New neighbors are moving into Riggs Park! On June 9, 2022, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser cut the ribbon for Riggs Park Place, a new townhome community under construction by EYA on the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. The project broke ground in October 2020. The first few homeowners started moving in a couple of weeks ago, including Jimmy and Nyanda Alexis who gave a shoutout to Black excellence and introduced Mayor Bowser to give remarks to mark the occasion.

As many know, this project is a bit personal for the mayor. The seeds for this project were planted many many years ago when Mayor Bowser lived in Riggs Park and represented the neighborhood as an ANC commissioner. So the mayor has seen the project evolve through lots of twists and turns from her time on the ANC, then as a councilmember representing Ward 4, and finally now as mayor. From reconfiguring the South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road NE intersection to eliminate the fly-bys, selling and shoring up the land, working through several design concepts, dealing with assorted red tape, and securing financing for this project during a global pandemic, it has been a journey. During that time in all of those roles, the mayor worked hand in hand with the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA). In his remarks, Aakash Thakkar, EYA Chief Acquisitions Officer, recognized the efforts of the LRCA in representing the community, particularly those whom I affectionately call the gang–Barbara Rogers, Gwen Cofield, former ANC 4B Commissioner Tischa Cockrell, and I.

Mayor Bowser also introduced the members of what she is calling a Black Homeownership Strike Force. DC Office of Planning Director Anita Cozart and Reverend Graylan Hagler (minister of Plymouth Congregational Church of Christ, which is just a few blocks away from Riggs Parks Place) are co-chairs. (Neighbors might also recognize in the pictures former neighbor Harrison Beacher, president of the Greater Capitol Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR), who was asked to be a member of the strike force). Mayor Bowser tasked the strike force with coming up with recommendations that can start to be implemented at the start of the new fiscal year on October 1, 2022. Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who chairs the Council committee on business and economic development, also gave remarks.

The 90 townhomes comprise the first phase of the project. The second phase will consist of a little over 90 affordable rental units for seniors in a multifamily building with ground floor retail. Groundbreaking on the second phase is expected in 3rd quarter 2023.

I know lots of people have lots of thoughts about this project. I for one think that one of the better decisions JBG Smith made with respect to this neighborhood is changing course from initially wanting to build roughly another 250 apartments as a companion to Fort Totten Square to teaming up with EYA, a builder that is known for being relatively responsive to community input, to build this project. With prices originally starting in the mid-$500,000 range, it was no surprise (to me) that the homes quickly sold. I always say one nice thing that I like about Riggs Park is that it really is a neighborhood of socioeconomic diversity and for the most part it works well. I look forward to seeing retail options follow suit.

Video of the ribbon cutting from the mayor’s office.

Photos below courtesy of Gwen Cofield

As neighbors have noticed, vertical construction has started on the townhomes at Riggs Park Place, a new townhome community under development by EYA on the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. EYA’s latest newsletter on Riggs Park Place states that only nine homes remain available for sale (out of 90 total homes). The newsletter also provides a brief construction update.

From EYA

Construction Update 

Excitement is in the air with the start of vertical construction! The first building is in framing up to the second level. Concrete foundations are underway in the next building—the foundation walls are expected to be completed this week with plumbing groundworks installations beginning next week. 

Land development also continues onsite with continued work on underground utilities including water and sewer. And the site is now ready to receive power to the community. A new street entrance has been cut and base paving is expected to begin the end of October. 

On October 30, 2020, Mayor Muriel Bowser broke ground on Riggs Park Place, a new EYA townhome community at the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE that will have 90 townhomes (five below market rate), 80 rental units for seniors, and retail. The project will be built in two phases beginning with the townhomes. Over 50 percent of the homes have been sold.

This project has been in the works in some form or fashion since at least 2006. During the groundbreaking, Gwen Cofield and I were recognized for our efforts in representing the community (view a video snippet here). Pictures and the full press release below.

Mayor Bowser Breaks Ground on Riggs Park Place, Bringing 170 New Homes to Ward 4

Friday, October 30, 2020

New Development to Deliver Homeownership Opportunities, Apartments for Seniors, and Retail Options

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd, along with Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), broke ground on Riggs Park Place in Ward 4, a long-awaited housing community of townhomes, apartments, and retail located at the intersection of Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue, NE.

“Today is a special day in Ward 4 – we are excited to start construction on Riggs Park Place, a community where DC residents from all walks of life can call home,” said Mayor Bowser. “We’re going to keep investing in projects that bring housing, particularly affordable housing, to neighborhoods across all eight wards.”

