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| First floor being rebuilt on the site of the Monsenor Romero Apartments |
The Washington Post is reporting that the Monsenor Romero Apartments, formerly known as the Deauville, will reopen for tenants in October 2014. If that date holds, more than six years will have elapsed since a five-alarm fire completely leveled more than half of the building while forcing all residents to vacate and find alternate housing.
The building, located at 3145 Mount Pleasant Street NW, has been vacant and appeared mostly untouched over the years. However, the tenants association (which had since purchased the building) was able to acquire financing to rebuild and held a ceremonial groundbreaking in July of last year.
There has been more substantial work recently. The new foundation has been laid and construction has extended above ground, beyond the first floor. That's really exciting news for the neighborhood and those residents who are able to actually return home. I mean, what a victory, after so much time has elapsed. According to the Post article 40-45 of the 63 units in the new building will be occupied by tenants displaced by the fire. FYI, at the time of the fire, the Deauville had 93 units, substantially more than the rebuilt structure will have.
