MRP Realty, JBG Smith Break Ground On Whole Foods-Anchored Shaw Project
The major mixed-use project that will bring a Whole Foods to Shaw is now underway.
Mayor Muriel Bowser joined the development team of MRP Realty, JBG Smith and Ellis Development Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking of The Wren at 965 Florida Ave. NW.
The Wren will have 433 residential units, 132 of them affordable, and a 43K SF Whole Foods on the ground floor. The building's roof will feature solar panels that will provide part of its energy.
D.C. sold the site to the development team in 2015 for just $1.4M, a fraction of its valuation, because of the project's large affordable housing component. It will be one of the first developments to follow D.C.'s new rules for land sales that require projects to have 30% of units set aside for those making 30% to 50% of area median income.
The development represents JBG Smith's latest of many contributions to the Shaw neighborhood. The developer built the first two parcels of Atlantic Plumbing, including a 310-unit apartment building, a 62-unit condo building and a 10-screen Landmark Theater. It is currently working on Atlantic Plumbing Parcel C, which will feature two towers connected by a bridge over a woonerf-style street with retail on both sides. JBG also built The Shay, a 245-unit building with 28K SF of retail.
"The Shaw neighborhood has been a major focus for JBG Smith," JBG Smith co-Chief Development Officer Kai Reynolds said in a release. "Participating in the neighborhood's transformation from nightlife driven to a hub for dining and retail has been remarkable. And now, with the addition of The Wren, even more people will have the opportunity to enjoy Shaw and call it home."
