Art Place at Fort Totten is asking the clock for a little mercy. The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has asked the D.C. Zoning Commission for a two-year extension to file second-stage planned-unit-development applications for Blocks C and D, shifting the deadline from December 31, 2026 to December 31, 2028. The extra time, the foundation says, would help it lock in restaurant and entertainment tenants and stabilize financing after rising costs and tighter lending threw off earlier timelines. Neighbors are also being warned to expect a fresh look at some civic pieces of the plan, including whether a branch library or rehearsal space is still at the top of the neighborhood wish list.
Why the extension? Financing and costs
In its filing, the foundation cited "pandemic delays, increased construction costs, higher interest rates and tougher lending conditions" that have made second-stage financing a nonstarter for now. The added time, it wrote, would let staff "review, potentially revise, and move forward" with those applications once the numbers pencil out again.
According to the DC Office of Planning, agency staff recommended approval of the extension and noted that a waiver could be required to allow a two-year second extension under the zoning rules.
Block B: ALDI is open but much remains
The zoning record shows that construction on Block B kicked off in January 2022. The ALDI anchor store finally opened its doors on December 5, 2024, giving Fort Totten a long-anticipated grocery option while the rest of the block lags behind.
The unfinished cultural and residential elements are spelled out in DC Zoning Commission Order No. 06-10I, and local coverage of the ribbon cutting from WTOP noted that ALDI was always meant to be an early anchor to help support the broader phase.
Retail and recreation deals on the table
The extension request is not just about buying time to stare at spreadsheets. The filing says the foundation is close to finalizing "four to five leases" with restaurants, a coffee shop, and a wine retail and tasting spot, and that it is pursuing both a national family-entertainment operator and an indoor recreation venue for the planned Family Entertainment Zone.
As reported by UrbanTurf, those deals would move ground-floor retail occupancy much closer to what the original master plan envisioned, turning paper promises into actual storefronts.
Rethinking civic uses and local commitments
The applicant also told commissioners it will revisit whether some of the civic uses planned for Block D, including a new branch library and rehearsal or support space for performing arts groups, still make sense now that the Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library has been renovated and reopened.
The DC Zoning Commission order notes that, while those long-term details are sorted out, the developer has agreed to short-term site improvements and activation along South Dakota Avenue. The idea is to avoid leaving a sleepy stretch of sidewalk while the plans for Blocks C and D get reworked.
What’s next
The foundation’s request is now officially in the zoning record. If the commission signs off, the deadline for second-stage filings would move to December 31, 2028, according to UrbanTurf. Neighbors who want to follow along can track filings, exhibits, and any future hearing dates through the D.C. Office of Zoning docket for Case No. 06-10.
