The Bike Estate - Southern Hills Apartment Redevelopment Includes Bikes in its Plan

Artist conceptual drawing of a redeveloped Southern Hill Apartments.
Image: Southern Hill Apartments

The Board of Zoning Adjustment has scheduled a hearing September 3, 2018 for the a special exemption to dramatically redevelop over 9 acres of the Southern Hills Apartments. As part of this redevelopment, the apartment complex plans to add a total 98 bike parking spaces and other amenities that will hopefully encourage bicycling in an area that has few secure bike parking options.

Current aerial view of Southern Hills Apartments and the adjacent Oxon Run park and amenities.
Image: Google

In a community that has few bike options, the Southern Hills Apartment Redevelopment plan includes an investment in bike infrastructure. Located less than a block from Oxon Run, which has a recently rebuilt trail and other amenities, the Southern Hills Apartments are located in the Washington Highlands neighborhood of Ward 8.

The $90 million project will demolish the existing seven-building apartment complex and construct 42 town homes, five multifamily buildings with a total of 213 units, and an approximately 25,000-square foot community service center which will include a learning center, job training, child daycare, and arts and music centers, as well as space for community-based start-ups, recreation, and community meetings. The resulting redevelopment will serve households earning an average of 15 percent of the Area Median Income.

While the project will add additional vehicular parking, increasing from 120 to 147 spaces, the applicant states that the increase is a requirement of zoning regulations and will only slightly increase vehicle trips. Pedestrian connectivity through the site will be improved, including an ADA-accessible route between 3rd Street and 4th Street SE that does not currently exist.

The Community Service Center contains showers and secure bike parking
Image: Southern Hill Apartments

According to Southern Hills applicant statement, the project include new 98 short and long-term parking for residents and visitors. Long-term bicycle parking will be located on the ground floor of each apartment building and in the basement of the community center. The project will create at least 82 long-term bicycle parking spaces, including 72 secure, long-term residential spaces and 10 long-term community center spaces. Bicycle storage for the townhouse units is expected to be accommodated within each individual home. The project will at minimum meet these requirements and the community center will also provide shower facilities and lockers for employees.

The project will also add eight short-term bicycle racks that will accommodate 16 bicycles. These short-term spaces will include inverted U-racks placed in high visibility areas along the perimeter of the site. is willing to work with the District Department of Transportation in selecting locations for the racks in public space.

The Southern Hills developers worked collaboratively with the Southern Hills Tenant Association over a 3-year period. The Tenant Association is made up of existing apartment residents achieve community and design elements. The result is the replacement of all apartment units, a better use of green space, a larger number of family units, and reorienting units and overall density to directly face the street.