NCPC Approves Coast Guard Headquarters Design

The new United States Coast Guard (USCG) headquarters planned for St. Elizabeths is now on track to begin construction as soon as February. The latest building designs, reviewed again and approved today by the by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), include 1.175 million s.f. of space for upwards of 3,860 employees, addressing concerns raised by NCPC last January. Among those issues are increased traffic on Shepherd Highway, the massing of the USCG building and garage, and the location of the security perimeter with respect to the historic cemetery on the site of the first national mental health facility in the country. Last August GSA awarded the $435 million construction contract to Clark Construction, WDG Architecture and HOK , with concept designs by Perkins and Will. The Coast Guard campus will be the first of 3 phases at the historic hospital. Phase 2, the center building, will house the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary's office and other "senior" staff. Phase 3 will be largely new construction for storage and other warehouse facilities. The Shepherd Highway issue is a sticky overlap of various federal authorities including the Federal Highway Administration, DHS, the General Services Administration, the National Park Service, the Department of Transportation and the Department of the Interior. DHS and GSA, along with the FHA, have determined that the highway is the best way for construction vehicles to access the West Campus to state construction. The National Park Service, which owns the land, objects because a portion would likely see permanent negative affects, but in the end the group agreed to keep exploring alternatives and continue on schedule for February construction. The Coast Guard HQ and parking garage will be built on a 118 ft slope visible from Haines Point and from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Concerns about the appearance of the HQ as seen from around the city led to reduced massing and planning for additional vegetation. The new plan also adjusts the visibility of the garage which would originally have been five levels above-grade, two below, but now proposes an inversion - only two above-grade and five below, but with an expanded footprint. The garage will provide 1,973 parking spaces and will serve both the USCG and the Department of Homeland Security headquarters. The exterior of the garage on the northern facade now swaps an extended green wall system with the previous zinc-clad frame. Finally, though the original Master Plan created a security perimeter that excluded the historic cemetery, new plans include the cemetery within the security perimeter to restore it "to its place as an integral part of the West Campus." NCPC will hear more plans in March when they review Phase 1B. 

Washington DC commercial real estate news

CATO Institute Builds Up and Out

The Cato Institute's landmark headquarters building on Massachusetts Avenue in NW will soon expand up and out after razing its southern neighbor and constructing a 34,000 s.f. addition designed by Gensler Architects. While liberals may groan, both the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) approved the plans, including the raze request and relief from rear loading requirements, setting in motion demolition this spring followed by construction expected to last 14 months.

The conservative think tank won plaudits in 1993 for its 6-story, HOK-designed glass atrium that conformed the building to its site on diagonal Massachusetts Avenue. Gensler's plans include adding an extra floor to the existing building and constructing a new, 7-story addition that will attach to the southern perimeter. The final product will include approximately 69,752 s.f. of office use, including the 34,150 s.f. expansion.

Bill Erickson, Vice President for Finance & Administration at Cato, said he had been trying to acquire the National Medical Association (NMA) building for almost 12 years, but the NMA had resisted, wanting to stay within the District. Cato ultimately purchased the property in June 2009 for a $7 million, and filed their raze application in July. The NMA will likely move out in February and start their new lease in Silver Spring.

Cato will welcome the addition because, according to Erickson, it is "totally out of office space" and has been renting about 5,000 s.f. from a nearby office. The think tank is also looking to expand program space, increasing the size of their theater to include 194 seats and adding amenities like a gym and rooftop garden for a growing program staff. They will not seek LEED certification despite several green features.
Akridge is managing the project for CATO, and the firm is currently determining the construction costs through consultation with Clark Construction, though no formal contracting has taken place. The estimated total construction cost is $25 to $28 million, which Cato plans to fund through a capital campaign, according to Erickson.

Erickson described the reaction of the community and various oversight agencies as very positive, including unanimous approval from both the ANC and the BZA. Erickson added the Office of Planning and neighbors at 1010 Mass loved the plan and were happy to hear an "eyesore" would be replaced and improved.

