Just six years ago, the site at 9th and O streets, NW, was home to one of the best known black churches in the District. But, after much of its congregation moved to the Maryland suburbs, Scripture Cathedral decided to sell its building and follow its parishioners to Prince George’s County. Now, in another sign of how rapidly Shaw continues to change, an ultra-luxe condo building—with units reaching $2 million—is rising in its place.
Perla, developed by Four Points, is scheduled to finish around Labor Day, with 66 units and 6,900-square-feet of ground-floor retail. One-bedroom condos there will start in the $600,000s. The largest, most expensive units will exceed 1,800 square feet, and come with two bedrooms plus a den. The architecture firm Gensler designed the nine-story building, while Olvia Demetriou of HapstackDemetriou+ is behind its interiors.
“What we tried to do here is go for something that is classic,” says Steve Cassell, chief operations officer at Four Points. “We wanted to build a building that would stand the test of time, that wouldn’t be tired in 10 years.” Cassell says he’s gotten interest from a number of potential tenants for the retail space, including fitness studios, co-working companies, and bars and restaurants. “We’re really excited about the critical mass [of bars and restaurants] that’s already been established, and we’re confident we’ll add to that,” he says.
Once pre-sales begin later this month, Cassell says he anticipates the building will attract buyers from a few blocks west on 14th Street. “The pricing and the density of people and nightlife there is a bit overwhelming for some folks,” he says. “There are a lot of people that still like to live in a place that’s a little more manageable.”
Here’s a first look at the newest renderings of the project.
Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 and was a senior editor until 2022.
