Working urban magic Steve Mason makes an effort to find the right tenants
When The New York Times Magazine did a photo shoot with Russell Westbrook earlier this year, they chose a once-forgotten retail strip at NW 12 and Pennsylvania Avenue that would have been unthinkable for such an important backdrop even a couple of years ago.
But such is the magic of Steve Mason’s vision and passion to bring life back to neglected urban gems.
On Sunday, I reported John Dunning is opening Trolley Stop Record Shop, along with a live music venue, in the old Penn Theater that is part of a string of retail spaces at NW 12 and Pennsylvania.
Once also home to one of the city’s oldest Chinese restaurants, Ouy Lin, the property was blighted and home to a junk shop when it was purchased a few years ago by developer Scott Smith, who then completed a basic exterior renovation before selling to Mason.
It is Mason, however, who filled the storefronts with a Mexican restaurant, a neighborhood bar, a barbershop, artists’ studio, tattoo shop and, soon, Trolley Stop Record Shop. It’s a diverse mix of retail, giving the property the sort of color and vibrancy that made it ideal for a Westbrook photo.
Curating these mixes isn’t easy; Mason easily could have chosen instead to lease to the vape and payday loan shops that seem to sprout up everywhere while adding nothing to their surroundings.
Mason has repeatedly carried out similar transformations since we first met a decade ago. It was in 2007 that
Mason invited me to tour some buildings along the 1000 block of N Broadway that had been largely vacant for decades.
His plans for the century-old car dealership buildings excited me. His original plan included reopening his Iguana Mexican Grill at a renovated one-story building at 1007 N Broadway. He was uncertain, however, how to provide the restaurant with parking, so he proceeded to buy some blighted properties to the east on NW 9.
It is no secret I am passionate about historic architecture. But I saw no reason to save the old brick garage or three dilapidated homes on Mason’s block. I was surprised when Mason revealed he was going to save the buildings and move the Iguana to the old garage.
Over the next couple of years Mason not only pulled off a successful redevelopment of the block, but also filled the spaces with a mix of tenants that continue to be a part of the downtown renaissance. Mason, joined by frequent partner Aimee Ahpeatone, then moved on to the Plaza District where he redeveloped another worn-out set of storefronts and created yet another mix of restaurants and shops.
And the list goes on with Mason buying the Yale Theater in Capitol Hill and starting renovations to turn it into an event venue. He has already indicated he is just getting started in Capitol Hill, and looking at the availability of neglected gems by the old Penn Theater, one must wonder what is next for this soft-spoken urban dreamer.