"Louis at 14th" Development Unveiled

In a heated tent at the end of a long crushed velvet carpet on 14^th St. today, JBG, Georgetown Strategic Capital and city officials symbolically (but not literally) broke ground on the long-discussed “Louis at 14^th”, a 267-unit, 42,000-square foot mixed-use megadevelopment.
Formerly called "Utopia" and in the works since 2006, entitlements are finally in place and demolition has begun for a dramatic makeover of what developers called “the greatest intersection in the District.” According to today’s press release, the Eric Colbert and Associates-designed building will offer amenities including a rooftop terrace with grilling stations and fire pits, a rooftop pool (with bar), a fitness center, and a 24-hour concierge. Historic facades along U Street will be preserved, though many (but not all) facades along 14^th are slated for imminent demolition. Surely developers were buoyed by the high rents and recent high sales price of the Ellington apartments almost across the street.

If the prestige of a project is in direct proportion to the swank factor of its groundbreaking ceremony, the Louis should be very swank indeed. Aside from the aforementioned velvet carpet (and ropes), there was an open bar (so forgive any typos), as well as a solo saxophonist providing ubersmooth accompaniment as various development titans rubbed elbows with Councilmembers Michael Brown and Jim Graham, as well as Mayor Vincent Gray. When it was time to unveil the new renderings, a male model done up as Louis the XIV (get it?), complete with powdered wig, hose, and lace waistcoat, entered stage left.

But although the ceremony was long on flash, it was short on specifics. Mayor Gray made a vague, campaign-trail-ish speech, made frequent reference to his local roots, and arched his eyebrows a lot, Councilman Brown did his Obama thing (in fairness, he does a great Obama), made even more frequent reference to his local roots, and called for a comical number of rounds of applause (this blogger might have been the only person in attendance who did not, at some point, get applauded), and Councilman Graham regaled the crowd with reminiscences from his days at Whitman-Walker, and how volunteers used to refuse to set foot on the mean streets of 14^th and S Streets.

But there was little talk of future retailers. Though there were vague murmurs of unsubstantiated rumors – Trader Joe’s? – firm information was in short supply. This blogger circulated to try and confirm a rumor about a possible flagship tenant, but no one could confirm or deny. In fact, by 5 o’clock, most of the attention was on the open bar, and on snapping iPhone pics of the guy dressed like Louis the 14^th.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

JBG Celebrates 14th & U Street Groundbreaking on Tuesday

JBG Companies' Utopia Project at the corner of 14th Street and U Streets, will be commissioned tomorrow, beginning what all parties hope will be imminent construction.

City dignitaries, including Mayor Vincent Gray, Councilmembers Jack Evans, Jim Graham and Michael Brown, plan a public unveiling of the development, which will be known as The Louis at 14th, beginning 4pm on Tuesday at 1920 14th Street, NW.

JBG, in conjunction with Georgetown Strategic Capital, will include more than 200 rental units and 20,000 s.f. of new retail along the 1900 block of 14th Street, amid the fast-growing Logan Circle/U Street neighborhood, replacing a low-slung series of fast-food chain restaurants while preserving retail along U Street.

Georgetown Strategic Capital originally got zoning approval for the project back in November 2008, but the economy dashed plans for any quick construction. GSC was granted a two-year extension for the site, as principal Robert Moore sought to wrap up more than $93.5 million needed to finance the project.

The design, by Eric Colbert & Associates, will also include a rooftop pool, nearly 150 parking spaces and will be 90 feet high at its tallest point. The historic facades along U Street will be saved while the buildings along 14th Street will be demolished.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Today in Pictures - 2400 14th Street

UDR's multi-family building in Columbia Heights broke ground in December of 2010 and has now topped out. Perched on the slope leading up 14th Street, the building should feature commanding views over the city from the top. The building takes the place of the Nehemiah shopping center, purchased by Level2, which developed the original plans before selling the project. The building was designed by Shalom Baranes and will have 255 units, built by Donohoe Construction.











Washington D.C. real estate development news

DDOT Planning 14th Street Facelift

Washington D.C.'s fast-growing 14th Street corridor between Thomas Circle and Florida Avenue may finally get some much-deserved street-scaping improvements soon, says John Lisle of the District Department of Transportation.

Plans that have been in the works since 2009 may get accelerated after DDOT commences on a similar street-scaping project for U Street later this year, Lisle told DCMud. The 14th Street design, which wrapped up last April at a cost of $450,000, includes iconic "twin-20" Washington Globe lighting along pedestrian walkways and "teardrop" pendant lighting for street illumination.

Included will be dedicated bike lines and pedestrian "bulb-outs" for safety. At key intersections, such as Rhode Island Avenue, Florida Avenue and U Street, crosswalks and sidewalks will get special iconic identification. Cracked cement sidewalks will give way to London pavers, similar to those required in the Downtown DC Business Improvement District. New street furniture such as garbage bins, tree boxes and bike racks are also in the works for the 14th Street upgrade.

