Re-Inventing Public Housing at Park Morton

Mayor Adrian Fenty today announced the District's Request for Proposals (RFP) concerning the $170 million initiative to redevelop Petworth's Park Morton public housing complex. Although currently seeking a development partner for the deal, the city has already forged ahead and outlined their intentions for the site: 317 market-rate housing units, 206 affordable housing units, a 10,000 square foot park and a new community center with green designs throughout. The mayor prefaced his comments to the press by assuring the current residents in attendance that they will be relocated to new units in the project and that "no one will be displaced."

Mayor Fenty credited the New Communities Initiative established during Anthony Williams' tenure as mayor (which also includes Barry Farm and Lincoln Heights, in addition to Park Morton) as the genesis of the new development and explained how the city planned on manifesting change in an area best described as derelict and dangerous. “It is about bricks and mortar because a lot of these projects are old. They need a lot of work and, to be honest with you, just re-doing them isn’t going to cut it,” he said. “But its also about more than bricks and mortar. We’re also going to have health care facilities, schools, recreation centers, and job training centers here at Park Morton.” The mayor concluded his remarks by stating, “It’s important to note that while this in-and-of-itself is an important opportunity and investment for the Georgia Avenue corridor, this is just one of the many different things that are happening.” He went on to specifically cite Donatelli Development Inc.’s $70 million, 156-unit Park Place project and neighboring $5 million retail investment, along with Jair Lynch’s 130-unit apartment complex at 3910 Georgia and the District’s own new, mixed-income development on the 3400 block (more to follow from DCMud in the coming weeks) as other in-the-works projects aimed at making area attractive to prospective residents and retailers. 

Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, who had introduced the initial city council resolution for the Park Morton project and led community meetings on the subject, followed Mayor Fenty’s turn at the podium. He began by reiterating the mayor’s promise that no residents would be displaced by the project and promised that the upcoming changes would result in “a much more successful and livable community than we have today.” He also said that the District would not repeat mistakes with regard to public housing that have plagued the city for decades. “Gathering all the poor people in one neighborhood, in one building, ought not to be the preferred approach,” he said. “When we have the opportunity to create mixed-income, diverse background [housing], that is an opportunity we should not lose.” He went to specify that the new Park Morton will become a beacon of diversity in Ward 1, “without losing a single person who is here today.” Michael Kelly, Executive Director of the DC Housing Authority (DCHA), went on to trumpet the long-term viability of a new community comprised of “low income, moderate income and market-rate people.” And sounding a bit like George Washington at the Continental Congress, Kelly referred to it as "This grand experiment," asserting that the project "is [due to the leadership] of Washington, DC, and has not been replicated anywhere else in the country.” 

Kelly cited the Housing Authority’s upkeep of current Park Morton facilities, including the addition of new boilers, stairwells and security cameras as initial steps towards a better quality of living. He then went on to ask the assembled residents if such efforts had made them feel safer – and received a rousing reply of “yes.” Following the remarks, all in attendance were led on a tour of the newly remodeled Park Morton Children’s Center. As the first example of Park Morton revitalization, Mayor Fenty inspected the new computer lab, classrooms and music rehearsal spaces that are to serve as a hub of community operations during and after construction. BIDs for the Park Morton project are due by December 12th with final selection to occur in March. 

