Work to Begin on Two Clarendon Blvd. Projects

Two open lots in Arlington will start bustling within the next two weeks as work begins on two long-awaited mixed-use developments between the Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro stations.

After many months of predicting an "imminent" groundbreaking at the adjacent pair of now-vacant lots, Elm Street Development plans to begin utility work next week at 2001 Clarendon Blvd., Elm Street Vice President James Mobley said in an email. Next door at 1919 Clarendon Blvd. (the Hollywood Video site), crews were told to proceed, with work getting underway within two weeks, sources at USAA Real Estate said.

Arlington County records show USAA received a sheeting a shoring permit March 28 but still must revise plans to get additional construction permits for the residential and retail development at 1919 Clarendon Blvd., previously 1900 Wilson Blvd.

Rendering of 1919 Clarendon Blvd.

Meanwhile, records show that Elm Street is still working to get approval for sheeting and shoring in addition to the other required building permits for the proposed retail and residential development at 2001 Clarendon Blvd., previously 2000 Wilson Blvd.

"We have submitted for Footing to Grade Permit and addressed comments on the Sheeting and Shoring Plans," Mobley said in the email. "Other than addressing County comments the building is unchanged."

Rendering of 2001 Clarendon Blvd.

Mobley did not respond to a question asking why the project has been delayed. USAA said its project is moving forward as planned. However, both companies have said that construction was at hand at least since 2010.

With an expected delivery date in 2014, 2001 Clarendon Blvd. will be home to a 6-story mixed-use development with 154 apartments and approximately 30,000 s.f. of retail space. WDG Architecture designed the building S. E. Foster will construct. .

USAA will bring a 5-story mixed-use development with 198 residential units and 24,657 s.f. of retail space to 1919 Clarendon Blvd. USAA bought the site and plans from Zom Inc.in 2001. Torti Gallas designed the project that Harkins will build.

Arlington, VA real estate development news

Arlington's Block Busting Year

One of Arlington's most stubbornly static development sites - a superblock of three stagnant development parcels at the Courthouse Metro station - is finally ready to start construction in what could be a fraternity of development initiatives. Developers of the 1800, 1900 and 2000 blocks of Wilson Boulevard, all located on the same block, have been working separately for years to build large, mixed-use projects on their respective sites, and now the latter two say they will start construction this year for vast amounts of retail, housing, and office space, broken up with a new street between them.

Elm Street Development plans to start its construction on 2000 Wilson Boulevard (formerly the Taco Bell and Dr. Dremo's site), known now as 2001 Clarendon, with 30,000 s.f. of retail space and 154 residential units, while USAA, which purchased the 1900 block of Wilson Boulevard late last year, plans to start work this fall on a mixed-use, predominantly residential project. Working out approvable developments on both sites required land swapping and an endowment of land to Arlington to extend Troy Street, connecting Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards. Meanwhile, developers at the eastern end of the superblock on Rhodes Street are still vying to get financing to double the size of the office space and integrate retail.

2000 Wilson
The stuttering progression at 2001 Clarendon was initially planned to begin in late 2007 as a condominium, but in 2008 switched to apartments (in theory), shooting for a 2010 completion. In early 2010 Elm Street VP Jim Mobley said the team was again "looking at" the concept of condos, "financing dependent." With financing now in place (underwritten as apartments), construction is near, with the likely chance of condo conversion down the road. Retail space will front 3 streets, subdivided into small storefronts. Because of Elm Street's rejiggering of the plans, at Arlington's suggestion, no permits have been issued, but sources for the project say work is expected to commence late this year.

George Dove, Managing Principal at WDG Architecture, which designed the 6 story "extremely contemporary" building, notes the challenges facing the climbing site. "From a zoning standpoint, between Courthouse and Rosslyn, you have a sequence of height limits, and you have elevation changes, so it has a series of levels that drop-off as you move down the street, like stair-steps. This had alot to do with driving the design." Besides shooting for basic LEED certification, an Arlington requirement, 2001 Clarendon will incorporate a series of green roofs. "This is the antitheses of the high-rise, urban, compact residential project. It stretches out over a much larger floorplate. That gives alot of rooftop areas at different levels, it is definitely not a boring facade," said Dove.

1900 Wilson
Across the (not yet built) street, USAA has purchased 1900 Wilson Boulevard, along with its plans for a 5-story mixed-use residential building. USAA bought the Hollywood Video site from Zom, Inc., which had already birddogged plans to construct residences through Arlington's approval process. USAA will retain Zom as a fee developer to build out the project. Torti Gallas designed the more urban seeming structures with large retail spaces along Clarendon Boulevard and live/work spaces along Wilson Boulevard.

Sources involved in the development say no dates have been set, but that work is "on target" to materialize this year, and Hailey Ghalib of USAA says the the developer expects to build in the third quarter of this year and is working with Harkins Builders on pre-construction issues, but has not yet signed a construction contract nor obtained construction permits. Construction is expected to last 22 months.

1800 Wilson
The lone holdout at this point is the eastern end of the block, slated to demolish Rhodeside Grill and Il Radicchio to more than double the office space used by the National Science Teachers Association. The NSTA has teamed with developer DRI to expand their Arlington headquarters at 1840 Wilson, with an approved site plan in hand. NSTA hopes to build a 107,000 s.f. office building with 10,000 s.f. of retail, taking up an adjacent surface parking lot. The site plan was initially approved in November 2005, amendments were approved in July 2008 and November 2008 to resolve façade and parking issues, but the project is on hold pending financing, which the team is "working very hard" to secure, of course. The NSTA has already contracted Davis Carter Scott as the architect and DPR Construction Company as the general contractor, if and when the bankers come to the rescue.

