Holland & Knight Represents Enterprise Community Development on Successful Skyland Apartments Rezoning to Double Number of Affordable Homes
WASHINGTON (February 27, 2025) – Holland & Knight represented Enterprise Community Development Inc. (ECD), an affiliate of Enterprise Community Partners, in the rezoning of Skyland Apartments, a 224-unit community in southeast Washington, D.C. The D.C. Zoning Commission approved the rezoning on February 27, doubling the site's permitted density from approximately 410,700 square feet to 821,400 square feet and accommodating 444 apartment homes.
Originally built in 1939, Skyland Apartments is a "naturally occurring affordable housing" (NOAH) community comprising one- and two-bedroom duplexes and one-bedroom flats, along with 10,000 square feet of commercial space. The property spans approximately 380,280 square feet (8.70 acres) and is situated within the Skyland neighborhood.
The rezoning will enable the future development of approximately 375 mixed-income multifamily units, 41 senior units and 28 homeownership townhomes. The increased residential density will contribute to a decrease in housing costs and provide open spaces for residents to meet and gather. Importantly, ECD developed an on-site relocation plan to ensure residents are not permanently displaced during construction.
The rezoning will ensure the preservation of affordable housing for current and incoming residents in the historic Ward 8 Anacostia neighborhood. The design and proposed resources will greatly enhance safety and accessibility features while providing additional rental opportunities for seniors who desire to age in place and larger families, along with offering homeownership opportunities. In addition, the apartments are being universally designed to improve everyday quality of life and cost of living through energy-efficient building and energy star appliances, with noise reduction/enhanced insulation, secured parking garages and in-unit washer and dryers. The project anticipates delivering key amenities such as workout facilities, community rooms, a homework studio and community gardens.
Columbia, Maryland-based Enterprise Community Partners is a national nonprofit that exists to make good homes possible for families without one. It supports community development organizations on the ground, aggregating and investing capital for impact, advancing housing policy at every level of government and building and managing communities.
Holland & Knight Partner Kyrus Freeman led the firm's representation of ECD along with Associate John Oliver.
Holland & Knight has deep experience with zoning matters involving housing and affordable housing in the D.C. area. Other recent successful rezonings for which Mr. Freeman led the firm's representation include the rezoning of a site in Ward 5 from the MU-3A zone to the MU-2 zone, thus increasing the site's permitted density from approximately 22,600 square feet to approximately 135,600 square feet, and a rezoning in Ward 4 from the MU-4 zone to the MU-10 zone, thus increasing the site's permitted density from approximately 82,860 square feet to approximately 207,170 square feet.