What Goes Down Must Come Up

You just can't help but stare - but it's okay. The Rosslyn Best Western (pictured) succumbed to the wrecking ball this week to make way for Turnberry Tower, a luxury highrise condo that is to take its place in Spring 2008. The project, after several fits and starts under other names and other developers, is being developed by Turnberry Ltd. of Florida. The 247-unit condo will be decidedly more upscale from the hotel it replaces, with condominiums beginning in the low $800's (thousands, of course) and topping $6m for its penthouse with more than 5000 s.f. All units will have private terraces; and valet parking and elevator access directly into the unit are some of the options available. BBG-BBGM Architects is designing the building for Turnberry, but the new construction isn't nearly as cool as watching the wrecking ball smash the hotel to bits.

At 26 stories, Turnberry Tower will be one of the tallest buildings in the region, competing in height (and sales) with Waterview by JBG, a new condo going up 2 blocks away that has now topped out at 29 stories. Condo sales for Turnberry began in June 2005.