Rosslyn's Severe Case of Tower Envy

The Rosslyn skyline will be changing significantly in the coming years as two new mixed-used projects shoot skyward. Interestingly, both have at one time hyped themselves as the metro area's tallest developments, JBG's Central Place and Monday Properties' 1812 North Moore Street have both been cleared to exceed the 300 foot height limit usually imposed by Arlington County, both will be runners-up for the region's tallest after the Washington Monument. There's just one problem: with the dual towers of Central Place already under construction and North Moore breaking ground in October, neither side wants to relinquish their bragging rights to the title of tallest.

This has been a long time coming for 1812 North Moore. Now-defunct Westfield Realty sold the $31.5 million parcel to Monday Properties in 2006 after the former’s long-gestating bid to revamp the site went nowhere (not so) fast. Monday, however, have had much more success with their attempts to put the project into turnaround. Their Davis Carter Scott-designed tower boasts 600,000 square feet of commercial office space, 12,000 square feet for retail and a Metro terminal attached to the facility. Additionally, they’re on track to become the first LEED Platinum-certified building in the State of Virginia – a measure that has earned them accolades from the Rosslyn Renaissance (RR) Urban Design Committee (UDC) and the Radnor/Fort Myer Heights Civic Association (RAFOM) and will make them one of the most energy efficient buildings in the country.

But once the plans went public, it wasn't long before creative math came into play. Originally, both Central Place and North Moore were billing themselves with a height of 470 feet – including sea level. Eventually, the dueling parties seemed to realize that adding a hundred plus feet of land elevation to a building’s proposed height was tad on the disingenuous side. (After all, Denver’s Republic Plaza would be the tallest building in the world if it included the city’s 5,280 foot elevation in its’ official measurements.) And that’s where things get confusing.

Currently, Monday Properties says that their proposed 30-story complex on North Moore will come in at 390 feet – and that the Central Place will top out a whopping 60 feet below them. But in December of last year, the Arlington County Planning Commission made Monday shave a story off their blueprints, so as not to obstruct the view from Central Place’s observation deck – the one that was supposed to look down on North Moore. (Further complicating matters is the fact The Washington Post reported North Moore’s post-Planning Board height at a diminutive 370 feet.)

Unsurprisingly, JBG is singing a different tune. Their website states that the taller of their two towers will measure in at 31-stories - 390 feet. According to Thomas Miller of the Arlington County Planning Division – the county body with access to blueprints to both sites - the he-said she-said bit is all for naught.

“Both buildings are 390 feet,” he said Thursday afternoon, “Although, the highest [North Moore] offices actually fall below the observation deck level [of Central Place].”


He also confirmed that the two buildings only have a 3 foot difference in base elevation, but did not specify which. So depending on your point of the view (or the address on your lease), the second highest point in the Washington area is soon to be either Central Place’s glass-enclosed 31st floor tourist draw or the luminescent glass pyramid that will cap North Moore.

All in all, this only serves as a lesson in the strategic power of PR. Both buildings are to offer hundreds of thousands of feet office and retail space that represent a dramatic expansion of Rosslyn’s commercial prospects. Given that the two sites are separated by roughly only 200 yards, the competition for luring prominent DC businesses into these new NoVa nerve centers was bound to be stiff. While 1812 North Moore has yet to commit to a delivery date, Central Place is scheduled to be completed in 2011. Only then will we see who really comes out on top.

Arlington Safeway Site Receives Approval

The Arlington County Board approved plans today to renovate and expand the now-5,000 s.f. Arlington Mill Community Center into a mixed-use development. The project, designed by McLean-based Davis Carter Scott Design, and developed by Bethesda-based Public Private Alliances, LLC, a subsidiary of Clark Construction Group/Clark Ventures, will include brand new retail, residential, and parking space in addition to the new community center. The first of the project's two buildings - the residential portion - will stand five five stories tall. It will house 159 units including studio, one, two, and three bedroom units, sixty-one of them affordable. The second, six-story, LEED-certified civic building will include 33 residential units, 3,000 s.f. ground floor retail, and the 40,000 s.f. community center; Arlingtonians can get excited about a new high school-size gym, two flexible classrooms, and a fitness center. These rental apartments will include ten units for the Department of Human Services for its Supportive Housing Program and 40 two- and three-bedroom units with rent ranging from $993 to $1475. 

