More on disingenuousness

I wrote earlier in the week that the Post story about 1500 Massachusetts Ave. NW "didn't get it" in terms of the property owner's scepticism about historic designation of the building. The owner claimed it would make the property less likely to remain affordable. I argue the opposite. Especially because otherwise, all the real estate activity within two blocks of that building has been upscaling, not the maintenance of "affordable" housing.

See the blog entry from last Sunday "Unbaffling yet another preservation story in the Washington Post."

Upscaled housing, 1300 block of Massachusetts Ave. NW. The curvy building had been the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The building was converted to housing some years ago. The apartment building to the right of this building is being converted to condominiums now.



Sunrise Senior Living Community, 1330 Massachusetts Ave. NW. This building, right to the building above, used to be a lower-income senior living facility run by the Methodist Church. The building has been privatized and upscaled.


Building on the 1300 block of M Street NW. Eligible for historic designation Victorian rowhouses were demolished on this block to make way for this project. Properties were assembled in part by the large sale of tax deficiency properties handled by Anthony Williams when he was the city's Chief Financial Officer.


Building next to National Capital Christian Church, 14th Street NW. In 2002, this space was a parking lot.


Homewood Suites Hilton, 1475 Massachusetts Avenue NW. Before WWII, this site was the location of the Embassy of Germany. For many years it was a vacant lot.


The aforementioned Post Properties Building, 1499 Massachusetts Avenue NW.


The circa 1950s 1500 Massachusetts Avenue NW.


The University of California Building, 1600 block of Rhode Island Avenue NW, is located on the site of the Gramercy Inn. (Across the street, the old Holiday Inn has been renovated and upscaled.)


Before the National Rife Association decamped to the more politically amenable suburbs, they were located on this site. That building was torn down and replaced with this Marriott Courtyard Hotel.

And there are other examples in the vicinity as well, including the Post's sale of its parking lot for $50 million. An office building is being constructed in its place.