DCmud - The Urban Real Estate Digest of Washington DC

Morning Real Estate Review.

2012-02-01T10:12:00.005-05:00

Federal Housing Finance Agency Sets New Foreclosure Plan (Reuters) Investors could pre-bid on government-owned foreclosure properties so long as they are converted short-term to rentals

DDOT Names Carl Jackson As Head of Transportation Services (DDOT) Former Greenville, South Carolina transportation head, Jackson will lead development and construction of the District's 37-mile streetcar plan which city officials say will boost DC's real estate values by up to $7 billion over 10 years.

Paramount Group Buys 2099 Penn. Ave. (Washington Business Journal) Deal for 206,000 square-foot building with Vico Capital was said to be $155 million or $750 per square foot. The deal is the fifth acquisition for the New York-based investment group.

Historic MLK Library Gets a Preservation Owners Manual

2012-01-31T18:09:00.000-05:00

Just in time for Black History Month, the District's Office of Historic Preservation recently unveiled a detailed roadmap to protecting and preserving every aspect of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial library.

From the Mies-designed Brno and Barcelona furniture, to the silver-leaf signage, to protection of the Detroit Black Graphite exterior paint and the Donald Lloyd Miller King Mural in the Central Lobby, the report spells out what it considers the do's and don'ts for preserving the International Style building. The library was completed in 1972 at a cost of $18 million to replace the Andrew Carnegie Central Library in Mount Vernon Square. It was the only library Mies designed and he did not live to see it completed before his death in 1969. His colleague, John Bowman, supervised much of the construction.

The four-story exposed-steel framed building was designated a historic landmark by the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board in June 2007. And as part of that designation, the D.C. HPRB instructed the D.C. Public Library to come up with a set of guidelines to help preserve its aging flagship.

Not surprisingly, much of the guidelines encourage DCPL to dramatically increase daily maintenance of everything, from the bronze-tinted glass to the beige brick on the exterior. But the key recommendation is to keep the Miesian principles of transparency of the 400,000 square-foot building intact, such as not subdividing the Central Lobby where Miller's King Mural was unveiled in 1986 or the reading rooms into smaller rooms.

The neighborhood around MLK Jr. library has dramatically transformed in the past decade, with the rehabilitation of apartments and art space across the street, to the construction of Class A office space with ground level retail by the likes of Skanska and MRP Realty.

The sprouting of new construction is in stark contrast to the state of the MLK Jr. Library which has endured decades of deferred maintenance and neglect and a reputation as a hangout for downtown D.C. homeless.

While talk continues of a new main library in D.C., and there was some hope that CityCenterDC would include one, it appears that with the new guidelines the aging but iconic MLK Jr. Memorial Library will be part of downtown D.C. for some time.

Washington D.C. real estate redevelopment news.

Your Next Place

2012-01-31T13:59:00.000-05:00

By Franklin Schneider

Penthouse loft! Here's the thing: a penthouse loft is not just a place to live; it's a whole lifestyle. Like, if you lived here, you'd have to wear silk pajamas all day, have a pencil mustache, drive a vintage British convertible, the whole “dissolute bachelor” package. I'm pretty sure it's the law. I saw the agent turn down a guy with a briefcase of cash on hand just because he wasn't dating twins. (Not really.)

Okay, so it's not the law. But a space like this does seem “larger than life,” in a literal sense. This Chevy Chase penthouse is just a stone's throw (more like a gemstone's throw, get it?!) (sorry, sorry), from the Friendship Heights metro, and offers a level of quality you'd expect from the posh address. Right off the bat, you enter into the two story foyer, with the loft looming overhead; after going under it and through the very fine gourmet kitchen (granite countertops, Viking appliances), you enter the main space, a vaulted light-filled chamber that's part dining room, part living room. The bedrooms are spacious but still intimate, as bright as the rest of the house, and the master bath is spectacular. (I think the shower could double as a car wash, that's how big it is.)

Upstairs is the loft, of course. Looking down into the living room from up there made me legitimately dizzy, that's how high up it is. (Or, I guess, how much of a baby I am. I also may or may not have whimpered softly.) From the loft, you can go out onto a brilliant private rooftop terrace with spectacular views of Maryland and Virginia. How many states can YOU see from your rooftop? I rest my case.

4301 Military Road NW Penthouse #4
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$1,499,000

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-31T09:12:00.002-05:00

Freddie Mac betting against American homeowners. (NPR) government-backed mortgage buyer made money when Americans were unable to refinance.

Send In The Clowns -- To Florida. Feld Entertainment to Move From Vienna, VA (City Biz Real Estate) Entertainment company produces Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, as well as Disney on Ice and Monster Jam.

DC Mayor Gray to Ask For Probe of Peaceoholics Housing Project (Washington Post) City on the hook for $5.5 million in ill-fated deal.

Washington's Ritz Carlton hotels in trouble? (Washington Post) Foreign travel hurt by recent appreciation of the U.S. dollar. $170 million loan at risk.

Connecticut Ave. Gets Even Better Looking Around Its Middle.

2012-01-30T17:01:00.001-05:00

Connecticut Avenue, the heart of Washington D.C.'s business and retail district, is about to get even better looking around its middle. According to the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, the initial 300-foot stretch of the median which runs from K Street to L Street, may soon gain another 600 feet, or three more blocks, running from L Street to Jefferson Place, beginning this spring.

The lower stretch of Connecticut Avenue is already home to some of Washington's swankiest hotels and businesses, including Marriott's Renaissance Mayflower, Brooks Brothers, Tiny Jewel Box, Burberry and Thomas Pink.

But the BID and the City are seeking the median improvements as way to position Connecticut Avenue as a grand retail destination on par with Fifth Avenue in New York and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, said Leona Agouridis, executive director of the Golden Triangle BID.

"The street-scape creates part of the environment and enhances what's already here. We just need to tell the story to potential retailers," said Agouridis, who said some retailers along her section of Connecticut Avenue are averaging more than $1,000 per square foot in sales ($600 per square foot is considered respectable) and wants to use the median and other sidewalk improvements in the pipeline as a way to attract further best-in-brand names to the avenue. "We may not be on their radar screen right now, but hopefully they'll sit up and take notice," she said.

The attention District thoroughfares are getting around their middle is fairly recent. After the streetcars ran their last revenue runs in 1962, the middle stretch of most major arteries were paved over, either creating a impromptu center-turn lane (pictured, right) or a raised strip with grass that went untended. The flat asphalt medians sometimes became a place to park cars on the weekends, but did nothing to contribute to green space or lessen storm water runoff.

That began to change after the Golden Triangle BID back in 2008 got a grant from the District Department of Transportation to help plan and build an initial median along Connecticut Avenue starting from K Street. RMA Inc. was chosen as the architect. That stretch, which began construction in November 2010, was just completed last September at a cost of $397,000. The Golden Triangle BID will pay for the operating costs of maintaining the landscaping, as well as the lighting of the 12-foot wide median. Agourdis said the design for the second phase of the median is complete and the contract for construction should go out to bid shortly. Completion is expected in 2014, according to the BID.

Following in the footsteps of Connecticut Avenue, several other median strips around the city are getting a boost. The Downtown DC BID recently partnered with The National Museum of Women in the Arts to bring colorful sculptures to the 1200 block of New York Avenue.

Dupont Main Streets last year also received $85,000 from DDOT to make over a separate 600-foot long stretch of Connecticut Avenue's median between R and S.

The South Capitol Street project, (pictured, left) will also include landscaped medians in its plan for a grand avenue makeover.

Washington D.C. real estate redevelopment news.

Today in Pictures - 2400 14th Street

2012-01-30T08:54:00.000-05:00

UDR's multi-family building in Columbia Heights broke ground in December of 2010 and has now topped out. Perched on the slope leading up 14th Street, the building should feature commanding views over the city from the top. The building takes the place of the Nehemiah shopping center, purchased by Level2, which developed the original plans before selling the project. The building was designed by Shalom Baranes and will have 255 units.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Review.

2012-01-30T08:04:00.005-05:00

Washington restauranteurs taking advantage of low interest rates to buy their building.

(Washington Post) Restauranteurs find owning their own building a smart play

More trouble at DCHD (Washington Times) DC Councilmembers Brown and Graham want AG to launch new investigation of housing agency.

Latest base closing rounds might spare DC Metro area. (Washington Business Journal) Latest BRAC realignment might not be so bad on Washington metro region after all.

Another round of foreclosures coming? (Housing Wire) FHA sees mortgage delinquency rates rising again to highest rate in two years -- 9.6 percent.

Your Next Place

2012-01-29T09:56:00.000-05:00

By Franklin Schneider

This Kalorama gem has been exhaustively renovated and improved inside, while maintaining the fantastic exterior. (Where can Kim Kardashian sign up for this treatment?) Inside the 1905 Victorian exterior is a sophisticated and up-to-the-minute home, with every amenity you could possibly hope for - it's got a private elevator for Christ's sake! - and a huge amount of space. It's like two really nice houses were spliced together to make one really huge and even nicer house. (Fifty-six hundred square feet over four levels! There are parking garages with less square footage.)

The staggered living room (with fireplace) has wonderful spaces, high ceilings and recessed lighting. It was refreshing to see a main room that wasn't just a big box. The dining room is very large and dramatic, and the Cook's kitchen is more than generously proportioned – the island is actually like a literal island out there in the middle - and features Viking and Bosch appliances There are Brazilian Tigerwood hardwood floors throughout, which is definitely a detail you'll want to work into every single conversation. And even where the house doesn't exactly face southwards, it still gets a ton of light just by virtue of all the windows. This house has more windows than any other one I've ever seen - even the bathtub has several windows right next to it. Invest in some curtains or start going to the gym, that's my advice.

Upstairs is an incredible roof deck, with custom tempered glass, and great views of the city. It's in Kalorama too, so it's right by pretty much everything - Dupont, U Street, Adams Morgan, all within walking distance. It's right on Embassy Row too, so you can walk over and give, say, the French, a big bowl of Cool Whip and chopped Jell-O, just to welcome them to America. Wear your fanny pack too, they love that.

2126 R Street NW
6 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths
$3,190,000

Circling the Wagons - 21st Century-Style

2012-01-28T18:19:00.003-05:00

By Beth Herman

In pursuit of sweeping river vistas and the great outdoors, a young Bethesda, Md. family went west, in a manner of speaking, about 4.5 miles, securing a pristine lot on a Cabin John bluff overlooking the C&O Canal and roiling Potomac.

Tasked with building what would become a 4,589 s.f. four bedroom, four-and-a-half bath residence that provided comprehensive views of the evolving terrain, ecosystems and elements in all seasons, Mark McInturff and project architect David Mogensen of McInturff Architects confronted a not-so-uncommon Mid-Atlantic region issue. With 15-foot ceilings and an expansive southwest-facing wall of glass firmly on the family’s agenda, searing sun and heat—and their impact on heating and cooling—would require more than a conventional approach to climate control. What’s more, the homeowners wanted to spend the brunt of their day in an elevated wing, embracing their surroundings with an unobstructed view.

“When we first stood out there, the homeowner said she thought the main living spaces—living room, kitchen, dining room— should be on the second floor with the bedrooms below,” said McInturff, which he added is a strategy the firm often undertakes when considering the landscape.

Close the pod bay doors, HAL

In an effort to “circle the wagons,” according to McInturff, sheathing the home in adequate shading—kind of a preemptive strike before the sun heats the glass— European technology was employed in the form of computer-controlled exterior aluminum blinds.

“They’re almost like exterior venetian blinds but much more robust,” McInturff explained. “It’s technically fairly complicated and not inexpensive, though slowly creeping into the (U.S.) commercial market.”

Also acting as a buffer at night for high winds endemic to the coastal site, the louvers essentially allow the home to be closed down. “In a way the house is active,” McInturff said, affirming at the same time he does not endorse filled or tinted glass. “That’s like sunglasses or a Band-Aid. There’s a better way to do it, which is to prevent the sun from reaching the glass in the first place.”

With optimal energy efficiency on the homeowners’ dance card, geothermal HVAC systems, soy-based foam wall and roof insulation at R-21 and R-38 values, respectively, radiant heat throughout and passive strategies such as cross ventilation were utilized. On the entry side, which faces away from the river, a pitched roof provides for an 8-foot ceiling which ascends to 15 feet, accommodating the glass wall and band of clerestory windows. “Fifteen feet is a comfortable height which does a lot in terms of gathering natural light into the space; it becomes quite luminous,” McInturff said. An exterior overhang also precludes sun from flooding the space at this height, as the clerestories don’t have blinds.

On the lower level, two children’s bedrooms with 9-foot ceiling height, a bath and a “homework room” share a courtyard, with a master suite and private courtyard completing the composition. An outside paving motif is teased inside this level with the inclusion of a porcelain-tiled entry. A guest suite is featured above a garage, connected by the upper level living spaces, but which reads like two buildings.

On the exterior, factory-finished metal siding and metal-clad windows provide for a tighter, more energy-efficient envelope, with masonry used for the same purposes on the home’s lower level. When the sun goes down, indirect and strategic uplighting are key components in the residence’s energy conservation quest.

According to the architect, a balcony or loggia with durable ipe decking was located off the second level on the view side. Here, too, operable aluminum blinds off the railing can protect the home and outdoor materials from the ravages of intense sun, with the added aesthetic of a modified closure providing a beautiful, dappled light.

