For years, I have driven past this empty lot surrounded by a chain link fence. I was anxious to see something new at this location that would help to “up” the area. The property is located across the street from Brookland Manor, which doesn’t seem to be the “upscale” type of place (in fact, there have been a lot of comments about this location on this blog that say the place “should go away”). 
So what is Brookland Square going to be? Well, originally, the proposal by ASR Group, Inc. was for a condo building with underground parking and a rooftop terrace. According to the DC Planning Department, the developer requested in 2008, they requested to reduce the number of units and build an apartment building. In December 2009, the ASR Group, Inc was approved for another reduction of units to 176 units. It seems that the registered representative of Brookland Square, JOHN J. SCJLICK, located at 2400 41ST ST., N.W., #504, Washington, DC 20007 (the company is registered in Delaware), is losing faith year after year on whether or not they will ever build anything worth any quality for RIA.
Hopefully with the redevelopment of the Rhode Island Ave Metro station, John Scjlick will decide to return to the original plan and open a quality condo building. Maybe this will force Brookland Manor to better themselves. By the way, ever want to let the owners of Brookland Manor know what you think about the way that they take care of the place, here is there information: Edgewood Management Corporation, 8403 Colesville Road, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD, 301-562-1744, elliot_bernold@edgewoodmgmt.com. Let them know what you think.
rhodeislandavene.com 
I believe the owner of the Brookland Manor testified at the Small Area Plan for Rhode Island Avenue and so did William Shelton, the ANC Commissioner of that area. I heard that Shelton was supportive of the RIA plan and the Brookland Manor owner wanted to tear down and rebuild it. I wasn’t at the entire meeting, but this is what I heard. You might want to contact Derrick Woody of the Great Streets program to confirm this. The Small Area Plan draft is interested in supporting the Brookland Square project, but it didn’t say whether it was the original design or the modified design. Maybe, the changes will be included in the draft revision. Don’t forget the meeting this Saturday, on April 17 at the Woodridge Library on this Small Area Plan held by Phil Blair of ANC5A-10.
Good NEWS! Today’s the day the Fenty Administration will announce a financing package to bring the District’s first Costco and Shoppers Food to Fort Lincoln. A Pharmacy will also be constructed there.
I can’t imagine the owner of Brookland Manor is happy with that place. Seems like every time I drive by there, I see someone’s stuff thrown out to the curb.
Economic development is a win for everyone, property owners, the neighborhood, etc. Sure, the residents of Brookland Manor lose, but I’m sure there’s many apartment complexes in PG county that will offer them what their accustomed to.
It’s really unfortunate for the neighborhood that it exists because the Langdon and Brentwood neighborhoods that are near it have a lot of nice, well kept homes, but no one ever notices because Brookland Manor is such an eyesore.
RIA will never redevelop as long as places like Edgewood Terrace and Brookland Manor exist. As to that Brookland Square development, I remember when that sign went up, it was still born, even in the boom years earlier in the decade.
Bad NEWS! Postponed until a later date. The announcement for Costco and Shoppers at Fort Lincoln. Still waiting on the new date.
Coming from Maryland the new development at Fort Totten greatly adds to the desirability of housing in the Langdon and Brentwood areas. Especially from South Dakota Avenue. My big concern is the three major night clubs on Queens Chapel including The Stadium Club, DC Star, and The Scene. This will greatly bring down the Langdon/Brentwood communities.
What’s postponed? The announcement or the development?
Just the announcement for the development has been postponed. I heard it was because of the bad weather that the announcement event was postponed. It will probably take place next week.
The outer edge of Brookland Manor – the Brentwood Rd. side – has a wicked view of the Capitol dome and Washington Monument (you can see it from the street, though the asphalt plant is in the way), and that view deserves something much nicer than the quality of Brookland Manor. It’s great that the owner wants to tear down and rebuild (there’s no hope of salvaging it, it looks like a prison), but they could do a better job with managing the place in the meantime. I always find it preferable to lodge complaints about slumlords directly with the city, and do it frequently (DPW has been quite responsive to my complaints about one apartment building in particular). Let’s face it, these slumlords are skating by on the fact that they don’t have to spend one red cent improving or even maintaining the property, and can still get tenants who won’t rock the boat for fear of being arrested…well, at least that’s how the slumlord in my neighborhood operates.
I did see something interesting the other day, and I’m not sure what to think about it. There’s an apartment building next door to me that is kinda “eh.” It’s not terrible, but certainly could use some work and upkeep. But, a very nice young couple came to look at a unit there. I’m not sure if they took it, they didn’t seem thrilled with the place, but maybe that bodes well for the future, or maybe it just means that landlords around here will get too big for their britches and decide they can start charging regular DC rents without any improvements to the properties, which will just result in higher vacancy rates and unimproved streetscapes.
Any more recent news about the Brookland Square parcel?
It should be taxed ferociously–it is a blight on Rhode Island Avenue empty like that. Does anyone know how to figure out if there is a way to goad the owners of that parcel into building condos or rowhouses? Condos or townhouses, plus some handsome street-level retail, rather than apartments.
I wish an EYA or Abdo-like developer would take that one block and make it handsome–perhaps playing off the facades of those two or three really stupendous Deco era buildings further east on the avenue.
Should not the fact that EYA’s LEED certified “Chancellor’s Row” rowhouses are selling in the 490-615 K range nearby encourage the owners developers (Repubic Land, I believe) of that property to build similar homes for sale? They could use the same “mixed use/ green/ sited close to a metro station” development recipe, or the Hyattsville recipe–artsy, funky, industrial hip rowhouses with live/work spaces. Near the RIA metro rather than the Brookland metro or the Hyattsville shopping area built into that Arts District.
Then maybe the owner of Brookland Manor would also be inspired to sell, or tear down and build something beautiful, ecological, something that contributes to the neighborhood instead of blighting it!