Already, parts of 14th Street in the downtown area have gotten similar treatment. The District was able to use $3.6 million in federal Recovery Act funds in 2009 and 2010 for improved street lighting and sidewalks for a stretch of 14th Street between K Street and Thomas Circle, which got its own facelift. A stretch of 11th Street between Massachusetts and O got its own similar upgrade in 2009.

Lisle says that the city has focused on completing its "Great Streets" programs first before tackling major upgrades of other corridors. The "Great Streets" program, started in 2005 by then Mayor Anthony Williams, is working in conjunction with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to jump-start retail and development on long-dormant corridors that have historically been gateways to the city, such as H Street, Pennsylvania Avenue and Georgia Avenue.

The H Street "Great Streets" corridor has just completed, and includes tracks for the District's trolley car plans, while the $3.6 million Georgia Avenue "Great Streets" project is also nearing completion. Pennsylvania Avenue's Great Streets construction, running from 27th Street to Southern Ave, will finish next month at a cost of more than $25 million in federal Recovery Act money. The District has also used $4.5 million in federal funds to rehab stretches of 17th Street, NW with similar lighting upgrades and street furniture, as well as a project on 18th Street in Adams Morgan to improve lighting and pedestrian access, scheduled for completion in May.

The 14th Street Logan Circle corridor has been ground zero for the District's inner core revitalization. Whole Foods, between 14th Street and 15th Street on P Street, which opened in 2000, now anchors the corridor.
Washington D.C. real estate development news

14th Street Project Altered, Moves Forward, After ANC Review

14th Street's newest residences have made it through community input, now a bit smaller, and with a new look. "The Irwin," a 6-story, mixed use building designed by Torti Gallas and Partners, will take the place of a 1960s-era warehouse at 1326-1328 14th Street, now with a new slightly shrunken design and new facade since it was first conceptualized six months ago, as a result of ANC, HPO and neighborhood input.

But in replacing the "hole in the urban fabric" on 14th, the Torti Gallas design team said that it has not been frustrated with the process. Conversely, they claim to have enjoyed working with the HPO (what architect doesn't want a committee to change their design?), the immediate neighbors, and the ANC 2F Community Development Committee in shaping the direction of the project.

The next step by owner/developer Irwin Edlavitch and architect Torti Gallas will be to take the revised design to the Historic Preservation Review Board for approval in December, and to the Board of Zoning Adjustment next spring with the request for a variance from parking and loading requirements and to allow multiple roof structures of varying height.



The initial design concept from June is seen below. The design was for 61 residential units, ground floor retail, 5.3 floor-to-area-ratio (FAR), 75' tall (size permitted by the Art Overlay zoning regulations).  The HPO requested a one story reduction, an increase in the "attic reading" at the top story, and that the "frame" of the building be brought to the property line. This design was taken to the ANC at the end of August, which requested that the design be presented to immediate neighbors and that the building "relate more to the historic context of 14th Street and be made to look more residential".

In light of the new directive, the building was given a new skin and distinct bays. The new version was submitted to the Board of Zoning Adjustment and presented to the ANC in September, which asked the design team to eliminate the "frame" and replace the terra-cotta rainscreen with masonry materials.


The end result of the participatory process is the current design, which will go before the HPRB in December, after a presentation to the full ANC. As described by Sarah Alexander, Associate with Torti Gallas, "This design incorporates a more traditional skin of red brick masonry with still keeping the playful 'artistic' moves [including the] entry canopy and rooftop stair towers." There will be an entry lobby visible from the street that will have an "art gallery feel."


With approximately half the ground floor space taken up by a lobby, garage entry and loading space, there will be around 4,000 s.f. left for use by a retailer. The project includes 53 residential units, 20 parking spaces (all covered or below grade), a small fitness room and roof terrace.

On the other side of the restaurant at Thai Tanic, located next to The Irwin, C.A.S. Riegler is in the process of creating a 5-unit boutique condo, at 1324 14th Street.

Next door, 1320 and 1318 are currently under construction, to be turned into The Pig, a "nose and tail, farm to table" creation by Eatwell DC, which should be open for business next spring, and more apartments by Tikvah Inc.

Washington D.C. real estate and retail development news

14th Street Post Office Development Ready to Begin

A few months ago, there were stirrings that a lively bistro concept featuring modern Southern fare from New York-based Chow Down Inc. was en route to an infill site at 1407-1409 T Street, NW, just off 14th Street. Though that plan has died, construction is expected to be underway in the next few weeks, with the owner now developing the space into two 2-story buildings designed by Steve Karr of Rockville.

John Dempsey of Chow Down Inc. had been interested in buying the 4,000-s.f. property, consisting of a historic post office and an empty lot (postal truck driveway), from owner/developer Ron Eichner of New Legacy Partners. But after a storm of sorts in response to a liquor license application, Dempsey withdrew his offer.