“It’s a house we really love and have put a lot of work into,” McInturff said.

Washington D.C. design news. For design stories, contact Beth at bh @ dcrealestate.com

801 New Jersey Ave Walmart Set To Break Ground In Spring, Spokesman for JBG Says

2012-01-27T14:55:00.001-05:00

The planned Walmart at 801 New Jersey Ave. NW will break ground by spring, according to a spokesman on behalf of developer JBG Companies, one of six stores the world's largest retailer will bring to the District of Columbia.

"The planning and preparation is moving ahead quickly," said Charlie Maier, an outside spokesman on behalf of Chevy Chase-based JBG Companies. JBG Rosenfeld, JBG's sister company which focuses on mixed-use retail and will also partner on the project. Walmart has already signed its lease for the site, which will be known going forward as 77 H, as it will line up along H Street on its southern edge.

MV+A Architects, which designed the Whole Foods at 15th and P as well as mixed-use projects in Tyson's Corner, Alexandria and Herndon, along with The Preston Partnership, creator of the Kentlands plan in Gaithersburg will serve as designers, Maier said. JBG has already gotten its construction and zoning permits for the apartment and retail complex that will be built on the site, he said. "We've already started planning for a groundbreaking," he said.

Earlier this week, parts of the Ward 6 site along H Street, not far from Massachusetts Ave., and Union Station had been fenced-off and signage erected. The complex will include about 300 apartments on 280,000 feet along H Street and an 80,000 square-foot store. The red-brick exterior matches other commercial buildings in the area, including the Chicago-style Government Printing Office at North Capitol and H Street and 800 North Capitol, which was built in 1991 and designed by Hartman-Cox Architects

The entrance of red-state Walmart into deep-blue D.C. is not without controversy. As with other proposed Walmart openings in other states, many local businesses feared losing out to the retail giant, a view backed by unions like the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which represented Safeway and Giant workers in the District, who said their members would be threatened by Walmart's lower wages and benefits.

Walmart, in response, launched a Web site to help convince skeptical residents and activists that its presence would be a boon to improving access to groceries in poorer neighborhoods as well as provide jobs to DC residents, at least 1,200 spread out amid the six stores, and also 400 construction jobs. Walmart says that Washingtonians spent $40 million at its stores outside the District in 2010. Walmart also noted that the stores would contribute $10 million a year in tax revenue to the District. "The District is anxious to see something happen," Maier said. "It's not all 100 percent approved but its pretty close," he said.

Walmart now has expanded its plans in the District to six stores, all of which it says will be open before the end of 2012. Besides New Jersey Ave, there will be two in Ward 4 with one at Georgia Ave and Missouri Ave. (rendering at right), where some site prep work is happening as well.

Another store, known as Fort Totten Square will be built at Riggs Road NE and South Dakota Ave. NE (rendering above). Another is planned for Ward 5 at New York Avenue at Bladensburg Road, while two are planned for Ward 7, at East Capitol and 58th and one at Good Hope Road and Alabama Ave.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Bethesda Lot 31 Project Delayed (Again) Until February

2012-01-27T09:07:00.002-05:00

Groundbreaking for Lot 31, the public-private StonebridgeCarras-PN Hoffman project on Bethesda Row, in the works since 2004, missed its January target date after being delayed yet again. But lead developer Stonebridge and Montgomery County government officials say it's not because the project is flagging on the home stretch - nor was the delay a response to complaints from local businesses about the closure of the lots and of Woodmont Avenue during construction.

"Just paperwork," said Esther Bowring, Montgomery County public information officer. "The project is still very much full steam ahead. We just need to make sure all the paperwork, all the permits, are in place before we proceed."

Doug Firstenberg, principal at StonebridgeCarras, agreed. "The hard part, the financing [with Northwestern], is already done, we formally closed on that in late November. I'm not sure I would even use the term 'delay.' With a partnership of this magnitude, there are so many I's to dot and T's to cross, we just want to get all the documentation straight." StonebridgeCarras originally set a start date of last summer, then pushed that back to January of 2012.

The SK&I-designed Lot 31 project, which will straddle Woodmont Avenue, is a keystone of the ongoing revitalization of Woodmont Triangle. In addition to 40,000 s. f. of retail space, and two residential units - The Flats, 162-unit apartment complex, and the Darcy, an 88-unit condominium building - the project will also incorporate a massive underground parking garage of nearly 1200 spaces. Of these, around 940 are earmarked for public use, with the rest associated with the two residential buildings. Presently, Lots 31 and 31A offer just under 280 parking spaces, so the finished complex will represent an almost fourfold increase.

Growth comes at a price. The existing spaces will be unavailable once construction starts, and the new garage isn't projected to open until two and a half years from groundbreaking. In addition, a stretch of Woodmont below Bethesda Avenue is going to be closed for twenty months as developers correct the distorted 'x' of the intersection, prompting some local businesses to wonder if they can weather an extended period of (perhaps sharply) reduced foot traffic.

Ultimately, those concerns were outweighed by what some see as Bethesda's urgent need for more parking. The zoning in the area requires zero parking for residential projects, a policy designed to steer people towards public parking and public transit.

Short-term, locals will have a number of alternatives once Lot 31 closes. Aside from increasing Circulator bus service, the county is shifting many long-term spaces out of the immediate area, as well as creating over a hundred new short-term spaces. They're also optimizing the parking that already exists. "We're installing a car-counter at Garage 57 [Bethesda-Elm Parking Garage] so people will be able to get the most out of that facility," says Bowring. "Right now you have to drive all the way to the top to see if there are any spaces, and that can be tight. Hopefully if we have the available spaces displayed on the outside for everyone to see, it will encourage people to use it."

In the big picture, Lot 31 is just one of several projects currently underway in downtown Bethesda. Stonebridge is also building a residential tower on the former Trillium site, Bainbridge Bethesda (formerly the Monty) is coming along on schedule, and JBG/Ross are turning 4900 Fairmont Avenue into a residential rental units. And of course, the Purple Line is on the horizon for 2014.

Bethesda, Maryland real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-05:00

The struggles over tearing down less historic buildings (Washingtonian) While most old buildings are preserved, newer buildings present a less clear-cut reason for saving them.

Outlook for hotels improving (Costar) As demand for lodging increases, hotel investment is hitting new highs.

List of properties condemned for the Purple Line revealed (Washington Post) A first public look at properties to be temporarily seized during construction and those permanently condemned.

Chinese Ready to Take Out 2300 Conn. Ave

2012-01-26T11:47:00.017-05:00

The embassy of the People's Republic of China received an OK last week from the District's Historic Preservation Review Board to finally demolish its aging residential and office building for embassy staff at 2300 Connecticut Avenue.

As part of its weekly reviews of raze permits, the HPRB said Jan. 20 that the 200,000 square foot, 8-story brick building was clear for demolition.

The building, formerly the 1940's-era Windsor Park Hotel, was purchased in the early 1970's just as diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the PRC began warming after President Richard Nixon's historic visit in February 1972.

Esocoff & Associates, which has also designed 400 Mass. Ave and the Dumont, is the architect for the new embassy staff residential building, (pictured, above) which is expected to be completed in 2014.

The new Chinese embassy (pictured, left), designed by famed architect I.M. Pei, moved to its new location at Van Ness Street and International Drive in April 2009.

Clark Construction Group LLC of Bethesda is listed as the contractor for the demolition, according to the permit. The construction of the Chinese embassy using imported labor in 2008 led to some grumbling among the building trades about not using American hard-hats, though embassy construction is usually performed by the resident country's workers for security and diplomatic reasons.

Washington D.C. real estate redevelopment news.

JBG Releases New Renderings for Sedona | Slate

2012-01-26T10:49:00.007-05:00

JBG Companies has released new renderings of its Rosslyn project Sedona | Slate. The two-building apartment project, now under construction, will also feature 25 townhouses and 55 units of subsidized housing. Officials at JBG say the project will be complete by the first quarter of next year. Clark Construction is building the project designed by Architects Collaberative, Collins & Kronstadt is the architect of record. Both apartment buildings are expected to be LEED Silver Certified.

Sedona

Slate

Arlington, Virginia real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

House committee passes bill curbing eminent domain proceedings (RealEstateRama) House bill would protect private property owners from abuses like those in the Supreme Court's infamous Kelo decision.

Penzance secures 175,000 s.f. pre-lease in Arlington (Globe St.) Non-profit to move from Alexandria to fill much of the 280,000 s.f. project one block from the Clarendon Metro that has not yet broken ground.

Former EPA building in southwest DC begins work on apartment conversion (Southwest...) The last undeveloped building at Waterfront Station will become a 500 unit residential building.

Streetcar Plan To Boost District Real Estate Values by $8 Billion, District's Chief Planner Says

2012-01-25T18:01:00.002-05:00

The District's ambitious plan to restart its streetcar network will cost $1.5 billion -- but could pay for itself more than fivefold with increased property values, more jobs and development along the 37 miles of planned streetcar lines, says Harriet Tregoning, the District's chief planning officer.

Tregoning unveiled the Streetcar Land Use Study and her office's number crunching session today at a smart-growth planning session at the National Building Museum. "It's really our transportation infrastructure that shapes our development," said Tregoning, noting that the District has earmarked $100 million in capital funding for the development and building of the eight-line streetcar expansion. Already the District has two lines under construction, one in Anacostia and the other on H Street NE, where more than two miles of tracks have been laid as part of a Great Streets revitalization. The District recently agreed to expand service over the H Street "Hopscotch" Bridge to connect the streetcar system with Union Station and to buy two more cars in addition to the three in storage in Greenbelt. Both lines are expected to begin limited service starting in mid-2013 with some on-rail non-revenue testing of the Skoda-Inekon-built cars beginning this year, Tregoning said.

While much of the grunt-work and operational details are being handled by the District Department of Transportation, its been up to the Office of Planning to detail the 30,000-foot view of the impact to the city as a whole, if the District can return a city-wide network of streetcars, similar to what existed for nearly 100 years up until January 1962, when the last streetcar rolled on a revenue run.

The Office of Planning's study showed that the current $100 billion values of District properties would increase by as much as $ 5 billion to $7 billion over ten years as the plan is completed and would attract investment of $5 billion to $8 billion during the same period. That might allow the District to sell $600 million to $900 million in bonds paid for the by the new revenue, the study claims.

"The streetcar's visibility and permanence will attract private real estate investment," she said, echoing a line long argued by streetcar proponents. "You don't have to worry about the route changing like you do with buses," Tregoning said in a pitch to potential real estate investors in the 100-person audience. "Please look at these corridors for your strategic acquisitions."

While drilling deep into streetcar proponent's talking points, including improving access to schools, expanding an already growing "creative class" and reviving historic neighborhoods, Tregoning poured some cold water on calls for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which would be cheaper and faster to get into service, saying they won't get the same bang-for-the-buck as streetcars. "BRT does not attract the same level of investment," she said.

Tregoning said that the Office of Planning estimated that the streetcar lines would add 5,000 to 12,000 additional households over ten years, above the increases already projected. That in turn would spur a further burst of retail, as 1,000 households typically support an expansion of 30,000 to 50,000 square-feet of shopping, equal to a large supermarket.

Tregoning however wouldn't answer questions on whether the ridership projections would be enough to pay for the operating costs of the system, or where the financing of the remaining $900 million-plus estimated to fully build out the system would come from. The federal government is always an option, but the study notes typically that the federal government funds only up to 50 percent of the project's cost and can add delays while the community waits for the feds to decide.

The District, according to the study, is counting on increased revenue from real estate development along the streetcar corridors to help finance future construction of the system. "We want to be able to finance the whole system," Tregoning said. That may take the help of the real estate development industry, which, she said, historically supported mass-transit systems as part of building new communities. "We are going to need private partners as well as public."

Washington D.C. real estate redevelopment news

Your Next Place

2012-01-25T13:30:00.000-05:00

By Franklin Schneider

This Capitol Hill corner townhouse, with its turret and tower, could be like your very own D.C castle. If I lived here I'd retain someone just to stay on the balcony and announce guests with bugles and fanfare. “Sire, the neighbor comes to remind you that you're not allowed to put the trash curbside until six o'clock, and it's only 5:45!” “Bring the cans back up until 6, and then catapult a plague-ridden corpse through his skylight.”

Ha ha! I'm not even kidding. You could absolutely fall prey to delusions of grandeur in a house like this. I mean, it's not often you see a house this grand, this sprawling, in the city. Recently remodeled, this four-level beauty has it all. You enter into a spacious livng room – if it's cold there's a fireplace right there to warm yourself by. The living room has high ceilings and beautiful rich dark hardwood floors, recessed lighting and tons of windows. The kitchen is a long, wide affair, with acres of counter space. The master bath features a distinctive ceramic tile shower and a great soaking tub, and the master bedroom suite is like a little kingdom in and of itself, with a sitting area off to the side and plenty of light.

This is also where you'll find my personal favorite part of the house, a very charming and well-built Juliet balcony. It's the perfect space for a quite moment of reflection at dawn or dusk, or a place to lounge in the summer above the heat and noise (and bugs don't come up this high.) You could also put a catapult up there. Just saying.
901 N. Carolina Avenue SE
4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths
$1,125,000

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Home prices bottoming out? Not so fast (Housing Wire) While some say the market is ready to begin its march back upward, others say the bottom might be in front of us.

