Brianne Attends Groundbreaking of Solea
Brianne says...
This is one of the developments in my neighborhood that exhibits a campaign promise of mine—working with developers to give back to the community. More information about Solea is in the article below, a reprint of an e-newsletter that went out to supporters on June 6, 2007, from the Jair Lynch Companies.
Solea: Introducing Zero Commute
The Jair Lynch Companies (JLC), the National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC), and MacFarlane Partners officially broke ground this week on Solea, our mixed-income, mixed-use live/work project that will be the first of its kind in the District of Columbia.
On hand to celebrate were Jair Lynch of JLC, Therman Baker of NCRC, and Victor MacFarlane of MacFarlane Partners; as well as Jim Steck of Wachovia Bank, Steve Moore of the DC Economic Partnership, and many residents of the neighborhood surrounding the site. The Belmont Street Civic Association, Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association, and Brianne Nadeau, ANC 1B05 representative were all on hand to mark this important milestone. Other Solea team members include architect Sorg & Associates, and a joint venture between Hamel Builders and Gilford Corporation as the general contractor.
"This project heralds a new lifestyle concept for the District of Columbia and the Columbia Heights neighborhood in particular," said Jair during the short program that marked the occasion. "By combining live/work condominiums with local retail units, Solea will be an integral asset underscoring the vibrancy of this community and providing appropriate space for the diversity of our 21st century workforce."
The occasion included a short program with words from Therman Baker, Steve Moore and the president of Belmont Street's Civic Association, Howard Wilson, who reminded the crowd that they had supported the project and team from its inception, when it was a bid in response to NCRC's RFP for Parcel 34. The neighborhood association, as part of Solea's Community Committee, has provided input on the project's design, materials and retail space.
"We share Jair's vision in developing innovative projects such as this that will advance the communities and residents here in the District," said Victor MacFarlane, managing principal, chairman and chief executive officer of MacFarlane Partners. "The team that Jair Lynch created is second to none, and we look forward to partnering with other minority developers, especially to lead in transformational projects."
Solea is a 60,700-square-foot mixed-use, mixed-income live/work project planned for what was known as Parcel 34, at the northwest corner of 14th Street and Florida Avenue-the gateway to the Columbia Heights neighborhood of northwest Washington, D.C. The project will feature 52 condominiums with amenities that buyers will be able to choose to facilitate living and working in their units, seven more live/work units on the project's street level, designed as either live above/work below spaces that will be accessible via Florida Avenue or SoHo-style lofts that open onto the building's courtyard, and three retail condominiums. Development plans call for 21 of the residential units to be set aside for affordable and workforce housing, and two of the retail condominiums as affordable retail space targeted for super-local businesses. Committed tenants include Zawadi and Trade Secrets, two local African- American retailers already established on the adjacent U Street corridor, a vibrant area known for its shops, restaurants and nightclubs.
About The Jair Lynch Companies
The Jair Lynch Companies provide fully integrated real estate development services to create live/work/play/learn environments from concept to completion. Since 1998, JLC has provided economic development services in support of more than $1 billion and managed a $350 million asset portfolio, which includes more than 700 units of housing and 600,000 square feet of commercial development. JLC is a 100% African American-owned company located on historic U Street in Washington, DC.