Washington, D.C. real estate and development news

Demolition Makes Way for DC's $218 million Crime Lab

Today DC officials began demolition work at the Metropolitan Police Department's former First District Headquarters at 415 4th Street, SW, the future site of the District's $218 million Consolidated Forensics Laboratory (CFL). Developed by Whiting-Turner and designed by HOK Architects, the six-story, 287,000 s.f. state-of-the-art crime lab will be situated in the shadow of the new Constitution Center complex near the L'Enfant Plaza Metro.

The new CFL will house the forensic arms of the Metropolitan Police, as well as the Department of Health and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and will be LEED Gold certified when it is completed sometime "in late 2012," according to DC Mayor Adrian Fenty. The First District's MPD headquarters relocated to the Bowen School at 101 M St SW in March to make room for the CFL lab.

CFL Director, Dr. William Vosburg said the new facility will allow for "synergy" between health and safety departments so that they are able to fight crime, identify disease outbreaks, and support public health and safety in general. And who couldn't use a little more synergy these days?

Meanwhile, the search continues for a temporary headquarters for the adjacent Engine 13 Fire House. The Ward 6 fire station will move to the adjoining parcels at 450 6th Street, SW just as soon as Mayor Fenty and the fire chief work out a suitable location for a temporary headquarters.

GSA and DHS Break Ground on Largest Federal Building Project Since Pentagon

Officials broke ground today on the largest federal building project in the Washington metro area since the Pentagon. The $435 million Coast Guard Headquarters is the first of three phases for the unified Department of Homeland Security (DHS) complex on the St. Elizabeths campus in Anacostia, and the first project to move the federal government into the historic neighborhood. In August, the General Services Administration (GSA) awarded the contract to Clark
Design/Build, LLC, WDG Architecture and HOK. The site obtained initial National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approval in January of this year, with full blown construction expected to begin early next year.

The new DHS site is funded partially through $650 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In total, the Recovery Act allocated $200 million to DHS and $450 million to GSA for construction of a new DHS headquarters at St. Elizabeths, $162 million of which will go to the Coast Guard facility alone. The facility will strive for LEED Silver certification by including green roofs, landscaped courtyards to control surface water runoff, and "innovative" heating and air conditioning systems. Occupancy of the new Coast Guard headquarters is expected by 2013.

The Center Building, pictured at left, will likely house the offices of the Secretary of DHS. Construction and renovation on this and other surrounding buildings will not occur until Phase 2. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and GSA Acting Administrator Paul Proty shoveled some serious dirt along with Representative Holmes Norton, Mayor Fenty, Councilmember Barry- as well as Senator Lieberman, for one of the most eclectic and highly paid ditch digging crews Washington DC has ever seen.

The DHS currently has 222,000 employees working at 35 offices throughout the Capitol region, DHS expects the consolidation will save taxpayers $163 million over the next 30 years. Construction of the new complex will produce an estimated 32,000 jobs, with many going to DC residents, especially if Norton has anything to do with it. The Congresswoman gave her own special welcome, saying "the federal government is crossing the Anacostia today, my friends. Come on over!" The residents of Ward 8, where the site is located, have the highest level of poverty in the city, with 35% unemployment, according to Councilmember Barry.

Despite the expected economic benefits for the area, the GSA has been involved in a series of Section 106 conversations, part of the National Historic Preservation Act by which community concerns are formally addressed. The local community and historic preservation groups raised concerns about public access to the land. Under the current Master plan, the public will have access to the cemetery, which includes soldiers from the Civil War, Hitchcock Hall, a large theater that once served the residents and staff at St. Elizabeths, and an area known as "The Point,"which boasts an expansive view of DC. Other concerns included the fate of Bald Eagles that call part of the campus home. The Master plan sets off a large section as "Eagle Zone" to prevent any encroachment.

The historic nature of the campus added a high level of complexity to the design and construction plans. On campus, 62 buildings are classified as "contributing" to the historical significance of St. Elizabeths. Of the 62, 52 will be retained and of the 10 that are scheduled to be demolished, 8 are dilapidated greenhouses. During a campus tour for media, GSA paused to showcase the demolition of one of the non-contributing buildings, the Mechanical and Electrical shop. St. Elizabeths was the first national mental health care facility in the country.