Fannie and Freddie don't deserve blame for the bubble (Washington Post editorial) Private industry deserves much of the credit for giving out loans that couldn't be paid back.

MRP Plans "Trophy" Office Space in Penn Quarter

2012-01-24T15:38:00.001-05:00

MidAtlantic Realty Partners LLC, better known as MRP, today announced a joint venture with real estate investment management firm Rockpoint Group LLC to build a new Class A "trophy" office building at the southwest corner of 9th and G Streets in Penn Quarter, the former location of the National Capital Area YWCA.

The 112,000 s.f., nine-story building will be designed by San Francisco-based Gensler. Like many of its Washington contemporaries it will include a glass-wrapped exterior with nine-foot ceilings for levels two through seven and two penthouse levels with ten-foot ceilings that have views of the Capitol and the Washington Monument. The company says it will be LEED-Gold certified and will also include a "green" roof with storm water treatment. MRP says the building will use 12 percent less energy and 40 percent less water than typical office spaces.

"We will develop a dramatic building that visually captures the corner while creating an active and memorable street-level retail experience," said Bob Murphy, managing partner of MRP Realty in a statement.

Julie Chase, a spokeswoman for MRP says the tenants of the 9-story building currently on the site are expected to move out by June of this year and that the building will be torn down "immediately after." Chase said MRP was not willing to release the overall costs of the construction. "They will be commensurate with a high-quality trophy building," she said.

The corner is already home to the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe-designed

Martin Luther King Jr. library, and will sit astride the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the National Portrait Gallery and Gallery Place Metro, connecting to the Red, Green and Yellow lines. Skanska Commercial Development recently completed an $85 million "trophy" space at 10th and G Street.

The National Capital YWCA, which occupied the lower floors of the 9th Street building, moved to a new 15,000 square-foot location at 14th and Florida in December.
Washington D.C. real estate development news

Today in Pictures - Rosslyn Commons

2012-01-24T10:08:00.000-05:00

JBG Companies began construction on Rosslyn Commons exactly one year ago tomorrow. The Rosslyn apartment project will include two apartment buildings, the Sedona and the Slate, and 25 townhouses, with 55 units of subsidized housing. Despite a catastrophic wall collapse during excavation, digging is now complete and general contractor Clark Construction is now building up. Both apartment buildings are expected to be LEED Silver Certified, and both residential towers will include a rooftop pool and rooftop fitness center. Bethesda-based Architects Collaborative designed the building.

Arlington, VA real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Existing home sales trend upward in December (Realtor) The numbers continue a 3-month trend and are 3.6% higher than December of 2010.

In tussle between Equity and Lehman Bros. to buy Archstone, Equity pulls back (Globe St.) Bankrupt Lehman has already purchased part of Archstone, but both sides are maneuvering for the remainder.

Costco dives deeper into the DC area (Washington Post) The big-box giant plans a 12-acre project in Alexandria despite Wal-Mart's stampede into the city.

U.S. housing market recovery slow, but on the way (Propertywire) Despite a sorry year for 2011, some economists see hope for 2012 despite the lack of strong indicators.

Woodmont Triangle Apartment Developers Seek Approal for Trillium Successor

2012-01-23T11:46:00.001-05:00

The barren, long-fallow Trillium site in Bethesda, long considered an unwelcome reminder of the untimely demise of the local market, is set to bounce back. Bethesda-based StonebridgeCarras, which in partnership with Walton Street Capital purchased the site in early 2011 for just over $29 million, filed their new plans for the site with Montgomery County just last month and hope to be before the planning board early this year.

“This is my new favorite project,” enthused Ellen Miller, Principal at Stonebridge. “This building is a gateway to Bethesda. The lot to the north [at the corner of Woodmont and Wisconsin] is owned by NIH and is a beautiful greenspace, and coming from the north you'll look across that and see this very handsome glass and brick building.”

The new plans are “quite different,” from the Trillium plans, says Miller. Where the Trillium plan, a Davis Carter Scott-designed series of three towers, was slanted heavily toward the high-end condo market, the Stonebridge development calls for around 370 rental units, from efficiencies to three-bedrooms, and a limited number of townhouse units that open directly onto Wisconsin Avenue. It also incorporates a significant amount of underground parking, and a grocery story on the ground floor - sort of.

“Given the topography of the site, how it falls almost twenty feet from Battery Lane,” says Miller, “the grocery store will be largely submerged on the Wisconsin side, with the main entrance on Woodmont.”

The u-shaped building, designed by WDG Architecture, features an interior green courtyard, which will incorporate an entrance to the as-yet-unnamed grocery store. Miller was coy when asked who it would be – Harris Teeter? Safeway? - but said that while they're still in negotiations, she thought the neighborhood would be very pleased with the mystery tenant. “This grocery amenity will not only serve the neighborhood, but also draw people in,” she said.

The site, way back when, was once home to the Clarion hotel, which was demolished in 2007 to make way for the Trillium project, the defunct condominium complex spearheaded by Houston-based Patrinely Group.

Doug Firstenberg, another principal at Stonebridge, told DCMud last year that he hoped this project could “anchor the redevelopment of Woodmont Triangle." Woodmont Triangle, situated as it is between the Medical Center and Bethesda metro stops on the Red Line, has attracted quite a bit of attention from developers recently. In addition to this project, developers are now building a pair of 17-story buildings in Woodmont - Bainbridge Bethesda as well and the long-delayed rebuild of 4900 Fairmont Avenue.

Just as the vacant Trillium site, which after last year's hurricane had fallen into open disrepair (Stonebridge has since cleaned up the lot) was seen by many as a symbol of the market crash, perhaps the long-overdue redevelopment could be a harbinger of an upturn? Local developers, no doubt, are hoping.

Bethesda, Maryland real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Washington D.C. office and industrial report (Globe St.) A (very) brief look at the DC area office market.

Alexandria approves Old Town waterfront development (ABC 7) 300 hotel rooms and private development to take advantage of long under-utilized riverfront.

DC's rent bubble (Huff Post DC) A confirmed renter gripes about developers who own apartments - and those who sell condos. Neither knows what they're doing.

DCBIA hands title over to new chief (Wash Business Journal) Native Washingtonian and head of First Potomac Realty Trust Ernie Jarvis takes over leadership of building industry association.

Ground Zero tower may be halted for lack of tenants (Crains) Planned 80 story tower, now built up to the 7th floor, may be capped and halted without anchor office tenant.

Will Takoma Finally Embrace Its Inner Bethesda?

2012-01-22T20:01:00.012-05:00

Denizens of the earthy Takoma neighborhood are finally seeing much-promised transit-oriented development beginning to sprout along underutilized Carroll Street NW, just steps from the Takoma Metro station.

Earlier this month, real estate giant Federal Capital Partners of Chevy Chase, which owns more than $1.8 billion in real estate assets in the mid-Atlantic region, announced the $36 million joint venture with Level 2 Development's Takoma Central, currently building in the 200 block of Carroll Street NW near the District-Maryland border.

Still, even as its neighbor to the north, Silver Spring, sees a burst of development, it hasn't been easy to convince the 17,000-plus globally-inspired Takoma Park citizens -- where illegal immigrants are allowed to vote in city elections and hold office -- to embrace their inner-Bethesda. Takoma Park residents, many of whom refer to the city as a "village," fought a long, but losing battle against a much-maligned CVS along Carroll Street in 1998 that led to the quick demise of a favorite mom-and-pop pharmacy on the Takoma Park, Maryland side. And a Subway sandwich joint that located in the village's historic district found its windows smashed in 2004 with the epithet "shop local" scrawled in spray paint.

But things may finally be changing in the People's Republic of Takoma Park as once development-wary residents embraced the Takoma Central design. That made it an ideal opportunity for Federal Capital Partners' Wade Casstevens, vice president of residential development.

"I think its a great place to live and well-kept secret," Casstevens said in an interview. "There haven't been areas in Takoma that you could build a large complex, so this is a true infill opportunity." Takoma Central will have amenities common to other Class A spaces in Logan Circle, Bethesda, and most recently Silver Spring, such as granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances, not easily found in Takoma. "Our strategy is to look for areas that have one or less competitors, not four or more, which is what we're finding in Silver Spring " he said.

Originally known as Ecco Park condos, the plan converted to apartments in 2008 under the design and ownership of SGA Architects. Takoma Central will be built in two phases.

Phase One, already under construction, is four stories, with a round, castle-like turret at the corner of Carroll Street and Maple, and will have 84 units and 70 underground parking spaces, plus 6,500 square feet for ground level retail.

Phase Two is a five-story, brick warehouse-style complex with 60 units and 35 underground parking spaces and ground-floor retail.

More importantly, the development may fill in a key gap between the bustle and activity of the Metro station and the quarter-mile walk to Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park's main street with well-kept sidewalks and quaint Victorian-era street lighting. Carroll Street NW becomes Carroll Avenue at the Maryland line, for those keeping score.

The 200 block of Carroll Street currently consists of a convenience store, a funeral home, the CVS pharmacy, and several surface parking lots. But the brick sidewalks are crumbling and there is no pedestrian friendly street lighting. Casstevens says the infrastructure and consistency of the street will improve with the completion of Takoma Central. "Right now, that part of Carroll Street looks a little beat up."

Phase 1 construction has begun already and Phase 2 will begin later this year. FCP says they will complete construction by the fourth quarter of 2013.

The construction of Takoma Central will go a long ways to renovating Carroll Street on both sides of the Metro line that the District and Maryland have been seeking to make ripe for transit-oriented development projects.

On the West side of the Metro line, where Carroll Street becomes Cedar Street, the District Office of Planning has been looking at possible enhancements to the neighborhood near the dormant Takoma Theater and its surrounds since Anthony Williams' tenure as Washington D.C.'s Mayor.

The Office of Planning's 2002 report shared the puzzlement over why TOD near Takoma Metro wasn't forthcoming. "Neither Carroll Street nor 4th Street have developed the critical mass of retail, commercial and housing that their Maryland neighbor enjoys, despite being anchored by the most heavily used pedestrian Metro transit station in the District of Columbia."

The Gables, a LEED-certified 142-unit complex opened in 2008 along Blair Road. FCP's Casstevens credits the opening of Gables for influencing their decision. "It was definitely a factor in our choice," he said. The Gables has many of the same amenities that Takoma Central offers, such as stainless steel GE appliances, hardwood floors and black granite countertops.

Still, south of Cedar Street there has been little progress in building a revitalized neighborhood around the historic Theater. Takoma Village, a unique co-housing urban village opened next to the historic Art Deco Takoma Theater in November 2000.

Milt McGinty, father of WUSA-9 anchorman Derek McGinty owns the theater, and wants to raze it to convert it to luxury apartments.

Preservationists want the the city to buy the theater outright but McGinty says the theater, which was built in 1923 isn't for sale and the theater stands in disrepair, prompting some accusations of "demolition by neglect." Like many development disputes, the fate of the Takoma Theater may end up it court while neighborhood redevelopment plans continue to gather dust.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

2012-01-21T17:27:00.001-05:00

A lot of times, I sort of hurry through my open houses so I can get back home and go back to bed (what, Sunday is the day of rest), but this place was so stunning I actually called my friends and urged them to hurry over and check it out. "There's an elevator! With recessed lighting!" I said excitedly. "The only way we'll ever set foot in this house again would be as burglars!"

No one came. That's fine though, I did enough coveting for everyone. I mean, look at this place! An already ridiculously beautiful Beaux Arts home in Kalorama, it was exhaustively redone in 2009 with only the finest materials and finishes. This house is like a gold-plated Lamborghini. Right off the bat you're dazzled by the high-ceilinged black and white marble foyer with views of Rock Creek Park. (That's right - the foyer has park views.) Then there's the formal dining room, which brilliantly achieves a sort of classic sophistication while also seeming totally of the moment. Not as easy as it sounds, as you know if you've ever been laughed at in public for wearing a sweater vest. The living room is airy and bright, with an original wood-burning fireplace, and there's a fantastic library with another fireplace and a ton of fine wooden built-ins.

Upstairs, the master bedroom is truly masterful, with Italian custom cabinetry and a patio overlooking the back, and the master bathroom, one of nine (!) is incredible, with marble floors, mahogany vanities, and a huge glass cube of a shower, outfitted with one of those rain-style trickle-down showerheads that seemed so easy to install in my apartment but then fell off during its inaugural shower and bonked me on the head like an anvil hitting Wile E. Coyote in the cartoons.

There's the aforementioned elevator, and the family/media room is wired for a home theater sound system, and also a wet bar. (A winning combination.) Downstairs is a four car garage and a double laundry room. In the back is a tiered garden and a very large stone patio that seems sort of like something you'd see in a period piece about the French Revolution. Seriously though, I never thought I'd look at an six million dollar price tag for something and immediately think, "Really? That seems low."

34 Kalorama Circle, NW
8 Bedrooms, 8 Baths
$6,425,000

Washington D.C. real estate news

JBG/Ross Gains Momentum at 4900 Fairmont Avenue

2012-01-20T15:46:00.001-05:00

The new mixed-use project at 4900 Fairmont Avenue in Bethesda looks to have a clear path to approval, with the site plan going to the Maryland Parks and Planning Commission next week, with an eye towards pulling permits in Q3 2012, and breaking ground in Q1 2013. Located across from Veteran's Park, the forthcoming tower represents a major step in the ongoing revitalization of the Woodmont Triangle area.