Washington DC commercial real estate news

DC Selects Georgia Avenue Developer

Washington DC Mayor Fenty arrived by Smart Car today to announce that the District of Columbia has selected Donatelli Development and Mosaic Urban Partners as the development team for three parcels of land on Georgia Avenue. The lots are located one block north of the Petworth Metro station, at 3813, 3815 and 3825 Georgia Avenue. Development plans have not yet been finalized, but Mayor Fenty said today he expects the final product to include retail, restaurants, and market rate and affordable housing. Echoing his oft-repeated calls to fire up development on the neglected corridor, the Mayor insisted today that DC has "gotta have economic development on Georgia Avenue" for the benefit of the whole city, and that the project would complete by the fall of 2010. The city has not yet reached purchase terms with the development team. Donatelli Development has an extensive track record with the city, and, with DC-based Gragg & Associates, is nearing completion on Park Place, a 161-unit residential and retail building almost across the street. Donatelli also owns an adjacent vacant lot, on which it plans a 49-unit condominium building, though timing remains uncertain said Chris Donatelli. This will be a first for development partner Mosaic, a firm based in DC. Mosaic partner Calvin Gladney, a former NCRC staff member, said that partnering with Donatelli allows them to "integrate retail strategy," and "achieve a better end result for the community." Gladney was a bit more circumspect than the Mayor regarding timing, quickly noting that "there are so many variables", including financing, though partnering with Donatelli will certainly streamline the underwriting process. The project will convert two small neglected buildings and a vacant lot, all District owned, into a mixed use project on two separate sites. Architect Bill Bonstra, partner of Bonstra Haresign, the ubiquitous firm chosen to design the project, said that the project would feature a green roof and locally based retail, and that there was "a real push to do a community-minded project." 

The new building on the now vacant lot will rise three stories at street front, stepping back for a fourth and fifth floor. The selection of developers was unusually swift, with the District having solicited bids at the end of April, with a due date of July. Two teams submitted bids for the project. The mayor's office hopes the project is well timed, coming as the Petworth neighborhood struggles to fulfill the expectations of a revitalized mixed-use corridor. On May 23rd the Mayor stood nearby to announce that Georgia Avenue development was finally taking hold, highlighting Donatelli's Park Place, and Jair Lynch Development Partners' 130-unit apartment building at 3910 Georgia Avenue. But Park Place will not complete until next year, and Jair Lynch has encountered financing, title, and zoning hurdles with its project, and has been reluctant to even give a start date. And while the Neighborhood Development Company is also well underway on its own apartment building just to the north, many of the expected success of Georgia Avenue have yet to be initiated, and a bevy of apartment-turned condominium low-rises that expected to benefit from the retail surge that never happened remain unsold. But the prospect of five new developments all rising within a few blocks is undoubtedly a new direction for Petworth, and an event that may make an honest man out of the Mayor.

Washington DC commercial property news

Preliminary Approval in Petworth

Jair Lynch Development Partners recieved preliminary approval from the Zoning Commission Thursday night for Georgia Commons, a 141,000 plus s.f. mixed-use development at 3910 Georgia Avenue, NW in Petworth. The project, designed by EDG Architects and Frank Schlesinger Associates, is upping the affordable housing ante by designating 62 units - forty-eight percent of the building - as affordable housing. Georgia Avenue will gain approximately 22,000 s.f. of much-needed retail, including a medical clinic.

JLC is partnering with AHD, Inc. (Affordable Housing Developers) to build the $30 million project two blocks north of the Petworth Metro Station. A Smart Growth and green development, Georgia Commons, which has been in the works since 2005, was accepted into the environmentally-friendly pilot program LEED Neighborhood Development. The building will also include two levels of below-grade parking.

According to the Zoning Commission, the developer has to revise the plans for July 3rd and the project will then be considered for final action at the July 14th meeting. They will then go before the National Capital Planning Commission. The developer tells DCMud there will be more news towards the end of the summer. The development team was awarded the site by the National Capitol Revitalization Corporation (NCRC), before that organization was disbanded by the current administration, and before developers realized that ownership of the land was disputed, causing a hiccup in the construction timeframe. Late last month a court awarded clear title to the District, paving the way for plans to move forward.

Georgia Ave. Development Takes Hold! (Sort of)

The District has announced several milestones to let you know that Georgia Avenue is really, truly, on a path toward development - and this time they mean it. After numerous initiatives and promises by previous administrations, the Fenty Folks seemed determined to get the job done. To wit, the administration announced today several items to bolster our confidence in Petworth and Brightwood:

Park Place - Donatelli Development's mixed-use project above the Petworth Metro station, has topped out, reaching its full height at seven stories. Donatelli, along with partners Gragg & Associates, Canyon Capital Realty Advisors and Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, was awarded development rights to the lot through a competitive process in 2004. 20% of the condos are mandated as "affordable." Like Highland Park apartments and Kenyon Square condos, Donatelli's projects that redefined the center of Columbia Heights, the condos were designed by Torti Gallas & Partners of Silver Spring, with sales by Washington DC-based Domus Realty. Construction is expected to complete early next year. Okay, so the topping out isn't a major news event, but at least construction hasn't stopped.

