Dear PoP,

Can you please give a horse’s ass award to the empty lot on the north side of the 1400 block of Chapin St NW? It once promised the “Privado Condos” but has been sitting accumulating garbage for at least two years. The fence, and accompanying weeds and trash, has also been encroaching on the sidewalk making it difficult to pass. Ruins what is otherwise one of my favorite blocks in DC.

Interestingly their Website is still live (thought the phone number listed is out of service):

And here’s the rendering of what could have been:

Dear PoPville,

Hey there – just heard from a friend walking to work that they saw a liquour license application for that vacant building between the new art gallery and Room and Board at Swann and 14th for “Local 14″ a spin – off of Local 16. May be worth investigating – I know lots of people have been wondering what would happen to that seemingly forgotten space!

Unfortunately, Local 14 applied for a liquor license back in June 2009 and there has been zero visible progress on the space since. So I’m gonna take this opportunity to nominate 1832 14th Street, NW for a retail space horse’s ass award.

Of course if a new restaurant, Local 14 or someone else, does come to the space I think that would be great. It’s a super prime location.

The retail space formerly home to Bemmi Hardware at 12th and Florida Ave, NW has been locked up for ages. While it would be awesome to get a hardware store back in business at this point I’d be happy to see anyone open. Or, hell, even convert it to an apartment/living space.

“Dear PoPville,

It’s boggled me for a while so finally thought to ask, in hopes that you may have an answer. Why on the north side of N street in Dupont (between 17 and 18) are nearly all of the rowhouse windows covered up? I’ve tried thinking up theories but really, none of them make sense. Specifically, these buildings are just west of the Tabard Inn.”

This is one of those questions that comes up every year. Last we spoke about it, we learned:

“that apparently the developer, Mr. Morton Bender and his company N Street Follies Ltd, would like to develop the properties into a hotel but the issue of parking has been a major hold up. The impasse has gone on for years and there are those who think it’s time to go back to the drawing board.”

Unfortunately, I predict the topic will come up again next year. Frustrating and a bit ridiculous at this point…

This building at the corner of 14th and Meridian Pl, NW is one of the most frequently nominated horse’s ass award buildings in the city. At one point it was slated to become the future home/expansion of Bacon Funeral Home (still located next door.) Lately, to me, it’s been looking particularly bleak.

What can be/should be/needs to be done in order to fix one of the worst eyesores in the city?

“Dear PoP,

I’d like to nominate 3228 Hiatt for a Horse’s Ass award. It has been under construction for years with no sign of actual work.”

Yes, I agree, this is a def. a strong candidate for a Horse’s Ass Award.

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Tons of potential here. Anyone know how long it’s been in this condition?

“Dear PoP,

My husband and I live on Sherman Ave and love, love, love our neighborhood, but are concerned about an abandoned building at the corner (2601 Sherman Ave NW). It was a downtrodden convienience store about 2 years ago when it was abandoned and it has been falling apart ever since. Occasionally (about once every 3 months) we see people stripping things out of the building but we can’t tell if they are working to tear it down, or if these are just scavengers. Its been abandoned now for about 2 years and I worry about squatters and it becoming a haven for unsavory activity. I’ve noticed that DC has posted signs fining the owner, but nothing has been done. Is there anything we can do as a DC resident to complain about the building and finally get it torn down? It seems that it is becoming a health as well as a safety hazard.

I’ve filed a 311 complaint with the city, but I assume since DC has put big orange stickers/ signs on the door about fines that’s not going to do much good.”

You can learn more about getting a property declared blighted or vacant here. I’d also encourage you to email vacantproperty@dc.gov as well as your council member.

Anyone have success getting a building listed as blighted?

Back in Nov. ’10 a reader nominated this building next to the Morrison-Clark Inn for a horse’s ass award. I just noticed some permits, new fencing and a dumpster out front. Looks it’ll be condos:

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Good progress since we last checked in in mid-April.