Eichner believes potentially incoming entrepreneurs have no cause for concern regarding liquor licensing or neighborhood backlash. A bakery interested in the site wouldn't serve spirits, and the second interested tenant, a well-known local restaurateur, would most likely serve beer and wine, but with "reasonable" hours, said Eichner, clarifying that the establishment is "not a bar type."

The new plan is actually the old plan. Despite having listed the property for sale – resulting in more than one interested buyer wading deep into purchase territory over the last few years – Eichner had originally intended to develop and lease the property. Eichner's agent, Karen Nelson of Blake Dickson Real Estate Services, explained that selling was considered only after numerous inquiries from eager buyers. "Every single call I got was 'would you sell'?" said Nelson.

The property is still listed, for $2.2 million, which is twice what Eichner paid in June of 2008, however, Nelson reiterated that "the idea was never to sell."

With a building permit issued and financing secure, Eichner said he expects 9 months of construction to begin, by Eichberg Construction, "in the next few weeks." The project includes the adaptive reuse of the long defunct post office, a compact limestone structure built in 1940 and run by African-Americans, with the primary local post office located around the corner at 1438 U Street (which happens to also be for sale/lease). There will also be a second-story addition set back 15' on top of the post office.

A new 2-story building will be constructed on the slim empty space, now gated and filled with old furniture. The exterior of the new building will be visually distinct from the limestone post office, with the use of glass, metal and dark gray stone.

Located in the U Street Historic District, plans were approved by the Historic Preservation Review Board back in September of 2008, and as a modest by-right development, Eichner did not have to go through the Office of Zoning for approval.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

One at a Time for Furioso, Now Offices on 14th

Unlike many DC real estate developers, Giorgio Furioso, founder of Furioso Development, prides himself on being “boutique” and developing one project at a time. As such, the focus right now is solely on his new 14th Street mixed-use project “1525 Fourteen,” a build-to-suit that stands out among a slew of new development on 14th Street, NW, primarily because of what it’s not – a condo. “I’m going in the opposite direction of where everyone else is going,” says Furioso, “An office building has never been built [on 14th] north of Thomas Circle.” “You can’t have a really vital neighborhood without a 24/7 presence,” Furioso continues. “Part of how you [create neighborhood vitality] is through mixed use. That’s most of Europe, [and] why New York works so well.” 

In addition to bringing office use to 14th Street, Furioso says 1525 Fourteen stands out for what the 42,000-s.f. building aims to accomplish through an “extremely green attitude; if you’re not into green it’s not going to be your building.” Designed to achieve LEED Gold, the project includes a green roof, geothermal heating, solar panels, a charging station for hybrid cars, and a bicycle room with showers; 28 small-car parking spaces, accessible by a car elevator not a ramp, are included in two underground floors. With the design by Eric Colbert completed, approvals secured and financing in place, Furioso is now looking to fill the 6-story building, ideally with an environmentally minded non-profit for the top four floors, and a local retailer for the bottom two, preferably one not in the food industry. Considering the wealth of restaurants on, or coming to, 14th Street, Furioso explains, “I’ve been called by about ten restaurants, but I’m trying not to go there.” 

To understand the goals, logic, and business philosophy of Furioso, it’s useful to take a look back. “I come completely from an arts background,” says Furioso. “Art is all problem solving. You create a problem and then you try and figure out how to solve it. In a way, what’s kept development exciting for me is that I treat it like art. It’s not art… but the way I approach it is very much in an art solving shape and form.” After obtaining a bachelor’s degree from the Boston Museum school, Furioso chose Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) over Yale for his MFA – not only because a full ride was offered, but because he was given the opportunity to teach (painting) while attending. There was only one problem: “RIT had built a brand new campus, and, I swear, it looked like a hospital,” says Furioso. “It was really, really disturbing.” Instead of inhabiting a sterile, boxy, mint-condition dorm room, Furioso chose to sprawl out in an abandoned and dilapidated building downtown that was owned by RIT. “I took over an entire floor. It was unlocked and I put in my own lock,” Furioso recalls. “By the time I graduated the whole grad school had moved into that old building.” 

Furioso says that his choice to live someplace with gritty urban character served as a creative impetus – “A space for an artist is like a tool; it’s no different than a pencil, a brush, a camera. Space is where so much of the creative spirit [is nurtured] … for poetry some people go to a landscape, a seascape, the woods. For visual artists that interior space is as much a tool [as the poet’s destination].” Another consequence of that move – to wander away from the white-walled dorms – was a fascination with development. “It started me on this quest of changing, fixing, and making spaces your own,” he says. After graduation, Furioso took on teaching full-time and came to the D.C. area as a visiting professor at the University of Maryland, but “couldn’t find an art studio to save my life,” he explains. Although art studio space seemed sparse, in the early ‘80s, school buildings were in spades, and the District was selling them at auction. These sidelined schools, making for unique and expansive residential and/or personal work spaces, offered Furioso and others an opportunity, in Eckington. “I bought a school with some other friends who were artists… four of us bought the whole school.” At once, Furioso settled into a studio space and waded into the world of D.C. development. Another foreclosure, this time a building at the 400 block of M Street, NW, led to a more significant investment for Furioso, but also a financial challenge, “It had already been foreclosed twice before,” recalls Furioso. “The bank was really in bad shape.” 