3912 Georgia Avenue - The mayor announced yesterday that a court had given clear title to the District, which will transfer the property to the Jair Lynch Development Partners. If the property sounds familiar, it may be due to frequent mention by this blog. The 130-unit apartment building, two blocks north of the Metro station, was awarded to JLC and development partner AHD Inc. (Affordable Housing Developer) by the National Capitol Revitalization Corporation (NCRC), before that organization was disbanded by the current administration. The $38 million project is being designed by EDG Architects and Frank Schlesinger Associates and will be built by Meridian Construction. Jair Lynch will provide 40% of the rental units at subsidized rates, and add 24,000 s.f. of retail space. NCRC gave Jair Lynch the land back in 2006, but it turns out that the city did not have clear title to the land.

Despite the Mayor's announcement, other issues remain, and the developer is not giving any timelines on construction yet. According to Tania Jackson of JL, clearing title was "a huge hurdle, but there are so many things that still need to happen." For one, because Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning (MIZ) - which JL supported - has not been enacted, JL must go through a 'mini-PUD' to get the density they require. The developer hopes to get the PUD done by June. (In better news for JL, they did just open sales at the Solea in Columbia Heights)

Finally, the District has just announced that it has acquired a long-vacant residential building at 6425 14th St. NW, just off Georgia Avenue. The building was referred to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs' special unit, the (somewhat Stalinist-sounding) Board for the Condemnation of Insanitary Buildings. The Tewkesbury, a 26-unit building in Brightwood, will be offered to developers for renovation, but no timelines are being offered at this time.

Wheaton Metro Projects

Wheaton's profile has never been sufficiently distinct to stand out against its neighbors to the south, lacking a strong downtown and well defined borders. But now several teams are hoping to make area more of a destination.

Construction is well underway for Bozzuto Development and Torti Gallas and Partners' mixed-use project at the Red Line’s Wheaton Metro station. Located at 11175 Georgia Avenue in Maryland, Metro Pointe will include 2,000 s.f. of ground retail below 173 rental apartments which will be a mixture of lofts and single story units. Residents will have traditional amenities such as a business center, courtyard terraces, and a walking park, and less traditional features like direct elevator access to the Metro, an uncommon convenience in DC.

“It will be five buildings connected together, the main building on Georgia and Reedie Drive is brick with Hardipanel…When you get to Amherst drive it turns into townhouses,” said Project Manager Mark Weisner at Bozzuto. He added that Fed Ex Kinkos and a small convenience store will occupy the retail space.

While the Georgia Avenue project is underway and scheduled for completion in the third quarter of this year, Bozzuto’s other - more ambitious -project with Spaulding & Slye Investments, is still being conceived, it may soon take shape down the street where Georgia Avenue and Veirs Mill Road intersect.

Still in the planning and documentation stage, the Metro Plaza at Wheaton Square on Georgia Avenue may begin construction in the second half of next year; the mixed-use project will include over 400,000 s.f. of Class A office space, street-level retail, residential units planned as apartments, a Metro bus terminal, and parking for 500 cars. Planned at the intersection of Reedie Drive, and Veirs Mill, the project's backers expect the development to redefine Weaton's 'city center'.

The project is still not much more than a rendering (see above) - a representative at the company jokingly asked DCMud to tell them what was happening at the site - Bonstra Haresign Architects’ website says the project will have “an 11-story, 300,000 square foot commercial tower, a 10-story, 130,000 square foot residential building, 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail along Georgia Avenue, and 5 levels of above-grade structured parking.”

The project will have access to the Metro tunnel under Georgia Avenue on the north side of the site and to a pedestrian bridge at the west side of the site.

As Bill Bonstra said to DCMud in January, “Georgia Avenue is an unbelievable mix of land use... And the Wheaton area is coming in right on the coattails of the revitalization of Silver Spring. It was only a matter of time for development to move north as it had done from the west.” How much time, we just can't say.