NoMa's Largest Mixed Use Building Caps Off

All the dust being kicked up in NoMa is finally paying off, with the topping off of Constitution Square, in what will be NoMa's largest mixed-use project, a 7-acre mixed use anchor, one block from the New York Avenue metro, that will deliver by late next year. Having reached its maximum height of 13 stories (in the residential portion), the project is still about a year away from delivering the first of its capacity, which will eventually include a 206-room Hilton hotel, 440 apartments, 340,000 s.f. of office space, and a Harris Teeter to boot - NoMa's first grocery store and first residential building.

The two-phase project kicked off in April of 2008, with the groundbreaking of the first phase. The two million square feet of development is the brainchild of Bethesda-based StonebridgeCarras and Walton Street Capital. The residential and retail portion, designed by SK&I Architects, will be the first to deliver, likely in early 2010, and will be LEED certified. SK&I is also designing the common areas of the apartments and the core and shell of the Hilton. The office space, designed by HOK Architecture, will add the office space in phases one and two, and though it is still a year off it has already scored some major tenants, including the Department of Justice. The office portion aims for a Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for green design.

According to Guclu Durusoy, Project Manager of SK&I, the facade will include extensive floor to ceiling glass to lighten the massing of the building. The residences will include a fitness center, outdoor pool deck, and three courtyards. Bethesda-based Clark Construction, which is performing construction, will hold an event on September 4th to celebrate the construction milestone.

This will be the first mixed-use project to come online, according to Liz Price, Director of the NoMa BID, who cites the neighborhood as "truly walkable" given the incoming density and existing public transportation infrastructure. The 35-block area is expected to see 20m square feet of development over the next ten years.

GSA Selects St. Elizabeths Team, Groundbreaking to Start

After years of planning and community outreach, the General Services Administration (GSA) has selected a development team and is mere weeks away from breaking ground at St. Elizabeths. In one of the largest construction contracts given in DC, GSA awarded the $435 million contract to Clark Construction, WDG Architecture and HOK to build the Coast Guard headquarters.

The three won out over a field of competitors including Hensel Phelps Construction with Shalom Baranes Associates, and Turner Construction with SOM. The GSA is using funding from the FY 2009 Appropriations and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("Recovery Act") of 2009 to fund the project.

The Coast Guard campus will be the first of 3 phases at the historic hospital. Phase 2 is the center building which will house the Department of Homeland Security Secretary's office as well as other senior administrative staff. Phase 3 will be largely new construction for storage and other similar warehouse facilities. According to Mike McGill, spokesman for the National Capital Region at GSA, groundbreaking and site preparation for the CG facility will begin in September. Actual construction will likely begin in the new year, pending final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC). In January 2009 the NCPC approved the final master plan with a few "notes" or contingencies.

First, the GSA has to gain approval to build a west access road connecting Firth Sterling Avenue, SE to the modified Malcom X Ave/SE I-295 interchange through the Shepherd Parkway, which belongs to the National Park Service. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) determined that the planned access road is the only feasible option, so GSA is working with the National Park Service to minimize negative impacts on Shepherd Highway.

Second, the GSA is working with the D.C. State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Commission of Fine Arts and other "consulting parties, to determine whether the historic cemetery should fall inside or outside the security perimeter

According to Lisa MacSpadden, Director of Public Affairs at the NCPC, "any development with regards to the Coast Guard facility would be contingent on the items outlined in the commission action" from January 2009. The Coast Guard facility will be erected mostly on the federally-owned West Campus, and partly on the DC-owned East Campus- a compromise resulting from the 1987 land transfer that ceded teh East Campus to the District. At present, the Office of Planning is proceeding independently with their plan for 2 million square feet of private sector, mixed-use development south of the Coast Guard site. St. Elizabeths was the first national mental health care facility in the country.

Images provided courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission as submitted by GSA for the project’s concept review.

LEED Platinum Office Building Opened in Chinatown Today

The redevelopment of Chinatown continues with the opening of a 12-story LEED Platinum certified office building today. The building, at 700 6th Street, NW, appropriately named "700 SIX", features the largest green roof on a private sector building in Washington DC and boasts Capitol Dome views. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Valerie Santos joined the Akridge development team in cutting the ribbon on the $150 million project, one of a mere handful of projects in the city to obtain such a high LEED certification.