To get around a dearth of financing, Furioso set his creative mind to legal matters and created a corporation in which the buildings space would be represented by stock. Gathering $10,000 from each of eight artists interested in obtaining a space within the building, Furioso put the up-front funds into fixes and repairs: “I fixed the roof that was collapsing before I even owned it. The bank thought I was totally nuts.” But, it worked: Furioso bought the building for $76,000, and the artists each paid $25,000 for raw space – $200,000 in all. The property was rehabbed, completely redone over a 10-year period, and the value has since skyrocketed. “The spaces were really big; truly [New York-style] lofts, before lofts sort of hit the mainstream,” says Furioso. Though impossible to sell as “stock represented property,” the building eventually turned into a condominium and became what it is today – The Mohawk. 

Shortly after, in 1987, Furioso committed fully to development, incorporating his company with the goal “to develop artist spaces,” amidst some skepticism about throwing money into a business model that catered to the iconic starving artist types. Despite doubts, the company grew quickly, but was immediately parsed back because, as Furioso explains, “My intention was always to be a boutique developer doing really interesting things, one at a time. And no one really gets it…. I never wanted to get really big, or have a huge staff. I have a business philosophy that is so anti-American,” he laughs. An Italian national, Furioso was uprooted by his parents, first to Montreal then to the states, landing in New York at the age of twelve. His Italian heritage colors not only his approach to venture capitalism, but historic preservation (historic has a different meaning – “In Italy the 'new church' is 600 years old!”) and underscores his belief that 1525 Fourteen will succeed by offering 24/7 neighborhood vitality, something he considers somewhat European. Of his current project at 1525, Furioso’s excitement comes through, “We’re looking for a special, really great tenant,” says Furioso. “Once we do that, we’ll put a shovel into the ground and get started.” He’ll also stay connected to the building once it’s finished – “I’ll be doing a business in the cellar, my own personal business.” Furioso continues pointing out aspects of the design: “The lobby is like a little jewel box. We’re not building this cathedral… because the energy from it is kind of wasted, but it’ll be really beautiful,” and adds that he can provide “a beautiful grand stairway so that the two floors [for one retailer] feel connected,” while scrolling through photo examples of the Crate & Barrel on Massachusetts Avenue. 

Furioso maintains involvement with the design and the development every step of the way, crediting his innate fascination with all of it, “The question before I start a development is: does this interest me? Will I lose any money? If I don’t lose any money I don’t care if I make ten cents as long as it’s interesting.” But he hasn’t; with several successful developments, among them: The Mohawk, his initial artist loft foray; Church Place, a modern 32-unit condo; The Roosevelt, a historic preservation project; and Solo Piazza, which was, when built in 1999, "the first large, new residential building on 13th Street [NW] and just about the whole District,” says Furioso. Furioso’s success in development can perhaps be attributed to his attitude, problem-solving approach and hands-on nature, but whittled down even further to a simple penchant for risk-taking, the first of which dates back 30 years, when he deserted a position as the head of Ohio University’s art department. “I gave up my tenure and came here. My mother until the day she died was saying ‘I can’t believe you gave up tenure.’ I gave up security. Security’s never been a big thing for me.” 

Washington D.C. commercial real estate news

14th & Wallach Residential Project Going for 2nd Try

Architect Eric Colbert will take his revised design for L2 Development's residential and retail project at 1905-1917 14th Street NW back to HPRB this week, two months after the rejection of his initial design.

This time around, the U Street Neighborhood Association made a motion, on August 11th, to "provide a letter of support [for the project]."

In early August, Wallach Place residents - many of whom opposed the project at the HPRB meeting in July - were also largely in favor. Craig Brownstein of U Street Dirt said, "Almost uniformly, the Wallach folks found the new iteration of the design a marked improvement. It was a huge step forward."

On August 15th, the Design Review Committee of ANC1B supported (6-1) a motion to recommend that the ANC give its full support of the revised design at its meeting on September 1st, which it did. However, as noted in the Design Review report, committee member Joel Heisey felt that the "Georgetown red brick is out of place on 14th Street" and requested that there be a consideration of "something more in keeping with the limestone and beige appearance of most of 14th Street’s structures."