Wheaton Maryland real estate development news

Howard Issues RFP for Bond Bread Building

Howard University has issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) for real estate developers to submit bids for a "first-class, mixed-use development" at 2112-2146 Georgia Avenue. Part of the 2.2 acre site at the corner of V St. and Georgia Avenue, the Howard Town Center, was offered to Howard by the District of Columbia just two weeks ago in an exchange designed to facilitate Howard's residential development, and the University obviously plans to waste little time in moving forward with development of the neighborhood.

The project is the site of the Bond Bread Building, a property long contested by its one-time tenant, which lost a legal battle for control of the land. According to the RFP, the development "must include rental apartments, retail (including grocery store) and parking," and is strongly suggested to be LEED certified. Though the site has a maximum floor area ratio (or FAR, which limits the amount of floor space in relation to the size of the lot it is built upon) of 6.0 and a height of 90 feet, but also falls within the districts "Duke plan" (for developing Shaw and U Street), which encourages greater height and FAR allowances. The project is expected to have 300 rental units that will comply with D.C.'s formula for market rate and affordable housing. A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held at Howard on May 15th to discuss the project, the terms of which require that the real estate developer enter into a long-term ground lease with the University and undertake all development obligations. Bids are due by June 10.

Fenty Announces Petworth Metro Development Opportunities

At a Friday morning press conference just north of the Georgia Ave-Petworth Metro Station, Mayor Adrian Fenty announced the District's intention to solicit development bids for three government-owned properties on the 3800 block of Georgia Avenue NW. Properties for bid are 3813, formerly Caribbean Cuisine, now empty; 3815, an empty storefront; and 3925-29, a vacant lot. The former two properties will be offered as one development unit.

Mayor Fenty gave a brief, grim history of the properties prior to their purchase by the District, highlights of which included foreclosure, the demolition of a half-standing and decrepit photo lab, and the discovery of a dead body. (Incidentally, one of the only operational businesses on the block is Latney’s Funeral Home.)

What will fill the decaying block? With bids due this summer and the District’s decision not coming until fall, no one knows yet. But Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser, also in attendance at the press conference, spoke of “quality retail, quality dining, and places for our residents to gather and stop taking their dollars out of our city.” Any residential development would include the requisite 30 percent affordable housing, and all projects would have to meet green building standards. Former President Clinton may belatedly get his wish for a revitalized Georgia Avenue.

Just steps away from the conference, Donatelli Development was hard at work on Park Place, its $60 million mixed-use project above the Metro. Donatelli has also purchased an empty lot with 10,000+ developable s.f. on the corner of the 3800 block. In addition, Fenty intimated that the Safeway Food & Drug across the street would undergo renovation or redevelopment of some kind.

Councilmember Bowser hopes this block of Petworth will serve as a “model for what we want to do along this entire corridor.” Mayor Fenty has long voiced support for Ward 4 development. As Bowser put it, “I like to think of this as the mayor putting the people’s money where his mouth is.”

Funding Time for Silver Place

Today, the Maryland- National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) sat together with the County Council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development committee, to discuss a two-stage financial package for funding SilverPlace. The County Council Committee voted 3-0 in favor of funding the first stage, a set of design charrettes that will facilitate community input for the overall design. The second half of the finance package will fund final design and construction of the project - MNCPCC is requesting $4.9 million in total funding from the county for its interest in the property.

If all goes according to plan, the first design 'charrette' - a roundtable discussion, to you and me - should begin this Spring. MNCPCC expects the community input stage to last until the end of the year, when they would request the second stage of funding. According to MNCPCC, "The design phase could take up to 10 months." Our guesswork indicates the final design could be submitted as late as 2009.

Silver place, located at 8787 Georgia Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, will be a mixed use project (see prior post) encompassing a nine-story, 150,000-s.f. office tower, which will house the new 120,000-s.f. MNCPPC headquarters, and a residential component housing 358 units, 91 of which will be rental units - the remainder will sold as condos. Preliminary plans also call for some retail and copious public gathering space. Currently, the site houses a large surface parking lot and the current, three-story, MNCPCC headquarters, which has become so overcrowded that the organization needs to rent out suites for its staff. Developers will build the new project in phases so that planning staffers won't be out of a home until their new one is finished.

