D.C.'s craziest development project moves forward with smaller grocery store

Friction point: The project hit a new snag last year, when developer Jair Lynch said it could no longer attract a 55,000-square-foot grocery store as originally planned.

• But the city insisted Jair Lynch fulfill its commitment — and so did neighbors eager for a new grocery store.
• The developer formally asked to revise the plan late last year, the Washington Post reports.
• After back-and-forth, the Zoning Commission signed off last week on the developer's request to downsize to a 22,500-square-foot grocer. Jair Lynch says it has a signed lease with an unnamed market.

Zoom out: In June, 146 townhouses were completed on the 25-acre site. At full completion, there will be 500 apartments, plus retail and a health care facility, per the Reservoir District's website.

• A new rec center and park opened last year.

Between the lines: The land was the McMillan Sand Filtration Site until 1986, and elements of it are being preserved, like giant concrete silos.

• The redevelopment faced court challenges for about a decade, as activists wanted the site preserved as historic or quibbled with the city's process.
• The original deal between Jair Lynch and Harris Teeter fell through before construction began in 2022.