Today in Pictures - Francis A. Gregory Library

The Francis A. Gregory Library opened on June 30th at 3660 Alabama Avenue. Like the Bellevue library, which opened in early June, DC's newest library was designed by a partnership of Adjaye Associates and Wiencek & Associates, with Jair Lynch as the development manager.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

NDC Renovates Columbia Heights Eyesore

Local developer The Neighborhood Development Company (NDC) has commenced work on Columbia Courts, an 11-unit boutique condominium project at 1225 Fairmont Street, NW in Columbia Heights.  Columbia Courts will replace the unattractive apartment building at the same address, the appearance of which has been even worse by sitting vacant and unkept.

"We just recently broke ground," says Juan Powell, Principal at NDC.  "Well, I shouldn't say break ground - we're doing a comprehensive renovation of the existing structure.  Gutting it, redoing everything.  We started renovations last month and we expect to be done by September or October."

NDC won the rights to redevelop the building at 1225 Fairmont through a competitive solicitation process overseen by the District of Columbia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD).  The property had previously been under the control of the Development Corporation of Columbia Heights (DCCH), which, in conjunction with five tenant households, made a winning bid of $427,000 for the property at a 2001 HUD auction.  But by 2010, the building had fallen vacant, and the District was soliciting bids for a new development.

Columbia Courts will feature a large interior landscaped courtyard, balcony units, and below-grade parking. And while all the units will be designated "affordable," they will all include finishes such as "wood floors, hard surface countertops, and stainless steel appliances."

NDC Builders, an affiliate of The Neighborhood Development Company, is the general contractor on the project, and PGN Architects spearheaded the redesign.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

Yes, another penthouse.  What can I say, penthouses are spectacular!  Do you really want to read a post about a basement efficiency?  How about this, if you're really sick of penthouses, just sit down, write a letter outlining your specific objections, and then tear that letter up into little pieces and throw it away, because come on, man!  I'm doing my best here.  (Sort of.)

This spectacular two-level penthouse is the perfect intersection of quality and location.  On one hand it's got tons of windows, high ceilings, and gleaming hardwood floors.  Downstairs boasts a fireplace and a chef's kitchen, and upstairs you have three bedrooms and a stunning roof deck from which you can see the Washington Monument.  And on the other hand, it's perfectly situated just a couple blocks above U Street, and a few blocks below Columbia Heights.  Anything, literally anything, you could possibly want, you'll be able to find in one of those two neighborhoods.  Unless you're a perv, in which case you'll have to go to, like, Thailand or something?

The penthouse also comes with garage parking, and access to the enclosed courtyard below.  Also, I have reason to believe that this building is a lucky one.  True story: I attended a party here last summer where I met the girl of my dreams.  We hit it off and left together, it was perfect.  And then on the way home she got pulled over, failed her breathalyzer, spent the night in jail, and never responded to any of my subsequent texts.  So yeah, the building is lucky, the intersection down the block, not so much.

1421 Chapin Street NW PH-302
3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
$754,900

Sentinel Square, Trammell Crow's Three Phase NoMa Project, Reaches Halfway Point

Trammell Crow's massive three-phase NoMa development, Sentinel Square, is officially at its precise midpoint.

"We just hit the bottom of the hole for Phase 2," says Tom Finan, Managing Director at Trammell Crow.  "Now we're starting to work our way up.  We broke ground back in February and we're on track to deliver in October 2012."

The Phase Two office building, at 1050 First Street, is slated to offer approximately 280,000 square feet of office space over twelve stories.

The Smith Group/JJR-designed building may or may not feature ground floor retail space.  "That's something we're going to look at," says Finan.  "It's going to depend on the market.  That intersection is becoming a sort of crossroads for that area, so it might be a good idea.  But as of right now, it's still up in the air."

The first phase, a similar but larger 12-story 400,000-s.f. LEED Gold office tower, also designed by Smith Group/JJR, was delivered in June 2010.  The third and final phase, another office building, is still in pre-planning stages.

"We're not going to really get down to Phase Three until we have the second phase delivered and leased and stabilized," Finan said.

