Donatelli Breaks Ground On Hill East Development Included In HQ2 Proposal
The long-planned development of Hill East's Reservation 13 site has begun, despite D.C. including portions of the site in its proposal for Amazon HQ2 and recently canceling a planned groundbreaking event.
Donatelli Development updated neighbors Monday night on the project, which will include two apartment buildings totaling 353 units and 22K SF of retail, UrbanTurf reports.
The developer said infrastructure work had begun on the larger building, which would include 262 units and 12K SF of retail on Reservation 13's G1 parcel, and it expects to begin excavation in the coming weeks. It plans to begin construction on the second building, with 91 apartments on the F1 parcel, in about one year. The parcels sit near the intersection of 19th Street and Massachusetts Avenue SE, next to the Stadium-Armory Metro station.
The 67-acre Reservation 13 site was home to the closed D.C. General Hospital, which now operates as a homeless shelter, and the city has been planning its redevelopment for over a decade. The District included Reservation 13 as part of one of four proposed sites in its Amazon HQ2 bid. The G1 parcel was not part of the bid, while the F1 parcel and much of the remaining Reservation 13 land was included.
Neighborhood leaders have expressed concerned over the site being proposed and were angry about not being included in the process before D.C. unveiled its bid.
D.C.'s Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development had scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for the site for March 2, but canceled the event, saying it would cause disruption for residents. Donatelli said the cancellation would not affect the project's timeline. It expects to deliver the first building in late 2019 and the second building a year later.
CORRECTION, APRIL 26 2:30 P.M. ET: While much of the Reservation 13 site was included in D.C.'s Amazon HQ2 proposal, the specific G-1 parcel where infrastructure work has begun was not part of the bid. Additionally, the D.C. General Family Shelter remains open despite the hospital closing in 2001. This story has been updated.
