The District is pressing ahead with plans to redevelop the aging community center in Chevy Chase, setting up another round of debate over affordable housing in the city’s most affluent ward.
The office of D.C.’s Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development released a request for proposals Wednesday for the Chevy Chase Neighborhood Library and Community Center at 5601 and 5625 Connecticut Ave. NW. The District has set aside $44 million to build a new civic center and library, but the project has drawn major neighborhood consternation for a stipulation that affordable housing also be developed on the land.
“With the Chevy Chase Civic Site, we have the opportunity to create a civic site that is a model of how public facilities can be developed to create a vibrant, mixed-use community space that includes neighborhood-serving amenities and much-needed housing,” Deputy Mayor Nina Albert said in a statement. “We are grateful to the Department of Parks and Recreation and the D.C. Public Library for their strong partnership and support as we work together to deliver beautiful, co-located facilities that reflect the needs and preferences of the Chevy Chase Community.”
