Vacant Apartment Buildings Portend Future

There is much discussion in the community about the large, vacant apartment building located at the corner of T Street N.E. and Lincoln Road N.E. (click on photo to enlarge). The building is unsightly as it current stands. Residents speculate as to possible uses as office or retail space. Nevertheless, people assume that the apartments will be converted into condos and wonder what impact the new residents will have on the area parking situation.

On the unit block of S Street N.E. (14 S Street N.E.), a small apartment building that had been vacant for the past year this week displayed a large sign announcing "Luxury Condos from $200,000." A luxury condo from $200K? That sounds almost reasonable for D.C. In any event, people wonder where the new residents will park.

At the end of S Street N.E. is a large Victorian rowhouse anchoring the North Capitol Street block. That house has been vacant for two years, but this year it has demonstrated its future life as a condo project.

That's three substantial condo projects within two blocks of one another, all in the shadow of the St. Martin's 178-apartment building. Residents acknowledge that the current plan for the St. Martin's project does not require that residents pay for parking spots in the proposed building.