Saul Centers to Demo Building This Week

Saul Centers Inc. is now ready to move forward with its Clarendon Center project. Yesterday, the development firm received demolition permits for the two-phase development which will consist of a 12-story apartment building, two office buildings and some landscaped open space on two blocks on Clarendon Blvd. and Wilson Blvd. at their intersections with Highland and Garfield Streets. All three buildings will have ground floor retail.

Demo-teams arrived on the site yesterday, and began picking apart the old E-Trade building 'by hand.' Full demolition won't begin until Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority gives an official phone call to SCI, approving site work within 50 ft. of their metro tunnel; SCI expects the phone to ring soon, but for now they're content with doing demo work outside the 50 ft. line. Mary Beth Avedesian, the Vice President of Acquisitions & Development at SCI, explained that because the E-Trade building abuts the Leadership Institute building, it makes sense to begin picking apart their connection by hand, so as to avoid damaging the neighboring historic structure. Unfortunately for pyros and those who just really enjoy a good explosion, the building will come down using a high reach demolition unit with a hydraulic crusher that will munch away at the building, bit by bit.

Although the County has yet to give "Excavation, Sheeting and Shoring" permits, which will initiate the start of construction and allow for foundation digging, Saul Centers anticipates that permit in February.