Representatives from lead developer JBG revealed many details about the mixed-use (but mostly residential) building at a community meeting on Thursday night. The seventeen story building, designed by the Preston Partnership, is projected to have 236 dwellings (rentals, with 15% MPDU), 6500 s.f. of retail space, and 3.5 levels of underground parking.

The design for the new building incorporates a large flat panel/bay window on each face, bookended by glass towers on the corners. According to Mark Lange, principal at Preston, the central panels are meant to “inspire recollections of more traditional Bethesda buildings,” and if you squint, they do resemble the boxier designs of a bygone era. The ground floor retail faces mostly east, onto Norfolk, and a 4300 s.f. roof area will include a pool, changing rooms, and views down Wisconsin towards the District. Of course, this is the second plan for the site. The original site plan was very similar to the present plan, but impeded access to the adjacent county parking garage, creating a narrow, potentially unsafe passageway from the street to the garage. When JBG became a venture partner with Ross/CIM, they took a fresh look at the plans and shifted the building's footprint east, creating a wide “paseo” along the west side of the building that would double as a path to the parking garage and as community space. Only one problem – there was no garage entrance there. Luckily, after meeting with county officials at the site, developers were able to convince them to allow a renovation.

The Woodmont Triangle area was once, in attorney Bob Dalrymple's words, “ground zero not long ago,” but much of the energy has moved southwards in the past several years. A recent zoning plan amendment was the city's first attempt at revitalizing the area, and just across Fairmont is Bainbridge Bethesda (formerly the Monty), also a 17-story building, and the first project using the new standards of the zone. (Excavation on the Bainbridge site is just about halfway done, so expect to see cranes soon.) The amendment encourages new, denser development (read: residential), though even with the new zoning standards, 4900 had to purchase density rights from four nearby buildings.

But not everyone was happy with the project as laid out at the meeting. Representatives of a property across Fairmont protested that the shifting of the front entrance from Fairmont to Norfolk would “create dead space and turn Fairmont from a retail street into a service street.” After observing the new building would reduce the amount of retail space from around twenty thousand square feet to less than seven thousand, they went on to note the new design could worsen an already dicey traffic situation. These representatives claimed the placement of 4900's loading dock directly across from Bainbridge's loading dock would virtually guarantee daytime gridlock, citing deliveries and trash removal, and also noted that even a 5% vacancy rate could translate to as many as 300 moves a year, further slowing traffic.

Another local, who lives at the nearby 14-story Triangle Towers, was concerned that the taller 174-foot-tall 4900 Fairmont building would cast a shadow over Triangle's rooftop pool. (Though it wasn't available at the meeting, Dalrymple assured him they'd done a complete shade study.) The local also noted the new building could block radio and satellite dish reception in Triangle. (Some at the meeting laughed; the local replied it was no trivial matter to people who live there.) The citizen went on to say he was only there to give the developers something to think about, not to stop the project, which is just as well. Along with Stonebridge's oft-delayed-but-still-inevitable Lot 31 project and their development of the former Trillium site, and the Bainbridge Bethesda (nee the Monty), the redevelopment of Woodmont Triangle is looking unstoppable.

(One final note - because of the way the new building is designed, it will have a Norfolk Avenue address. Goodbye to 4900 Fairmont.)

Bethesda, Maryland real estate development news

Today in Pictures - Views at Clarendon

2012-01-19T15:50:00.000-05:00

The Views at Clarendon is now complete after two years of construction and 5 years of lawsuits. The building was a collaboration between Arlington County, which lent money to the project, the First Baptist Church of Clarendon as the landowner, and the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH). The project began construction in October of 2009, tacking on a high-rise of 46 market-rate and 70 subsidized units to the existing church. Now ready for rentals, the residential portion has been christened Vpoint Apartments, with the first tenant scheduled to move in tomorrow. According to a spokesman for the community, 45 of the apartments have already been preleased.

Arlington, VA real estate development news. Photos by Rey Lopez.

Safeway Tries Again With Revamped Tenleytown Design

2012-01-19T14:22:00.004-05:00

Officials from Safeway, Torti Gallas and Clark Realty Capital unveiled more renderings of its planned Tenleytown site last night - with once again, decidedly mixed community reviews.

Plans to replace the backwards-facing Safeway store at 42nd and Davenport, which has cheekily shown its veteran rump to Wisconsin Avenue passersby for the better part of thirty years, have been in place since August 2009. But opposition from the Office of Planning and the neighborhood ANC over an above-ground parking garage forced Safeway to suspend the project in January 2010.

Now Safeway, and its architects have returned with a newer, scaled down version, with the 56,000 square-foot store being folded in to a five-story complex with 184 apartments, 14 town homes and more than 140 spaces 0f underground parking for customers. There will also be dedicated parking for residents.

Still, a few in the Northwest DC community that is well known for its opposition to development on Wisconsin Avenue, worried about adding such high-density housing and traffic to a the single-family neighborhood, fear additional traffic and delivery trucks on nearby narrow residential streets such as Ellicott and Davenport.

"There is a great deal of concern on the density of the units," said Tenleytown residents Adam Rubinson, who attended Safeway's Jan. 18 unveiling at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church. "The concern is pretty much unanimous," he said in an interview.

Rubinson wants to see a "stepped-back" design along Davenport so as not to overwhelm its neighbors across the street. Safeway and Torti Gallas say they have done just that with a design that will top the trees in the neighborhood but not block sunlight during morning and evening hours.

Rubinson wants to see the height of the project, currently 79 feet, lowered to no more than 55 feet, with one story below grade, similar to that of the brand-spanking new Whole Foods along Willard Avenue in Chevy Chase, less than a mile away. "There are plenty of developers who are willing to do just that," he asserted.

Improving the look and size of the store is key for Safeway in a suddenly uber-competitive market like Washington D.C. Unionized middle-market grocery chains such as Safeway and Giant, even with their single-digit profit margins, once ruled the roost in D.C., where shoppers had little choice but to tolerate dirty stores, bare shelves, long lines and surly staff.

Now amid an influx of higher-end choices such as Whole Foods and Harris Teeter, the Safeways of the world must upgrade their legacy stores to keep pace with a changing market. "Everyone who sells food is a competitor," says Safeway spokesman Craig Muckle. Often they are stuck in between high-end but non-union grocery chains like Whole Foods and Wegmans that can charge a premium for their quality and variety, and low-cost producers like Wal-Mart, with the volume and a non-union workforce to wring additional profits out of food shoppers.

The 35,000 square foot Tenleytown Safeway, which first opened in 1957 and was remodeled in 1981, is no exception, facing competition from the aforementioned, newly-constructed Whole Foods in Chevy Chase, an existing Whole Foods in Tenleytown and a remodeled Giant Food along Western Ave. in Chevy Chase.

Muckle says if all goes well, the project could break ground in 2014. Safeway had hoped to start on the new Tenleytown Safeway once retail construction adjacent the Georgetown "Social" Safeway was completed, but now will have to wait. Torti Gallas is also the architect on that project as well. The 200-plus United Food and Commercial Workers members who work at the store will be "farmed out" to other stores during the reconstruction, according to UFCW Local 400 Secretary Mark Federici.

The debate over the size of the store and its accompanying town home and apartment developments threatens to devolve into the protracted tug-of-war that surrounded the redevelopment of the Newark Street Giant.

That store, just a mile further south on Wisconsin Ave, saw organized neighborhood resistance for the better part of a decade before the Bozzuto Group got the OK to start construction on a new 56,000 square foot facility this spring. Rubison says he hopes the Tenleytown Safeway development process doesn't go down that path.

"I think if Safeway can make some reasonable compromises, the chances of that happening are close to zero," said Rubinson. "But if they take a hard line, especially on the overall massing of the building and the number of units, and residential parking, I could see this getting mired in delays."

Safeway plans another question-and-answer session on Feb. 2 in the lobby of the Tenleytown Safeway between 6:30pm and 8:30pm.

Washington D.C. real estate development news.

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Apartment building designs for Mt. Vernon Triangle parcel will save historic retail space (CityPaper) While Gold Leaf artists will get the boot to make way for the residential project, more retail is in store for the space.

Empty retail space in Friendship Heights makes for questionable identity (Washington Post) Recent big-box vacancies in upper northwest confuse identity of some of DC's highest-end retail.

Progression Place on the Market (CityBiz) The project under construction in Shaw is being billed as worth more than $130m.

Just Stepped Out

2012-01-17T12:30:00.004-05:00

By Beth Herman

When a recent story on staircases from around the world piqued the interest and curiosity of readers, DCMud decided to explore what the District’s own native sons and daughters of architecture and design could offer to the mix, with results that ran the gamut from edgy to resourceful to sublime.

Using materials such as painted steel with Douglas fir, or maple, chestnut and etched glass, area architects have climbed up and stepped out way ahead of the pack, melding the practical with the magical, taking the concept of a necessary staircase to a whole new level.

Cabin (John) in the sky

For Principal Bob Wilkoff of Archaeon, Inc. Architects, the expanse of the firm’s office building in Cabin John, Md. was limited due to a tight lot. A structure designed to preserve and accommodate an existing 60-foot tall Sycamore tree and restrictive front yard setback demanded a spiral stair, but as it was an office with considerable traffic, the architect made the staircase 7-feet, 6-inches in diameter for comfort. Shop painted steel construction with helix handrails provides contrast to the grid of 49 18-by-18-inch windows. Treads are ribbed industrial rubber flooring.

Turret trumps all

When expanding a 1940s Tudor structure for a family in NW D.C., Wilkoff created a 6-foot diameter steel spiral stair that descends from the second floor master bedroom suite to the first floor family room. Located behind glass French doors to mitigate sound, carpeted treads in a fully glazed turret complete the airborne design.

Soaring solarium

For Principal Amy Gardner of Gardner Mohr Architects LLC, a uniquely renovated 21-foot high 1969 solarium—part of a D.C. residence—called for a staircase redolent of light and lightness. “The idea for the stair was to make a simple sculptural zigzag shape that appears to float,” Gardner said, noting the area under the stair blends into the floor, helping it appear to do so. Maple treads and risers with polished edges, and especially a translucent etched glass and steel handrail with stainless steel glass clips, add an additional lofty quality to the design.

Stairway to heaven

When renovating a Potomac, Md. residence—essentially a retreat for its occupants—a wooden tower with meditation and massage rooms and a lower level gym were included. McInturff Architects featured a staircase that connects the home’s three levels made of painted steel and Douglas fir, with maple stair treads, backed with Galvalume sheet steel.

Halo Linea low-voltage track lighting is built into a slot in the steel structure of the stair.

Cold at the top

In purchasing and reimagining their own “profoundly mediocre” 1960s standard developer-type home in Winchester, Va., architects Chuck Swartz and Beth Reader of Reader & Swartz Architects concede their staircase is the “most curious” on which they’ve ever worked.

“You can stand on top of the refrigerator that way, which seems like a ridiculous thing to do, except there are books up there,” Swartz said.

Addressing a technical problem with brick veneer on the sides of the building that just stopped at one point, the two gable ends were skeletonized so that they were just studs. Two-by-fours running horizontally were located every four feet, with structural insulated panels on the outside of the building. “We then over-windowed it,” Swartz said.

Left with a skeleton inside on the gable ends, shelves were created off of two-by-two’s that ran horizontally so the gable ends became large libraries. The end without the staircase is served by a rolling ladder from an old telephone building, as Swartz’s father worked for the telephone company.

At the other end, a very large refrigerator was obtained as Swartz loves to cook, encased in a birch veneer red-stained plywood box. An alternating tread staircase was positioned on the side of it, allowing the occupants to walk up and climb on top of the refrigerator to access all the books.

Additionally, the staircase becomes a kind of a sculpture in and of itself, featuring alternating treads and maple shelves as they ascend, held together by red oak that’s stained black. It also acts as a graduated display for art, artifacts and family objects.

A place for us

In Frederick County, Va., another singular Reader & Swartz staircase has several things going for it, among them bleachers made out of chestnut, which is the same as the floor, and which go up to the landing. “They stop so the children in the household can play or you can display things on them,” Swartz explained.

In addition, every other tread—the treads that are not the bleachers—are little maple rafts that sit on them and look like small crates. Once you get to the landing, the part that gets you all the way to the second floor is steel and open treads of the same maple. “It’s a way to think of a staircase as a little stage or amphitheater, or a place to sit and think about whether some of the pieces of the staircase can be different than others and still meet the building code,” Swartz quipped.

Some photos courtesy of Anice Hoachlander and Ron Blunt. For design story ideas please contact Beth at bh @ dcrealestate.com

Today in Pictures - Skyland

2012-01-16T12:41:00.003-05:00

While the District government struggles to rid Skyland of its owners and tenants in order to make way for a more contemporary shopping destination by turning it over to developer Rappaport, the outdated shopping center looks ever more dilapidated and forlorn.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Skyland Struggles Towards Uncertain Timeline

2012-01-16T10:07:00.002-05:00

With the specter of a Wal-Mart vs. Safeway showdown over a decade-old exclusivity covenant having receded, the District can get back to resolving the many other issues standing in the way of the Skyland redevelopment in Southeast DC, a top priority of Mayor Vincent Gray’s embattled administration. But can Skyland overcome the many hurdles it faces?