The first phase of Riggs Park Place will feature 90 new townhomes for sale, five of which will be designated as affordable homeownership opportunities. Phase two will be an 80-unit mixed-use senior apartment community with at least 30 affordable units. The 90 townhomes will be modern, two-, three-, and four-bedroom floor plans close to Fort Totten Metro Station, a café and shopping across Riggs Road, the newly renovated Lamond-Riggs Library, as well as cultural and art experiences at Art Place, an adjacent mixed-use development offering apartments, retail, a new fitness center, a children’s museum, and more.

“I couldn’t be prouder to break ground at this historic development after working for years with the community, developers and other stakeholders,” said Councilmember Todd. “This new community in the Riggs Park/Fort Totten neighborhood is a huge win for our seniors who wish to age in place, our families and individuals alike who are looking for an affordable place to live. It is these economic opportunities and creation of affordable housing that will uplift our communities and help us make an equitable recovery.”

“This project is an example of how the Bowser Administration continues to push ahead on complex, and long-stalled projects because we know that having safe and affordable housing options and neighborhood amenities for our communities is what our residents want,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “We also want to thank this community for their active engagement in this project for many years and for sticking with us to get to today.”

Other financial partners for Riggs Park Place include EYA, JBG Smith and Paramount Development, with its lender, Eagle Bank.

“Riggs Park Place, and our partnership with the city, exemplify EYA’s ability to effectively work with residents, local jurisdictions, and our financial partners to both create value and bring meaningful projects to life,” said Aakash Thakkar, EVP at EYA. “Despite uncertain times, this partnership has shown that there is tremendous demand for high-quality, attainably priced new housing in the region. The public-private nature of the project, its revitalization impact on the neighborhood, and its delivery of missing middle townhomes that address a broad demographic are all core tenets of EYA’s mission. We appreciate the partnership with JBG Smith, Paramount Development, Eagle Bank, the District, and the community that enabled us to move the project forward.”

Bowser Administration’s Commitment to Affordable Housing

Mayor Bowser reaffirmed her commitment to investments in affordable housing with her Fiscal Year 2021 budget, recognizing that both short- and long-term efforts must be ongoing to preserve housing affordability and stability for all District residents. The Mayor’s FY21 budget includes an investment of $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund – for the sixth consecutive year – and a $1 million investment in the Housing Preservation Fund.

At the start of her second term, Mayor Bowser set a bold goal to deliver an additional 36,000 units of housing – including at least 12,000 units of affordable housing – by 2025. From January 2019 through July 2020, the District has produced 10,658 units, of which 1,692 are affordable. You can track the District’s progress toward #36000by2025 at open.dc.gov/36000by2025.

Bisnow DC reports that the DC Court of Appeals upheld the Zoning Commission’s order approving the St. Josephite townhome project in Michigan Park. I mention it here only because that project, which will be about one mile from the neighborhood at 12th Street and Allison Street NE, was previously the subject of several ANC 5A meetings. And EYA, which is developing Riggs Park Place here in the neighborhood, is also the developer for the St. Josephite project.

The article notes that townhome sales for Riggs Park Place began in June and EYA already has contracts on 20 of the 90 homes for sale. Construction for Riggs Park Place is anticipated to begin this month.

Press release from the mayor’s office announcing long-awaited closing on financing for Riggs Park Place:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

June 19, 2020

CONTACT: 

LaToya Foster (EOM) – (202) 727-5011; latoya.foster@dc.gov

Jessica Carroll (DMPED) – (202) 550-6845; jessica.carroll@dc.gov

Mayor Bowser Closes Deal on Long-Awaited New Housing Community in Fort Totten Neighborhood

New Development in Ward 4 to Deliver Homeownership Opportunities, Apartments for Seniors, and Retail Options

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), announced the closing of financing on Riggs Place Park in Ward 4, a long-awaited 171-unit housing community of townhomes, apartments, and retail located at the intersection of Riggs Road and South Dakota Ave, NE.

“These types of projects are helping to continue our commitment to delivering a variety of housing options – rental and home ownership – for all different income levels and family sizes across the District,” said Mayor Bowser. “Despite the current financial challenges, we are pressing forward with economic development opportunities and creating new affordable housing further setting up the District up for an equitable recovery.”

The first phase of Riggs Park Place will feature 90 new townhomes for sale, five of which will be designated as affordable homeownership opportunities. Phase two will be a mixed-use senior apartment community with at least 30 affordable units. The 90 townhomes will be modern, two, three, and four-bedroom floor plans close to Fort Totten Metro Station, a café and shopping across Riggs Road, the newly renovated Lamond-Riggs Library, as well as cultural and art experiences at Art Place, an adjacent mixed-use development offering apartments, retail, a new fitness center, a children’s museum, and more.

“Ward 4 is known as one of the most desirable places to raise a family, live, work, and shop with a vibrant and diverse community,” said Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon T. Todd. “The city’s public private partnership with EYA brings for-sale townhomes and senior rental housing for a broad range of incomes and supports neighborhood revitalization.”

