The long-controversial project that would add a mixed-use development on a long-dormant site in Washington, D.C. has encountered a legal setback in the D.C. Court of Appeals.
"A day after public officials put shovels to the ground for a ceremonial groundbreaking at the McMillan Sand Filtration Site, the D.C. Court of Appeals has issued a decision that throws a new wrench in the complicated saga of the $720 million development," reports Rachel Kurzius.
The project would have built "146 townhouses, more than 500 apartments, retail, a Harris Teeter, a park, and a community center," according to Kurzius, on a site designated as a historic landmark in the National Register of Historic Places.
"The court vacated orders from the Zoning Commission and Mayor's Agent for Historic Preservation that cleared the way for project to begin," adds Kurzius. The decision by the D.C. Court of Appeals claims the Zoning Commission inadequately addresses impacts on the surrounding neighborhood, in terms of utilities, property values, and displacement.
The opposition to the project is lead by the Friends of McMillan Park, who are advocating for the preservation of the property, which has been dormant since the 1980s.
Additional coverage of the latest twist in the McMillan controversy is available on Urban Turf and Curbed Washington DC.
FULL STORY: Court Throws Wrench In McMillan Development A Day After Mayor's 'Groundbreaking'
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