Torti Gallas is designing the master plan for the site, working alongside a group of development firms, who appropriately call themselves SilverPlace LLC: a combination of Harrison Development, Spaulding and Slye, and Bozzuto Group.

A Common Building for Petworth

Petworth's newest multi-family, Georgia Commons, will break ground by early next summer, according to developer Jair Lynch Companies (JLC). The 130-unit apartment building with 22,000 s.f. of retail will go up two blocks north of the Petworth Metro station by JLC and development partner AHD Inc. (Affordable Housing Developer). The pair was awarded the contract to build by the National Capitol Revitalization Corporation in 2006. The $38 million project, at 3910 Georgia Ave. NW is being designed by EDG Architects and Frank Schlesinger Associates.

JLC is the only developer that has two projects accepted into the eco-friendly pilot program LEED Neighborhood Development, which encourages Smart-Growth, transit-oriented development. According to the Congress for New Urbanism, an anti-sprawl organization with similar goals as Smart Growth, the new LEED program is "a joint venture of the Congress for the New Urbanism, the US Green Building Council, and the Natural Resources Defense Council...just as other LEED systems have improved building efficiency and energy performance, LEED-ND will reward efficient use of land and the building of complete and walkable communities." According to Tania Jackson, Director of External Affairs at Jair Lynch Companies, the new LEED designation targets sustainability on a macro-level instead of just "sticks and bricks." JLC's two LEED ND projects are Georgia Commons and the upcoming Solea, a mixed-use project at 14th and Florida, NW.

When completed, Georgia Commons will hold five-stories of mixed-income residential apartments organized around a central courtyard, sitting atop one level of street retail and two underground parking levels. It will be a contemporary structure, fitting into the Georgia Ave overlay zone, which aims to catalyze retail activity. "It's contextual but contemporary," said Don Tucker, Principal at EDG Architects. The project is a bit behind its original deadline, but is said now to have the financing in place to begin construction within 6 months.

Howard Town Center to Move Forward Slowly, but Surely

Redeveloping almost an entire city block at Georgia and V streets, Dallas-based High Street Residential, a wholly owned subsidiary of Trammell Crow Company, is planning Howard Town Center, a mixed-use project that will include 70,000 s.f. first-floor retail that may include a Fresh Grocer, 322 market-rate apartments, and a parking garage that will hold approximately 500 spaces at its completion. Designed by Michael Marshall and Gensler and co-developed by Michele Hagans, the $75 million project was announced by developers in April 2003, but has been on hold ever since.

According to Ed Morgan, a Principal at Trammell Crow, developers have been awaiting a final land swap of the city’s Bond Bread Building for the university’s land at Sherman and Florida Avenues. The end may, however, be in sight. Morgan said applications for permits are expected to be submitted in the spring of next year.

While Morgan did not comment on the lawsuit, the Washington Business Journal’s coverage of the suit reported that People’s Involvement Corp., a community development company filed a lawsuit against the city stating that the Bond Bread Building had been promised to the company in the 70’s. That same building was a key component of the aforementioned land swap. A D.C. Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the city in September of 2005, PIC responded with an appeal. In December 2006, D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham introduced legislation to finally begin the construction of the Howard Town Center in 2007.

If permits are obtained in a timely matter, Morgan said the project could be completed as early as 2010.

Changes Coming to Georgia Avenue-Petworth, Dunn Loring Metro Stops

Those who suffered through the building of the Green Line remember well the disruption and dust kicked up by that long project, and celebrated the day the line was completed. While not as controversial, and in the end it will be part of something wonderful for Petworth, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is planning to close the west escalator entrance to the Georgia Ave-Petworth station for two years starting December 11, 2006 (the east escalator entrance will stay open). This is part of the construction plan for Park Place (pictured), which is being built above the station. When completed in mid-2008, Park Place will offer 156 units in a 6-story building built by Donatelli Development. Park Place will offer underground parking and private rooftop terraces for prices starting at $320,000 for a 1BR condo and $480,000 for a 2 BR unit.

