By Michele Lerner
SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published May 20, 2005

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Southeast Washington is the latest section of the District to undergo revitalization. Plans are being made for the new baseball stadium to be built at the Anacostia waterfront near the Navy Yard and South Capitol Street; for light rail to link Anacostia’s Metro stations; and for the new Town Hall Education, Arts and Recreation Center to open on Mississippi Avenue.

Some new housing has already been built in Southeast, and the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center at Mississippi Avenue and 7th Street is a home away from home for hundreds of neighborhood families.

Now Drummond Development LLC has begun construction on Penn Circle condominiums, a conversion project that began with the company’s purchase of the 50-year-old apartment building at 1501 27th St. SE, one block off Pennsylvania Avenue in Anacostia. The building has been gutted, and 36 one- and two-bedroom homes will be ready for occupancy later in 2005.

“Penn Circle is one of the very first private-sector projects out of the ground in the promising and long-awaited revitalization of Anacostia,” says Steve Schwat, one of the principals of Drummond Development and its parent company, Urban Investment Partners LLC.

Mr. Schwat says private and public investment in Anacostia is expected to approach $1 billion in the next few years.

“Revitalized mixed-income communities, new shopping opportunities, offices, parks, cultural attractions and transportation improvements all will contribute to Anacostia’s rebirth,” he says.

Penn Circle is convenient to the Potomac Avenue and Anacostia Metro stations, the future light-rail site, grocery stores, a deli, a child-care center, schools, parks, drugstores, dry cleaners, barbers and beauty shops, and convenience stores.

The homes range from 517 to 1,009 finished square feet. Prices for the homes start in the low $200,000s.

Drummond Development has created contemporary floor plans with all-new kitchens and baths, hardwood flooring in the living areas, carpeting in the bedrooms, and large double-paned windows.

Each home will have its own heating-and-cooling system, water heater, and washer and dryer.

While upgrading the building’s wiring, Drummond is providing “smart” wiring for easy cable, high-speed Internet and phone connections. A sound-reduction system has been put in place to suppress the transfer of sounds between floors.

The kitchens include wood cabinets, granite counters and stainless-steel appliances.

Four units are available of the Lincoln model, which has 577 square feet. This home has a ceiling height of 10 feet 3 inches and an open floor plan with a living area, dining area and open kitchen. The bedroom has a wall of closets and an adjacent full bath.

The L’Enfant model, of which four are available, has 598 square feet. This home has a foyer entrance with a utility closet and laundry closet, a large closet next to the kitchen, and an open living and dining area. The bedroom includes a walk-in closet and has an adjacent full bath.

Four units are also available of the Waterfront model, a two-bedroom home with 824 square feet. The Waterfront has combined living and dining room on one end of the home, with an adjacent kitchen and closet. In the center of the residence are a utility closet, a stacked washer and dryer in a closet, and a full bath. Two bedrooms are next to each other.

For information or directions to Penn Circle, call 202/895-7266 or visit www.penncirclecondos.com.