Steve Callcott, HPO staff reviewer for the project, has recommended the HPRB approve the revised conceptual design, but continue to work with Colbert on "the storefront design, development of window specifications, and detailing of the masonry and metal cladding."  Callcott also praised the revised design: "Both in massing and design, the compatibility of the project has been significantly improved. With slight reductions in the building mass and the use of different architectural vocabularies, the weight of the building is broken down into smaller scaled elements that will coexist much more compatibly with the surrounding smaller historic buildings."

Although the building's height (7 stories) and 16,000 s.f. footprint remains unchanged, an approximate reduction in mass of 4,000 s.f., due to more significant step-downs, has taken the number of residential units from 154 to 144 units.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

U-Turn for Residential Building on 14th Street

Three residential projects will rise up 7 stories along the 14th Street Corridor between R and U Streets NW in the next two years, but Level 2 Development's project sited for Wallach Place and 14th (1905-1917 14th Street) won't be one of them - at least not yet. The project's architect, Eric Colbert & Associates, went up against the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) - and up against two handfuls of Wallach Place residents - last week at the HPRB's monthly meeting, only to be unanimously denied design approval.

As first reported by U Street Dirt, the HPRB was openly critical of the design and urged Colbert to rethink the building's rhythm, scale and greater context in the U Street Historic District.

The Colbert design presented was a 7-story apartment building, with an approximately 16,000 s.f. site footprint (150' wide x 106' deep). Although materials alternated between brick and metal "to break the building down into smaller pieces" with for 5-story projecting bays along 14th Street, the Board verbalized dissatisfaction with the look and feel, saying it wasn't 14th Street appropriate and ultimately didn't have "that Colbert magic" (apparently preferring the Floridian.)

It seems inevitable that the one-story "bunker" - officially "The Edna Frazier Cromwell Shopping Center" - currently lying low at the site, will not escape demolition. Built in 1986, the center was the first privately financed real estate development on 14th Street after the destruction of the 1968 riots. However, the structure has widely been regarded by the immediate community as an "eyesore." Previously on site was a 5-story brick building (demolished in 1970).

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Douglas Close to Construction on 14th Street

Redevelopment abounds along the 14th Street corridor within the mile-long strip that runs from Meridian Park through U Street and into Logan Circle, with several condo projects and new retail on track to arrive within the next one-to-two years. At the top of the corridor, at 2221 14th Street (14th & Florida Ave), Douglas Development will soon add another: a 6-story, 30-unit, mixed-use residential-and-retail project. Sasha Rosen, principal at R2L:ARCHITECTS – responsible for the design – relays that the permitting process is underway and involved parties foresee construction will start in three months or less. Per Rosen, the design for the complex has not changed since reported in November of last year, when Rosen stated that "the massing, form, and rhythm are in the Washington historic tradition, but the details are contemporary." 

Located within the Greater U Street Historic District, the project first sought approval from the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), which gave Douglas the go-ahead, and the OK to demolish the crumbling Latino Auto Sales shop on site, at the end of last year. In January, the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) also approved the project's plan, and granted the developer zoning relief, with a few conditions, including one-time mass-transportation and/or car-sharing funds for future residents, as well as requiring "that a temporary mural [be painted] on the south façade of the building,which shall remain on the building until such time as construction on the adjacent property to the south would obstruct the mural." Douglas Development could not be reached for comment this morning. 

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Trussed for Success

By Beth Herman

Among the legion of nationwide AME churches, D.C.'s John Wesley AME Zion Church, 1615 14th Street NW, is an integral part of the District's diverse, textured, historical fabric.

With Civil War-era roots and 21st century dreams, a parish house - which was the original church - and the present church structure built in 1894 had fallen short of the current sanctuary, educational, hospitality and administrative challenges of its dynamic congregation, with antiquated mechanical systems—especially an old boiler—draining the church's energy and finances. What’s more, and in part unbeknownst to the architects and developer at the outset, various architectural and aesthetic features and flourishes that had temporarily succumbed to renovation attempts in the past were uncovered in a kind of reverse archaeological dig—50 feet up into a rarefied space lost to generations of church members and staff.


What lies beneath

“Our focus has been more on the Corcoran Street and east sides of the building as far as restoration, underpinning and digging out underneath a space that was just crawlspace for new facilities and rooms for the church,” said Principal Bill Bonstra of Bonstra | Haresign Architects. Working with developer Fred Bahrami and project architect Jeremy Arnold, the team’s objectives were to restore, modernize and upgrade a total of 12,000 s.f. of space with limited financial resources.

“We were very sensitive to the budget of the church,” Arnold said. “We felt the most important thing was (to address) lengthy and overlapping programs with a number of different-sized spaces that can be used in different ways: multipurpose rooms; storage closets; changing rooms; new office space. We wanted to give them spaces that would help them use the building more efficiently on a day-to-day basis.”

