Howard University and Lowe Break Ground on The Hazel, a 504-Unit Mixed-Use Project in D.C.'s Shaw District

Howard University and the development team of Lowe, Affinius Capital, FLGA and Davenport Group announced the groundbreaking of The Hazel, a 525,000-square-foot, 11-story multifamily building in Washington, D.C.'s Shaw district. The announcement was made Oct. 29, 2026.

The Hazel will include 504 residential units, 40 of which are affordable, along with approximately 15,000 square feet of retail space and 246 below-grade parking spaces. The project is being built on the former East Towers parking lot at the intersection of 8th, 9th and W Streets NW.

The Hazel Project Details

The Hazel was originally announced in 2022. The building sits on a site of approximately 1.85 acres and is slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2028. The 40 affordable units represent about 7.9% of the residential inventory, and the parking count equates to roughly 0.49 spaces per unit.

The plan also includes a 25-foot-wide public plaza along W Street between 8th and 9th Streets NW. Construction financing for the project totals approximately $214.1 million, equal to roughly $408 per planned gross square foot and about $425,000 per residential unit. Those figures are construction-loan ratios and do not represent total development cost or valuation.

Role in Howard University's Duke District

The announcement describes The Hazel as a major development for Howard University and a transformative project for the Duke District, a planned redevelopment of multiple Howard-owned parcels at the north end of Shaw, adjacent to the university's main campus. In recent years, Howard University has advanced several Duke District transactions intended to bring new housing along with a mix of retail, office, hotel and entertainment options to the upper Shaw neighborhood.

The project converts a university-controlled surface parking lot into housing and retail space. Howard University is partnering with Lowe, Affinius Capital, FLGA and Davenport Group on the development.

Washington Multifamily Market Context

The Hazel is moving forward as the Washington multifamily construction pipeline has contracted. Units under construction stood at 13,143 in the second quarter of 2026, or 1.86% of existing inventory, down from a peak of 5.35% in the third quarter of 2022. Trailing 12-month deliveries fell to 7,698 units, a 48.4% decline from the 14,624 units completed in 2024.

Near-term conditions are softer. Multifamily vacancy reached 4.70% in the second quarter of 2026, up 94 basis points year over year, while average rent declined 0.72% year over year to $2,227.

On the investment side, average multifamily pricing in Washington reached $287,627 per unit in the second quarter of 2026, about 4% below the 2022 peak of $299,499. Average cap rates rose modestly to 5.65%.

Outlook

With delivery targeted for the fourth quarter of 2028, The Hazel is scheduled to open after the reduction in new supply works through the Washington pipeline. The project adds 504 residential units, ground-floor retail and a public plaza to the north end of Shaw as Howard University continues advancing the Duke District.

Sources

Lowe Breaks Ground on The Hazel – a 525,000-Square-Foot Transformative Mixed-Use Building in D.C.'s Shaw District