Safeway, one of the District’s top private employers (15 stores), and high-profile retail anchor Wal-Mart squared off in November over an agreement Safeway had entered into with the owners of the shopping center, Skyland LLC, to bar certain types of competitors from the property after Safeway relocated to a nearby shopping center. Each side issued bland statements but retained powerful advisors; Safeway hired Maryland lobbyist Bruce Bereano, famously an ex-fraternity brother of Mayor Gray, and Wal-Mart hired David Wilmot, a local dealmaker who co-hosted a fundraiser with Mayor Gray just last month. Fast-forward a couple of days, and the matter was suddenly settled.

"A covenant exists on one lot of the many that comprise the Skyland redevelopment site," says Nimita Shah, Project Manager in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) by way of clarification. “The District is in discussions with Safeway about the removal of the covenant and anticipates a resolution in the upcoming year. However, it is important to note that the Safeway covenant noted above will have no impact on the proposed Wal-Mart that is to be included in the redevelopment, given that its placement on the site is outside of the affected lot.”

Either no one at Safeway or Wal-Mart actually read the covenant before throwing down their respective gauntlets, or the issue was quietly resolved through backroom horsetrading (the very sort of thing that Gray denounced when he pledged to bring transparency to the mayor's office). At any rate, with this issue put to bed, does this mean that Skyland faces a clear runway to approval and groundbreaking? Far from it.

Since first seizing Skyland in 2005 by invoking eminent domain, the District has spent over $12 million on settlements. Three more tenants settled in 2011 – Hong Kong Inn, Hilltop Cleaners, and New York Fried Chicken – leaving perhaps as few as one holdout, though according to the District there are over a dozen tenants are still operating at Skyland. “Fifteen tenants remain in operation at Skyland," says Shah. “The District is in the process of working will all of the remaining tenants to coordinate their relocations over the upcoming year.”

Everyone out by the end of 2012? Count Elaine Mittleman, an attorney who represents several Skyland tenants, among the skeptics. Mittleman contends the eminent domain proceedings have been slipshod and disorganized. “Wild ineptitude,” Mittleman snaps when asked to characterize the District’s handling of Skyland. Mittleman also provided DCMud with extensive correspondence between herself and the District that seems to raise questions about who holds the titles to seized Skyland properties, as well as concerns about the eventual turnover of Skyland to private developers, one of whom is a close associate of Mayor Gray’s, and has done repairs at his home.

Serious questions also remain regarding the project itself. There’s no firm consensus on whether Skyland is in fact a viable site for redevelopment; critics have pointed to the lack of public transportation options (the nearest Metro station, Anacostia, is a mile and a half away) and an already dicey traffic situation. There are also multiple competing projects in Southeast – St. Elizabeths East, Poplar Point, and Kenilworth-Parkside, just to name a few - as well as another Walmart planned nearby, on East Capitol Street. In the face of these doubts, the conventional wisdom is that with millions and years spent and so many promises made – none more than by the present administration - the District can hardly back out now.

Or can it?

People who point to the 2005 Supreme Court ruling that empowered the city of New London to oust intransigent homeowners so they could build a Pfizer plant as proof that Skyland is all but inevitable, overlook the fact that the Pfizer plant was never actually built. The drawn-out process of settling with and vacating tenants, as well as appeals and the administrative labyrinth of state seizure of property, can often outlast the patience of prospective tenants. Before Wal-Mart agreed to anchor Skyland, a similar Target deal fell through. Who's to say Wal-Mart won't walk, if litigation drags on for another year or three? Is Mayor Gray prepared to

follow through on his threat to block Wal-Mart's four other stores in the District if they don't put one in Skyland?

Some cite the possibility that the District's resolve on Skyland is, at least in part, opportunistic. If it comes together, it will be a victory for some mayor's scorecard. But if it doesn't, that mayor (like the last three) can still curry favor with the voters of Southeast by telling them he tried. In fact, the prospect of a mayor fighting the good fight on behalf of the city's least-served quadrant, only to be stymied by other forces, is arguably a more valuable asset in a general election than a mere shopping center, however big and shiny. But the Mayor has been personally advancing the cause of Skyland to private businesses that might have a stake in the proposed development.

Elaine Mittleman disagreed with this cynical view of things – with conditions. Mittleman believes that the District sincerely wants Skyland, and wants it badly, but just got in over their heads. “The District courts rubber-stamped everything, basically, and there was never any comprehensive plan, just a back of the envelope thing,” Mittleman says. “It seems like they have just not put in the proper effort. It seems like they just magically thought it would happen.”

For their part, lead developer The Rappaport Companies, who won rights to Skyland way back in 2002, doesn’t seem the least bit perturbed by these latest developments, either stoically patient or just resigned to sticking it out for the long haul.

“The Skyland project is definitely gaining momentum, and the Mayor has made this a priority,” said Sheryl Simeck, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Rappaport. “But it is still too early in the process for us to be able to supply construction dates," (despite Mayor Gray's prediction it would break ground last year.) "The District continues to work on resolving the outstanding legal issues involving eminent domain. Development cannot start until these last few issues are resolved.” At this time, no one is prepared to say when that will be.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

PG County and Fairfax County bid for FBI building (Federal Times) Senate committee authorizing the GSA to relocate FBI sparks competition among job-seeking counties.

DC's office market one of the most expensive, but high on the vacancy list (Crain's NY) Washington D.C. office vacancy hits 11.9%,

Grey nominates newbie to BZA (CityPaper) Rashida MacMurray named to zoning board.

WC Smith announces 880 New Jersey Ave in southeast DC (JD Land) The Park Chelsea, with 433 units, is expected to get underway the first half of the year and is the beginning of a projected 1200 residential units on the site.

Your Next Place

2012-01-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

By Franklin Schneider

Mmm mmm! There's nothing like the smell of a newly-constructed property! You know what it smells like? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No previous tenants cooking cured meats with the windows closed, no smokers, no pet traces "covered up" with a dousing of carpet perfume. Nothing. As someone who lives in an ancient never-renovated apartment that smells like a cross between a hot barn and a flooded carpet warehouse, this is something I can really appreciate.

Of course, absence of odor (as wonderful as I'll maintain that is) is the least of this U street penthouse's appeal. There's a whole lot more to like, from the open riser staircase in the living room, to the massive bay windows that floods the loft with light, to the ridiculously spacious walk-in closet (with a window! I bet even Kanye's walk-in closet doesn't have a window), to the deep red cherry floors throughout.

There's a gourmet kitchen with huge stone countertops and an awesome floating glass breakfast bar. Also, it's a two-level unit, so upstairs you have the bedrooms - towards the front is the master suite (location of the remarked-upon walk-in with window), with an beautiful master bath that features a double vanity and custom-made glass shower. Towards the rear is the second bedroom which, although slightly smaller, has a balcony from which you can see U Street. In most places, the non-master-suite bedroom is so clearly inferior that if I lived there in the master suite, I would worry that the person who lived in the smaller bedroom would eventually grow to hate me. Not so in this place - you may have the better walk-in, but they get a balcony. If they grow to hate you, it's for entirely personality-related reasons.

Just two blocks from the Green Line, which makes for a painless commute, and only a stone's throw from U Street, which has everything you could possibly want out of life, as long as that means ethiopian food, frozen yogurt, bars, and pay-as-you-go cellphones.

1912 8th Street NW, Unit D
2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
$599,900

Washington D.C. real estate news

Today in Pictures - Union Station

2012-01-14T11:58:00.002-05:00

Union Station's Main Hall is getting a makeover, as is obvious to anyone passing through this week. The work doesn't relate to the upcoming reconfiguration of the transportation hub; but is a repair of damage caused by last August's 5.8 magnitude earthquake that caused plaster to fall from the ceiling. Universal Builders Supply, which built the scaffolding the embraced the Washington Monument, has assembled the movable scaffold to support the repair work that will last nearly a year while allowing tens of thousands of people to pass underneath daily.

Washington D.C. real estate development news. Photos by Rey Lopez.

Green Line "Corridor" Growth Setting The Pace For The Region: Study

2012-01-13T13:48:00.003-05:00

(Corrects to show Branch Avenue Metro Station in Prince Georges County)

That well-heeled twenty and thirty-somethings are moving into Columbia Heights and Washington Navy Yard isn't news, but if a recent study is true, namely that growth along the Washington's Green Line "Corridor," as it were, is outpacing that of the Ballston-Arlington Corridor and that of the Red Line, well, then.

Certainly, the most well-off of Washingtonians travel the Red Line north to Shady Grove, or the Orange Line to Arlington, right?

Wrong, says Shyam Kannan of Robert Charles Lesser & Co. who told the Capitol Riverfront BID yesterday at their annual meeting that over the past ten years, the highest growth in six-figure riders and those key demographic 18-34 year olds are along the Green Line corridor between Georgia Avenue/Petworth and the Navy Yard, outpacing the suburban-hip Rosslyn-Balston corridor and its Green line-busting hip-hop music scene.

In fact, according to the study, the average income for new households along 10-stations in the Green Line "Corridor" is now nearly $83,000. Moreover, nearly 3,500 18-34 year-olds moved into the Green Line "Corridor" between 2000 and 2010, more than the 3,400 added in Rosslyn-Ballston and the 2,300 or so added along the Red Line in Northwest.

The study was paid for by the Capitol Riverfront BID, which has a bit of self-interest in promoting the Navy Yard as a destination to work live and play along the Green Line given that it lobbied WMATA to change Navy Yard's name to Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront.

And the RCLCO study conveniently slices off the more moderate income ends of the Green Line --Anacostia as well as Greenbelt and Branch Avenue in PG County, which might skew the economics that the study's benefactors want to portray. Still, it shows that the Green Line, which first opened in 1991, is well on its way to help produce the type of dense, transit-oriented-development in the heart of Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. real estate redevelopment news.

Maryland Avenue SW Corridor Redevelopment Plan Unveiled

2012-01-13T12:02:00.000-05:00

During that netherweek between Christmas and New Year's, when most of us were still in an eggnog-induced haze, the DC Office of Planning released a draft report on the Maryland Avenue SW Plan, which is part of NCPC's Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative, a concept introduced last May. If the suggestions in this report are adopted – and there's little reason to believe they won't - the consequences for Southwest would be drastic and far-reaching.

Development-wise, the General Services Administration (GSA) is considering conveying (selling off) four federally-owned parcels along a proposed rebuilt Maryland Avenue, with an eye towards private redevelopment as mixed-use projects. This is pricey territory, with proximity to the Mall, the Capitol, monuments, the forthcoming Southwest waterfront redevelopment. Currently these parcels are all monolithic office buildings, like much of the area - a reality this report aims to dramatically alter. The report raises the possibility of rezoning the area to accommodate high-density residential structures - though there are obstacles to the plan. For starters, one of the four parcels (Parcel 1) is crowded by the USDA Cotton Annex, which for right now at least is not being considered for conveyance. According to the report, it's going to be hard to reach the desired density (the study suggested a minimum of a thousand residential units) on these parcels without them “being aggregated with adjacent land.” - perhaps this is a hint at future conveyances.

The main problem with the Maryland Avenue corridor, other than the aforementioned homogeneity and its lunar-like desolation post 6pm, is that Maryland Avenue doesn't actually exist for a good five blocks between 7th and 12th Streets. Clearly, any revitalization of the area will require the rebuilding of Maryland Avenue as priority one. The report presents three possible avenues towards reestablishing the avenue: option one is to just rebuild it with a median, and rebuild 9th Street to connect Independence, Maryland, and D Street. Option two would rebuild it only between 10th and 12th, and convert the rest to a park. The third proposes a smaller, pedestrian- and bike-friendly center roadway with an adjacent public square, shifting the existing railyard south.

The report seems to lean in favor of the second and third options – surveys taken of area residents and workers showed an overwhelming majority specified “parks and open spaces” as their number one preference in regards to improving the area. The report also lays out a strategy of using public spaces to draw pedestrian traffic and “establish an identity” for the area, which will (theoretically) lead to “demand for residential,” which will in turn “create population that attracts retail.” And reading the report – which is detailed, well-written, and ambitious – you get the impression it just might be that easy.

The plan also calls for a long-overdue expansion of the L'Enfant metro and commuter rail stations, and wholesale improvements of Reservation 113, the greenspace where Maryland and Virginia Avenues intersect, into a “dynamic urban park” as neighborhood centerpiece. The report estimates this project would cost around $430 million, a cost defrayed by the sale of the aforementioned federally-held parcels. Other funding sources, according to the report, could include TIF or PILOT funds, developer/railroad contributions, and various federal grants.

The western side of the Maryland Avenue corridor roughly abuts the soon-to-be-revitalized Southwest Waterfront, which is now revving into high gear and the Eisenhower Memorial is slated for 2015 right next door, all of which could very well create a domino effect, perhaps spurring the much-discussed creation of a "second downtown."

Check out the full report . The public can also offer feedback on the full report, and comment until February 3.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

2012-01-13T08:58:00.000-05:00

By Franklin Schneider

I liked this house so much it made me want to go to law school. After five minutes inside, I was like, "whatever it takes, I need to get my hands on a million and a half dollars, asap," and law school was the quickest way I could figure out to do that. I also considered drug dealing and bankrobbing, but I figured that with law school there's much less chance of me being shot in the face.