Used for meetings, classrooms, banquets, administration and containing a dated and inadequate kitchen, the 4,400 s.f. parish house was a patchwork of disjointed spaces. Engaging a neglected crawlspace beneath the parish house, a hole was made in the foundation from the outside, followed by a ramp and dual bobcats (30,000 cubic feet of dirt was ultimately removed and recycled as fill, with recovered iron recycled as well), with the structure’s middle support replaced by brand new steel columns, beams and footings in a feat of subterranean choreography. The resulting 9-ft.-high new basement has become home to a full commercial kitchen with banquet space for 150, and ladies’ and men’s facilities, and also contains state-of-the-art plumbing, HVAC, fire and safety systems, and a new elevator.

The parish house above was gutted and became dedicated office space for the pastor and administrative staff, along with conference rooms that facilitate the simultaneous viewing of sanctuary services and events via advanced technology.

A glimpse of heaven

According to Arnold, during the team’s initial survey process, poking heads above a lay-in ceiling that had been installed years ago on the second floor and peering past a mélange of mechanical ductwork, a “fairly complex system of beautiful trusses” emerged. Springing at 45-degree angles from the corners, the trusses also traversed a 20-ft.-in-diameter rose window that had been eclipsed very possibly for generations by the dropped ceiling. Evidence of a fire sometime in the 20th century was also observed in black staining and charred trusses, where several of the roof trusses had been reconstructed using wood and steel.

Destined for use now as one of the primary meeting spaces for the church, accommodating up to 250 people, Bahrami is credited with pulling the mechanical ducts through the trusses resulting in “…an interplay of old and new,” according to Bonstra. “It’s incredible space. It’s 50 feet (up),” Bonstra explained. According to Bahrami, the wall around the rose window was deteriorating stucco, which was removed to expose fine brickwork and sealed. Lighting was directed so that wall and window now become a focal point of the church.

“The entire structure has about a 2-ft.-thick brick wall,” Bahrami said of the building, noting the wall makes for prime insulation by its nature. He added that 80 percent of the interior fell apart during the renovation process, which is ongoing through the end of July, so new structural elements that include steel, wood beams and flooring are being employed.

Outside, the façade off Corcoran Street had been neglected with evidence of damaged stained glass and disintegrating brick. Work expected to begin soon includes creating a more presentable entrance to the parish hall side, upgrading the ADA ramp, and landscaping for curb appeal. An ill-placed fire escape was removed from the front of the building, bringing dignity back to the stoic façade.

“There were really no corners cut. One of our focuses was to make sure the bathrooms were comparable to the Ritz Carlton or something of that magnitude,” said Bahrami, whose previous endeavor with Bonstra | Haresign was D.C.’s luxury Q-14 Residences in 2007. “You really feel pampered with marble and granite and the design of some of the spaces—beautifully assembled and selected,” he said, affirming the team’s objective not to subordinate aesthetics to a restricted budget.

With occupancy again projected for August 1, Bonstra said the success of the project is attributed to Bahrami’s assiduous search for alternatives and value propositions for the church. “He did a great job in meeting all of their financial goals.”

14th Street Revs Up Development

Signs of construction abound on 14th Street, as several projects take wing on one of the city's most dynamic commercial corridors. Construction of a 30-unit condo on 14th Street got underway this week as developer Habte Sequar began construction at the corner of 14th and R Streets. Sequar began initial site work on the project just last week, and reported that the digging was just "testing dirt", but confirms that he has now obtained all permits for the project and is proceeding with full construction. At the U Street intersection, several retailers have been ordered out of their 14th Street storefronts, signaling that the much larger Utopia project is also getting close to construction.

The condo project also now has a name - the Aston - with a stated starting price of "in the $300's." Sequar purchased the land for $3.8m in November of 2009, with a goal of a beginning construction this time last year. But with financing more difficult than expected, the site in the middle of the 14th Street corridor has remained vacant since, pending adequate financial backing. Utopia has been in the works for several years, but had also stalled due to financing issues, and is now scheduled for a late 2011 groundbreaking.

Bonstra | Haresign designed the Aston, Ellisdale is managing construction. The project is estimated to take 14 to 16 months build out. The 14th Street corridor has no shortage of projects in the pipeline, with District Condos underway, and PN Hoffman's condo project now in the planning stages, for nearly 300 condos combined. Restaurants are queuing up to serve the expected population surge, with Matchbox planning their next store at 14th and T Streets, Steven Starr considering taking the old Italian Shirt Laundry building (though no contract has yet been signed), and a new burger venue slated for 14th at U Street.

Washington D.C. Real Estate development news

14th Street Condos Moving Ahead?

Construction of one of 14th Street's condo projects is inching closer to reality now that initial site work is taking place at the corner of 14th and R Streets, NW. Developer Habte Sequar purchased the land for $3.8m in November of 2009, with a goal of a beginning construction this time last year. But with financing more difficult than expected, the site in the middle of the 14th Street corridor has remained vacant since, pending adequate financial backing.

