Prospective tenants interested in UDC’s Van Ness retail properties include well-known national and regional companies, UDC said at an August 5th virtual community meeting on its 2021-2030 Campus Master Plan. The university is also looking at converting one building on campus into apartments for students and faculty.
DC zoning regulations require the District’s universities to submit campus plans every ten years. These regulations are intended to promote well-planned and designed campuses, encourage long-term planning, minimize negative impacts to the surrounding neighborhood, and provide transparency to the planning process.
The UDC Campus Master Plan is for its main campus at Van Ness. However, Troy LeMaile-Stovall, UDC’s chief operating officer, said that the university is taking a look at all of its facilities during this process, including its research farm in Maryland and a hangar in Virginia.
LeMaile-Stovall also explained UDC’s now-extensive retail spaces are part of this institutional planning process, but not the Campus Master Plan. Community members who attended the first meeting on the plan in February had been frustrated by limits on the discussion.
“If we add these buildings to this zoning, we could not do retail in these buildings,” he said. Through its purchase of 4250 Connecticut, its master lease of 4225 Connecticut, and the law school at 4340 Connecticut, UDC controls about 90 percent of the vacant retail space at Van Ness.
LeMaile-Stovall showed attendees renderings of 4225 and 4250 that he said show “how we’re thinking of activation of the retail and activation of the buildings that we have along Van Ness.”
“Even with this Covid situation we are committed to activating the retail along Connecticut Avenue,” LeMaile-Stovall said. “We have not wavered in that.”
UDC is working with the brokerage KLNB to recruit retail tenants, and LeMaile-Stovall said a number of what he describes as “high-quality potential tenants” have approached the university. He said the retailers were of national and regional prominence, but he could not say more. Some parking at 4250 Connecticut would be devoted to retail.
The retail, he said, has important community and campus benefits. “I get excited about the idea of a student being able to… sit down and have a couple of coffee” and engage in conversation with a campus neighbor, LeMaile-Stovall said. “And many of our students need those types of jobs.” The income from leases is another important benefit. UDC will need that revenue to support its presence at 4250 and 4225 Connecticut, he said.
An interesting tidbit about 4225 Connecticut came up after Lemaile-Stovall brought up the first rendering above. One community member commented that leaving the former Walgreens as a two-story building seems like a “missed opportunity” and asked whether UDC would consider redeveloping the site. LeMaile-Stovall clarified that UDC only holds the master lease and does not have control over its development. He did say that the owner approached UDC a couple of years ago with the idea of adding housing by building up. But no action was taken by the owner.
After the retail update, LeMaile-Stovall got to the heart of the meeting – an update of UDC’s ideas for the 2021-2030 Campus Master Plan.
Among the ideas under consideration:
- All faculty offices would be moved to 4250 Connecticut Avenue.
- Building 44 would be developed into apartments for students and junior faculty.
- Building 41 would be demolished and rebuilt to house the DC Archives.
- Building 43, which provides the heating and AC system for the whole campus, would be demolished since all buildings would be rehabbed with their own systems.
- The Theater of the Arts would be improved and programmed in partnership with Van Ness Main Street.
- The tennis courts would be enclosed with more housing built above.
- The university would incorporate green roofs and solar as much as possible.
LeMaile-Stovall also mentioned the outdoor amphitheater, which UDC is moving to improve right away. The university wants to activate it as soon as possible in partnership with Van Ness Main Street and are asking for ideas from the community.
The draft campus plan is to be presented to the community for feedback in a couple of months, LeMaile-Stovall said. But he won’t be there to talk us through it. He is leaving UDC at the end of August to join Maryland’s technology and biotech incubator, TEDCO, as executive director and CEO. David Franklin, his deputy, will step into the role.
George Hofmann says
I do not understand LeMaile-Stovall’s 2nd statement – “If we add these buildings to this zoning, we could not do retail in these buildings,”
Why not?
Roberta Carroll says
There is no reason to add more housing on a commuter campus. The building over the tennis court is excessive and not necessary. The money should be spent on faculty and adding programs that have been taken away in the past. UDC had a nursing school and architecture degree for example both no longer exist. The purpose is to educate DC residents not house them.
Liz says
There are lots of UDC students (mostly athletes as I gather from the logos on their backpacks) that live in 3003 Van Ness and AVA building across the street. I think they would benefit from having campus housing and get an experience akin to dorm life.
Howard Franklin, Jr says
We can do more do more recruitment with dorms. We are a University, not a commuter school.
David Cristeal says
Both thoughts make sense – first UDC focusing on its core mission to educate future leaders in a range of professions. Accomplishing this mission will take considerable energy and is also vital to the success of the Van Ness commercial & retail corridor.
That said, I think looking at UDC properties with potential for more housing – for their students, their staff, and possibly their neighbors also makes sense. For example, the property at 4225 Connecticut Ave – the Walgreens building completed in 2011 and now leased by UDC, could accommodate housing above the existing 2 floors of retail, based on the current zoning (MU-7), housing (see below).
Ward 3 and the Van Ness community would benefit from more housing and as much of that housing as affordable housing. The City has a range of land use and finance tools at its disposal to help property owners and developers make this a reality. Any rental homes that could come through the City’s Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) program would have rents for people earning up to 80% of the median family income (MFI). For a 3 person household, this translates to an annual income of up to $87,350 and a rent of $2,184 for 2 bedroom unit.
Current Land Use designation = Moderate Density Commercial;
Recommended Future Land Use Designation = Mixed Use; Moderate Density Commercial & High Density Residential
Current Zoning = MU-7; from the DC Zoning Code:
“The Mixed-Use (MU) zones provide for mixed-use developments that permit a broad range of commercial, institutional, and multiple dwelling unit residential development at varying densities. The MU-7 Zone is a mixed-use zone that is intended to be applied throughout the city consistent with the density designation of the Comprehensive Plan. A zone may be applied to more than 1 density designation.
The MU-7 zone is intended to:
Now is the time to consider a wider range of housing options to strengthen our retail and commercial corridors. What have we got to lose?
David Cristeal, Commissioner,
ANC 3F 01
Green Eyeshades says
Does “mixed use” in the MU-7 zoning code mean retail?
It’s not clear what you are quoting when you write “Current Land Use designation = Moderate Density Commercial ….”
Also, the “Future Land Use” also includes “Moderate Density Commercial” in what you quoted. So there is no plan or intent to alter the zoning character of the “commercial” elements included in the UDC campus.
We know that retail has always been part of UDC’s real estate, and that would seem to be confirmed by the use of the word “commercial” in both “Current” and “Future” land uses in what you quoted.
If so, then it seems the spokesman for UDC was just incorrect when he stated or implied that retail could not be maintained in the way UDC wants.
So, as the first comment above asked two days ago, what did UDC’s spokesperson mean by saying “If we add these buildings to this zoning, we could not do retail in these buildings ….” ?
David Cristeal says
Yes, the MU-7 zone allows retail uses.
The current Land Use designation is generally how the land should be used. Specific zoning categories generally reflect the land use designation. What is interesting is that the MU-7 zone allows uses broader than what one could envision with the “commercial” land use designation.
Hope this helps
David Cristeal
ANC 3F 01