Former Metro Ice Warehouse To Be Replaced By Residential

The former Metro Ice warehouse at 50 Florida Avenue, NE is set to begin a long-rumored conversion to a residential building, according to a PUD application filed recently by B&B Realty Investments."The building we expect will have somewhere in the range of 185 to 200 units," said David Bralove, Principal at B&B. "Along with 15,000 square feet of ground floor retail. As to whether it will be condos or rentals, we don't know yet. Right now we're hoping to get on the board's July schedule - they don't have hearings in August - which would put us on track for final PUD approval in early 2013."

Drawings from architect Devrouax + Purnell depict a nine-story, v-shaped building, with a twelve-foot-high granite base and limestone veneer, its facade dominated by glass panels and juliet balconies. Inside, there will be three unit types; efficiencies, one bedrooms, and two bedrooms, ranging from 450 to 945 square feet. Plans also include 72 below-grade parking spaces and a large green roof.

B&B purchased the 62,000-square-foot ice warehouse in early 2011 for a rumored price of a little less than $10 million. The lot, which is just under an acre, is presently zoned for commercial use only, but developers have applied to have the zoning amended to C-3-B, over protests from some locals.

Washington D.C. real estate development news