We reported on ramp-up of activity on the second phase of Art Place at Fort Totten in this post on ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher’s (5A08) February 2020 SMD meeting. Since then, the Washington Business Journal has run a couple of reports on the second phase. The first article (subscription required) is a feature on Sean Cahill, the development manager hired for the second phase. Mr. Cahill attended Commissioner Fletcher’s SMD meeting.
The second report (subscription required) notes that construction on the second phase is gearing up while the developer continues to lease up the first phase.
Phase one retailers include T-Mobile, ShiningStars Pediatric Dentistry and Ramdass Pharmacy, all of which opened in 2018. Still to open are a Love & Care Daycare, which is expected to open in the fall of 2020, and Rocketship Public School charter school, which will open in August for the 2020-2021 school year.
Another anchor, a 40,000-square-foot 24 Hour Fitness gym, is projected to open in The Modern by the end of the year. 24 Hour Fitness replaces the previously announced XSport Fitness, which fell through for the development.
While Cafritz declined to comment on why retail leasing has been such slow-going for phase one, the spokesperson said that the retail in phase two is already 40% pre-leased, mostly with entertainment tenants. That number doesn’t include a planned 25,000-square-foot Aldi grocer store at the development.
Phase two will consist of three multi-story, mixed-use residential buildings with 272 units, 30 of which will be accessory dwelling units, and the FEZ (family entertainment zone), which will house a food hall, the 30,000 square foot Explore! Children’s Museum and the 80,000-square-foot Meow Wolf multimedia museum. Phase two is projected to deliver by late 2021 or early 2022.
The Foundation says it intentionally sought to incorporate more experiential retail in phase two, which will also include flexible event space, studio space and maker spaces intended for community rental and to support local arts and culture programming.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 
Thanks for providing this useful information. Many have been waiting to hear about the retail build-out of the Cafritz facility. Both the gym and daycare will be great additions. More retail means more foot-traffic, and greater sales opportunities for all the businesses at the Cafritz site.
An interim facility for the Lamond-Riggs Library will be incorporated into the Modern. This smaller site will provide children’s programs, book holds and several public PC workstations. DC Public Library has yet to announce an official closing date for the Lamond-Riggs Library, but the activation of the interim will be contingent upon it.
As always, great reporting.