Columbia Pike Initiative Coordinator, Jennifer Smith said the project is consistent with the County's vision of revitalization along the Pike. "It will add additional new residential units and me our the long-standing commitment by the county to have an upgraded community center for area residents. A place where they can come together to meet, and greet and have their activities," she said. The developer will not be alone in footing the bill for the development. The project's public areas will be financed by $26 million in general obligation bonds authorized by voters in November 2006. The developer will also receive $11 million from the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits program through the Virginia Housing Development Authority, and $3 million for using the value of the land lease payment to support the creation of the affordable housing units. The 1.9-acre former Safeway site, located at the intersection of Columbia Pike and Dinwiddie Street, will also offer its residents and neighbors three levels of underground parking and a new public plaza along Columbia Pike. Construction is tentatively scheduled for late November.

Arlington Virginia commercial real estate news

Common Commotion in Rosslyn

Rosslyn's it developer, JBG, is having quite a week. First they prep for demolition to make way for the area's new tallest building, and then they receive approval from the Arlington County Board for Rosslyn Commons, a mixed-use, transit-oriented development on Clarendon Boulevard. This new development will bring 454 apartments, 25 four-story townhouses, 12,000 s.f. of ground floor retail, 31,913 s.f. of open space, and four levels of underground parking to a 2.8-acre site three blocks from the Rosslyn Metro; quite an addition for an area that has until recently been office oriented and drained of humanity after rush hour.

Replacing the current 84-unit brick garden apartments on site, the new apartments, designed by Bethesda-based firm Architects Collaborative, will be divided among two, L-shaped towers. The first tower, bounded by Clarendon Boulevard, 17th Street North, and N. Oak Street, will offer 262 units and stand thirteen stories high, gradually lowering to eleven stories along Clarendon Blvd. All fifty-four units of affordable housing will be located in this building. The second tower will climb to twelve stories on the corner of Clarendon Blvd. and N. Ode St. and offer 192 units and retail space.

The color pallet for both buildings is planned as an attention grabbing combination of “tan-brown, reddish brown and pink-brown brick with gray-blue to gray-green metal frames.” Affordable units will include 26 two-bedroom apartments renting for $1,329, 22 one-bedroom units renting for $1,107 and six three-bedroom apartments to rent for $1,535.

Mixing up the urban vibe will be twenty-five town homes on site, separated into two rows; one will face an interior courtyard, the other will face 16th Road North.

The site scores high in the green department – both apartment buildings will be LEED certified, and the town homes will comply with the county's Green Home Choice Program. Commons residents will receive the uncommon bonus of SmarTrip Fare Cards for the Metro system.

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

LEEDing the Pack Downtown

A new office building has raised the bar for environmentally friendly office buildings in the District of Columbia. Lerner Enterprises and WDG Architect's 20 M Street, located near the new stadium, was awarded LEED Gold Certification this week. The second-highest ranking for environmental certification was awarded to the project for Core and Shell Development - the first office building in the city to receive the award. The 10-story, 190,000-s.f. office building contains four levels of below-grade parking, 10,971 s.f. of retail space that will include a fitness center, and includes such features as a high-performance glass curtain-wall and plumbing that reduces water use. Architects got additional LEED points for use of recycled materials in construction and locally-manufactured products, as well as access to public transportation. No points were given for views of the stadium.

The project was designed in 1999, but was put on hold after 9/11, and was brought back to life in 2004. Across from the Navy Yard Metro and a block away from the new, also green, Nationals Park, the building “reflects the city’s high design standards for new office construction.” Though completed, the building has remained an empty shell since construction ended in March 2007, as a tenant has yet to sign for the office building.

