Back in 2005, plans for the New Yorker condos had raised hopes for more revitalization in a struggling section of Northeast DC when developer KL Associates announced its intention to build a 44-unit condominium at 300 L Street, but shovels never quite hit dirt. Now the developer says it plans to pick up on the long-stalled project, rescaling the project from 44 to 32 units (the image below is the old version) in a ‘condo townhouse’ style, with Zahn Design taking over from Hickok Cole as project architect in a complete redesign of the size and scope of the project. The project will still take up the entire street front between Abbey and 3rd St., on the north side of L Street.
KL hopes to break ground by early 2008; the city has already given approval to remove the existing warehouse on site but the developer does not have immediate plans to begin demolition. Larry McAdoo of KL Associates scrapped the original design because construction costs, including the steel and concrete to be used in the first design, had been too high to support the project. The new design will utilize a wood frame with brick exteriors, according to McAdoo. A larger unit size, averaging from 1000 to 1500 s.f., will also replace small units envisioned in the first go-round, though a greater number of units would be permitted, thus allowing the townhouse style, which McAdoo says is more in keeping with the "Capitol Hill style" architecture. An additional bonus will of course be the massive office space of NoMa being built just a few blocks to the west, an area that - back in 2005 - was just a vast wasteland, with a forgotten bus depot and a few vague promises about redevelopment.
Washington DC real estate and retail news
11 comments:
This is great news! I had been wondering about that site. They used to have a sign up, but it fell down years ago. The re-styled development sounds like an excellent fit!
There's also Union Place right across the street from this development.
Next stop, the Uline Arena, and moving north, the Florida Market.
Moving south, there is the property at 3rd and H St. (north side of H) - they're waiting to sign an agreement with a grocer before they break ground, and are in talks with Trader Joe's.
Yes, Harris Teeter was supposed to go in at 3rd and H, but backed out. That project is likely to be an apartment building, but I think the lack of progress at Senate Square has scared the money away.
Senate Square is asking too much $$ for their units ($300K+). For the same money, you could live in a developed neighborhood.
I dunno. The last I heard, Senate was many months ago, and they were 78% sold out. It's nice to be next to the metro, and at those prices, it's worth it not to have to commute from the burbs, methinks.
No, they are not 78% sold out, I'm afraid. I have nothing but good wishes for their pioneering spirit there, and their prices are very reasonable for what you are getting, and the interior design compares well to much of the new development that has recently completed, but the project is currently on hold.
I don't get it. I live next door, and have to deal with the construction every single day (today was nasty!). They're wrapping things up, and from what the guys at the sales office say, they will deliver in October.
Maybe they're lying, or being over optimistic, but believe me - if it's on hold, they should probably tell all the construction workers to go home. They're levelling the ground on 2nd and 3rd steet, and apparently are going to put in a bunch of pear trees in the next month.
This all coincides with the 2nd street revitalization that cost about $6.25 million.
When Union Place had the groundbreaking, I met several couples that had left the sales office that said they were moving in.
I don't think I'm biased because I live next door. I'm just going by what folks 'in the hood' and 'in the sales office', and 'the workers' are saying.
I mean... I hope your wrong and I'm right (no offense), but it's pretty pumped up in these quarters of the district....
I live on 3rd between I & K next door to Senate Square and I spoke with a sales agent last week. They are 40% sold, expect to start moving people in in November and they are currently not selling units because they are refinancing from a construction loan (because major construction is done)to a residential loan (or whatever they call it) because it's much cheaper than a construction loan. Once they refinance and know what their interest rates will be then they can set pricing accordingly and decide things like whether or not parking spots will be included in prices or sold seperatley etc....
well, that's what they told me when i asked them (although now it has been some weeks).
either way, they haven't halted construction, i know. i live on parker st. and have to deal with it *every* day.
i had also read on another blog (can't remember which) that they were 75% sold out from what they were told. maybe i/we heard wrong, and that they were 70+% reserved? dunno. anyway, i'll have to stop by and ask someone who will give it to me straight...
I think the figures on Senate Square were about the entire project -- i.e. one of the towers was completely sold but only 40% of the remaining tower was, adding up to 70% of the entire project for the two towers. Plus the Abdo renovation of the Children's Museum itself has still not been released.
The project is going to convert at least 1 if not both towers to apartments. Typical out of town (NYC) developer mistake - hit the market totally wrong, with way too many units all at once, in a newly developing area. With 1 tower they could have sold out and then moved on to the next when the market was right, and as the neighborhood stabilized. Pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered. Now they're sinking because their carrying costs are too great to wait on selling their remaining units and we, the neighborhood, will likely get all apartments and no condos.
any more word on senate square? i signed a contract there almost 2 years ago (yes, top of the market) and the sales center was supposed to re-open on sep 24.
still closed. not returning calls. what's the deal?
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