Yesterday, the Historic Preservation Office emailed out notice of raze permit applications for 4700, 4702, and 4704 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Cue the firestorm. One of those addresses contains the Tenleytown institution Osman & Joe’s Steak ‘n Egg Kitchen, popularly known among American University students just as Steak ‘n Egg. And popular it is. When word of the application made its way onto Reddit, the reaction was one of pure horror.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!” wrote the first commenter. “THATS FUCKING HORRIFIC! That is college right there for me.”

“No. fucking. way.” wrote the second.

“Sweet! I really hope they build a nice mixed use condo facility with something like a Five Guys and a coffee shop on the land,” commented a third. “DC doesn’t have enough buildings like that. There is way too many structures with rich history or interesting architecture in DC. A nice 7-9 level condo/apartment building with a modern facade and floor to ceiling windows is just what that area needs.”

Calm down, Tenleytown.

Developer Frank Economides, who owns the property and filed the permit application, says Steak ‘n Egg isn’t disappearing. The raze permit application was an early step in the process of a potential expansion of the restaurant.

“They’re definitely not going anywhere,” Economides says of Steak ‘n Egg. “We’ve always discussed them needing additional square footage.”

Economides says there are no concrete plans yet for the development. Steak ‘n Egg could expand into the two adjacent buildings, with two floors of condos on top, or its building could stay as is, with just the adjacent buildings being renovated.

But whatever the case, Economides assures Tenleytowners, Steak ‘n Egg is here to stay.

Image from Google Maps