Matt Klein, President of Akridge, boasted that "over 90% of the construction and demolition debris was recycled" and that "the building would consume 40% less water than a typical Washington building." The environmental standards set by the project continue a trend for new developments in the city.

700 SIX features 300,487 s.f. of retail space (7,001 SF on ground floor for retail or office and 10,400 SF of concourse-level retail space). According to Mary Margaret Plumridge, Director of Marketing & Communications for Akridge, the space is currently 1/3 leased by the law firm of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. The other 2/3 is up for grabs, though Plumridge indicated that they were currently working with a restaurant group to find a good fit for the ground level, which runs directly next to the G-Street cut through between the Verizon center and the movie theater complex.

The website for 700 SIX describes the glass bridges and metal walls as "virtually free standing with upper-floor windows on all four sides." HOK Architecture, the project architect, is familiar to DC residents as the designer of the new Washington Nationals stadium, and slightly less so for its design of the new office buildings at 88 K Street, SE.

DC Reveals Management and Style Guidelines for City Property

Mayor Adrian Fenty yesterday unveiled the Office of Property Management's (OPM) first-ever District of Columbia Facilities Plan - a "comprehensive strategy" for managing and consolidating the DC government's 18 million square feet plus of property and 3.7 million square feet of privately leased space in a streamlined and cost efficient manner.

The OPM plan outlines measures that will reduce the city's amount of leased space by 13% (roughly 500,000 square feet) over the next year by relocating staff to shuttered DC public schools and consolidating warehouse operations. It also provides concrete timelines for the construction of new District-owned office space - including the currently underway Department of Employee Services at Benning Road and Minnesota Avenue, NE (pictured) and the recently announced MPD Property and Evidence Warehouse in Southwest. DC Public Schools and Libraries, however, will be unaffected by the Facilities Plan, as they are governed by their own distinct agencies.

The plan includes a provision requiring all DC-sponsored projects to meet a minimum LEED silver certification. OPM Director Robin-Eve Jasper did, however, point out that the plan is “Version 1.0” and will be subject to revision as new opportunities present themselves.

"A lot of things change about property – about the needs, about the market and other things - are very dynamic in real estate. We will be regularly updating this plan to address new things that come up,” said Jasper.

In addition to the master Facilities Plan, OPM also used the occasion to announce the release of its HOK Architects-authored (and phone book thick) Workplace Design Guidelines that, in the words of District reps, “standardizes the materials and furnishings that can be used in District office buildings” through bulk purchases and codified style standards.

“This will be a common brand making sure that efficiencies bring big cost savings,” said Fenty. Because, as we all know, the best way to attract DC’s best and brightest to local government is by forcing them to all use identical mauve swivel chairs in their mass produced cubicles. Oy.

Builder Selected for New SW DC Crime Lab

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced yesterday that is has awarded Whiting-Turner a $133 million contract to construct the District's new Consolidated Forensics Laboratory (CFL) at the former site of the Metropolitan Police Department's at 415 4th Street, SW. Designed by HOK Architects, the six-story, 287,000 square foot crime lab will house the forensic arms of not only the police department, but the Department of Health and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as well. According to ODMPED, the new CFL will "coordinate crime, public safety and health investigations to help law enforcement solve crimes quickly without having to rely on other laboratories with competing priorities." Coming in at a total cost of $220 million (including “specialized equipment”), ODMPED states that the “firm-fixed price contract includes abatement and demolition of the old building as well as a 35 percent set-aside for Certified Business Enterprises.” A date for the demolition has yet to be scheduled, but work continues abreast just around the corner from the CFL site. Early last month, the District officials selected Potomac Investment Properties, City Partners and Adams Investment Group to construct to two, new mixed-use buildings – including a new fire station – just a few hundred yards away on two parcels adjoining 450 6th Street, SW.

