5 days ago
D.C.'s Zoning Commission approves developer's reworked McMillan site plan
D.C.'s Zoning Commission signed off on developer Jair Lynch's downsized plans for a grocery store in a Northwest neighborhood last Thursday, clearing the way for the next phase of a long-delayed redevelopment project.
Jair Lynch is one of three developers tasked with transforming the McMillan sand filtration site, a 25-acre lot along North Capitol Street that was once among the largest undeveloped parcels in the District, into an entirely new neighborhood named the Reservoir District.
In 2014, Jair Lynch agreed to include a 55,000-square-foot grocery store on its portion of the property — a key amenity for the new neighborhood, and one long sought by residents of the neighboring Bloomingdale and Stronghold neighborhoods. At the time, Jair Lynch had secured a lease with grocer Harris Teeter to fill the space.
But a barrage of litigation left the project in limbo for nearly a decade, costing Jair Lynch its lease with Harris Teeter and, later, a second, unnamed grocer. In December 2024, the developer reached a lease with a third grocer willing to fill a space only half the size originally agreed upon with the District.
That lease required Jair Lynch to begin construction within a year, but the company's agreement with the District held it to the 55,000-square-foot floor plan.
Jair Lynch approached the Zoning Commission seeking approval for a smaller grocery store at the end of last year. The developer initially asked for flexibility to downsize the space to as little as 10,000 square feet — a backup option if the current lease fell through, the company argued.
In a July 18 hearing, commissioners shared reservations about Jair Lynch's request, instead asking the developer to offer a less-drastic minimum floor plan for the grocery store.
Jair Lynch returned with a commitment to a 22,500-square-foot floor plan — the size agreed to in its current lease with a grocer.
'That is, I think, an adequate size for a good, full-service urban grocery store,' said Commissioner Gwen Wright, who motioned to approve Jair Lynch's updated plan. The commission voted unanimously to approve to new proposal.
'This approval represents a meaningful step forward,' said Ruth Hoang, the company's senior vice president of development. 'We remain fully committed to providing community benefits that are central to this project and look forward to continued partnership as we bring the vision for the Reservoir District to life.'
With the commission's approval secured, Jair Lynch can now seek construction permits for its portion of the McMillan site — currently an open pit filled with rainwater.
