Mark Center Milestones

Construction of the Mark Center in Alexandria reached an interesting if meaningless milestone last Thursday as developers paused to note the millionth man hour spent on the massive federal project. The auxiliary to the Pentagon will be one of Northern Virginia's largest buildings when the Department of Defense (DoD) and developer Duke Realty complete the project in September of 2011. The Mark Center will serve as an overflow to the swelling number of Defense employees that cannot fit into the Pentagon.

The 1.7 million s.f. building will sit on 16 acres of land, with two office towers (15 and 17 stories) two parking garages - one below, one adjacent - and a public transportation center (far from Metro, as it is) for employees and the surrounding community. Duke, along with a little help from project architects HKS Architects and WBA, the Army Corps of Engineers and Clark Construction, is expected to earn an enviable LEED Gold ranking on the ginormous project.

Following a 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendation, the military is under an agreement with Duke to purchase the land once the project is built out. The Mark Center location provides enough land to allow for a substantial security perimeter, not to mention proximity to I-395 and the Pentagon. Transportation concerns have been a weighty issue for the project, located far from from the nearest Metro station, both for planners to prepare for alternate transport plans and for the community, which fears an unbearable addition to the already congested roads.

The two towers will connect on their first 10 floors, and have exteriors of precast concrete and blast-resistant glass, materials that meet security standards including preventative measures against "progressive collapse." Over 24 different users will occupy the space. The interior of the building will likely use a modular SmartWall system like that of the Pentagon, which allows for flexibility in arranging personnel.

More concerns have arisen over the required Remote Inspection Facility (RIF) - for screening packages and traffic coming onto the site - for its potentially traffic-blocking ability. The city initially requested that the facility be located off site, citing design concerns, traffic issues and worries over the safety of the community, but the Army opted to place it on site.


Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

North Bethesda Market's First Residential Units Will Be Ready by Summer

The best views in Montgomery County will be up for grabs when JBG begins leasing MoCo's tallest building in the coming days. According to The JBG Companies' Marketing Manager, Julie Contos, the first of North Bethesda Market's 397 rental apartments are scheduled for delivery the Summer of 2010, but will become available for lease by "late Spring" but the group has not finalized the rates yet. In case you haven't heard, North Bethesda Market is the mixed-use development located off Rockville Pike across from the White Flint Mall; at 24 stories a dwarf by NYC standards, but that nonetheless made its way into the (local) high-rise record books after topping off last August. HKS Architects designed the 187-unit tower, as well as a 6-story, 210-unit apartment building and 200,000 s.f. of retail that make up the Everest of local architecture. In a discussion with DCMud, Mike Nicolaus, Managing Director of the DC office of HKS, says the project and the designers behind it are at "the front-end" of a "broader transition" taking place throughout the beltway, a shift to "higher-density, more walkable, transit-oriented communities." And in an effort to achieve what Nicolaus calls a "more urban street grid," Executive Boulevard was extended to connect with Rockville Pike.In addition to serving as home to the Food and Drug Administration's offices, two of JBG's Office Buildings at 11400 Rockville Pike and 5515 Security Lane act as partial anchors to the development. Look for an additional Whole Foods and LA Fitness anchor to open later in the Summer or early this Fall. As for the names of the additional retailers setting up shop along the Pike: Nicolaus can only tell us that JBG is "working on getting new deals in place." A spokesman from JBG was equally cryptic but promised that news on that front will be coming available "in the next couple of weeks." 

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Mark Center Drama in Alexandria

Mass murder, national security, terrorism: the usual stuff of National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) meetings. Yesterday's review of the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) at Mark Center, part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) project had all sorts of unexpected drama. The rare colorful discussion included one Commissioner who cited 9/11 as the reason for his disregard for community complaints about security measures, another sardonically suggested the Army valued employees over citizens, and a neighbor who loudly drew a picture of mass murder in the cul-de-sacs of Alexandria because of the new Mark Center. The two-hour NCPC soap opera belied the stringent federally-mandated design standards for the new behemoth, which leave few design elements up for debate. The 1.7 million s.f. building, developed by Duke Realty, will sit on 16 acres of land located west of Seminary Road and I-395 in Alexandria. Duke is working with project architects HKS and WBA, Clark Construction, as well as the Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Alexandria. The two office towers are 15 and 17 stories, connecting on their first 10 floors, and will house 6,400 DOD personnel. The exteriors will feature materials that meet federally mandated security standards including blast-resistant glass and preventative measures against "progressive collapse." Even with the limited flexibility for design, the Army Corps of Engineers worked closely with the City of Alexandria to accommodate concerns raised about the size and appearance of the buildings - with space for 29,000 employees it will be one of northern Virginia's largest - which will be highly visible from the surrounding community. Updated plans include architectural refinements such as more noticeable curvature on the rooftops and an area for a public art display at the North Parking Garage, though the City remains less than thrilled with the overall design. The planned remote inspection facility (RIF) was the reason for all the shouting and name calling at the NCPC meeting. The facility, which allows for dog inspection of vehicles prior to entering the main campus, will be located in a "secure area of the east campus, over 610 feet away from the office towers," according to the NCPC staff report. 