Washington DC real estate development news

Its Fun to Dig at the Y-M-C-A

Mayor Fenty, Councilmember Jim Graham, ANC chairman Dee Hunter and numerous YMCA officials today attended the groundbreaking of a new mixed-use development at 14^th and W Streets NW, the current site of the YMCA Anthony Bowen. The 263,000 square foot project is being developed by Perseus Realty LLC in conjunction with Capmark Investments LP and the minority owned DC-based FLGA Real Estate Group. The $97 million development, entitled 14W, will include the construction of 231 rental apartments (including 18 affordable), a new 46,000 square foot YMCA and 12,200 square feet of retail space. Designs for the project by Davis Carter Scott and Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Inc. (HOK) encase the ground-level retail outlets in townhouse facades and place the residential quarters above the new YMCA. Future residents can look forward to amenities such as a billiard room, a 24-hour business center and concierge, catering kitchen, bar, rooftop garden and a 1-year membership to the YMCA. HPRB green-lighted the project in May when it approved the demolition of the existing buildings on the site.

The Mayor was adamant in his support of the development. “It’s the young people that we have at the front of our focus for this project,” said Fenty. “The projects, programs and lives that have been impacted by the YMCA are too numerous to mention…You have our commitment that whatever it is– from deferments to operations to transportation to the help of any other DC government agency – we will give it.”

The new $15 million YMCA is the fruit of more 2 years of active development on the part of the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington (YMCAMW). When completed, it will include a wellness center, child care facilities, office space, rooftop terrace, community meeting rooms and – as its centerpiece – a 25-meter indoor pool. Although the current facility has been vacated for demolition, its community services have been relocated to various “borrowed” spaces throughout the city.

The YMCA Anthony Bowen has a rich and storied history in the District. The organization was named for a Prince George’s County slave who relocated to Washington after purchasing his freedom; he then went on to co-found the nation’s first African-American YMCA in 1853. The current incarnation of the YMCA that bears his name first opened in 1912 and has stood at its present location since 1978 – a time when the U Street corridor ran rampant with violence and drugs.

“Anthony Bowen had a dream and it’s the centerpiece of that dream that’s become the reality for what we have here today…an unwavering belief that the evils of our past do not dictate the possibilities of our future,” said Angie L. Reese-Hawkins, CEO of the YMCAMW. “We’ve replaced the fear and distrust with families and…people who are committed to the community. This is what the nation’s capitol is all about.”

14W is being financed by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Clark Construction has been contracted for the development and is predicting a late 2010 completion.

Washington DC retail and real estate development news

One, Two, Three or Four in Southeast?

When DC Mud last reported on DRI's proposed mixed-use development at 88 K Street SE, the project had more working titles than a Star Wars sequel ("99 I Street" or "Square 696") and there was much confusion as to what shape the project would take when fully realized. The identity crisis now has some closure, now that Tammal Demolition completed its razing of a taxicab garage on the site in order to make way the project - now indisputably titled "The Plaza on K."

The HOK-designed project will begin Phase I construction in the coming months with a "flexible building plan," that, according to DRI's marketing department, could accommodate up to 4 towers of retail and office space taking up the entire city block at First and K Streets SE. (This despite the fact that the Capitol Riverfront's own newsletter reported the Plaza on K as tri-tower development in conjunction with the raze.)

The project’s first phase will include construction of the first tower and will add 290,000 square feet of office space and 14,000 square feet of ground-level retail space to Southeast’s shot at a real estate "do-over." Current plans call for the three towers to total 825,000 square feet in all, sport rooftop terraces and gold LEED certifications, and surround a 10,000 square foot public plaza.

The Plaza on K is just one of multiple District revitalization projects underway on what were once some the District’s most neglected pieces of property. Once completed, the Plaza will neighbor JPI’s Capitol Yards development at 100 I Street and the Cohen Companies' Velocity condo complex at 1050 First Street. Phase I's single tower is scheduled for completion in mid-2010, although a BID for the project has yet to issued. A firm timeline for further towers on the site has yet to be established.

Walnut Street Development Sells Mt. Vernon Site

Walnut Street Development (WSD) will be selling its Eye Street Lofts project; the sale is apparently imminent. WSD had been planning approximately 160 residential units and 4,000 s.f. of retail space for their land at 443-459 Eye Street, NW, since it purchased the land in 2004. The Mt. Vernon Triangle project had been planned originally as a condominium, to break ground in 2007, but market changes forced a shift to a planned rental building, construction had not yet begun. The purchaser is not presently being identified.