The Lamond Riggs Citizens Association and ANC4B expressed support for the project, particularly for senior affordable apartments and neighborhood-serving retail.

“This project is a long time coming – in fact, Mayor Bowser was working towards this goal when she was an ANC Commissioner herself,” said Acting Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “Who would have thought that in these uncertain times, our team would push this over the finish line bringing new housing opportunities to families of all income levels in Ward 4. It’s a proud day for DC.”

Other financial partners for Riggs Place Park include EYA, JBG Smith and Paramount Development, with its lender, Eagle Bank.

“Riggs Park Place and our partnership with the city exemplifies EYA’s ability to effectively work with residents, local jurisdictions, and our financial partners to both create value and bring meaningful projects to life,” said Aakash Thakkar, EVP at EYA. “We are moving forward even in these uncertain times because there is tremendous demand for high-quality, attainably priced new housing in the region. The public-private nature of the project, its revitalization impact on the neighborhood, and its delivery of missing middle townhomes that address a broad demographic are all core tenets of our mission. We appreciate the partnership with JBG Smith, the District, and the community that enabled us to move the project forward.”

The closing of Riggs Place Park follows other recent closings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including Spring Flats, The Hartley on the Parks at Walter Reed and the Karin and Anna Cooper Houses. Mayor Bowser reaffirmed her commitment to investments in affordable housing with her Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal, recognizing that both short- and long-term efforts must be ongoing to preserve housing affordability and stability for all District residents. The Mayor’s FY21 budget proposal includes an investment of $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund – for the sixth consecutive year – and a $1 million investment in the Housing Preservation Fund.

At ANC 4B’s meeting on May 26, 2020, EYA presented updated plans for Riggs Park Place (formerly known as Fort Totten South), the mixed-use townhome development proposed for the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE directly across the street from the Walmart. The project is located in the boundaries of ANC 4B, specifically ANC single member district 4B09. One thing EYA noted is that the project was formerly known as Fort Totten South. They had always planned to change the name. The project is now called Riggs Park Place because the project is located in the Riggs Park neighborhood (as is pretty much all of the development taking place around Fort Totten metro station). Edwin Washington, executive director of The Parks Main Street, was able to convey to EYA the importance of making sure development does not rename or rebrand the neighborhood, intentionally or not.

View the presentation to ANC 4B here:
EYA Riggs Park Place Community Update Presentation May 2020

As previously noted, the plans have changed many times over the past several years, with the latest iteration being for-sale traditional townhomes along with senior rental housing and retail. Part of land to be developed for the project is owned by the District so that meant jumping through a few more hoops than usual. EYA anticipates completely closing the deal with the District in mid-June 2020 with construction starting July 2020. Because the project involves disposition of public land, EYA also has a community benefits agreement with the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA). (Disclosure: I worked on and signed the agreement during my service on the board of the LRCA. I no longer serve on LRCA’s board.)

The project will be built in two phases. The first phase will be construction of 90 townhomes. These will be traditional townhomes with garages. Of the 90 homes, five will be offered below market rate. All of the below market rate homes will have three bedrooms, have the same exterior fixtures as the market rate units, and have the same interior features as the market rate units. Options offered for the below market homes will be the same as those offered for the market rate homes and will be offered at market rate. If things run smoothly from here, they anticipate having the first set of homes completed by mid-2021.

The multifamily portion containing the senior housing and retail will be constructed in the second phase beginning in fall 2022, with completion anticipated around fall 2024. This part of the development will front Riggs Road. Of the 84 senior rental units, 30 have to be designated affordable units. The developer wants to make all of the senior rental units affordable and is working through financing to make that happen.

EYA is going with a “contemporary industrial” look for the project. ANC Commissioner Alison Brooks (4B08) stated that the project does not look like anything in the neighborhood. There is a lot of brick facade in the project. Whenever a new development comes on board, some residents tend to state they want red brick because red brick is what people are used to in the neighborhood. As EYA has tweaked the design over the years, residents seem to be pleased with the design, but realistically no project is ever going to please everyone. EYA got in touch with a couple of the artists who designed some of the murals in the neighborhood and hopes to work with them to incorporate art into the project.

EYA held a virtual sales grand opening yesterday. Prices for the townhomes begin in the mid-$500,000 range. More information on the project is available on EYA’s website at https://www.eya.com/townhomes/washington-dc/riggs-park-place-fort-totten-metro

The saga that is the Fort Totten South project, a mixed-use townhouse development proposed by a partnership of EYA and JBG Smith for the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE, moved forward on Tuesday June 18 when the DC Council approved the closure of the slip lanes at South Dakota and Riggs that took place in 2011.

