Reply to upzoning: what will it really change?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Awkward question.  In the post COVID world, does DC need more housing?  Our population is shrinking and downtown DC is hollowing out.  Isn’t the better solution to convert vacant offices downtown to housing?  That way you avoid the need for these ridiculous bike lanes on major thoroughfares, you keep downtown viable, and you preserve modest single family home neighborhoods.  [/quote]

I think in theory this makes a ton of sense, and is great from a preservation and environmental perspective, but I'm not sure of the profitability stripping and retrofitting those buildings vs building new. Like going from office to residential, you need more than one kitchen and bathroom per floor (unless each floor is its own massive unit, maybe, but even then you need *different* kitchen and bath facilities). That's a ton of plumbing, just to start!

I think the conversion of family sized dwellings to 1 and 2 bedroom condos only is harmful, but I would love to see more 3-4 bed options in upzoned areas. It's not a binary choice between 1 bedrooms for new grads and single family detached homes for families. Just look at the many, many double stacked townhomes popping up around MoCo.[/quote]

The city should offer tax incentives for downtown residential conversion.  The city has a vested interest in preventing downtown from becoming a ghost town both to preserve the tax base and for public safety.  These tax incentives may actually end up being revenue neutral when you consider the cost of the CT Ave bike lanes and the business closures they will cause.  It makes total sense to do this, except the Mayor will have to weather the temper tantrum the bike community will have. [/quote]

Muriel versus the lycra-nauts!   I can't wait![/quote]

A small business owner in Cleveland Park announced last week that he was closing his store of 30 years specifically because the proposed bike lanes would make it impossible economically to continue.  More will follow, sadly. [/quote]

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