The site, a large project in its own right, is enhanced because of the adjacent District-owned property, the hotly pursued District 5th and I site for which four developers are vying. According to Jared Jablonka at WSD, the developer submitted a proposal for the 5th and I site, but withdrew when another developer made an offer on the Eye Street Lofts' parcel. Speculation points to JBG as the purchaser, though WSD would not comment on the terms of sale or identity of the purchaser.

"We had a pretty good plan, but then we got an offer from another developer to buy the land. We wanted to develop it ourselves because it would have been an exciting project, but we received an attractive offer," Jablonka said.

He added that WSD had delayed groundbreaking because they hoped to win the 5th and I site. "We had held off because the announcement of a developer for the adjacent piece of land (5th the and I) was delayed. We wanted to incorporate that site into our project, that was the idea, but then we got the offer to sell the site and it was hard to turn down. We are now under contract."

WSD's original $55 million multi-use project would have been a renovation of two 1880's row houses and other industrial buildings into an approximately 12-story structure with over 15,000 s.f. of community-serving retail space.

WSD's plans have been in the works since 2005 and have since faced several obstacles because of the historic nature of the buildings on site that include the Central Auto Works garage, a historically-designated structure. Architects HOK Group decided to incorporate the entire garage into the new edifice by piercing columns through the building and creating footings beneath the garage to support the new construction. The development would have also included the two existing row houses as well as a historic blacksmith shop.

According to the Deputy Mayor's Office, the four remaining developers - JBG, Buccini/Pollin, Potomac Investment Properties, and a group comprised of Holland Development, Donohoe Development, Spectrum Management, and Harris Development had all submitted satisfactory bids, but had subsequently been asked to submit a further "best and final" offer by this Friday to remain in consideration.

Going for the Gold (and Green) in Southeast

Another addition to the southeast construction boom, 88 K Street may soon add to the dust kicked up around the ballpark. DRI Development's project, also known schizophrenically as "The Plaza on K Street","99 I Street", and "Square 696" is joining the Capitol Riverfront development surge, green features and all. While the developer admits that plans for the mixed-use project are ever changing, the general concept is an 825,000 s.f. office building that will include 37,000 s.f. of ground floor retail space in a LEED-certified building. HOK architects may still be finalizing their renderings, but one thing is for sure, the project, whether it be one, two, three, or even four buildings, will have an approximately 8-10,000 s.f. plaza in front of it and will be designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification for its core and shell construction.

"The project will encompass a whole block, so it's a rare opportunity to include a plaza," said Teanna DiMicco, Marketing Coordinator for DRI.

The still metamorphosing project that will include a green rooftop and the use of recyclable material, will replace an existing parking lot and a building at First and K Streets that is soon-to-be demolished; the future construction site is currently owned by the developer.

“It is such a prime location, it’s close to the Capitol building and we’re trying to make it a distinctive building. It will have a beautiful plaza that will open up a nice pedestrian lifestyle by a lot of residential projects. It will really get a great live-work play environment going. I really do believe that this building will stand out, we have this whole block and it will be the only place with a pedestrian promenade," DiMicco said.

The team is currently in the permit process for the site that is eight blocks from the Capitol, five blocks from the ballpark, and two blocks from the Green Line's Navy Yard Metro Station. Delivery of Phase I, whatever that may include, is planned for the fourth quarter of 2009.

DRI's project is one of many green projects in the Capitol Riverfront area. As BID Executive Director, Michael Stevens noted in his interview with DCMud yesterday, other green projects include Nationals Park, the Department of Transportation, four new parks, and 20 M Street, to name a few.

The developer is a DC-based firm that is a subsidiary of Transwestern Commercial Services. DRI is responsible for other DC-area projects like 1899 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW and The National Institutes of Health in Bethesda.