According to Eric Schlegel, Project Manager at WDG, the decision to "go green" was, "a philosophical change for the developer" and one that helped to create a pedestrian-friendly M Street.

"I believe that along with some other developments along M Street, the project will set a new standard for design quality in the area and bring commercial and retail activity to the neighborhood," Schlegel said.

The LEED for Core and Shell rating system is for developers, builders, and other real estate big wigs who want to incorporate sustainable, environmentally friendly designs into their new construction. Though similar to the LEED for Commercial Interiors rating, the LEED for Core and Shell category is limited to aspects of construction projects over which the developer has control, as opposed to interior design, lighting, and other tenant-related systems. Both LEED rating systems were developed as part of the U.S. Green Building Council’s effort to establish a national “green building” standard.

The project, which has central, high-speed, traction elevators, also includes the exclusive use of low-emission paints, carpet, adhesives, and sealants, and advanced storm-water management measures, high-efficiency HVAC systems and humidity control. Ok, let's repeat: New, energy efficient, close to Metro and ballpark, with a cool gym. Seems like they wouldn't even need a broker.

National's Get First LEED Stadium

Today marks a new era in both Major League Baseball, and DC history. The US Green Building Council today officially designated the National's Ballpark as the first major stadium in the US of A to be LEED Certified. HOK Sport, the division of HOK Architecture specifically devoted to the design of athletic venues, received LEED Silver status, the third-highest step on the LEED ladder. Before construction even began, developers removed the site's contaminated soil and shipped it off to Soil Safe Incorporated, which recycled it. After the site was replenished with fresh loam, construction teams buried six ginormous sand filters to prevent litter and "wash-down" water from finding its way into the Anacostia River. Also, because of the proximity to the Metro, bus and bike routes, the Green Building Council considers the site itself a contributing factor to the eco-friendly development. HOK achieved LEED Silver certification through a number of different methods. First and foremost, the stadium was designed to save millions of gallons of water. This was done in two ways: Plumbing fixtures that conserve almost four million gallons of water were used in the construction. In addition, HOK designed the stadium to use air-cooled - rather than water-cooled - ventilation systems, an upgrade that will save an additional six million gallons of water. Nats stadium also has a slew of recycling bins located throughout the ballpark; now fans can dispose of their Budweiser bottles appropriately instead of just tossing them. Roughly 20% of the stadium was built with recycled materials, and more than 5,000 tons of construction waste were recycled. For the final touch, HOK used efficient lighting, added a 6,300-s.f. green roof to collect rain water, and created signs around the park to highlight its eco-friendly aspects (we're not really sure how that helps global warming, but it was in the press release). Gregory O'Dell, CEO of the Washington DC Sports and Entertainment Commission boasted: "Creating a green ballpark was as fundamental as any requirement when we decided to embark on this mission to build a new state of the art stadium for the Washington Nationals." Now if we could only come up with an eco-friendly (and stomach-friendly) design for a hotdog.

Washington DC commercial property news

Navy Living Without the Boat (Or Ocean)

DC developer Forest City Washington is planning to build one of southeast's newest residential buildings, officially known as Building 160, in the form of a 6-story tower at 301 Tingey Street. The project will be developed using the framework of the Pattern and Joiner Shop, a woodworking plant built in 1918 and part of the historic Washington Navy Yard Annex. Developers will convert the four-story, 157,000-s.f. Joiner Shop warehouse into a 170-unit apartment building by way of gutting the interior, maintaining and restoring the facade, and building a two-floor, 50,000-s.f. addition above its roof. SK&I Architectural Design Group plans for LEED Certification, although sources indicate that it is too early to predict the level.

The building serves as the first residential project to arise in the vast development known as The Yards. With step numero-uno of The Yards, Forest City will create "Upscale apartment units featuring stained concrete and wood floors, designer kitchen and bathrooms, split level bedrooms and contemporary amenity spaces," said Sami Kirkdil, principal at SK&I.

