A faded two-story brick building on Washington’s H Street seems an unlikely site for a revolution. But the unassuming structure — at 906 H Street NE — on Monday became the latest commercial development project to be open to public investment.

Financial stakes in the renovation project were offered to residents of Washington and Virginia on Fundrise.com. By Tuesday morning, investors had snapped up 1,500 shares priced at $100 a share. All told, 3,500 shares were offered to the public — or 25 percent of the project cost (the rest was raised from private investors and West Mill Capital, the Millers’ development firm).

Cameron Cook, a 25-year-old project manager and Web developer who lives close to H Street NE, was among the first to invest, paying $1,000 for 10 shares. In addition to the potential financial gain — an estimated 7 percent annual dividend from rental revenue plus appreciation in the property — he was drawn to the novelty of the idea and the ability to directly take part in the neighborhood’s revival. “I think it’s cool that the community can be more in control of what’s happening around them,” Mr. Cook said.