In other metro stop news, on Monday the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved Trammel Crow Residential’s plan to build a 720-unit apartment building with retail on a 15-acre lot at the Dunn Loring-Merrifield station. The project calls for three towers, set around a landscaped plaza, to be built on the parking lot, along with a new six-story parking garage with 2,000 spaces and stores underneath. There also will be 1,150 additional underground parking spaces under the apartment towers. Eight percent of the apartments will be set aside as "workforce" housing for county employees and low-income residents. In addition, Trammel Crow has pledged to the county a contribution to help cover the costs that the expected influx of new school-aged children will bring.

Groundbreaking for Donatelli's Petworth Project

On Monday, July 31, Donatelli Development will break ground on Park Place, its latest project, to be built above the Petworth Metro Station at Georgia and New Hampshire Avenues. When completed in mid-2008, Park Place will offer 156 units in a 6-story building designed by Torti Gallas of Silver Spring. Donatelli Development - the builder formerly known as Donatelli & Klein - teamed up with Torti Gallas for the two anchor residential projects in the center of Columbia Heights, inviting speculation that Petworth is the leading edge of the boom that engulfed 14th St. Park place will offer underground parking and private rooftop terraces for prices starting at $320,000 for a 1- bedroom condo and $480,000 for 2 bedrooms. Reservation agreements are currently being taken, hard sales should start in October when final condo certification is issued by the DC government; the general contractor has not yet been selected.

Historic Silver Spring Fire Department Building on Market

Continuing the march of development along the upper Georgia Avenue corridor in south Silver Spring, this week the Silver Spring Fire Department – which recently moved into its new modern space across the street - has put its old building at 8131 Georgia Avenue on the market for $2.5 million. The station, which the department bought in 1918 for $5,500, is on the Montgomery County’s Index of Historic Places. The two-level station is about 6,000 sf and the building sits on a 7,500 sf lot. The department is looking for a quick sale in order to pay for a new ladder truck. The department is also working with the Silver Spring Historical Society to ensure a proper buyer, adaptation, and preservation of this space, which is seen as perfect for retail, a restaurant, office, or entertainment use.

Petworth Project Gets Nod

A Washington DC Council committee this week gave an approval to a project in the 4100 block of Georgia Avenue by allowing closure of the alley between Georgia Ave., Kansas Ave., and Taylor St. The local ANC has already given its approval for the Neighborhood Development Corp (NDC) to construct a mixed-use rental development just north of the Petworth Metro, expected to contain 72 affordable apartments, with construction to start this Fall (artist's rendering of building is pictured). Included will be 10,500 square feet of retail and 57 underground parking spaces. The Petworth construction boom comes as nearby condo projects Park Place (completion in 2008) prepares to start sales shortly, and as Georgia Avenue readies for a new rapid transit bus running from Silver Spring to the National Archives. The novel rapid transit will operate new 40- foot buses beginning the end of September, reducing the number of stops from 54 to 14, and will be equipped with an emitter that lengthens the timing of green lights to allow the bus to pass through.

Petworth Goes Condo

The DC government's efforts to revitalize Georgia Avenue may finally be paying some dividends. Love or hate the trend, Petworth is poised to undergo a transformation that will include numerous large-scale condo developments over the next several years as the wave of developments seeps untapped areas. Hitherto dominated by single family residences, Petworth has one of the more active pipeline of condo developments and apartments in the city, where Donatelli & Klein is in the final stages of the 148-unit Park Place anchor at the Petworth Metro. Other projects include a 72-unit affordable apartment building at 4100 Georgia Avenue, a condominium at 4200 Georgia Avenue, a 110-unit apartment building at 3910 Georgia by Jair Lynch, the Renaissance by Lakritz Adler (105 units), and the Jefferson, a 39-unit reconstruction that will deliver this Winter. Unlike the last generation, this round of condos is going for higher-end features, with condos like the Jefferson offering granite counters, wood floors throughout, natural stone tiles and private terraces. Another 400 units are well into the planning stages at this point.