731 8th Street SE

History from www.barracksrow.org
"Eighth Street, SE, also known as Barracks Row, was the first commercial center in Washington DC because of a natural harbor in the Anacostia River. In 1799, the Navy Yard located next to that harbor, and in 1801, Thomas Jefferson selected the site of 8^th and I Streets as the first post for the Marine Corps because of its close proximity to the Navy Yard and U.S. Capitol, in case it needed protecting.

The neighborhood flourished for years as Washington developed. But after WWII, jobs were lost in the Navy Yard as ammunition production ceased. In 1955, suburban flight began to erode many neighborhoods throughout the District of Columbia. Then in 1962, the SE Freeway – a raised highway – was constructed over 8^th Street, bisecting Washington’s oldest commercial corridor. The final straw was in 1968 when Washington residents were sent into a panic with the MLK riots. Many neighborhood commercial districts were set on fire, but Barracks Row experienced only looting. The National Guard was called in to quell the riots, but many shop owners closed up never to return.

Eighth Street struggled and there were a few attempts to revitalize the area, including a plan to make Barracks Row a pedestrian mall to combat the lure of shopping malls in the 1970s. In the early 1990s, 8^th Street merchants banded together to create the Barracks Row Business Alliance to revitalize the area, and some progress was made through the business association.

Then in 1998, the Shakespeare Theater bought the abandoned Oddfellows Building – the tallest and grandest structure on Barracks Row, restored the exterior, and renovated the interior for administrative offices and a classical acting academy. This was the first major building renovation in the neighborhood in recent memory, and the first step toward bringing the arts to Barracks Row. This $2 million project provided hope for this long-forgotten corridor.

The Barracks Row Business Alliance, along with key citizens, sought out the help of the National Main Street Center in 1999 and created Barracks Row Main Street to capitalize on the historic assets in the neighborhood. Three years later, DC Main Streets was formed by the District of Columbia’s Office of Economic Development, and BRMS was selected as one of the first five official DC Main Streets programs.

BRMS worked with the DC Department of Transportation to create a comprehensive, urban streetscape. It included additional parking, public transportation analysis, waste water run-off, urban forestry, and a lighting to create a pedestrian-friendly and ecologically smart urban corridor that would blend in with historic Capitol Hill. (Barracks Row lies within the Capitol Hill Historic District.) DC DOT completed the $8.5 million streetscape in December of 2003.

In the spring of 2003, the Capitol Hill BID began clean and safe services to commercial areas of Capitol Hill, including Barracks Row, making this area one of the safest in Washington, thanks to strong police relations, involved citizens and merchants, revitalizing 8^th Street, and the BID patrols.

Through all these things, the change has been miraculous. Since 1999, there have been 51 facades restored; 40 signs replaced through private dollars; 40 net new businesses have opened, including business expansion through 9 new outdoor cafes; an addition of 198 net new jobs have been created; 3 new traditional buildings have been constructed; a self-guided history trail was recently installed to interpret the neighborhood, and one streetscape reconstruction costing $8.5 million has been completed. The total amount of public and private funds reinvested in the community has been $19 million. Because of our success, BRMS won the 2005 Great American Main Street Awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center!

Eighth Street has come a long way since Barracks Row Main Street began. Today, residents, daytime workers, and tourists enjoy the 17 charming retailers, 25 restaurants and taverns, and countless services that meet all their needs on historic Barracks Row. "

List Price: $2,500,000
Location: Prime location at Eastern Market & 8th Street on Capitol Hill. 8 blocks from the US Capitol. Located across the street from the US Marine Barracks Headquarters on 8th Street Barracks Row -2005 Great American Main Street Awards from the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center. Near Navy Yard and new development.

Description: Historic Italianate Victorian 3 levels + basement, masonry construction, inner court yard, 1st fl Retail12offices, 3 open work stations, Conference Room, Kitchen, Light filled, glass doors, partitions, oversized windows, beautifully restored for office layout. Studio/Garage, 6 off-site Pkg leased with possible assignment to new owner

Square Footage: 5305 GBA according to tax record + Basement (approx. 934 sf)

Zoning: CHC/C2-A, Capitol Hill Commercial Overlay Allows 3.0 FAR, 100% commercial use Capitol Hill Historic District

Legal Description: Square 0904 Lot 0055

Property Tax: Land: $372,350
Improvements: $481,770
Total Value: $854,120
2006 Property Tax $15,800

Lease: Stitch DC first floor (1000sf) & carriage house (337sf) rented

Building Systems: Wired for high-speed internet access, 3 zones HVAC

Transportation: Eastern Market Metro 2 blocks. 15 minutes to Reagan National Airport, Union Station.