Two African American District developers are working on a project at The Parks at Walter Reed in Northwest D.C., that will be named for the first Black female general in the U.S. Army and include a minority-owned hardware store.
Banneker Ventures CEO Eric Jenkins and Earle “Chico” Horton III of Tiber Hudson LLC are working together to build “The Hazel,” a 18,000 square foot redevelopment on the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus in Ward 4 in concert with Hines, Urban Atlantic and Triden Development.
The building is named in honor of Brigadier General Hazel-Johnson Brown, the first Black woman to become a general in the U.S. military and lead the Army Nurse Corps, which held quarters on the site of The Hazel in 1915.
“We were looking for ideas to connect with the site and the community,” Jenkins, 52, told The Informer. “We wanted to honor someone who embodied leadership principles and a great work ethic.”
Jenkins said Johnson-Brown fit the description, adding she served two tours at Walter Reed, as part of her decades of service from 1955-1983.
He also noted the Army Nurses Corps were in Building 12 on the Walter Reed campus.
Given the history of the campus and Johnson-Brown’s role in the army, Jenkins said naming the new development project in honor of the barrier-breaker’s contributions made the most sense.
“It kind of all came together,” he said.
The Hazel at The Parks at Walter Reed
The Hazel, scheduled to open later this year— likely in October— will consist of a True Value store, coffee shop and office space.
Jenkins emphasized that he is prioritizing residents in the immediate neighborhoods surrounding Walter Reed, adding the building that houses The Hazel will serve as a community hub.
The heart of the project will be Hazel’s Hardware, a 100% minority-owned hardware and home goods store that will serve as a one-stop shop for customers.
“We looked at a number of outfits,” Horton, 53, told The Informer. “This is a real estate deal, and we wanted to know how to best program the building.”
Horton said he and Jenkins noticed the dearth of hardware stores in The Parks at Walter Reed area and decided on that retail option to increase the economic diversity and offerings in the area.
Jenkins uplifted neighborhood residents having another retail option for their hardware needs.
“We want to provide a valuable service to the community,” he said. “Whether it is shovels or electric lawn mowers, we see ourselves as a community store. We are making sure we are vested in the community.”
As The Hazel comes into being, The Parks at Walter Reed remain an economic development priority for Mayor Muriel Bowser. On April 7, Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced that some businesses, including the True Value store, had been awarded $500,000 from a new grant program to support local retailers at The Parks at Walter Reed.
“The Parks at Walter Reed is a project that I have worked with the community on for over 15 years, and I know that we are all proud to see our vision of a thriving mixed-use community come to life,” said Bowser, 53, who began working on the project as a Ward 4 D.C. council member. “I’m grateful for the businesses and entrepreneurs that have helped build this campus into the community that it is today, and we are proud to be supporting new businesses to be a part of the prosperity here at The Parks at Walter Reed.”
Putting The Hazel Together
Jenkins and Horton, who have worked on other projects together before, have been collaborating on The Hazel for two years.
However, like many projects that are small in nature, financing arose as an issue.
“This is a small project, but it is also complex,” said Horton. “We had a relationship with TD Bank, and we had built relationships with people at the bank in various departments. They were willing to take the chance with us. They rolled up their sleeves and got it done.”
TD Bank financed the project with a unique finance structure, providing nearly $6.6 million in funding and equity through New Markets Tax Credits and a U.S. Small Business Administration loan that was secured through the Biden administration.
“It starts with showing up with our community,” said David Hargadon, TD Bank’s regional vice president for Virginia and the District. “I sit on the D.C. Chamber board with Chico, and we have a longstanding relationship with his firm. We considered where they were going with this project and decided to take it on. The excitement has continued, and we have developed a meaningful partnership.”
In tackling the project, Hargadon explained The Hazel came with its share of challenges to overcome.
“It is the redevelopment of an important building,” he said. “We wanted to preserve its history in a new way. Hazel’s Hardware is a plus, but it was not easy because it is a complicated structure. But we worked on it and would not allow it to fail.”
Source: Washington Informer
