The urban renewal of the 1950s left Southwest a forgotten section of DC, but recent projects are bringing new excitement and livability to the area. One such project is Fairfield Residential LLC’s Marina View Towers (click image to see rendering of project layout). The developer is renovating the two existing Marina View Towers at 1100 6th Street SW and adding two additional residential structures, a development that will be a mix of apartments, condos, a large central garden, and 8,000 s.f. retail space. Designed by I.M. Pei, the two original towers are of historic status and, thus could not be demolished; instead, they will undergo complete interior renovations. The north existing tower will become a 128-unit apartment building while the southern tower will be converted into a 120-unit condominium building. The final piece of the project is a 12,000-15,000 s.f. amenities building for residents that will include a pool, gym, lounge, and business center.Taking the place of the two towers’ surface parking lot will be two new 112-foot towers each with approximately 145 rental apartments. Designed by Esocoff and Associates, both buildings will offer parking for residents, the north tower with three underground levels and the south with four; the new south tower will also include 8,000 s.f. of retail space.
Also being redeveloped in the developer-described “oasis” that is Southwest is the former Waterside Mall into “Waterfront” a mixed-use development that will share a driveway with Marina View. “It (Southwest) is not a hotbed because there are not a lot of available sites. There are the Forest City renovations, PN Hoffman, and Bernstein are working on projects in the area as well, but I do think in the next two years we will start to see a lot of cranes up in our section,” said Graham Brock, Project Manager at Fairfield Residential.
Brock added that while development in the area is picking up, the market will have a large influence on the final outcome of the project. “No one wants to sink each other. We all understand that a critical mass needs to be reached to support retail, we have to build to allow retail to succeed,” he said.
This critical mass will include the 12,000 s.f. of the project that are currently allotted for affordable housing, a number that may increase as current residents decide whether or not to stay in their units. Current residents can choose to be bought out by the developers, to buy a condo, or to rent an apartment at the project’s completion. The Planned Unit Development states what the values for the condo and rental options would be as a benefit to the city based on how many tenants stay in each option.
While plans are currently contingent upon the PUD and votes for the various conversions, the northern tower is tentatively scheduled to break ground later this year with completion in 2008; renovations on the southern tower are slated for summer 2008.
8 comments:
I looked up Esocoff and Associates' website after reading this post. After looking at their portfolio, I realized that they were the architects for pretty much every condo highrise that has caught my eye in DC. Between them and PN Hoffman, the architecture in this city is really looking up lately.
On a related topic: Does anyone know what (if anything) is going on with the Waterside Mall?
In December there was promise, but it's as dead as always since then...
At the latest ANC meeting, the developers said the Waterside Mall will close by the end of May of this year and demolition should begin in June.
Does anyone know what's happening with the virtually identical towers on the other side of the Waterside Mall on Third Street? I believe they were also designed by I.M. Pei, or at least intentionally mirror the buildings on sixth street. One of them is still occupied but one is boarded up and it looks like something is in the works there.
My conecern is regarding the fate of teh current wharf. Ever since I was little, I recall the wharf and till this day I buy 85% of my seafood from there.
While it is always great to see improvements and development, the security personel at Marina View has gotten very aggressive in keeping people from crossing their now nearly empty parking lot. We have enough construction fences, muddied sidewalks, blocked sidewalks and blowing dust to walk through and around (and we will have more as they begin construction on that parking lot), so please leave us some places to walk to our own metro stop! Nice neighbors now will be patronized in the future. Troublesome ones are never forgotten for the troubles they cause.
The harrassment of the "security guards" at Marina View Towers is uncalled for. They need the police to protect us from the security guards. They are not suitable for this neighborhood. Of course, no one is available to speak to me when I call GQ Security. 27 years in this neighborhood and now this. Be careful!
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