WASHINGTON, D.C. – Integrating three historic structures into a luxury apartment building is an incredible challenge, and the results are magnificent and tinged with history. 455 Eye Street welcomed its first residents June 1 into the heart of the bustling Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood.
The unique 174-unit residential property melds local artistic flair and modern living with a nod to its industrial past. Sleek towers rise around a central courtyard, maximizing natural light and views throughout the building. The historic buildings provide a focal point and now house the amenity spaces, accented with salvaged fixtures and furniture from local artists.
455 Eye Street in Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. Credit: J. Larry Golfer Photography
When prominent military surveyor John Wyess built a 14-foot rowhouse on I Street in 1876, he contributed to a growing entrepreneurial and working-class boom in Mount Vernon fueled by immigrants; his elegant “W” still remains in the rowhouse pediment today. Another German immigrant, William Beuchert, built a new blacksmith shop on the alley in 1912, then added an auto repair shop in a two-story warehouse a few years later. 455 Eye Street has restored and highlighted these historic assets, and will even utilize the warehouse’s garage bay doors for outdoor seating in Prather’s on the Alley, a new 2,000-square-foot restaurant targeting an opening in late 2017.
Each residence in the building is slightly different, ranging from spacious industrial lofts to crisp, modern apartments with floor-to-ceiling windows (studios to two-bedrooms). The rowhouses were converted into four units, all two bedrooms, with walk-out access onto Eye Street. Residences are finished with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, wide-plank hard surface floors and in-home washers and dryers.
Just coming home to 455 Eye Street is a one-of-a-kind experience. A social courtyard in the center features a fire pit and doors on two sides, becoming a passageway and community space for residents. The mailroom, lounge and wet bar are steeped in historic touches, courtesy of local artist James Kerns, who salvaged century-old wood and freight elevator parts to create furniture and fixtures throughout. Original brick walls in the warehouse received a whitewashing treatment from decorative finish artist Laura Harris. Graham Caldwell is creating an 8-foot-tall glass droplet fixture to accent the two-story lounge, and Emilio Perez has been commissioned to create multi-media art for the walls.
455 Eye Street in Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. Credit: J. Larry Golfer Photography
Residents will enjoy a state-of-the-art fitness center, 24-hour concierge, and a roof deck with pool and views over downtown Washington, D.C. Cyclists can glide through the spacious alley to the bike room, with more than 50 bike spots and a Dero repair stand.
455 Eye Street is located in the heart of the rapidly growing Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood, just steps from Red, Green, and Yellow Line Metrorail stops (Gallery Place Chinatown & Mt. Vernon/7th Street/Convention Center). The neighborhood has a WalkScore of 97, a grocery store, its own farmer’s market, and more than 60 restaurants and shops, ranging from Farmers & Distillers to Orangetheory Fitness. Chinatown and Union Station are just a few blocks away.
Take your own tour and visit 3-D Matterports, to see the Lobby and Lounge, Fitness Center, and Courtyard.
For more information, visit at www.455eye.com.
About Equity Residential
Equity Residential is an S&P 500 company focused on the acquisition, development and management of rental apartment properties in urban and high-density suburban coastal gateway markets where today’s renters want to live, work and play. Equity Residential owns or has investments in 302 properties consisting of 77,458 apartment units, primarily located in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco and Southern California. For more information on Equity Residential, please visit our website at http://www.equityapartments.com/