But man, this place. A beautiful semi-detached townhouse, it has four fully-furnished levels. Yeah, bummer, four levels is a lot of walking up and down, maybe too much. OH WAIT - it has an elevator!! The lower level family room is incredibly wide and spacious, and opens out onto the lush garden patio. There's a chef's kitchen with everything you need to make an incredible multicourse gourmet meal, which let's be honest you'll never do - but you could, technically. The master suite has a fireplace and is very masterful indeed, with a wonderful master bath (check out the tub) and a private balcony from which you can see Georgetown AND Rosslyn. I didn't even know that was possible. After that, and the elevator, I don't think anything would've surprised me about this house. "And here we have the zero gravity room, which is powered by elfin sorcery." I wouldn't even have blinked.

There's also a sauna and a wet bar (two things that were meant to be together) and a garage and driveway. The house also overlooks Book Hill Park, which is an immaculately landscaped picturesque and little-known park through which I walked after the open house. As I passed a mom and her two kids, I saw her give me a look like "what's this longhaired degenerate doing in my park?" and I started to tell her how I'd just decided to attend law school and become a respectable citizen and enrich myself while also enriching society, but by that time I'd already decided to just buy a Powerball ticket instead. America!

3242 Reservoir Road NW
3 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths
$1,645,000

Washington D.C. real estate news

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Southeast BID touts Metro Green line (CityPaper) Capitol Riverfront BID highlights growth that the Green line has brought, but ignores the ends where little development has taken place.

Why aren't banks lending more? 2 views (CNBC) Regulators push banks to make loans easier, but banks blame regulators for excessive rules and restrictions.

Mortgage rates continue to hit new lows (FreddieMac) The average mortgage rate has now been below 4% for 6 consecutive weeks.

Founders Square DARPA Building Complete, Residential Tower Next

2012-01-12T09:56:00.000-05:00

The first stage of Ballston mixed-use mega-project Founders Square, a 13-story 350,000- square-foot office building at 675 North Randolph, is now complete, with the first (and only) tenant, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), now taking possession of the property. Developer The Shooshan Company now has a clear runway to break ground on the next phase of the five-building, 1.2 million-square-foot complex, the 17-story, 257-unit residential building at 4000 Wilson Boulevard.

“We’re in the very final stages of completion of 675 North Randolph, the new DARPA headquarters,” said Kevin Shooshan, Director of Leasing at the Shooshan Company. “It’s basically complete. [DARPA] is in the process of accepting the building, and transferring over floor by floor, a process which will go on the next few months, probably into the second quarter of 2012.”

DARPA, a secretive federal intelligence and research agency that, according to some reports, invented everything from the internet to GPS, was formerly headquartered down the road on Fairfax Drive in Virginia Square, and almost left the state on the recommendation of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission in 2005. But state representatives and two consecutive governors used a $10 million grant to convince the federal agency to stay in the area, pointing to the 800 jobs (including contractors) provided and $33 million dollars in city and state taxes paid by the agency each year. DARPA is paying $14.7 million a year on their lease.

The new DARPA headquarters, which is certified LEED Gold, is also the first office building in the area to meet the Department of Defense’s Level IV security standards, and will incorporate a secure parking facility and an 82-foot secured perimeter, and is a surrounded by a sizeable lawn that segregates it from the other buildings in Founders Square.

Now, says Shooshan, the focus moves to the residential building at 4000 Wilson Blvd. “Two hundred fifty seven units, seventeen stories, with construction set to begin in the first quarter of next year, and finishing in the first quarter of 2013,” says Shooshan. “The site plan has been approved for over a year now. Permits are lined up and we're going to pull them in a matter of weeks."

The 1.2 million square foot Founders Square project, designed by RTKL Associates, is also slated to include a 183-room Marriott Residence Inn at 650 North Quincy, and a 420,000-square-foot office building at 4040 Wilson Blvd.

Arlington, Virginia real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-12T08:51:00.003-05:00

Alexandria Council looks for waterfront compromise (Washington Post) Though changes are likely, Council indicates likely approval of some version of the plan to develop the Old Town waterfront.

National housing inventory hits seasonal low, but sales are up (Realestate Business Intelligence) New listings were down 22%, while DC sales were up by 2.2% year over year.

Has the housing market hit a bottom? (Forbes) 2011 was only a slightly negative year for housing, but sinking home values slowed throughout the year and appear to be poised to appreciate modestly this year.

Today in Pictures - NoMa

2012-01-11T16:04:00.001-05:00

With numerous projects planned and under construction, Noma's face is changing more quickly than any area of Washington D.C.

Archstone's First & M residential project

NPR Headquarters at North Capitol and L Streets

NPR Headquarters

Washington D.C. real estate development news

A Modest Icon Returns to D.C., The Washington Globe Streetlight

2012-01-11T14:01:00.010-05:00

Iconic street light design has long been part of A-list cities like New York, Boston and Paris. Paris, mais bien sur, naturally, is nicknamed, "The City of Light." And in the United States, New York indeed, might just be the streetlight capital, where there are more than 34 models, most with intricate ironwork, with names like "The Corvington" and the delightfully-named 24A-W "Bishop's Crook." The street light design, not surprisingly, has added to Gotham's mystique and sense of place.

Not surprisingly, there are even Web sites devoted to preserving New York's streetlight heritage.

The Big Apple actually held a design contest in 2004 to standardize and unify the more than 300,000 streetlights in the city, mainly with an aim to ending the tyranny of the banal 1960's era "form-follows-function" cobra head light.

The cobra head light, otherwise known as a Westinghouse OV25 Silverliner, first designed in 1957, is still a staple in many cities, especially Washington D.C. For many years, streetlight design in a "no-frills" government town like Washington meant cobra heads rearing up everywhere.

Oddly enough, they fit well amid the acres of Brutalist concrete of the 1960s and 1970s as the federal government needed to expand its bureaucracy quickly. And as confidence in city management waned in the Marion Barry years, more concern was understandably paid to getting burnt-out streetlights replaced quickly rather than what they looked like.

That's not to say Washington didn't have its own iconic design. The Washington Globe and its bigger brother, the "Twin-20" was, and still is a recognizable staple along Constitution Avenue, New York Avenue and other historic routes. "The Washington Globe is the most pleasing design, architecturally," the city's Fine Arts Commission declared in 1980.

But decades of neglect and disrepair took its toll on a Washington icon. Part of which was due to cost of the globes. A glass globe was the hardiest design, and didn't yellow when exposed to sunlight, but cost more than $300 each and were a danger to cars and pedestrians alike if the heavy, inch-thick glass shattered. The District sent its inventory of glass globes to a dumpster more than 20 years ago.

Replacements for the glass were far from perfect. Polycarbonate globes were tougher, could be bought for less, but yellowed when exposed to sunlight and the lights lost their luminosity. They only last about 5-10 years to boot. Acrylic globes didn't yellow, lasted longer, about 10-15 years, but they weren't cheap either, about $125 a globe.

Indifferent administrations, and the District's subordinate relationship to the federal government also contributed to the lack of appreciation of such uniqueness. During the energy crisis of the 1970s, the Carter administration urged electricity savings. At the White House's prompting, many federal agencies in town disconnected street lighting and eschewed illuminating government buildings, save the Capitol, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and the Washington Monument.

The issue of streetlights in the District played a role in one of the more tragic, and galling incidents in the city. According to the DC Inspector General's report on the death of former New York Times editor David Rosenbaum in January 2006, inadequate street lighting along Granmercy Street was a contributing factor in both his attack and the inability of responding police, firefighters and EMTs in determining the seriousness of Rosenbaum's condition, who was presumed to be drunk, rather than a victim of a robbery with a serious head injury which proved fatal.

While treating Rosenbaum, firefighters needed to turn on side floodlights of their engine to illuminate the scene, the inspector general's report said. "The area was dark, even with the fire (engine)'s lights on," the report said.

Even before Rosenbaum's death, attention had begun to focus on the dismal state of DC's 62,000-plus streetlights and their design. In 1998, the city adopted streetscape and sidewalk standards for downtown DC. Streetscape standards required that builders of commercial properties, among other things, incorporate Washington Globe streetlight design.

And in 2005, the city followed New York's lead and initiated its own streetlight design committee which identified so-called "Special Streets" and "Historic Streets" to upgrade streetlight design as funds permitted. "The historic significance of the City must be reflected through all aesthetic elements including the appearance of streetlights," the committee declared in March 2005 in its final report.

Still, city administrators will freely admit that not every "Special" or "Historic" street will get the upgraded lighting, given other more pressing budget priorities amid an economic downturn. Teardrop lights cost as much as $600, compared to $200 for a cobra head light. But DC recently used Recovery Act funding to replace outdated streetlights along the Dalecarlia Parkway in Northwest. The Dalecarlia Parkway is one of 120 "Special Street" corridors the city has identified for upgraded lighting, including Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenues, MacArthur Boulevard, and the roads making up DC's borders with Montgomery County and Prince Georges County.

But where the city is lacking funds, some of the Business Improvement Districts are stepping up. The Downtown DC BID has also used its funds to pay for new pendant lights, such as the one above seen at 12th and F NW downtown, as well as Washington Globe lights around Gallery Place. In addition, the National Park Service included new "Twin 20" lighting as part of their $10 million remake of Constitution Avenue to be completed in March.

Former Mayor Adrian Fenty also made it a priority for a portion of DC's new streetlights to be green, as well as iconic. The District uses 60.7 million kWh annually and has a lighting bill of about $3.6 million, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The new Metropolitan Branch Trail along the CSX-right-of-way includes nineteen solar-powered LED streetlights. The District is also using $1 million in Recovery Act money for new LED lights in alleys.

Washington D.C. redevelopment news.

Archstone's "First + M" Apartments Doubles NoMa Housing Stock

2012-01-10T16:25:00.001-05:00

Walk by Archstone's First + M apartments in NoMa at night, and you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re done and ready for move-in. While the building is still surrounded by some scaffolding and a few traffic barriers, the sleek mixed-use complex, with its distinctive wavy concrete panels and vaguely fortress-like glass towers, looks very much like a present ready to be unwrapped. “Construction is on or slightly ahead of schedule,” says Peter Jakel, Communications Director at Archstone. "We're currently on schedule for preleasing in March, for first move-ins in May."

Next up? An adjacent 435-unit building, tentatively titled “First + M II,” at 35 M Street NE.

First + M (the first), which was designed by Davis Carter Scott and broke ground in June of 2010, features 469 units – 192 one bedrooms, 206 two bedrooms, and 71 three bedrooms – as well as 2500 square feet of ground floor retail. The finished building will also offer tenants a long list of amenities, including a communal chef's kitchen that opens onto an outdoor dining area, a 5000-square-foot 24-hour gym, a massive green courtyard, a “Rooftop Resort” that features a heated lap pool and sun deck, an internet cafe, a theater, two soundproof music studios, a bike workshop, and, yes – a pet spa. This list, along with the overall dearth of housing in NoMa – the 496 units in First + M will boost NoMa's housing stock by a full 50% - should ensure the project's rapid success.

This is just the latest development in NoMa's swift rise from federal office hinterland to arguably the District's buzziest real estate hotspot. Even today, walking north from Union Station or east from Shaw and into the heart of NoMa is a bit like stumbling across a stand of sunflowers in the middle of a desert. Wasn't this a parking lot just last month?

According to the NoMa BID, the neighborhood's resident population is expected to double in the next two to three years, and projects in the planning stages – a total of 9 million square feet of office space, 860,000 square feet of retail space, and another 6500 residential units - will more than double NoMa's available square footage.

Doug Carter, founding principal at Davis Carter Scott, has been

quoted in these pages as saying he wanted the First + M building to be “a little more forward looking,” and it is. Emphasis on “a little.” Standing at the intersection of First and M Streets, one might experience a temporary wave of vertigo, so identical are the recently-completed buildings and the almost-completed First + M project. Conventional mixed-use structures – ground-floor retail, underground parking, residential units up top – are no doubt efficient, and good for the community, but NoMa might be approaching the “too much of a good thing” saturation point. The blossoming of NoMa is a very good thing for the District, and a checkerboard neighborhood of monolithic glass towers is, without question, preferable to a desolate expanse of surface parking lots and abandoned warehouses – but then, these aren’t the only two choices, are they? Building a neighborhood essentially from scratch is a rare and precious opportunity. Why recreate Ballston?

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yo! Sushi, Panera, and Walgreens to take space in Gallery Square (Washington Post) The historic building at 7th & H, now under renovation, signs its first retailers.

Tysons Corner signs up hundreds of new apartments (Washington Post) Cityline Partners sells three parcels to different developers who plan large apartment buildings.

JLL see greater absorption for office market in 2012 (Zacks) The office sector showing a surprising resilience in the last quarter of 2011, though Washington D.C. did not fare as well.

DDOT Planning 14th Street Facelift

2012-01-09T20:26:00.002-05:00

Washington D.C.'s fast-growing 14th Street corridor between Thomas Circle and Florida Avenue may finally get some much-deserved street-scaping improvements soon, says John Lisle of the District Department of Transportation.

