Howard University, Lowe Break Ground on 504-Unit MF Development

Howard University announced the groundbreaking of The Hazel, a 525,000-square-foot, 11-story multi-family building that will include 504 residential units, approximately 15,000 square feet of retail space, and 246 below-grade parking spaces in D.C.’s Shaw district.

The development team includes Lowe, Affinius Capital, FLGA and Davenport Group. The Hazel is a major development for Howard University and a transformative project for the Duke District, a planned redevelopment of multiple Howard-owned parcels at the north end of Shaw, adjacent to Howard University’s main campus. The project is being developed on the former East Towers parking lot, located at the intersection of 8th, 9th, and W Streets NW.

Construction financing of $214.1 million was secured through a hybrid facility arranged by Barings and its affiliated C-PACE provider, CounterpointeSRE, which worked with the DC Green Bank to provide $90 million of C-PACE financing. The construction loan package was arranged by JLL. The project architect is HKS, and the general contractor is Whiting-Turner. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2028.