Estimated to cost between $20 and $30 million, the lofts will offer interior parking, club and theater rooms and a furnished courtyard on the second floor for its guests. The building's ground floor has been designed to accommodate retail spaces facing the river and main streets in addition to a smattering of garden apartments. The rooftop addition will house "luxury double story loft units," according to Kirkdil and a fifth floor sky deck and 30-ft glass lap pool will overhang into the courtyard. (We're not quite sure what that means but it sounds cool.)

General Contractor bids for renovation and construction will close next Thursday. Developers expect to break ground in the Spring of 2008 and finish in the Winter of 2009.

JPI: "Luxury Rentals" Everywhere

JPI topped out on two of its four projects in southeast DC, the first set of residences that will be completed in the heavily-developing ballpark district. Both the Jefferson at Capitol Yards, a 448-unit luxury apartment building, and the Mercury at Capital Yards, a 246-unit "luxury" apartment building, are slated for completion next summer - not quite in time for the Nationals' season opener in their new home. WDG Architecture is behind the industrial design of the Jefferson and the "edgy" metallic design of the Mercury.

JPI still has two more projects coming into the home stretch; 909 at Capitol Yards (pictured) which will house 237 "luxury" rental units and 6,000 s.f. of retail and restaurant space, being delivered in mid-2009, and 23 Eye Street, a 419-unit (you guessed it) luxury rental building with 15,000 s.f. of retail space; JPI plans to break ground on this (anticipated) Silver LEED certified building in the fall of next year. In total, JPI will add more than 1,300 units to the ballpark district, accounting for 20% of the total number of new residences that are being built in close proximity to the new ballpark. The total cost of JPI's investment: $470 million - and they won't be selling a single square foot.

By the middle of 2009, JPI will have effectively gentrified a neighborhood in record time, pioneering the way for the near-dozen development companies that are currently building within the sector. The residential projects that will follow JPI's lead include: Capitol Quarter by EYA, Onyx on First by Faison/Canyon-Johnson, the massive Half Street development by Monument Realty, 1345 South Capitol Street by Camden Development, Velocity Condos by Cohen Companies and The Yards by Forest City. But wait, there's more. Together with the onslaught of residential developments set for the South Capitol Corridor, District residents will receive a slew of commercial space: SC1100 by Ruben Companies, 1111 New Jersey Ave by Donohoe and 1015 Half by Opus East, just to name a few.

According to our favorite chronicler of all things Southeast, blogger JD, "It is expected that in the next 15 years the "Capitol Riverfront" area covering both Near Southeast and Buzzards Point will include approximately 12 million square feet of office space, 9,000 new housing units, and 600,000 square feet of retail."

PN Hoffman Switches NW Project to Offices

PN Hoffman has announced that their downtown condo project is now going forward as an office building. The building, at 10th and G St, NW, will change from market rate condominiums to a mixed-use commercial center. Two years in the making, the project will create 140,000 s.f. of Class A office space atop a newly constructed First Congregational United Church of Christ (FCUCC).

PN Hoffman has been working together with ER Bacon Development LLC to finish design plans; the purchase agreement of air rights above the church's land has been finalized as of October, while plans to rebuild a new, two-story church underneath the commercial space are still in progress. The existing church, built in 1959, is set to be demolished in December. According to PN Hoffman, development of the church will include "approximately 36,000 s.f. of space comprised of a sanctuary and social service area...the facility will provide spaces for conferences, lectures, offices, classrooms, and music events." As part of the church's resurrection, the apportioned social service space under the glass-and-steel office structure will be leased to the Dinner Program for Homeless Women - definitely a mixed-use endeavor.

