A development in NoMa called Washington Gateway could bring 30 new affordable units to the area. They’d be part of a larger proposal to change course away from building office space and toward building residential units.

A rendering of the planned North Tower in Washington Gateway from the New York Avenue bridge. Image by MRP Realty.

Washington Gateway is the first major development in NoMa that you see if you come over the New York Avenue bridge on your way into the the District. Located on a triangular lot between New York Avenue NE, Florida Avenue and the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT), the first tower of the eventually three-tower mixed-use development, the Elevation, opened in 2014.

The Washington Gateway site, the location of the North and South towers is highlighted in red. Image by MRP Realty.

Developer MRP Realty is now seeking DC Zoning Commission approval to build the planned North Tower as a residential building instead of offices, and for the option to convert the planned South Tower to residential in the future.

The 16-story North Tower, which would front New York Avenue, would include about 372 units under the revised plan, the developer says in its latest filing with the zoning commission on 18 July.

MRP would designate 8% of those units for households with incomes up to 80% of area median income (AMI), or about $87,300 based on the AMI number for 2015.

While not a large increase in the number of affordable units to the area, the developer rightfully points out that none would be created if the tower were an office building.

When asked whether MRP had considered the impact of offering the units at 60% AMI at an Eckington Civic Association meeting in May, representatives of the developer said they had not looked at the “economics” such a move.

Housing is in demand in NoMa

Housing is hot in NoMa. The population of the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID), which includes Washington Gateway, grew to more than 6,000 people at the end of 2015. This represents a compound annual growth rate of more than 30% since 2008.

MRP says its 400-unit Elevation was fully leased within 11 months of opening in 2014 and remains fully leased with regular turnover, in its filing.

This is in contrast to office space in NoMa. The vacancy rate stood at 14.8% at the end of June, higher than for offices in any other neighborhood in the District, a second quarter market report by real estate firm Colliers International shows.

This is evident to anyone who has regularly waited for a train at the NoMa-Gallaudet Metro station, where riders have had a view of unfinished, empty office space immediately adjacent to the station and MBT for the past few years.

MRP still plans to build some offices, maybe. The 13-story South Tower is still planned as an office building, however, the developer says it may change this building to residential in the future as well.

Rendering of Washington Gateway looking from across Florida Avenue NE with with the planned South Tower on the right. Image by MRP Realty.

Edward Russell is an air transport reporter by day with a passion for all things transportation. He is a resident of Eckington and tweets frequently about planes, trains and bikes.