Rockville Town Center Project to Start Construction in Early 2008

After two years on maneuvering, Duball (a joint venture between Reston-based Duball LLC and LA-based CIM Group) is now expected to break ground in early 2008 on its Rockville Town Center project, a $240 million, two residential-tower complex in downtown Rockville just one block west of the Rockville metro station and bounded by East Montgomery Avenue, Maryland Avenue and Monroe Street. Duball plans to develop 485 homes, 45,300 sf of street-level retail, and about 1,400 garage spaces on this 3-acre plot, with architecture by Torti Gallas. Final project review by Rockville planning officials is scheduled for this month, after which applicable permits will be acquired. Construction is expected to be completed by 2011. While these units are believed to be condos, there is still a possibility that the developer will instead make them rentals. If apartments are built, then a hotel might also be constructed on the site (an approved use according to Rockville officials). The Rockville Town Center project has gone through some morphing over the years, with Akridge being the original owner of the site and planning a tall 300-unit building that met opposition due to its height. In 2006, Akridge sold the site to Duball for $34.5 million.

Akridge Receives Air Rights for Burnham Place at Union Station Project

DC developer Akridge has signed a deal with the US General Services Administration that gave the company the air rights over the train tracks behind Union Station, allowing Akridge to move forward with its Burnham Place at Union Station project, a 15-acres, mixed use complex to be located over the tracks and to the north and south of the Hopscotch Bridge (H St.), and west of 1st Street NE. The Burnham Place project will contain offices, retail (including medium-sized box store, residential towers, and a 400-room hotel. Burnham Place will also include a “comprehensive intermodal transportation center” that includes a new rail passenger concourse. Akridge hopes its project will anchor the new North of Massachusetts neighborhood (NoMa, for those who haven’t been exposed to this “hip” naming convention) and tap into the over 18 million passengers who use the Union Station metro annually. Akridge anticipates beginning construction in 2009 with the platform over the train tracks – this is expected to take three years to build. Work on the residential, office, and retail will then start.

Rockville Town Square to Grow

Duball (a joint venture between Reston - based Duball, LLC and LA-based CIM Group) recently purchased a 3.2 acre site from Akridge on Rockville Town Square, on which they plan to develop 485 homes, 40,000 s.f. of street-level retail and about 1,400 garage spaces. The new development, to be designed by Torti Gallas, is just 1 block West of the Rockville Metro and bounded by Monroe St., Maryland St., E. Middle, and Montgomery Ave. Duball will develop 2 mixed-use high-rise residential towers, with the lots bisected by a new North-South street to be called "Renaissance St." with the western building to be about 18 stories and the eastern building about 15 stories, to be developed and sold in 2 phases. The developer estimates that construction is likely to commence in '07. The developers, also now co-developing Lionsgate in Bethesda, anticipate marketing toward the more affluent buyers with average units to end up somewhere around 1200 square feet. The full plan has not yet received county approval.