A modestly sized townhouse neighborhood is set to rise on a Washington, D.C., site where a group of thespians previously hoped to build condos alongside offices, a rehearsal space and a costume shop.
The Knutson Companies is planning to build 17 townhouses on just under an acre at Lynden Row in the Southwest neighborhood, close to The Wharf, a cluster of restaurants, shops and hotels on the Potomac River. The Northern Virginia-based builder acquired the site in September after The Shakespeare Theatre Co. abandoned plans for 64 condos and room for the acting company to operate on the site at 501 I Street SW.
Each townhouse will have nearly 3,000 square feet of space, with three bedrooms and a brick front, two-car garage, optional elevator and rooftop terrace, Knutson said in a statement.
The builder’s recent work comprises two townhouse projects in the city, including 88 units at District Towns at St. Elizabeth’s East in Congress Heights and 25 in the Mayfair area near the Minnesota Avenue Metro station. Both locations are east of the Anacostia River and next to large redevelopment projects, including 250,000 square feet of planned office and retail near St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and 50,000 square feet of dining and retail space in the Parkside development in Mayfair.
The company also completed several townhouse and condo developments in Virginia's Leesburg, Reston and Brambleton.
Most of Knutson’s projects have an upscale appearance, with features such as brick fronts and rooftop views, and locations with a short walk of public transit stations and downtown shopping areas.
The Lynden Row location was previously a campus for now-defunct Southeastern University. The property has been vacant since the university shut down in 2009 and its concrete building was demolished.
Knutson said it plans to break ground on the Southwest townhouses this fall.