A rendering of the Lofts at St. Monica's, courtesy of Community Three Development
In December 2007, the Episcopal parishes of St. Monica’s and St. James merged and became the Parish of St. Monica and St. James, located at the original St. James parish location at C and Eighth Streets NE.
The vacated church building where St. Monica’s was originally located, on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and A Streets SE, is currently in the planning stages of redevelopment into loft-style condos by Community Three Development, a local real estate developer focused on revitalizing urban context sites. With nine residences coming online toward the end of 2010 and environmentally-sensitive design elements throughout, Community Three is seeking to keep the historic character of the building while creating some unique living environments for the Hill.
According to Mwangi Gathinji, Development Associate at Community Three, several of the church’s original elements will be incorporated into the construction of the new residences, including the heavy timber beams and the exterior facades, as well as original stained glass windows which will be restored. The developers have been working with the DC Historic Preservation Review Board to bring new life to the structure, originally built in 1908 and added onto in 1930.
The planned development is not seeking any third-party green certifications, but the design does include several environmentally-friendly aspects, including Energy Star qualified appliances, low-flow plumbing fixtures, insulated windows, and chlorofluorocarbon-free ventilation systems. Community Three also salvaged and donated several building elements to local businesses for reuse or recycling instead of pitching them in the trash, including doors, pews, cast iron radiators, and the original pipe organ.
The residential units will range from one- to three-bedrooms, and the redeveloped site will include three off-street parking spaces.