Credit: Darrow Montgomery

Despite protests from community activists who want to preserve the old property, D.C. is proceeding with redevelopment of Northwest’s McMillan Sand Filtration site. 

The embattled Department of General Services released a solicitation late last week for the controversial multimillion-dollar McMillan project. Companies interested in applying for demolition and subsequent construction of a park and a 17,500-square-foot, LEED-certified community center on the southern portion of the land have until Sept. 20 to submit proposals. The work is expected to be rewarded in October, with an anticipated completion in May 2019. The budget for this portion of the redevelopment is $59 million.

“The design-builder’s work will generally be localized in two of the seven parcels—parcels 6 and 7—however it will also include selective demolition of the entire site as well as various other streetscape improvements,” the document reads. “Time is of the essence with respect to the contract”—”substantial completion” by April 2019.

The open-air site is composed of six parcels bounded by Michigan Avenue NW, First Street NW, Channing Street NW, and North Capitol Street NW. District officials have said the redevelopment will lead to more than $1 billion in tax revenue over 30 years and thousands of long-term jobs. Critics have appealed to McMillan’s history in reply.

Credit: via RFP

In addition to certain underground cells and walkways, McMillan’s historic sand bins won’t be demolished. Joint developer Vision McMillan Partners (VMP) is responsible for the eventual “vertical development” of the site:

  • Parcel 1—Healthcare facility with retail on the first floor
  • Parcel 2—Multi-family residential building with retail on the first floor
  • Parcel 3—Health care facility with retail on the first floor
  • Parcel 4—Multi-family residential building with a grocery store on the first floor
  • Parcel 5—Roughly 146 residential rowhouses

A spokesman for Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner says the redevelopment is “on schedule” and that Mayor Muriel Bowser‘s administration is focused on advancing long-standing projects.

Officials expect a groundbreaking at McMillan later this year and that its first buildings will be finished in 2018.