Vornado Hits Crystal City Again

Sticking with their strengths, Vornado/Charles E. Smith is recycling an old 13-story office building, turning it into a 19-story - you guessed it - "luxury tower" at 220 20th Street in Crystal City. Designed by global firms HOK Architecture and Dorsky Hodgson & Partners, 220 Twentieth Street will be a 270,000 s.f. mixed-use tower that will include 265 luxury rental apartments and 1,600 s.f. retail space at its completion in mid 2009. The developers will recycle the concrete structure of the old building while adding six floors, rebuilding the façade, systems, and interior space. “We’re thrilled to bring 220 20th Street to market. We believe this new sustainably-designed residential project will bring a sparkling new level of quality and visibility to the new Crystal City,” said Richard Smith, Senior Vice President of Development. Two blocks from the Crystal City Metro, developers say the project will be LEED Certified for such features as its water efficient landscaping, bike storage, and use of recycled material during construction, and that from the rooftop pool deck it will boast panoramic views of the planes touching down at Reagan National Airport, the not-too-distant District, and surrounding clusters of the vertical, but newly-walkable, neighborhood of Crystal City.The developers intention for the project was to bring more residents to Crystal City and “set a design standard” for the area. Modest goals, perhaps, but here's to hoping they succeed...

Arlington Virginia commercial real estate news

Crystal City Goes Metropolitan

While DC developers boast of the number of cranes in their neighborhood, Arlington residents are becoming more Metropolitan by far. At least in name, anyway, as Kettler moves into the next phase of its mega real estate project that borders Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Pentagon Row. The behemoth project has already delivered two 300-plus unit residential buildings, The Metropolitan at Pentagon City and The Metropolitan at Pentagon Row, in 2002 and 2005, a feat that would have earned satisfaction enough for many serious developers. But now Kettler continues to work on the remaining eight phases - 10 buildings - on 19.6 acres of real estate within eyesight of the District. The whole site is bounded by 12th, 15th, Eads, and South Fern Streets. The next of the remaining eight phases, The Millennium at Metropolitan Park, will include 300 rental apartments and 8,100 s.f. of retail, potentially with a restaurant. 

The goal of the project was to contribute to the "vertical communities" in the area, a response to the demand for luxury apartment housing in transit-friendly areas and a contribution to the towering architecture of Crystal and Pentagon City residential developments - a Virginia-style Co-Op City. Kettler had been leasing the land from Vornado, and purchased the first eleven acres in Pentagon City in May 2007 for $104.4 million. Kettler will eventually pay $220.4 million for the entire soon-to-be shadow-casting site. Currently on the lot is The Gramercy (Phase I), six warehouses for demolition, and a lot of empty space. "With the projected job growth in Arlington, there is current and future demand for housing in communities with high-end finishes and amenities as well as existing neighborhood-serving retail projects,” said Cassie Cataline, Vice President of Communications for Kettler. The nineteen-story "luxury" building referred to as a "signature project" for the developer was designed by HOK architects and Cleveland-based Dorsky Hodgson Parrish Yue and will deliver in winter 2009, bringing with it the majority of a 2.5 acre park the eight buildings will eventually surround. The 300 foot long Millennium building will face the park and have a three-story glass lobby to allow those on the other side of the building to glimpse the park. "The goal for the second phase was to make it compatible, but distinct and more contemporary. It has a unique position because it faces the park directly rather than being perpendicular to it like the other buildings," said Sandy Silverman, Partner for the project at Dorsky Hodgson Parrish Yue. "Met Two fits in in the sense that it has similar masonry materials and color pallet, but it's cleaner, simpler. The development is like the Battery Park City complex, it's a community but it has a large-scale guideline to bring it together," Silverman said. The name of phase three has yet to be determined - long shot, but we're guessing it will be "The Metropolitan" - it will also reach nineteen stories with rental apartments and retail, this time 410 units and 16,000 s.f., respectively. Also designed by Dorsky Hodgson Parrish Yue, delivery is scheduled for spring 2011. 

Phases four through eight will bring an additional 1,000-2,000 residential units, but because their delivery is so far in the future, the developers will let the market determine the unit types, whether they be apartments, condominiums, or hotels. Design on phase four will begin next year and it will be another ten to fifteen years before we see the final phase. What's with the repetitive names? "It’s about branding and marketing and building a strong identity for our high-end urban apartment series," Cataline said. The Gramercy at Metropolitan Park, part one of the eight, is a retail and residential eighteen- story building that opened in October 2007. The building included 399 rental apartments as well as 11,000 s.f. of retail space. “This location is served by two metro stations (Crystal City and Pentagon City), VRE and National airport as well as potential ferry service; it is at the convergence of virtually every major commuter route into Washington, DC.,” said Cataline.

Arlington Virginia commercial real estate news