Sequar says the current construction is merely "testing dirt," rather than an official start to construction, but that "the project is getting closer" to breaking ground, and promises more information within a few weeks.

Architect Bill Bonstra of Bonstra | Haresign confirms that the project is all but ready for construction. Bonstra initially designed the project for a prior owner, and Sequar has made only minor changes to the project since his purchase, says project architect David Baker. The 6,000 s.f. lot will sport 30 condos and an 18 space garage beneath the building. Ellisdale is managing construction of the project. The 30,000 s.f. building will feature glass and buff limestone prominently on three sides, with red brick fronting R Street, and is designed to give a nod to 14th Street's automobile row legacy. Baker wagered a rough estimate of 14 to 16 months build out.

The long gestation time might sync the project with a greater appetite for condos than it now has, but the timing also puts completion at the same time as the District Condos, which is under construction and will deliver 125 units around the same time. PN Hoffman also has a planned condominium project across the street, and though timing of that is uncertain, construction may be underway as Sequar's property is completing, making for 3 condo projects within a block. Sequar also built the Rhode Island condos at 440 Rhode Island Ave., NW, completed in 2009 and still selling, and the Renaissance Condos at 1618 11th St., NW, a 16 unit building that completed in 2007 and sold out last month. Sequar has plans for another project just north of U Street that has not started construction yet.

Washington D.C. Real Estate development news

14th Street Verizon Building Bought by PN Hoffman for Condo Conversion

Last week, PN Hoffman purchased 1700 14th Street, sealing the rumor that the Verizon building would likely become a condominium project with ground floor retail. In a development environment that's only recently become feasible to build after the recession dried up financial resources, that the building is slated for condos as opposed to apartments speaks to the desirability of the 14th street corridor.

Eric Colbert & Associates has been selected for the design. "We haven't gotten very far yet," Trevor Costa, associate for the firm said. "We submitted something preliminary a while ago, but we're currently reworking aspects of the design now." Eric Colbert & Associates is the firm behind The Lofts at Adams Morgan, The Floridian, and The Regent, among others.

"It's a small but very unique building," said Shawn Seaman, Vice President of PN Hoffman. "Given its size, we are projecting it will have 30 to 40 units by the time we finish." Seaman said the company is hoping to push the permits through as quickly as possible for a 2012 delivery.

As far as the ground floor retail, Seaman said the 1,000 s.f. space will house a single tenant. "We are talking to our historical consultants about restoring the ground floor in particular by opening up the bays to R Street and 14th Streets. Right now, it's very heavy."

The PN Hoffman condos will become one of several within blocks of each other, the others of which include the seven-story, 30,000 s.f. building at 14th and R, a project by developer Habte Sequar that has long been planned but has yet to get off the ground. Also on the 14th Street corridor in the former Whitman-Walker site is JBG and Grosvenor's 125-unit District Condos that is scheduled for completion in 2012. The project also has yet to start construction, but is expected to do so soon. The original picture in this story was from Borderstan's coverage of this project.

Washington, D.C. real estate development news

Two Story Restaurant for 14th Street Historic Building

A two-story restaurant with a soon-to-be-named tenant will fill the vacancy at 2208 14th Street, NW. The project has been helmed by Kensington-based N & C Construction, LLC and Bonstra Haresign Architects, the firm behind Studio Theatre and Parker Flats at Gage School.

In 2005, the building had been abandoned and was purchased by Neftali Benitez of N & C, with Bonstra Haresign signing on in 2006, said Brian Forehand, project leader for the design firm. The historic building will maintain several facets of the original, in compliance with Historic Preservation Review Board guidelines. "To the right of the facade, we have preserved an original door and window detail," said Forehand. "The left section is modified in that we will create a more contemporary bay and a new entry canopy." Much of the base building renovation has been completed. Additional work will include expansion of the storefront as well as expansion of the back of the building.

The former rowhouse-turned-retail has an interesting history as documented by The Humanities Council of Washington D.C. in that it had been The New School for Afro American Thought, an Afro-centric humanities organization founded by Howard University student activist (and now a Berkeley, California resident) Don Freeman and the late Washington D.C. poet Gaston Neal in 1966. Once the school moved in 1971, it fell into disrepair and was eventually abandoned.

The building is one of many developments burrowing down on 14th Street, the others of which include Utopia, the massive, mixed use project by Georgetown Strategic Capital (GSC) that is scheduled to begin in the fall 2011. Furioso Development has begun work on a seven-story residential building at 1525 14th Street, in between Posto and Great Wall Chinese restaurants. Douglas Development and R2L Architects have partnered in the creation of a six story apartment house at 2221 14th Street. The JBG, Grosvenor and Shalom Baranes condo project broke ground this fall at 14th and S Streets, and UDR has begun initial work in the giant pit of the former Nehemiah Center at 2400 14th Street as well.