Sentinel Square II was financed on spec by European companies Helaba and Nord LB, which collectively put up $181 million towards completion.  Though financing a project of this scale on spec is somewhat unusual (but so were 1812 N. Moore and CityCenter), investors were reportedly reassured by the fact that Trammell Crow has already leased 85% of Sentinel Square I, to such tenants as the Department of Veteran Affairs, and other federal agencies.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

I'll admit, I'm kind of an "old things" snob - I only wear vintage clothes, won't drink bourbon unless it's at least 12 years old, and don't like any movie made after about 1978.  But one new thing I really love is a new condo, especially when they're like this.  I mean, look at it!  It would be like living inside an iPhone.  What snob could resist that?

This two-level Logan Circle condo in the Metropole features a wide-open floor plan, high ceilings, and totally unique finishes.  The kitchen gets a ton of light from the massive wall of windows; there's also exposed ductwork, for that frisson of rough industrial edges, but also Bosch appliances and custom cabinets for that frisson of, well, living in a million dollar condo.  Both good frissons.

Upstairs are the fine, spacious bedrooms, and there are three, yes three, very fine bathrooms.  As with the rest of the house, the utmost care has been given to every detail - the cabinets, the towel racks, the light fixtures, even the shower curtain rods are cool.  This is a condo that's guaranteed to make all your friends feel inferior and lame when they visit, which in my mind is the real point of home ownership.

And of course, the location.  Everything you could possibly want is within a block; a gym, a salon, restaurants, half a dozen bars, Whole Foods.  The condo comes with a parking space, but only a very bad person would live here and still insist on driving.  (Just kidding, when I visit my parents in Iowa, I drive their car twenty feet down the driveway to get the mail.)

1515 15th Street NW #430
2 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths
$999,999

Long Branch Community Revitalization Plan Unveiled

Montgomery County planners unveiled an ambitious, wide-ranging community revitalization plan for the east Silver Spring community of Long Branch earlier this week, the first step in a long-term reinvention of the area that will peak with the opening of the Purple Line sometime later this decade.

In essence, the plan seeks to transition Long Branch from a car-centric and pedestrian-unfriendly neighborhood of strip malls, surface parking lots, and little to no public transportation, to a greener, mixed-use area connected by bike lanes, redesigned sidewalks, and two Purple Line Stations. One of the biggest challenges facing the area are the poorly-functioning intersections at Piney Branch Road and Flower Avenue, and Piney Branch Road and University Boulevard (see above).  This inefficiency is compounded by narrow or nonexistent sidewalks in much of the area.  The plan aims to correct this by widening and reconfiguring the above intersections, as well as installing medians, and dramatically widening sidewalks and adding bike lanes throughout Long Branch.

Of course, accessibility should improve while traffic should (theoretically) decrease when the Purple Line opens in a few years.  Long Branch will incorporate not one but two Purple Line light rail stations (see above and below), which will bring considerable changes to local transportation patterns.  The stations, at University Blvd. and Piney Branch Road, and at Arliss Street and Piney Branch Road, should reduce congestion along Piney branch and University, the main traffic arteries; combined with the proposed street improvements, this could have a serious calming effect on the neighborhood.

On the green front, planners also propose street trees throughout the area, wide-ranging park improvements, and the creation of two entirely new parks on the very west end (see below).

This blogger visits Long Branch semi-regularly - there's no better one-stop community for thrift shopping, authentic vietnamese sandwiches, and 99-cent VHS rental emporiums - and I can attest to the almost aggressively indifferent urban design (or lack thereof) in the area.  It's taken the mediocrity of the suburban strip mall aesthetic and added comically inefficient traffic management and a palpable indifference to pedestrians and cyclists.  One is often forced to make right turns off the main traffic arteries, which means braking to a crawl on a zooming four-lane road; when you add in jaywalkers and cyclists forced to ride in the gutter, it's a recipe for disaster.  This plan won't turn Long Branch into NoMa, or even downtown Silver Spring, but it will, if carried out, produce a safer, greener, more functional community.

Silver Spring, Maryland real estate development news

HiRISE WINDOWS Sheds Light on Window and Door Renovation

Sponsored Announcement 

 For many condominium and co-op owners, the first signs of trouble might be subtle – increased dust on the windowsill, noticeably more street noise, but before long comes the realization that a window or patio door needs replacing. HiRISE WINDOWS is a locally owned company whose professionals often find themselves meeting with condominium boards, groups of owners or property managers at exactly this point. 

