1001 11 St NW-2016 update

Well the billboard is down.

This is a Jemal, Douglas Jemal property so there is no point of complaining about it.

Jemal does what he wants, when he damned well feels like it.

So there is no point of me looking at DCRA or the Tax Office or where ever. No point. Jemal does not react to vacant tax rates. Those higher taxes will just get paid by whomever leases the property in the future. Not worth hatin' the playa' 'cause he knows how to play the game.

The former owner of this blog Ed mentioned this property back in 2007. The property was serving a a big ole billboard. If you go on Google Streetview there is an Apple iPhone ad up. Now, today it is down and it looks like Dougie is doing something.

I'll have to check back in a year or two and see if he thrown up a huge shiny expensive glass building that covers up the "Hostel" sign.  Because that is what Dougie Doug does (say that 5x fast).

Sometimes if you wait long enough

I'm a horrible procrastinator. I meant to post about a house on 10th St the seemed to be going nowhere. Then a week or so later I noticed that it had permits and construction seemed to be on it's way. So....  if you wait long enough with some vacant properties something will happen.
Eventually.
Maybe not this week.
Maybe not this month.
Maybe not this year.
Or even this decade.
But, eventually, something will happen.
Regarding 1211 10th St NW, pictured here. Permits were issued around this time last year to remove the load bearing walls, and another permit to turn it into condos or somethin' was issued in November. The BadWolfDC (not Dr. Who related at all) blog has documented the history of this particular property.
But I'm really excited to see is a property around 1435-1437 11th St NW. That place was vacant when I arrived in Shaw back in 2000. It was very vacant then. It was vacant when I moved to the Truxton Circle area of Shaw. It was vacant a decade later. Nothing was happening. Google's Streetview Time Machine shows that even in 2011 nothing was happening, except the building was attracting graffiti. Apparently 1431 11th St NW does not exist, but for permit purposes 1437 11th St NW does. Permits for that address go back to 2013. According to the DC Property Tax Database, the owners, Triad Builders LLC of Bethesda, MD have been sitting on this since 2009. Well I'm thankful that something, in the past decade or two is being done. The unfinished work thus far is a great improvement over what was there for heaven's knows how long.

11th and K St NW- Vacant for over 20 years

This building has been vacant for over 20 years. How do I know this? Back in the 90s when I was going to grad school in New England, some friends and I came to DC for winter break. I stayed with my aunt in Maryland and they stayed at the Youth Hostel nearby. There are two vacant buildings in this photo though one is semi-being used as a billboard for the new iPhone 6.
1015 K Street (0342 0053) and 1001 11th St NW (0342 806) are listed in the tax database as belonging to " JEMAL'S BULLDOG LLC". Seriously Jemal? You're naming projects after pets? Is this project a dog? Anyway, as a Jemal Douglas building they may sit for another 20+ years.
It is taxed at the commercial rate since they are commercial buildings. Though vacant forever, tax records say the parcels came into the Jemal Empire in 2003 and 2005. They are next door to parcels 004 and 005, 1009 and 1011 K Streets NW, also listed under Jemal's Bulldog LLC.
Once seeing the name Jemal it is pretty much pointless to see if it is being taxed at the vacant rate, because it isn't and it doesn't matter, because Douglas Development only develops when they darn well feel like it and no increased taxes will make them budge.