buyer is found beforehand — or due to lack of interest.
A one-year-old business in Van Ness is undergoing an identity shift. The signs above the door and on the 4340 Connecticut facade still say “The Whale Tea,” but the tea shop is now ZaoAn Cafe.
“ZaoAn means ‘Good morning!’ in Chinese,” owner Teresa Jiang said. “Our vision is ‘Good morning, all day!'”
Jiang told Forest Hills Connection that ZaoAn wants to bring the feeling of a good morning to every hour of every day, and be “the neighborhood place to sip, relax, and connect.”
ZaoAn added cocktails and a “tipsy donut” to its boba and bites menu on March 7.
The internal changes will be more visible on the outside, Jiang said, once the DC government approves her sign replacement request.
A “Pyrrhic victory” in bankruptcy court. An update from I’m Eddie Cano, which recently held a Carnivale-themed fundraiser to pay its back rent.
Despite the landlord’s opposition, the judge required him to accept our repayment plan, with several additional financial conditions that increased our total debt obligation. King Pyrrhuss’ famous line after beating the Romans in 279 BC was: “Another victory like this and we’re finished.”
Still, the restaurant at 5014 Connecticut lives to fight another day. Its owners are celebrating Italian Labor Day on May 1 with events including an Italian buffet and live Italian music at I’m Eddie Cano and face painting at the Italian Bar (5008 Connecticut). Tickets are $49 until April 17, then the price goes up to $59.
I’m Eddie Cano is also launching a membership-based neighborhood workspace in May. The owners promise “a quiet place to work, read, write, and think” as well as strong Wi-Fi and unlimited drip coffee and water. Rates start at $95 per month.
Chick-fil-A is out at the UDC Student Center. The university says the chicken sandwich chain “exercised its right to terminate the license agreement at the UDC location” on March 31. The Chick-fil-A location opened in 2025, seven years after a franchisee tried to open a restaurant at the former Burger King.
The university says its food service provider Perkins Management Services and Fuddruckers are still providing dining options for students, staff and visitors. And UDC and Perkins will collaborate on bringing in another national brand by the fall 2026 semester.
A new owner for The Albemarle apartments. Last year, Avalon the Albemarle (4501 Connecticut) residents voted to back WC Smith’s bid to purchase the property from AvalonBay. The deal has been closed.
Bisnow reports the purchase was an “anomalous move” for WC Smith, which hadn’t acquired any properties in three years.
A change in leadership at Forest Hills of DC. The position held by Tina Sandri, the senior living facility’s president of the past six years, has been eliminated in a “re-alignment” at parent company Goodwin Living.
Forest Hills of DC became an affiliate of the Alexandria-based company in 2025.
Rob Liebreich, Goodwin Living’s president and CEO, praised her dedication and service in a February letter announcing Sandri’s pending departure.
Sandri took on the role in May 2020, an especially difficult time for the industry in the midst of Covid-19 deaths, isolation and shutdowns.
In addition, Liebrich wrote, “We are grateful to Tina for her role in both the exploration of the affiliation and the efforts to complete it in March of last year.”
“As part of this re-alignment, we are eliminating the role of President at FHDC and instead filling that role with an Executive Director who will support the current leadership and team members on day-to-day quality of life efforts for residents and excellence in all aspects of operations.
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