Specializing in window and door replacement throughout the Washington area, HiRISE is renowned for solving problems that are due to age, wear or poor installation. HiRISE has carved a niche in the business with a steadfast dedication to the highest level of customer service.

 Founded by self-described former techie, Kevin Vincent, the business was born after he left a successful career in software and technology and took a job with a window replacement company. In short order, he saw the void in customer service and decided he could do better.

 From obsolete aluminum windows in high rises to historic iron-frame windows in Georgetown, HiRISE meticulously identifies the right solution, always to AAMA standards, and with an eye towards improving energy efficiency and enhancing livability. As one client said, “The recently installed windows and balcony door [from HiRISE] are just fantastic. It's so quiet and peaceful that I feel as though I have a brand new apartment!”

www.hirisewindows.com

Bright and Bold: Shaw Apartments Nearly Complete

McCullough Construction, LLC, will soon complete construction of one of the more colorful apartment buildings in Washington D.C.  Bailey Park, located at 625 Rhode Island Avenue in Shaw, was designed by Suzane Reatig Architecture, and includes an unusual color scheme and Trespa panels, rare in American architecture.


The 32,125 s.f., 4-story apartment building will hold 16 units in place of the 4 townhouses torn down in advance of construction, and 2 will be reserved exclusively for tenants making less than 80% of the AMI (area median income), with 14 of those being rented at market rates.

More noticeable, however, is the now complete façade of background grey with three bright accent colors: carmine red, ochre and purple.

“They picked some very interesting façade colors,” said project manager Seamus McCullough. “We’ve gotten some complements. It definitely grabs your attention as you walk down Rhode Island, let’s put it that way.”

The building’s façade is made of aluminum windows, architectural concrete masonry and Trespa phenolic wall panels for screening rain.

“[The panels] are supposed to be extremely durable and hold up to weather and sun for a lifetime,” McCullough said. “There’s no caulk in the joints, so it’s an open system.”

“It has a roof deck with four individual patio areas,” McCullough said, as well as a green roof.  “From the inside, one of the nicer features is the amount of natural light,” McCullough said. “in most of the units, you don’t even need the lights on during the day.”

Ground broke on the project on Sept. 26, 2011, and completion is expected at the end of July.  “We expect to turn it over by July 15, at the very latest,” McCullough said.

Washington, D.C. real estate and development news

Your Next Place

This condo might be on the first floor, but it's nicely elevated above street level, so you can literally look down on the rest of the world, to match how you figuratively look down on the rest of the world.  What, you think we didn't notice?  You should see what we say about you on gchat.

This very large two bedroom/two baths unit has everything you could want in a house, much less a condo; a beautiful living room with exposed brick, a huge bay window and gas fireplace, a gourmet kitchen with granite counters, and island, and stainless steel appliances.  The master bedroom suite boasts a huge walk-in closet to store all your clothes or hide in if an axe murderer breaks into the place.  Recessed halogen lighting and hardwood floors throughout, and it comes with rental parking prepaid through 2015!  (Man, I really am a commitment-phobe; even the thought of staying with the same parking space for three years gave me chills.)

And it's ideally situated just off 14th street, so you're a stone's throw from some of the best bars and restaurants in the entire city.  From riding a bike full speed while vomiting to throwing an entire pizza onto the windshield of a taxi to jumping off a second story patio to impress a girl (surprise, she wasn't impressed), I don't think there's a block of 14th between O and W Streets on which I haven't engaged in some serious late-night foolishness. And if there's a better endorsement for a neighborhood, I certainly can't think of it.

1433 R Street NW #2
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$699,000

Washington D.C. real estate news

Douglas announces first tenant for Wonder Bread Building

Douglas Development announced its first tenant in the historic Wonder Bread building at 641 S St NW: WorkSpaces, LLC. The company will take residence immediately following the completion of construction, which is planned for January 2013.

Douglas leased 20,817 s.f. to WorkSpaces, a “strategic furniture solutions consulting agency,” according to a press release, which will be the property’s first tenant since 1988, occupying the entire third floor.

Douglas recently began construction on the Wonder Bread building, which it purchased in 1997. Douglas also applied for landmark status this past year with support from the D.C. Preservation League, which supported its plans.

The Wonder Bread building sits next door to Progression Place, also under construction. Progression Place will have 100,000 s.f. office space and 205 apartments above the Metro entrance.

Washington, DC real estate and development news