Location: Washington, D.C.
Developer: WC Smith, Union Temple Community Development Corporation and Jackson Investment Co.
Designer: SK+I
Site Size: 11.7 acres

A $100 million HOPE VI project in an emerging neighborhood in southeast DC, Sheridan Station represents the rebirth of a previously blighted and crime-ridden public housing project. Through a comprehensive design process that involved over 50 community meetings and the participation of former Sheridan Terrace residents, developer WC Smith, architect SK+I and the development team came up with a plan to both manage the steep slopes and create a model of sustainability and inclusive revitalization. The development incorporates 357 multifamily units with a 5,000 sq. ft. medical clinic and 348,122 sq. ft. of open space. The estimated total cost of the project is $93.6 million.

Sheridan Station is a model for development in Anacostia and surrounding neighborhoods, replacing previously run-down or abandoned public rental housing with mixed-income apartments and townhomes that are affordable to former residents and homeownership in reach of upwardly mobile residents. The differentiated brick facades, decorative painted trim and bay windows are more typical of higher end Washington residential neighborhoods than affordable housing. The high quality appearance of Sheridan Station, combined with its prominent location, are influencing the image of the entire neighborhood. Creative building designs, urban streetscapes, and courtyard landscaping transformed what was once a highly visible blight, into a handsome new gateway into the Nation’s Capital.

Public housing residents were hired for both construction and full-time property management jobs, a vital component for residential development in an area with DCs highest unemployment and poverty rates. The development team also partnered with a private family medical practice to bring a health care facility on site. A shared workout facility and dedicated class room offer healthy-living and educational opportunities to residents. Funding for Sheridan Station came from several public and private sources, including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits equity (LIHTC), HUD subsidies, DC economic development incentives, private lenders, developer financing, and DC Housing Finance Agency funding.

The project design includes a highly sophisticated storm water management system that uses bio-retention areas, permeable pavers, an underground rain cistern, a green roof, and specialized water filtration. The Low Impact Development measures mitigate storm water issues on site and protect the nearby Anacostia River. Additional reductions in utility costs through one of DC’s largest solar panel arrays increase the affordability while decreasing the impact of the development. Sheridan Station is the city’s first multifamily residential building to be awarded LEED Platinum.