As if that weren't enough, work is now underway next door in the 1700 block of Wilson Boulevard, where Skanska is building a 5 story office building. Get ready for a loud but productive year, and lots of cranes.

Arlington Virginia real estate development news

Courthouse Condos: Someday, Somehow

The on-again, off-again residential project at 2000 Wilson Boulevard, no, make that 2001 Clarendon Boulevard, is on again-ish. In December, Elm Street Development received an amendment to their plan for condos, no apartments, no condos - in the Courthouse neighborhood. The amended plan will increase the number of residential units from 141 to 154 and slightly reduce ground-floor retail, keeping it in the 30,000 s.f. range. And yet construction is unlikely in the near future. Jim Mobley, VP of Elm Street, said the amendment covered minor "tweaks" to the plan and that the group is working with WDG Architecture to update the them accordingly. Mobley expects to finish the revisions over the next six months, though construction is "financing dependent." The developers initially planned construction in late 2007, for what was first intended to be a condominium project, but in October 2008 was switched to apartments with an open-ended 2010 completion target. Now Mobley said about the units "we are looking at them being condos," though he did not venture to give any concrete start dates. Formerly home to a Taco Bell and neighborhood bar, Dr. Dremo's, having been demolished in late 2008 to make way for...something. The development is bounded by Wilson Boulevard, North Rhodes Street, Clarendon Boulevard, and North Courthouse Road, and carries a street address of 2001 Clarendon Boulevard since the building fronts Clarendon.

Arlington Virginia real estate development news

2000 Wilson Finally Making Rubble in Clarendon

2000 Wilson, the oft-delayed Clarendon apartment complex, has finally taken its first steps towards fruition. The Taco Bell franchise and abandoned Dr. Dremo's occupying the site are now being demolished to make way for 141 rental apartments and 36,000 square feet of ground floor retail.

Developer Elm Street Development initially planned construction late last year of what was first intended to be a condominium project (that's just so 2006), but now forecasts an open-ended 2010 completion target. Dr. Dremo's, the beloved neighborhood bar that used to stand on the site, closed its doors last January in anticipation of imminent demolition.

With that out the way and approval from the Arlington County Board locked, the WDG-designed project can now move forward unimpeded. The development is bounded by Wilson Boulevard, North Rhodes Street, Clarendon Boulevard, and North Courthouse Road, but confusingly carries a street address of 2001 Clarendon Boulevard despite the 2000 Wilson title; meaning the next hurdle for the project lies at the feet of the marketing team.

2000 Wilson Waits on Approval as Apartments

2000 Wilson, the dormant residential project that had once been discussed as condominiums, now appears to be commencing as an apartment building. Designs for a mixed-use project at 2001 Clarendon Boulevard in Rosslyn were submitted recently and are awaiting board approval, as Elm Street Development and WDG Architecture plan demolition for June, and construction in the third quarter.

The project, to be located on the eastern part of the area bounded by Wilson Boulevard, N. Rhodes Street, Clarendon Boulevard, and N. Courthouse Road, will now feature 141 rental apartments rather than condos. The plans call for an average unit size of 1,031 s.f., and will most likely not include affordable housing. The units will straddle 36,000 s.f. of ground floor retail, as well as about 250 underground parking spots. The exterior of the building will have facades of brick and corner balconies, generally rising five-stories, but tapering towards Wilson Boulevard and the eastern edge to utilize the incline of the land (see rendering).

Developers have included a "green," reflective roof, and plan to achieve LEED certification. Arlington County also decided the plan conforms to the Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study, an Arlington County working group designed to shepherd development of said area. After initially applying in 2005, Elm Street received rezoning approval in March of last year, giving them the go-ahead for demolition of a group of buildings that now occupy the space near the Courthouse Metro Station. The project will replace the 79 cent meals at Taco Bell, a car repair shop, several parking lots, and Dr. Dremo's, which closed for business on January 27th in anticipation of the long-anticipated demolition.

"Elm Street Development is looking forward to beginning construction this year on 2001 Clarendon Boulevard," said James Mobley, project manager at Elm Street. "We expect to welcome our first residents in 2010."

Elm Street Receives Zoning OK for "Dr. Dremo’s" Mixed-Use Project

If you are parched and in need of a cold microbrew pint, now is the time to head over to Dr. Dremo’s TapHouse at 2000 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon, as the last drink will be served in about a year, if all goes according to Elm Street Development’s plan for this stretch of prime Arlington real estate. On February 26, after two years of rumblings, Elm Street received rezoning approval to demolish this stretch of buildings containing Dr. Dremo’s and Taco Bell to make way for a seven-story,141-residential unit complex (pictured is an older rendering - we are working on finding an updated one), with 35,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 243 underground parking spaces. The developer is undecided whether they will be condos or apartments at this point. To better fit in with the scale of this block, which steeply inclines as it goes West, the structure will gradually build upward from two stories to seven stories. Elm Street will also incorporate several "green" building techniques to increase its ability to filter storm water. Construction is expected to start in early 2008 and be completed in 2010. Architecture will be by WDG. Once done, Elm Street’s project will join the 153-unit condo structure by Holladay Corp. at 1800 Wilson Boulevard, and Monument Realty's 306-unit Odyssey directly across Clarendon Boulevard.

The Incredible Shrinking 2000 Wilson Boulevard

Elm Street Development’s planned project at 2000 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington is likely to get smaller, according to new plans it intends to submit to the Arlington County zoning board. Original plans called for 175 condo units, but the zoning board had objected to the "height and mass" of the building, forcing the developer to rescale the project. The new plans, to be submitted in February 2007, will likely bring the project down to 140 units. If approved, construction is not likely to start until 2008, giving a reprieve to Dr. Dremo’s and Taco Bell, which currently occupy the site – a temporary victory for beer and taco lovers.