9th and N Street NW (Fight Club) to Break Ground in August

Update 8/4/2013 Photographs (top of post)

Update 7/25/2013 Photographs (top of post)

Update 7/23/2013 Photographs (top of post)

Update 7/19/2013 Photographs (top of post)

Update 8/4/2013

Update 7/25/2013
Small update as work continues, and the old apartment building is now a shell. Its only 2 days since the last update , but things are just moving so fast....

All additional structures to the apartment building are gone.

All that is left now is the shell of the apartment building (view from N Street NW)

Through the "old" front door of the apartment building, right out to the sunlight in the rear

Update 7/23/2013
Demolition and land clearing are continuing, getting ready for the August ground-breaking - the work looks to be on schedule. Note Pedestrian traffic is allowed behind the jersey wall, so walkers and bikers you still cane use west side of 9th) Here are some photo updates;

View of Demolition from N Street NW

Pedestrian and Bike access on N Street NW, also available on 9th Street side

View from 9th Street, Old City Green is just a memory

Update 7/19/2013

9th Street NW, curb-side and sidewalk now closed

Jersey wall arrives for N Street NW - sidewalk and curb-side now closed

View from N Street NW, from alley adjacent to old "Old City Green" lot

View from 9th Street into alley adjacent to old apartment building (note: the rear structure has been demolished)

Update 7/18/2013 Content: (top of post)

Representatives from CityInterests Inc. and CAS Riegler presented at the Blagden Alley/Naylor Court Association meeting this evening. Not a whole lot of new information. 
Announcement:  The sidewalk and curbside lanes of 9th and N Street's NW will be closing tomorrow 7/19/2013, this only the lanes that abut the property being built!! Pedestrian traffic will be allowed behind the jersey wall along 9th Street. But NO PARKING.
So additional information; I confirmed that the end-date is September 2014, so I now have the 14 month window from two separate sources (see below). The building will house 68 Apartments, the majority will be 1 Bedroom. and an additional 2 Townhouses, giving a total of 70 units. 6800 sq ft of retail space, primarily on 9th Street NW, but some (including sidewalk seating) on N Street NW (opposite "Table"). There will be only one level of parking, approximately 32 parking spaces, CAS Riegler feel that most residence will forgo vehicles and use the close by Metro, the entrance to parking will be on N Street NW adjacent to the main apartment building entrance and lobby.
For Local Residents: Neither representative had solid answers for the routing of trucks etc. But the BANCA committee was adamant that the trucks use 9th Street NW, only. Pile Drivers will be employed from mid August to late August, so get your earplugs ready. (Aug 12th to 26th - or thereabouts)

Update 7/16/2013 (Update appears at top of posting)

So it begins!  I had the opportunity to talk to the Project Manager today about the upcoming construction of 1250 9th Street NW. Signs are posted on the Old City Green lot announce that parking is no longer allowed and that construction is imminent;

In further conversation, "the construction schedule is an aggressive 14 months"  said the manager.  It is indeed aggressive, and added to the 8 month project estimate for the "Gang of Three" down the block, and the transformation of the 1200 Block of 9th Street NW is in overdrive. 

Construction Equipment beginning to arrive on the old "Old City Green" lot

I did mange a short visit inside the old Apartment Building, and some clean-up work is already on-going. The rear structure, a later addition to the building will be demolished, and the original walls of the apartment building strengthened and fully incorporated into the new development. This was my first view inside, and I was surprised by interesting interior architecture (I was expecting it to be as bland as the exterior) and although abused for quite some time, overall it looked in pretty good condition. Additionally I did get a few pictures of the awesome mural, which spanned to complete back wall, with a city scape in a yellow and blue paint (stencil)

City Scape (stencil)  span's the rear wall

This complete mural will disappear as this new addition to the property is due for demolition

As the mural will be destroyed, as this portion of the building will be demolished, I have added these photos to the "Street Art Lost in Transition" blog posting as an update.

Plenty of activity is planned - so stay alert to updates on this post.

Original Post:

9th Street View Courtesy CityInterests DC

We have been following this for sometime and now the announcement has been made. The conversion of the property that Shaw residents know as Fight Club, will begin, with a ground breaking in August

"Developers CityInterests and CAS Riegler will break ground on a mixed-use building with 70 luxury apartments in Shaw in August, CityInterest partner Peter Farrell says."

The project, at 1250 9th St NW, incorporates elements of the existing three-story, 1920's-era apartment building that currently stands on the site.

Elevation DC Media reported "The apartments will range from studios to two-bed, two-bath units, some of which will use the original brick walls from the 1923 building. The ground floor has 8,200 square feet of retail,  room enough for two restaurants or one restaurant along 9th Street and "complementary retail" along N, says Farrell. And about that restaurant: Farrell won't name names, but he says that one tenant CityInterests has lined up is a "very well known restaurant."

N Street View Courtesy CityInterests DC

According to the website Rentometer.com, the median rent for one-bedroom apartments in the area is $1,850 per month. However, the units at 1250 9th St NW are being built with a "high level of finishes," says CityInterests partner Alan Novak. "[They will be] very attractive to the target market...to the young professionals who like something snappy."

Added Photographs 7/6/2013: Current status of project (pre-ground breaking) just for later comparison

Corner of 9th and N Streets NW. Open area was Old City Green

Existing apartment building at 1250 9th Street

1250 9th Street, notorious as 'Fight Club'

Sources:  Elevation DC Media

               Curbed DC

               Urban Turf