September 29, 2023

Attorney General Brian Schwalb, District of Columbia 

400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

RE: Providence Hospital – Support for mixed income housing and parks at former hospital site

Dear Attorney General Schwab::

Please accept this letter on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG). CSG is the leading non-profit organization in the Washington, D.C. region, including DC and suburban Maryland, dedicated to making the case for smart growth. Our mission is to promote walkable, inclusive, and transit-oriented communities, and the land use and transportation policies and investments needed to make those communities flourish.

We are writing to express our support for the proposed sale and redevelopment of the Providence Hospital site. We support the re-purposing of the now closed Providence Hospital with mixed income housing, parks and other amenities. 

Specifically, we support the preliminary redevelopment plans for the 22-acre site to build about 450 townhouses and apartments. We are especially supportive of at least 20 percent of these homes as affordable, including family-sized townhouses. This would total about 90 rental and ownership affordable homes. 

The development agreement exchanges the value of land for the high cost of demolition of the nine-story hospital building, with additional subsidies anticipated for the affordable homes. This is a reasonable agreement for the addition of affordable, mixed income homes at this site, along with community amenities. 

The proposed redevelopment will provide a mix of greenspaces and playspace, along with other community benefits. This mix of new homes and greenspaces is well-located between the Fort Totten and Brookland Metro stations, and other public amenities like Turkey Thicket and many schools. 

We look forward to supporting the refinement of this proposal as it advances through the development review process. 

Thank you for your consideration.  

Sincerely,

Cheryl Cort, Policy Director