Designing Eden

Q&A with Ron Schneck of Square 134 Architects

By Beth Herman

As a mixed market rate and subsidized housing development, Eden Place at Beulah Crossing—with Phase 1 at 400-414 Eastern Avenue NE—in some ways has been seen as a bellwether of revitalized multifamily housing in D.C., but not for obvious reasons. DCMud spoke with Principal Ron Schneck of Square 134 Architects about the firm’s role in making aesthetics a key component of affordable housing.

DCMud: Tell us about the genesis of Eden Place at Beulah Crossing.

Schneck: Under the Fenty regime, there were a series of RFP’s put out to galvanize underutilized city-owned sites in the District. Washington Interfaith Network was involved with this one, specifically Beulah Baptist Church.

DCMud: What makes this housing project different?

Schneck: We chose an Arts and Crafts style. There’s always a site plan condition that’s governed by economics, and the problem with large townhome developments typically is you always fluctuate between designing individual town homes vs. a block of buildings that create one mass. The more material and colors that you can have at your disposal makes (the former) a lot easier.

DCMud: Tell us about the site.

Schneck: The existing site was public housing that had been abandoned for many years—a real blight on the community. The church identified the site, and we worked with two development groups: UrbanMatters Development Partners LLC and Denning Development, who partnered with Beulah Baptist Church—which was critical in convincing the community that this was something it needed. NCD Management was integral as they provided development and construction management.

DCMud: What is the time frame?

Schneck: Eden Place at Beulah Crossing is being developed in two phases, with the first broken up into two different buildings on Eastern Avenue NE. Part A of the first phase, along Eastern Avenue, has been completed and is occupied. Part B of Phase 1 is probably going to be finished by the end of the year if not sooner. There are to be 63, approximately 1,500 s.f. units altogether when Phase II along Dix Street NE and 61^st Street NE is built (estimated completion 2013).

DCMud: Describe the interior space.

Schneck: Most are three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and there is the gabled space. They’re big, inhabitable bedroom or playroom-type bonus spaces. These townhomes have really nice finishes: hardwood floors; brushed nickel; chrome; some with stainless steel; Energy Star appliances; nice interiors that are market rate. The first floor is contemporary open concept.

DCMud: Is it fair to say the neighborhood is undergoing a lot of revitalization, which doesn’t stop with Eden Place?

Schneck: There’s more development scheduled to go on around it—plans to take over abandoned structures.

DCMud: How do you frame this and your role in it?

Schneck: The reason I’m doing multifamily housing right now is we’ve more or less maxed out the suburbs. Everyone understands that they don’t want to live 60 miles away from where they work. That’s why the housing market is so strong in D.C. because everyone’s moving back into the city, and it’s not just young professionals anymore—it’s families. (The Office of Planning reports about 1,100 residents moving into the District each month.)

DCMud: So what kind of design gauntlet does this throw down for you?

Schneck: The challenge for architects is to try and find a language and a style that is appropriate for that new demographic, which is ‘the family in the city.’ Granted, this is not downtown, but it’s not suburban and also not urban. It’s that buffer area that I think we’re going to be seeing more and more of. People want to live in the city.

DCMud: Speaking of the city and its challenges, what area impresses you the most?

Schneck: I’m a big fan of Penn Quarter. When I first came to D.C. in 1996, the neighborhood did not exist or at the very least had nowhere near the vibrancy it has now. It reminds me that D.C. is a big, international city, and it happened so quickly that it’s now a dynamic area. Penn Quarter and Columbia Heights are the two neighborhoods that happened seemingly overnight. In a couple of years’ time, they have completely transformed and impacted the surrounding neighborhoods.

Deanwood Heights Subsidized Housing Project Starts Today

An affordable housing development team will kick off construction of its project in northeast Washington DC today. The team of Denning Development, UrbanMatters Development Partners, Beulah Community Improvement, and NCD Management, which the Fenty administration awarded with city funding in September of 2009, will build 63 subsidized units at 400-414 Eastern Avenue, NE (29 townhouses), and, in a later phase, the empty 6100 block of Dix Street, NE (34 townhouses), an area that can be conservatively described as blighted and in need of economic development. Square 134 Architects designed the new townhouses.

Eden Place will be available to families making up to 120% Area Median Income (AMI, which is $103,500 for family of 4). Home prices are based on income, but the 3 and 4 story townhouses will run from $199,000 to the high $200's, ranging in size from 1,484 s.f. to 1,680 s.f., with price based on income. Though the project will be entirely affordable, bucking prevailing wisdom of mixing subsidized and market housing, developer Raymond Nix of UrbanMatters says occupants will still span a range of incomes. "This is really mixed income, it provides opportunities for first-time homebuyers, but it goes up to 120% AMI, the phrase affordable housing is really a broad one."

Today marks the beginning of demolition only, but Nix thinks the first units could deliver by mid-Summer. In awarding the project, Mayor Adrian Fenty predicted that construction would begin in February of 2010, but Nix says that was never a realistic timeline, and that construction of phase 2 is "sales dependent."

UrbanMatters was also awarded the contract to redevelop the M.M. Washington School last March, and will turn the historic school into 90 subsidized apartments for seniors, a project that was criticized by some for excessive government funding ($6m to $8m) while competing developers asked for less city money, several of whom questioned why the District chose a publicly funded option over what the losing bidders viewed as more regenerative types of projects. Financing for Eden Place will come from DC's New Communities Program, with the city kicking in $3m, or $47,619 per unit, according to Nix, with no HUD funding. Eagle Bank is the construction financier. "We're really rooted in grassroots community development and community serving affordable housing" said Nix of UrbanMatters' mission.

Ajia Meux, immediate Past President of the Deanwood Citizens Association said that just about anything in the area is a net positive. "Because of the environment around those buildings I don't like going over there much. Its been boarded up for at least a year, and even though its an affordable housing project, I'm glad that ward 7 is getting some attention...We are the most underserved ward in the District, and I'm exicited to see economic development happening in the city, but especially here. Hopefully this will stabilize the neighborhood a little bit." The only cloud inside the silver lining was the price tag. "I question how affordable it really is," said Meux, noting that houses in the area often sell below $100,000, though remodeled houses start around $150,000, but Nix points out that new townhouses in the area tend to sell in the high $200,000's and low $300,000's.

Winmar will serve as the General Contractor, with Bowman Civil Engineering. A ceremony will be held today at 2pm.

Washington DC real estate development news

Land Dispositions Receive Council Approval

A series of Land Disposition Agreements related to three major developments planned across Washington DC all received City Council approval this week. The Council previously reviewed the proposals and heard community comments during a July session, and issued their decisions publicly. 1. Donatelli Development and Blue Skye Development's Minnesota-Benning Phase 2 Redevelopment, the planned low-income housing and retail space adjacent to the Minnesota Avenue metro station. The 5-acre, $108m project will bring 375 affordable and 60 market-rate units to Ward 7, with completion as early as 2011. 2. Denning Development, UrbanMatters Development Partners and Beulah Community Improvement will redevelop properties located at 400-414 Eastern Avenue, NE and the 6100 block of Dix Street NE. The selected plan will offer 56 affordable for sale 3-bedroom townhouses, ideally completing in late 2011. 3. Washington Community Development Corporation (WCDC) and Banneker Ventures LLC's Strand Theatre development will transform the 80-year-old former movie theater into the new home of an 18,000-s.f. restaurant and 18,000 square feet of “affordable” office space. The LDA was announced exactly one year after Mayor Adrian Fenty chose the developers for the long-neglected Deanwood project.

Washington DC commercial real estate news