Plans that have been in the works since 2009 may get accelerated after DDOT commences on a similar street-scaping project for U Street later this year, Lisle told DCMud. The 14th Street design, which wrapped up last April at a cost of $450,000, includes iconic "twin-20" Washington Globe lighting along pedestrian walkways and "teardrop" pendant lighting for street illumination.

Included will be dedicated bike lines and pedestrian "bulb-outs" for safety. At key intersections, such as Rhode Island Avenue, Florida Avenue and U Street, crosswalks and sidewalks will get special iconic identification. Cracked cement sidewalks will give way to London pavers, similar to those required in the Downtown DC Business Improvement District. New street furniture such as garbage bins, tree boxes and bike racks are also in the works for the 14th Street upgrade.

Already, parts of 14th Street in the downtown area have gotten similar treatment. The District was able to use $3.6 million in federal Recovery Act funds in 2009 and 2010 for improved street lighting and sidewalks for a stretch of 14th Street between K Street and Thomas Circle, which got its own facelift. A stretch of 11th Street between Massachusetts and O got its own similar upgrade in 2009.

Lisle says that the city has focused on completing its "Great Streets" programs first before tackling major upgrades of other corridors. The "Great Streets" program, started in 2005 by then Mayor Anthony Williams, is working in conjunction with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to jump-start retail and development on long-dormant corridors that have historically been gateways to the city, such as H Street, Pennsylvania Avenue and Georgia Avenue.

The H Street "Great Streets" corridor has just completed, and includes tracks for the District's trolley car plans, while the $3.6 million Georgia Avenue "Great Streets" project is also nearing completion. Pennsylvania Avenue's Great Streets construction, running from 27th Street to Southern Ave, will finish next month at a cost of more than $25 million in federal Recovery Act money. The District has also used $4.5 million in federal funds to rehab stretches of 17th Street, NW with similar lighting upgrades and street furniture, as well as a project on 18th Street in Adams Morgan to improve lighting and pedestrian access, scheduled for completion in May.

The 14th Street Logan Circle corridor has been ground zero for the District's inner core revitalization. Whole Foods, between 14th Street and 15th Street on P Street, which opened in 2000, now anchors the corridor.
Washington D.C. real estate development news

Today in Pictures - Progression Place

2012-01-09T09:51:00.001-05:00

Progression Place - one of Shaw's most notable development projects, is set for occupancy later this year. Developers began work in 2010 on the 320,000 square foot, $150 million development, with 100,000 s.f. of office space, a 205-unit residential apartment building, and 20,000 square feet of street-level retail. The project was designed by architects Eric Colbert & Associates and Devrouax + Purnell, and built by Davis Construction.

Ellis Development, The Jarvis Company, and Four Points combined forces to build the project above the Shaw Metro station. The United Negro College Fund has purchased a stake in the building to be the main office resident.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

EYA Opens New Home Community in Fairfax, VA: Townhomes at Mosaic District

2012-01-09T08:00:00.012-05:00

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Suburban office space ends 2011 on a bad note (Gazette) With a negative net absorption, higher vacancies mark an uncomfortable year for office developments outside the District.

Good times ahead for multi-family (Multi-Housing News) With low vacancy rates, multi-family properties proved the best investment last year, a trend that is likely to continue this year.

Office vacancies and construction both up (Washington Post) With a few large speculative office projects underway, DC is one of the few expanding suppliers of office space in the nation.

Clear Sailing for Southwest Waterfront Development

2012-01-08T08:32:00.002-05:00

The Congressional Budget Office weighed in just before the holidays with a strong endorsement of the proposed rezoning of the Southwest Waterfront, further bolstering H.R. 2297’s already favorable chances of passing into law when the Senate reconvenes next session.

If (when) passed, the bill would bring the District one step closer to a dramatic revitalization of the largely moribund Southwest waterfront, bringing it in line with the rapidly-developing Southeast waterfront, and creating what planners hope will eventually coalesce into a “second downtown.”

The bill, introduced by Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, has already passed the House and gone through Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee markup, and clarifies the vague and somewhat archaic restrictions governing the waterfront. The District has always technically owned the land, but was barred from selling it, which for all intents and purposes made commercial development impossible. The recent CBO report found that empowering development in the area would have no adverse effects on the federal government, thus clearing the way for the 2.5 million-square-foot blockbuster PN Hoffman-Madison Marquette hotel-office-retail-pedestrian mall project.

The Hoffman-Madison First Stage PUD, as reported on this site, breezed through its NCPC hearing back in October. Bob Rubenkonig, a Hoffman-Madison representative, said Hoffman-Madison is busily preparing for 2012 public meetings, with the Second Stage PUD forthcoming very soon - hopefully in February, according to Hoffman VP Shawn Seaman.

The $2 billion, 2.5 million-square-foot project, dubbed “The Wharf,” takes its cues from Baltimore and Seattle's waterfront promenades, and will feature around 1200 residential units, almost 400,000 s.f. of office space, and 200,000 s.f. of retail space. Over half the site will be public space, much of that a pedestrian-friendly, privately-held waterfront avenue, “Wharf Street,” which will replace Water Street, will feature walking lanes, bike paths, and a streetcar. Development plans also call for a four thousand seat theater, a maritime history museum, and three hotels – a four-star, 268-room hotel from Carr Hospitality and InterContinental Hotels Group, and two others from the JBG Companies.

Developers have also agreed to a community benefits package that will set aside 30 percent of the first 500 units of housing - half earmarked for households making less than 60% AMI, and half earmarked for households making less than 30% AMI. Beyond the 500-unit mark, 20% will be reserved for "workforce housing," i.e. police, firefighters, teachers making 80 - 100% AMI. This unusual formula is the result of the Southwest Waterfront Redevelopment Clarification Act of 2010, which exempts a portion of the development from the District's affordable housing requirements. Furthermore, a quarter of the retail space will go to local businesses, and a third of everything sold in the retail spaces will come from local merchants. Design is being spearheaded by Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn Architects, while construction is being handled by PN Hoffman and Clark Construction.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

2012-01-07T08:20:00.001-05:00

If you like woodwork, this 1870s four-level Victorian in Logan Circle is the house for you. In all my open-housing, I don't think I've ever seen a house with this much finely-maintained classic wood. This house made me nostalgic, as I grew up in a Civil War-era house with a lot of similar woodwork (though the house wasn't nearly as nice - in fact it was across the street from Iowa's First Crack House), and much of my childhood chores involved waxing, wiping, or dusting all the woodwork around the house. Which is still the best reason to have kids - unpaid servants!

The living room features a wonderful antique fireplace and built-in shelves, as well as tons of light and a fantastic chandelier. Like many finer houses, there's also a "family room" or "great room" which is essentially another living room, but nicer, and this house is no exception. Bigger, higher ceilings, an even more wonderful, more antique-y fireplace. This is the perfect room for entertaining or special occasions or just reminding guests how classy and cultured you are (if the tuxedo tshirt doesn't get the message across.) The only problem is that while the great room is clearly a showpiece, even the living room is almost too nice to lounge around in. It's like having a Bentley as your weekend car and a Maybach just for "runnin' errands." A terrible problem to have, I know. Definitely mention it as often as possible to your friends, I'm sure they'll be extremely sympathetic.

There's also a separate, elegant dining room (with pocket doors, and another fireplace - this is not a house that lacks for fireplaces), topped off with another vintage chandelier. And there's a massive kitchen, and also an au pair suite, which comes in handy when your annoying family members visit. (Pro tip: the main entrance to the suite locks on both sides.) The bedrooms also had a ton of personality - in a lot of houses, even very nice ones, the bedrooms can be sort of afterthoughts, just big rectangular boxes for sleeping in. But these bedrooms each had their own individual characteristics, like an exposed brick wall, or deluxe closets.

Also, this fine house is located in arguably the hottest up-and-coming neighborhood, just blocks from Whole Foods and various gyms and shops and restaurants and bars. And to think just ten years ago, the only place to eat on 14th Street was the homeless shelter.

1441 Q Street NW
5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths
$1,895,000

Union Station's Main Hall Set For Big Changes

2012-01-06T09:01:00.014-05:00

Entering Union Station's grand Main Hall, amid all the construction netting and scaffolding resulting from the emergency ceiling repairs prompted by August's earthquake, you'd be hard pressed to spot preparation for two shafts set to penetrate the Main Hall's pink marble floor.

The sinking of what will become two 750-square foot escalators openings are just the start of a grand "less-is-more" redesign of the hundred year-old-plus Main Hall, which among other things, will eliminate the Center Cafe and the two circular marble planters, while adding more seating and retail and improving sight lines, signage and pedestrian flow. It's what Union Station Redevelopment Corporation chief consigliere David Ball hopes will create more "vertical circulation" -- improving access to an expanded level of retail space on the venerable station's lower level, freed up with the closure of the much-maligned Union Station 9 movieplex downstairs in 2009.

The remake is the biggest overhaul of Daniel Burnham's Beaux Arts gem since Union Station's 1988 restoration and the largest repair job since January 1953, when 200-plus tons of locomotive and coaches of the Federal Express en route from Boston, sans brakes, plunged into what is now the lower level food court.

Still, getting this far hasn't been easy. Union Station has a virtual who's who of multiple stakeholders, including Amtrak, Union Station Redevelopment Corp., The Federal Railroad Administration, Metro, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., which owns the lease to Union Station through Union Station Investco LLC, and Jones Lang LaSalle, which manages the retail spaces.

The replacement designs for what came next became became a bureaucratic slug-fest between alphabet-soup agencies including the Commission on Fine Arts, The D.C. Office of Historic Preservation, and the National Capital Planning Commission who couldn't come to an agreement on what they liked. Compounding the difficulty was the 1969 declaration of Union Station as a National Landmark, which made it subject to the complex Section 106 proceedings of the National Historic Preservation Act.

It was easier to reach an agreement on what they didn't like -- Center Cafe smack in the middle of Main Hall. While the double-decker libation center was popular with 20-something Capitol Hill types, many said the sight lines in Main Hall were spoiled.

"The distracting Center Café makes visitors pause in confusion and forces travelers to circle around the pedestal and stairs to find the trains," said Nancy Metzger of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society in comments to the Union Station Redevelopment Corp. last August.

But the first design by GTM Architects, unveiled in June 2010, was almost a wreck on the scale of the Federal Express. Reminiscent of the 1970's Bicentennial visitors center, the design would have cut a giant hole in the center of the Main Hall, creating a glass and steel platform flanked by two elevator/escalator shafts.

The suggestion of re-opening the floor in the main hall recall(ed) memories of the ill-fated slide show pit," said Wesley Paulson, a member of the National Capital Trolley Museum. Critics such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation said the initial design (left) used too much glass and said that the redesign was no better than the behemoth Center Cafe it was designed to replace. In July 2010, USRC and GTM unveiled round two of the redesign, eliminating the center elevator/escalator shafts while seeking a retro-approach in an attempt to make the Main Hall look like more like its passenger station heyday of the 1920's and 30's, with long high-backed mahogany benches.

But this time, Amtrak police, perhaps channeling their inner-TSA, sought to nix the iconic mahogany, saying that the proposed high-backed benches made it hard for their explosive-sniffing police dogs to do their work, while giving potential bad guys plenty of places to hide.

Finally in December 2010, a compromise was reached. Two, smaller, but parallel escalator shafts closer to the front entrance but on opposite sides of the Main Hall so as not to impede center flow traffic. The escalator shafts would be detailed with wood, brass and marble signage and fittings to help pedestrians find their way to trains and the new retail.

Instead of the high-backed benches, the design called for functional if unimpressive low-slung pedestals that can be easily scooted out of the way for black-tie corporate shindigs in the evenings that the Main Hall routinely attracts, something the long benches would have impeded. Also added would be two new retail kiosks or "luxury marketing units" and an information booth in the center, reminiscent of the original layout.

Construction on the Main Hall improvements will follow the emergency work already being done on the ceiling as a result of the earthquake on August 23. The emergency work will be finished in late 2012.

The improvements in the Main Hall aren't the only ones. Already underway outside Union Station is a redesign of Columbus Circle in junction with the National Park Service, along with plans from Union Station Investco to improve the passenger waiting area with "Best In Brand" stores and new fixtures.

Metro too, is looking to upgrade access to its own station at Union Station as well, with a new improved entrance along First Street NE and a tunnel to H Street, in advance of Akridge's massive Burnham Place project, set to begin preliminary construction in 2014.

Washington D.C. real estate redevelopment news.

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-06T08:30:00.001-05:00

Existing home sales up in November (Construction Digital) Despite decreasing prices, sales of existing homes increased 4% from October, and were up 12% over November 2010.

What you need to know when buying or selling a home in 2012 (Washington Post) A broad look at the real estate market.

Valor Development gets a boost in bid to build 70 unit multi-family in Shaw (Urban Turf) With the acquisition of a District-owned parcel and ANC approval, the developer can is closer to starting a project next to CityMarket at O.

Another DC school up for grabs (CityPaper) Webb Elementary, next to Gallaudet, is on the block for sale.

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-05T08:00:00.000-05:00

Rita Bamberger named Chair of Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (Citybiz) The Principal of Holladay Corp. will lead the Board of the local affordable housing provider.

Wheaton's apartment boom ushers in redevelopment (Gazette) Numerous projects planned in the downtown area over the coming years.

Construction spending hits 17 month high (Realestaterama) Monthly spending nationwide hits highest level since June 2010.

