---
title: "Howard Breaks Ground on 504-Home Hazel Building in Washington"
url: https://www.herewashingtondc.com/2026/10/30/howard-university-breaks-ground-the-hazel-shaw-504-homes/
date: 2026-10-30T07:29:23-04:00
modified: 2026-10-30T07:29:23-04:00
author: "Mina A. Alonzo"
categories: ["Business"]
site: "HERE Washington DC"
attribution: "HERE Washington DC"
---

# Howard Breaks Ground on 504-Home Hazel Building in Washington

*Source: [HERE Washington DC](https://www.herewashingtondc.com/2026/10/30/howard-university-breaks-ground-the-hazel-shaw-504-homes/) — October 30, 2026 by Mina A. Alonzo*

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A parking lot on the edge of Howard University’s campus in Washington is on its way to becoming one of the biggest apartment buildings in upper Shaw. The university and its development team broke ground Thursday on The Hazel.

The 11-story project totals 525,000 square feet. Plans call for 504 apartments, 40 of them set aside as affordable, plus roughly 15,000 square feet of shops and 246 parking spaces underground.

The building is going up on the old East Towers lot near where 8th, 9th and W streets NW meet, about 1.85 acres that sat mostly as surface parking for years. The plans also include an open plaza, 25 feet across, on the W Street side, meant for outdoor dining and to tie the campus to the blocks around it.

Howard is building it with Lowe, Affinius Capital, FLGA and Davenport Group. First announced in 2022, The Hazel is a centerpiece of the Duke District, the university’s plan to redevelop several parcels it owns at the north end of Shaw with housing, retail, offices and a hotel.

Pile driving and foundation work were already underway behind Howard Plaza Towers East this fall, according to the university. Completion is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2028.