Will Takoma Finally Embrace Its Inner Bethesda?

Denizens of the earthy Takoma neighborhood are finally seeing much-promised transit-oriented development beginning to sprout along underutilized Carroll Street NW, just steps from the Takoma Metro station.

Earlier this month, real estate giant Federal Capital Partners of Chevy Chase, which owns more than $1.8 billion in real estate assets in the mid-Atlantic region, announced the $36 million joint venture with Level 2 Development's Takoma Central, currently building in the 200 block of Carroll Street NW near the District-Maryland border.

Still, even as its neighbor to the north, Silver Spring, sees a burst of development, it hasn't been easy to convince the 17,000-plus globally-inspired Takoma Park citizens -- where illegal immigrants are allowed to vote in city elections and hold office -- to embrace their inner-Bethesda. Takoma Park residents, many of whom refer to the city as a "village," fought a long, but losing battle against a much-maligned CVS along Carroll Street in 1998 that led to the quick demise of a favorite mom-and-pop pharmacy on the Takoma Park, Maryland side. And a Subway sandwich joint that located in the village's historic district found its windows smashed in 2004 with the epithet "shop local" scrawled in spray paint.

But things may finally be changing in the People's Republic of Takoma Park as once development-wary residents embraced the Takoma Central design. That made it an ideal opportunity for Federal Capital Partners' Wade Casstevens, vice president of residential development.

"I think its a great place to live and well-kept secret," Casstevens said in an interview. "There haven't been areas in Takoma that you could build a large complex, so this is a true infill opportunity." Takoma Central will have amenities common to other Class A spaces in Logan Circle, Bethesda, and most recently Silver Spring, such as granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances, not easily found in Takoma. "Our strategy is to look for areas that have one or less competitors, not four or more, which is what we're finding in Silver Spring " he said.

Originally known as Ecco Park condos, the plan converted to apartments in 2008 under the design and ownership of SGA Architects. Takoma Central will be built in two phases.

Phase One, already under construction, is four stories, with a round, castle-like turret at the corner of Carroll Street and Maple, and will have 84 units and 70 underground parking spaces, plus 6,500 square feet for ground level retail.

Phase Two is a five-story, brick warehouse-style complex with 60 units and 35 underground parking spaces and ground-floor retail.

More importantly, the development may fill in a key gap between the bustle and activity of the Metro station and the quarter-mile walk to Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park's main street with well-kept sidewalks and quaint Victorian-era street lighting. Carroll Street NW becomes Carroll Avenue at the Maryland line, for those keeping score.

The 200 block of Carroll Street currently consists of a convenience store, a funeral home, the CVS pharmacy, and several surface parking lots. But the brick sidewalks are crumbling and there is no pedestrian friendly street lighting. Casstevens says the infrastructure and consistency of the street will improve with the completion of Takoma Central. "Right now, that part of Carroll Street looks a little beat up."

Phase 1 construction has begun already and Phase 2 will begin later this year. FCP says they will complete construction by the fourth quarter of 2013.

The construction of Takoma Central will go a long ways to renovating Carroll Street on both sides of the Metro line that the District and Maryland have been seeking to make ripe for transit-oriented development projects.

On the West side of the Metro line, where Carroll Street becomes Cedar Street, the District Office of Planning has been looking at possible enhancements to the neighborhood near the dormant Takoma Theater and its surrounds since Anthony Williams' tenure as Washington D.C.'s Mayor.

The Office of Planning's 2002 report shared the puzzlement over why TOD near Takoma Metro wasn't forthcoming. "Neither Carroll Street nor 4th Street have developed the critical mass of retail, commercial and housing that their Maryland neighbor enjoys, despite being anchored by the most heavily used pedestrian Metro transit station in the District of Columbia."

The Gables, a LEED-certified 142-unit complex opened in 2008 along Blair Road. FCP's Casstevens credits the opening of Gables for influencing their decision. "It was definitely a factor in our choice," he said. The Gables has many of the same amenities that Takoma Central offers, such as stainless steel GE appliances, hardwood floors and black granite countertops.

Still, south of Cedar Street there has been little progress in building a revitalized neighborhood around the historic Theater. Takoma Village, a unique co-housing urban village opened next to the historic Art Deco Takoma Theater in November 2000.

Milt McGinty, father of WUSA-9 anchorman Derek McGinty owns the theater, and wants to raze it to convert it to luxury apartments.

Preservationists want the the city to buy the theater outright but McGinty says the theater, which was built in 1923 isn't for sale and the theater stands in disrepair, prompting some accusations of "demolition by neglect." Like many development disputes, the fate of the Takoma Theater may end up it court while neighborhood redevelopment plans continue to gather dust.

Washington D.C. real estate development news