High-end condos, retail and a restaurant are planned for a new development at Robinson Terminal North.
At an online community meeting Thursday evening, representatives from Morris Adjmi Architects and Rooney Properties provided information on plans for the site at 500 and 501 N. Union St.
Rooney Properties
Development proposal from Rooney Properties for the Robinson Terminal North area.
In 2013, Rooney Properties bought the property from The Washington Post Co. and there have been several iterations of plans for the property. There are restrictions on how the property can be used from a previous legal settlement due to contamination from the old R.H. Bogle Chemical plant, but Rooney Properties is confident the current plan will work for everyone.
AlexRenew has been using the east portion of the site for its RiverRenew project, including building a diversion facility to prevent sewage overflow from entering the Potomac River.
The new plans call for:
- public space and park space along the shoreline of the Potomac River that will connect Oronoco Bay Park and Founders Park for pedestrians and bicyclists
- a new building on the east side of North Union Street that will have 49 condo units and space for a restaurant (or retail) with outdoor seating
- a new building on the west side of North Union Street with 39 units and retail on the ground floor.
There will be 88 “pretty high-end condominiums” on the site, and 206 total parking spaces for condo residents and the public.
Rooney Properties
There are serious concerns about ground contamination on the site. Because of that, the developers will be leaving in place the concrete slab that currently supports the warehouse on the west side of North Union Street, in efforts to minimize potential environmental harm. There will be meetings regarding the environmental remediation issues on the site, including soil issues and how those will be remediated on the east side.
Surprises may await the developers, as the area, like Robinson Terminal South, was part of extensive shipping industry in the area. Robinson Terminal South’s development resulted in the discovery of the remains of several ships.