This project was actually supposed to break ground some time ago but it was held up by a bureaucratic snafu. The project dates back to at least 2006. We have been reporting on this since 2014 (the blog was created in December 2013), so this project has been around in some form or fashion for a long time. You can read posts about the project here, here, here, and here.

In 2011, DDOT reconfigured the intersection at South Dakota and Riggs into a standard four corner intersection by closing two slip lanes at the southeast and southwest corners of South Dakota & Riggs. Development of Fort Totten South was predicated on that closure and the creation of a contiguous parcel of land for the development. Closing the slip lanes technically constituted a road closure, and road closures require Council (and Congressional) approval.

Part of the land to be developed for the project belonged to the District (known as the Fort Totten triangle). The above image shows the southeast corner of South Dakota & Riggs where the District parcel was located and the adjacent parcel owned by developer JBG Smith/EYA. A slip lane used to separate the two sites before the intersection was reconfigured by closing the slip lane. Previously the site was to be developed by a partnership of JBG and Lowe Enterprises as multifamily rental units. JBG Smith formed a new partnership with EYA to develop townhomes instead. Over a period of years, the District and the developer negotiated a purchase price, eventually coming to agreement on the final purchase price in 2016. When it came time to officially close the deal and prepare to break ground, officials realized that the Council had not approved the closure of the slip lanes (the road closure) when it actually happened back in 2011. That part of the process just fell through the cracks for whatever reason. Legislation was repeatedly introduced over the ensuing years to approve the closure. Now after the Council’s Tuesday vote approving the emergency legislation to close the slip lanes, it looks like financial closing on the sale of the District parcel can take place in the next few months and the project can finally break ground.

In the interim, the developer has tweaked the project. Recall that the original plans called for 160 townhomes, the majority at grade and around 65 stacked townhomes above a podium with retail on the ground floor. Now, the developer is proposing to replace the stacked townhomes on the podium with around 60 to 80 rental units for seniors, with the goal of providing as much affordable senior housing as possible. At grade, there will still be around 90 traditional townhomes. Retail square footage remains the same, sufficient for about seven retail spaces. Not clear what prompted this latest change, but given the ever-present concern in the community about seniors, this seems like it will be a welcome change.

The developer hopes to break ground by the fall and certainly no later than the end of the year.

The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association is working on a community benefits agreement related to the Fort Totten South mixed-use townhome project that will be located at South Dakota Avenue & Riggs Road NE.

Please complete this community benefits agreement survey to provide input on beneficiaries to provide workforce development, small business development, and community development, and to share your thoughts on public space improvements in the Lamond-Riggs community. The survey closes May 23, so don’t delay! Please let your neighbors know.

Updated with link to BZA Application March 13, 2018

DC Urbanturf and Curbed DC recently reported on the Fort Totten South project coming to Riggs Park that we have been reporting on for a few years now. Fort Totten South is a mixed-use townhome project proposed by JBG and EYA for the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. Recall that the development team is filing a BZA application for the site to make the zoning designation consistent. Most of the site is zoned mixed-use, but a small portion of the site is zoned residential.

For additional information, see EYA Fort Totten South Revised Plans December 2017

See also Fort Totten South BZA Application March 2018 (pdf) and Fort Totten South Architectural Plans and Elevations March 2018 (pdf), BZA case number 19745

Public Hearing
November 29, 2016
10:00 a.m.
Hearing Room 412
John A. Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

On November 29, 2016, the DC Council will hold a public hearing on the sale of District-owned property to developers EYA and JBG for the second phase of Fort Totten Square (known as Fort Totten South). The hearing will begin at 10:00 am in Room 412 in the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW). To testify, contact Randi Powell, Legislative Policy Advisor, with your name, address, and organization affiliation, at cow@dccouncil.us or (202) 724-8196 by November 25. Individuals who wish to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of their written testimony. Those who cannot attend the hearing may also submit written testimony by December 5 to be included in the record.

Post Updated

On November 29, 2016, at 10:00 am, the DC Council will hold a public hearing on legislation to approve the sale of District-owned land to developers for the construction of townhomes and retail as part of the second phase of Fort Totten Square, known as Fort Totten South. (See legislation at PR21-904 & PR21-905). The hearing will take place in Room 412 in the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW).

Those who wish to testify must notify the Council by November 25. From the Council’s website:

Those who wish to testify are asked to telephone the Committee of the Whole, at (202) 724-8196, or email Randi Powell, Legislative Policy Advisor at cow@dccouncil.us, and provide their name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation and title (if any) by close of business on Thursday, November 25, 2016. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of written testimony.

If you cannot attend the hearing, you may submit written testimony by December 5, 2016, to be included in the record.

We have covered this process extensively on the blog. To see a proposal of the project, click here: EYA Fort Totten South Presentation to LRCA. The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) conducted a survey to obtain the views of residents on community benefits as part of this project. To see the results of the survey, click here.