From the beginning, the City requested this facility be located in an off site location, citing design concerns, traffic issues and worries over the safety of the community. Since the original request the Army has determined that the facility must be located on site, but has made efforts to add screening along adjoining Seminary Road to minimize its visual impact and has added a green roof to the facility. According to Peter Sholz, Senior VP of DC Operations for Duke Realty, the group has adjusted the design significantly, even adding blast-proof features to reassure the community. Sholz said about the overall design that it is "important to note that the government agreed to make some significant modifications in response to comments from the city and citizens." He added that modifications to the RIF and changes in the design such as adding a circular loop access road, pedestrian bridge, and facade changes have increased the cost of the project to the government by between $15 and $18 million. Sholz said the final project costs are hard to estimate and it is "conceivable" that the added costs could be offset through various cost saving measures the group is taking. Despite the hubbub, the designs received NCPC approval, though not unanimous, and Sholz said the project is on schedule for completion in 20 months. On a technical note, the NCPC has an advisory role in reviewing federal projects in Northern Virginia in the "environs" if DC. Generally a project comes before the NCPC and does not begin construction until it receives final review with approval and recommendations. Mark Center is an odd exception to the processes and authorities of the NCPC in that the structure, despite lacking final approval, is already at advanced stages of construction in order to meet the BRAC federally mandated September 2011 timeline. 

David Levy, NCPC Director of Urban Design and Plan Review, said the Commission gave the project foundation approval in February, hence the construction, and that yesterday's meeting addressed the preliminary and final site and building plans. The design elements for the two towers debated at yesterday's meeting have not yet been constructed, though the developers hesitated to bend to the requests from Alexandria for further adjusted building designs; the steel for the structures has already been ordered. Sholz did say that the team spoke with their steel company just yesterday to see if there was a way to change the shape of the ordered product to meet the City's design requests. Sholz's continued efforts support Levy's assertion that the NCPC approval was in part an expression of the Commission's confidence the design issues could be worked out. 

Alexandria real estate and development news

New Pentagon Auxiliary Underway Will be Biggest, Greenest

Construction is underway on an auxiliary to the Pentagon, a behemoth that will be one of Northern Virginia's largest buildings. Despite the size of the Pentagon, which holds 29,000 workers, many Department of Defense (DoD) employees have had to serve at a series of temporary locations over the years. With the structural steel frame now going up, the mini-Pentagon, the future home of 6,400 DoD personnel, is on track for completion in September 2011. The 1.7 million s.f. building will sit on 16 acres of land in Alexandria and will include two office towers, 15 and 17 stories, two parking garages, one below, one adjacent, and a public transportation center for employees and the surrounding community, all a mere 7 miles down I-395 at Mark Center. To round it out, Duke Realty, the developer and seller of the land, is hoping to exceed expectations and go for LEED Gold certification, which would make it the first LEED Gold government facility anywhere. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) recommendation for the U.S. Army's Fort Belvoir provided the impetus for the move and construction of a new facility. The BRAC called for the DoD to move 6,400 personnel from their leased space in Northern VA. After an extensive search the Army bought the property at Mark Center from Duke and will incorporate it into Fort Belvoir. 

Peter Sholz, Senior VP of DC Operations for Duke Realty, said Duke secured the project at Mark Center because the location met the stringent requirements needed to house the DoD, and that they offered an appealing "pricing and economics." The Mark Center location provides enough land to allow for a security perimeter (the space was previously an empty lot) and offers proximity to an amenity base, I-395 and, of course, the Pentagon. The design process included input from the developers, project architects HKS and WBA, the Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Alexandria; Clark Construction is the general contractor. Mike Nicolaus, Managing Director of the DC office of HKS, said the City of Alexandria wanted a landmark building for the high-visibility location and the Army Corp of Engineers wanted a structure that was both a high performance work place and somewhere workers could "be proud of." The new DoD home will be fenced with secured access points, meeting setback requirements. The two towers, which will connect on their first 10 floors, will have exteriors of precast concrete and glass, materials that meet federally mandated security standards including blast-resistant glass and preventative measures against "progressive collapse." Asked about design challenges, Nicolaus said "making architecture out of that is a challenge," but added that the building will still have a "higher level of architectural design" than most government buildings. Over 24 different user groups will occupy the space. Currently the floor plans are entirely open, but through the space planning process groups will determine head counts and special needs. The interior of the building will likely use a modular SmartWall system like that of the Pentagon, which allows for flexibility in arranging personnel. Sholz indicated he expects that both Metro and Dash buses will adjust their routes to include a new stop, but a shuttle will run to at least one metro station, as well as to the Pentagon. While the details are still being hammered out, Sholz estimated that employee use of public transit could total $10 million per year in transit subsidies.

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