Throughout the spring, CSNA has been working with neighbors, members, and the JBG Companies to discuss and review JBG's proposed U Street Hotel project at 13th and U Streets, NW.

 

JBG will present their concept design to the DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) on May 28, 2009 (HPA #08-511, 1310).  As part of the historic review process, CSNA has been collecting neighborhood comments and concerns through its Historic Preservation and Development Committee (HPD) to draft a formal position for CSNA.

 

At the May 14 CSNA meeting, CSNA's HPD committee made this presentation -- CSNA's Historic Preservation and Development Committee Presentation on CSNA's Review of JBG's U Street Hotel Project - 14 May 2009 (PDF file) (973 KB) -- and then presented a motion of CSNA's formal position.

 

Read more for the complete motion.

 

At the regular CSNA meeting on May 14, 2009, CSNA adopted the motion below, by a vote of 19 ayes and 16 nays, establishing CSNA’s formal position for submission to HPRB on this proposed project as:

1. The Cardozo Shaw Neighborhood Association (CSNA) supports appropriate development consistent with the DC Government’s Historic Preservation Guidelines at the site known as 1310 U Street, a.k.a. 'The 13th Street Hotel' or 'JBG Project', which site is located in the Greater U Street Historic District;

2. The CSNA supports use of the site as a hotel in an appropriately designed building;

3. The CSNA believes that several of the design elements currently proposed by JBG are appropriate for inclusion in the Greater U Street Historic District; CSNA would like to note special appreciation of the level of detail and design JBG has shown to all four of the building’s facades;

4. The CSNA believes that the scale, height, massing and proportions/lack of transition elements of the current design are incompatible with the historic nature of the Greater U Street Historic District neighborhood, and incompatible with the District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office guidelines for new construction in the U Street Historic District.

Updates on this project will continue to be posted on CSNA's U Street Hotel project page .