Today in Pictures - Marriott Marquis

2012-01-03T08:50:00.004-05:00

It hardly seems like a year since the Marriott Marquis broke ground next to the Convention Center. Construction crews have now finished digging and are now building back up, as evidenced by the photos taken last week. The 1,175-room, 15-story Marriott, headed by Quadrangle Development and Capstone Development, will feature an underground tunnel to the convention center and more than 100,000 s.f. of meeting and ballroom space, 25,000 sf of retail, and 385 parking spaces. Two more Marriotts will be built to the north. Hensel Phelps is the general contractor.

Washington D.C. real estate development news. Photographs by Rey Lopez.

Morning Real Estate Review

2012-01-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

Fannie Mae reports $5.1 billion 3rd quarter loss (insurancenews.net) The loss, nearly twice last quarter's loss, results from pre-2009 loans and requires a request for $7.8 billion from the Treasury.

Alexandria Waterfront group plans rallies (Washington Post) Another group plans rallies around Alexandria to support the city's recent waterfront proposal.

DC area declines as a favorite spot for foreign investors (Globe St) DC's ranking at the top of the world real estate market for foreign investors has been slipping for 2 years based on doubts about federal spending.

Metro-centered apartments command high premium (Washington Post) Tired of the nation's worst congestion, Washington DC area residents show a strong favoritism for living near public transit.

From Russia with Love and Window Treatments

2012-01-02T10:32:00.001-05:00

By Beth Herman

For transplanted Moscow native Lena Kroupnik of Lena Kroupnik Interiors, crossing the great and cold divide in 1991 entailed more than simply swapping nations.

Accompanying her husband for his job on a joint U.S./Soviet venture under the auspices of Russia’s Ministry of Energy, and wholly enamored of art and design for most of her life, the former engineer and electrophysicist joyfully jettisoned the rigors of a career in steely science. Soon after landing in Maryland and taking some time to acclimate her young children to America, Kroupnik began a formal interior design education and "…walked around with a dictionary in (her) pocket" for years.

“We had architectural schools, but didn’t have interior design schools in Russia when I was young,” said the warm and ebullient Kroupnik, eager to paint a brand new canvas in her newly-adopted country.

For former engineer Kroupnik, interior design is as much—or sometimes admittedly more—about function than aesthetics. With a passion for defining residences by the creative use of window treatments, sometimes even repurposed as dividers—sans windows— to separate, balance and distinguish rooms, Kroupnik’s strategic use of fabrics, textures, draping and layering becomes art and science in itself. Used to widen or in other ways alter windows, or to enhance a vertical line, Kroupnik believes window treatments are tantamount to fine art when adding definition and character to a room.

Let them use silk

In a North Potomac, Md. residence, the homeowner desired an opulent but family-friendly look and function for the home’s first floor. A massive floor-to-16-foot-ceiling living room fenestration replete with glass patio doors and imposing clerestory windows presented a design challenge, but also an opportunity. With a directive to incorporate the small outdoor patio into the vista, the designer said she needed both a connection to and separation from the outdoor space.

“When I looked for the right fabric for the window treatments, I decided on silk because it drapes very well. And when you employ the technique of layering, the fabric has body,” Kroupnik said.

Using silk swags at the top and soft, folded drapes at the sides, Kroupnik framed the outdoors and patio and mitigated some of the light, which she said could be overpowering in the evening.

“When you design window treatments, each component is important,” Kroupnik said, adding trim is key because it adds layering and dimension. Color—in this case cream, mauve and burgundy— can also connect the indoors with organic hues found on the outside.

Because the home is so large, Kroupnik wanted to knit rooms together which was achieved by using the same silk stripe fabric from Carleton House Fabrics and Houles trim throughout. Though window treatment design varies from room to room, from sumptuous to semi-formal to really simple—such as panels of pinch-pleated fabric on a metal rod in the library—there is a feeling of unity and connection throughout.

Divide and delight

In a traditional home in NW D.C., a rather small foyer emptied into a living room, dining room and office. Desiring privacy for guests when entering the residence, Kroupnik used double-faced silk draperies to separate the foyer from the living room.

“You’d like to peek into the living room, and one side is held open with a tie-back hold so you kind of can,” she said. “It provides a luxurious look. It’s elegant and welcomes guests into the house.”

Softening the stone

In a Cathedral area condo, a variety of window treatments including operable Hunter Douglas shades in a semi-sheer fabric were employed to define the home. With the homeowner a jewelry designer who traveled extensively to Africa and throughout the world, the twofold goal was to achieve a warm, cozy space and also a showcase for art and some ponderous wood, metal and stone artifacts.

Achieved by the use of rich and varied textures, the look of the space and art was softened by fabrics and window treatments that included nubby, heavier silk in lighter colors. Because a bulk soffit above the living room window diminished its height, Kroupnik sought to open and raise it aesthetically by using a clean, simple black wrought iron rod at the top. Redolent of the touches of black already in the room, the hardware did not overwhelm the space.

Crests and crystal

In Severna Park, Md., a home with a wooded, river setting called for replicating the flow and cycle of water and nature just outside. Generally dark due to its siting, the homeowners wanted to capture and also create as much light as possible, which Kroupnik did using lots of light-reflecting crystal and in some cases lighter, filmy fabrics for window treatments.

“My engineering background came in handy here because the rooms were not the same width, but we wanted them to appear balanced,” Kroupnik said. Using sophisticated silk swags, jabots, pelmets, panels and Stroheim and Romann embroidered sheers, along with hardware that included a crest and leaves, the designer was able to elegantly frame and preserve the view and court the light while maintaining privacy.

“In the current economy, window treatments can save on heating bills as well as beautifying a space,” Kroupnik said, speaking to the more budget-conscious homeowner. “They are sometimes a neglected aspect of design, but they are clearly very important.”

Your Next Place

2011-12-31T08:25:00.001-05:00

By Franklin Schneider

This Georgian red-brick colonial is not just beautiful and sophisticated, it's a big bad hunk o' house, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Just look at it; it seems to exude strength and solidity and security. You want this house to be your dad. I feel like a meteor could strike this house and would just bounce off, with maybe minor damage to the gutters or something.

Located on an extremely quiet street (I tiptoed to and from my car), the interior of the house is just as striking as the exterior. The huge living room boasts a fireplace, and the formal dining room is so nice it's almost a shame to just use it for sitting around and shoveling back Tater Tots while listening to your relatives hold forth on current events. (“Instead of Occupying Wall Street, they should try to get jobs there, I heard those bankers make a lot of money!” Actual unironic quote from my Thanksgiving. It's important to note that this person also thinks the greatest president of her lifetime was “Jim W. Bush.”) Gleaming hardwood floors throughout, recessed lighting, crown moldings, four large bedrooms, a stunning sunroom.

Last but certainly not least, my favorite thing about this place was the fantastic garden in back, with a large stone patio, fully fenced in and extremely private. You could totally sunbathe in the nude back here with no fear of being spied upon. In fact, I gave it a try, but I'd barely gotten my pants off before the agent pepper-sprayed me.

4504 Burlington Place, NW
4 Bedrooms, 3 Baths
$1,095,000

Morning Real Estate Review

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Virginia's real estate scene, apartments dominate while office buildings lag (Virginia Business) Macroeconomic factors are helping apartments and hurting office developers.

Happy 20th birthday to the Navy Yard Metro (JDLand) 20 years ago the Metro ushered in the "Field of Dreams" expectations to southeast; reality took a bit longer.

DC area home prices up 1.3% in October (Washington Post) The increase over last year's numbers was one of the few positive reports in the housing market nationwide, making DC the clear leader in the housing industry.

2011 Year in Review

2011-12-29T20:06:00.003-05:00

Looking back on 2011, the year may be known in the real estate world as a year of binge-buying and construction of apartment buildings, or the year Walmart came to town, at least on paper. But with Washington DC's population growing and construction financing available, the city added many new restaurants, apartments (though condos still lagged) and even some office buildings. Here's a look at some of the many developments that shaped the year:

14th Street Rules
14th Street saw developers lining up in swarms as JBG broke ground on District Condos (Jan 10) and quickly leased up retail in the future building (pictured below), showing the commercial strength of 14th Street, though the building later converted to rentals, showing the relative strength of the apartment financing market. Nearby, Georgetown Strategic Capital readied to build Utopia at 14th & U, though JBG took that up too. Level2 Development got support for 144 units across the street on the 1900 block of 14th, UDR got underway on its 255-unit apartment bui lding replacing the Nehemiah Center, Douglas Development got approval for 30 units on the 2200 block, Habte Sequar started work on his 30 unit project at 14th & R, while PN Hoffman began converting the Veriz on building across the street into 40 condos. The Irwin neared final approval for 60 units on lower 14th Street, and Furioso put up a design for a 42,000 s.f. office in the 1500 block.

Virginia, Towering Above Others
Virginia went big this year: Dittmar submitted plans for 500 apartments in Virginia Square (Jan 11), though construction has not yet begun. The beltway's tallest building - at nearly 400 feet - got underway in Alexandria, another just a hare shorter got closer in Tysons Corner, both barely eclipsing the Rosslyn tower that poked above ground (pictured, left) just a few days ago. JBG contributed with its 474-unit Rosslyn Commons groundbreaking (Jan 6).

There was finally a kick start for Buzzard Point (Jan 17), thanks to Duane Deason, who is planning the first residential project in the largely forgotten area, with zoning approval secured in August. Not too far away, Camden Properties began their residential project on South Capitol (June 13) giving the area some momentum. A new bridge and streetscape on the way for South Capitol gave the area even more buzz.

Columbia Heights saw nothing like the boom that hit it in previous years, but Chris Donatelli began adding another building next to his two centerpieces at 14th & Irving.

Getting Malled
It was a busy, if controversial year for the Mall: Eisenhower drew the most attention as Frank Gehry, the chosen architect, put forward 3 plans for a tribute. One was selected, but public discontent with the starchitect's vision was strong, and one arts group put forward its own competition. The winning vision was displayed, briefly. Three areas of the fading Mall were designated for a redesign (Oct 26). Rogers Marvel Architects was chosen as the d esigner for President's Park South (July 7), while DC residents begged for the reopening of E Street, and The Disabled Veterans' Memorial got nearly ready for construction near the U.S. Capitol (Oct 5). The Martin Luther King Memorial progressed from dirt piles to completion, opening this summer (Aug 12), and the African American Museum of History and Culture got nearly off the ground. Not to be outdone, Latinos pursued sites nearby for another museum on ethnicity and race (July 2).

NoMa boomed, again. Its second hotel, a Hilton, opened in April, Mill Creek Residential broke ground (March 18) on 603 rental units, Skanska purchased a lot in January and planned its largest office building in the DC area (Aug 10). Camden started off 320 units of housing in September, and MRP let slip that they intended to kick off Washington Gateway at NoMa's northern edge (Aug 29) after years of waiting. StonebridgeCarras started digging for phase II of Two Constitution Square (May 12) for 203 residential units and then broke ground on Three Constitution Square (Oct 18) on spec, like its predecessors. NoMa East, however, continued to idle.

Shaw had its day, again and again, as Four Points (officially, anyway) got to work on Progression Place (Feb 5), while the CityMarket at O got underway (pictured, below) two months after the Giant closed. New designs were released for the Wonder Bread buildings (Aug 30) Jefferson Apartment Group bought Kelsey Gardens (Oct 27), promising a quick start of removing the eyesores. Finally, Two more Marriotts were planned next to the Convention Center (June 22).

Take Me to the River
Construction was everywhere in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood in southeast with the construction of Canal Park (Feb 15), and a new bridge (Nov 21). Foundry Lofts opened to the public, reconstruction of the boilermaker building got underway for the area's first retail component, work on the Harris Teeter and apartment building commenced and Florida Rock demolition finally began. Other waterfronts made progress too as plans in Old Town and southwest DC inched along.

Elsewhere around the city, the CityCenter mega-project got underway in April, still without a tenant; GW faced a public outcry over its plan to demolish historic rowhouses on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Wisconsin Ave. Giant finally got the financing to go forward with the residential and retail project, then beat off the NIMBYs, and Dakota Crossing was purchased, facilitating a big-box retail development where a forest now stands. Tenleytown got an unsightly library, finally (Jan 19) and new school, Eastbanc unveiled its designs for the West End (Apr 8), and the Bozzuto/Abdo team broke ground for the 2nd big project in Brookland.

Bethesda, and its Northern Neighbor
In Bethesda, Bainbridge got to work on its 17-story apartment building, while the Trillium site was sold to StonebridgeCarras and Walton Street Capital (Mar 9), injecting the moribund project with hoped-for new life. Way up north in the neighborhood that no one can agree what to name, White Flint (aka North Bethesda, aka Rockville) got ready for a building boom as JBG and LCOR beefed up residences (1275 by LCOR) planned for the ongoing construction sites and Federal Realty planned 1725 residences. JBG already has the tallest residential building in Montgomery County, which it plans to surpass with its next phase (pictured, at right).

Projects that wanted to be on the 2011 list but will now have to dream of the 2012 list: anything in Fort Totten, Skyland redevelopment, Arlington's first LEED Gold apartment building, reconstruction of Babe's Billiards, the Florida Avenue / Capital City Market, the Adams Morgan hotel, the Akridge and Monument Half Street projects in southeast, and Howard Town Center, to name just a few.