Washington, D.C. real estate development news

Utopia Construction On Track for Fall 2011

Some folks in the District have fast developed a hankering for the hot dog that's the main attraction at ChiDogo on 14th Street- a Chicago style dawg that's a lively combination, juxtaposing salty and sweet, fat and acid. Served on a poppy seed bun, dressed with a dill pickle, tomatoes, relish, and mustard and sprinkled with celery salt for good measure, the dawg can't be had for long. Despite that ChiDogo is the newest kid on the block having opened just three months ago, its tenure will be short lived: the building is slated for demolition this fall to make way for Utopia.

Conceived by Georgetown Strategic Capital (GSC), the Utopia development will serve up 220 rental units and 20,000 square feet of retail. Eric Colbert & Associates have moved forward on the drawings, says Robert Moore of GSC, with plans for completion of the drawings by spring. "The design is shaping up to be a very attractive solution, combining a sensitivity to the historic buildings and materials with a modern flair as Colbert has demonstrated in some of his other work," says Moore. Colbert & Associates also designed Church Place condos, The Hudson on P Street, The Floridian on 9th Street and The Rutherford on 13th Street.

ChiDogo, located at 1934C 14th Street, isn't the only business on the strip with numbered days: also on the chopping block is the United Supreme Council building, the Domino's location, Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken. The buildings which house Ace Check Cashing, McDonald's and El Paraiso are historic and will remain intact.

Utopia's facade is to be terraced so it blends with the surrounding rowhouses as opposed to coming off as a behomoth of the block. That may be a tall order, considering: at 90 feet high, it's set to become the most towering building in the neighborhood. Colbert & Associates maintain that they have been sensitive to community concerns, having met monthly with groups such as the ANC, Dupont Circle Conservancy, and the city's historic preservation staff.

Creating Utopia can be disquieting work. The project has been an on again and off again venture that began in 2008 and was granted an extension to November 2012 by the Board of Zoning Adjustments (BZA) this past June. The group had trouble securing funding for the 93.5 million-dollar project during the flagging economy, but has since rebounded. Once permits are obtained, Moore expects a year-long construction period: a rather aggressive plan, but kudos if they can pull it off.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

District Condos Construction Monday

While the rest of the real estate world is still rubbing its eyes and trying to take stock of 2011, development work is racing ahead in some quarters. Take JBG, for instance, which let fly yesterday that it would start building Rosslyn Commons in two weeks, and today said that it and partner Grosvenor are starting work on their other high-visibility condo project - District Condos - on Monday.

A source within JBG says groundbreaking for the 125-unit, Shalom Baranes designed building, is in fact scheduled for Monday on Logan Circle's trendy 14th Street. JBG will also incorporate the former AIDs clinic at the southern end of the lot for additional retail that will wrap around the corner of S and 14th Streets. The Chevy Chase developer has teamed with Toronto-based Cecconi Simone Inc. and local retailer Vastu for interior design and finishes, respectively. Unit sizes will trend smaller than might have

been built a few years ago, with a preponderance of 1-bedroom condos, respecting the more conservative outlook (fiscal, of course) of the average buyer in the neighborhood, where turnover of small units tends to be quick even at a more pricey range than is found in adjacent neighborhoods.

JBG had earlier predicted that construction would commence at the end of 2010, and the site still has to be cleared of the buildings that are not being preserved, putting delivery well into 2012. Sales are expected to start sometime in the late spring.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News

Groundbreaking, Or At Least Ground-Moving, at Nehemiah Shopping Center

This past fall DCMud promised, after assurance from UDR developers, that the former Nehemiah Shopping Center construction site would be activated with a groundbreaking, and that the "rubble [would] at least be pushed around soon." It appears such has happened, as several earth movers have been seen rumbling around the site for the last few days. This is potentially (stress potentially) significant news for a project that seemed destined to remain unstirred; since the unveiling of plans from the original developer in 2008 and subsequent demolition in 2009, the lonely fenced-off block has seen no action.

While UDR refused to confirm or deny the start of construction, as it is "internal policy not to comment on such" according to one anonymous developer at their Washington office, it seems apparent field marshal (a.k.a. general contractor) Donohoe Construction has ordered troops (a.k.a bulldozers) into the field of battle. It marks the beginning of a who-knows-how-long (developers won't say) process to stack 255 one and two-bedroom apartment units on top of 18,500 s.f. ground floor retail. The project calls for 198 parking space to be half hidden, half buried on the back western portion of the site. The retail spaces could house as many as five different tenants, or as few as two, and will be reserved for businesses that supply neighborhood wants and needs: such as a grocery/convenience store, restaurants, bank, café, etc. UDR's corporate headquarters are expected to release more specific information about the project once it becomes official in the company's next quarterly report, those numbers are likely to come out in early February.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News