Hill Country BBQ Building Progresses (406-410 7th Street NW)

Albeit in need of some repair and replication in spots, the gorgeous tin cieling they unearthed when removing the false drop ceiling has disappeared with construction “progress.” Hopefully, it is under renovation off site and will be re-installed. Can’t believe that they can just tear something like that out of a historic building.

The all-night jack hammering associated with this renovation makes sleep very difficult for those of us who live near the Hill Country site. Can’t believe the city has given them a permit to allow this. Penn Quarter is both a residential and a commercial neighborhood. The residential part gets short shrift from the DC government.

Maybe the Hills mgmt should drop by site occasionally. Being a good neighbor will help bring in future customers. Stripping the tree in front of branches and jackhammering until midnight is not being a good neighbor.

Have you guys contacted Tommy Wells (our DC Council rep) to see if he can help at all? I’ve found him and his staff to be very responsive and willing to intervene where they can.

(I don’t face the street so I don’t hear any jackhammering, but that sounds horrible and I can’t imagine jackhammering late at night can be permissible.)

You people will complain about anything!! I live right across the street and haven’t heard a peep. I’m excited for them to come in, hope Wagamama (or at least someone else) comes in soon and am lovin it how make great new bars, lounges, and restaurants are coming into our area – have waited 6 years (how long I’ve lived in the ‘hood) for this. Seriously, people this is an awesome thing. These new businesses will increase our property values, increase our options within the neighborhood, and increase PQ’s cache. I never understand why people are confused or upset when there’s, get this, noise – in downtown of a major urban city!! I mean come on! This isn’t rockcreek or chevy chase – it’s DOWNTOWN!! go to Chicago, NYC, LA, Austin’s downtown and what will you find – it’s noisy and happening too! You live in a city! In the heart of the city!! Try enjoying life for once instead of complaining about everything. Trust me, you’ll live a lot longer.

@Mike – you must have been wearing noise cancelling headphones or listening to Pantera at high volumes because the jackhammering echoed all over lower 7th Street well into sleeping hours. true enough that all the new businesses are great and they do help property values but if the city government endorses and encourages residents to move and live downtown through various policies (residential tax abatements, for example) then they need to enforce reasonable accommodations for residents such as prohibiting non-emergency jackhammering at midnight. sure it’s zoned commercial but the reality is that it’s a mixed use neighborhood – commercial and residential. fixing a busted water main is one thing but as far as I could tell, there was no public emergency happening in this case.

The point about damaging the trees is important too. These trees enhance property values but take years to reach a good height that provides shade. Almost all the new businesses in the area completed construction without stripping the trees in front.

Look at the pic. The trees are not in good shape and if you walk by you can see where the contractors recently sawed off branches rather that work around the trees. City permits require trees to be protected during construction. Judgement call but it might be better given the condition of the smaller tree to replace it. The city may require the contractor to pay to replace it given the damage.

Note: our buddies at the Lansberg Apt apparently manage their bldg and had to pay to replace a tree last year on the corner of E and 8th Streets NW when their contactors sawed back half the branches.