The current church is in dire need of an upgrade, hence the uncommon leveraging of sacred air rights. Meg Maguire, Chair of the Site Development Task Force for FCUCC explained: "There are many things wrong with the church, it isn't handicapped accessible, all of the systems in the church are in really bad shape and need to be replaced, so we were looking at a huge investment. Even if we made that investment, at the end of the day we were not going to have the home that we would need in the 21st century...we were very fortunate to find, in ER Bacon and PN Hoffman, a partner...It's been an incredible team effort."

The commercial portion of the site will house eight stories of office space and include a third floor outdoor-terrace so cubicle inhabitants can grab a breath of fresh air in between long hours of business-as-usual. The building's design is set to achieve a LEED Silver rating by incorporating a green roof, use of recycled construction materials and minimization of water usage. The design will serve as PN Hoffman's very first venture into the world of commercial office development. PNH had previously planned to build 140 "luxury" condominiums above the homeless shelter.

Cunningham + Quill Architects is handling the office space design, while NY-based Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects has created plans for the church. Construction is set to begin in February, 2008 with an expected completion date in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Sponsored Announcement

Cromley Lofts - True loft living in the heart of Old Town.
Located a short walk to the Potomac and the King Street Metro, Cromley Lofts features the gorgeous conversion and historic preservation of a century-old brick warehouse, with breathtaking contemporary finishes throughout, including oversized windows, high ceilings, reclaimed yellow pine floors, gas fireplaces, soapstone kitchen counters, double stainless steel ovens, retracting vents, fully tiled glass showers, and parking available. Two penthouses feature end to end windows surrounded by private patios.

Beauty without guilt: Cromley Lofts are LEED-certified "Gold", the first building in Alexandria and the first condo in Virginia with LEED credentials. Priced from $535k to $645k, with off-street parking, each spacious loft has been flawlessly upgraded and beautifully designed for the perfect urban comfort. Contact Tanya for more information at 703-203-8750. Sales and marketing by DCRE.

Downtown Bethesda Condominium Pair Gets First Stamp of Approval

The Montgomery County Planning Board staff has issued its report recommending approval of a site plan to jointly develop a pair of parking lots in downtown Bethesda into mixed-use, multi-family condominiums with as many as 250 residential units in LEED certified buildings, construction of which will require a closing and realignment of Woodmont Avenue south of Bethesda Avenue. Lot 31, now sporting a metered parking lot at the crossroads of Bethesda and Woodmont Avenues - on the west side - and Lot 31A, across Woodmont Avenue to the east, are now on track for development as the southern gateway to Bethesda (depicted above, looking south), a predominantly glass and brick duo with a combined 250 units (up to 146 in the west building and 97 in the east), 40,000 s.f. of retail space and as many as 1480 underground parking spaces. Both the 3-acre and the one-third acre lots are currently owned by the county, and will be jointly developed between the county and the development team, itself a joint venture between DC-based PN Hoffman and Stonebridge Development. The County will require 12.5% of the units built as MPDUs (moderately priced dwelling units) and an additional 35 as workforce housing. The conditional approval by the Planning Board will require conformity to a list of preconditions, including traffic, structural, public space, affordable housing, and bike trail accommodations, limiting the building height to 90 feet to the east of Woodmont, though stepping down to 65 feet at street level, considerably shorter than the 143-foot Seasons apartment building to the immediate east, and to a maximum of 54 feet to the west of Woodmont. Retail will accommodate outdoor seating, extending Bethesda Row to the south, and significant concessions will be made for the Capitol Crescent Trail, including additional bike racks and a "drop-off" point on Woodmont where bikers can unload from vehicles onto a new branch of the trail on the south side of the west building, providing an additional access point to the bike trail from Woodmont, which will be shifted to the west to line up Woodmont more directly where it crosses Bethesda Avenue. PNH and Stonebridge most recently jointly developed Chase Point Condominiums in Chevy Chase DC. The staff report is not final, but signals a likelihood the full Board will approve the project. A hearing on the issue will be held September 20th. 

Bethesda Maryland real estate development news

Old Town Loft Gets Virginia's First "Green" Ranking

The United State Green Building Council (USGBC) today awarded Developer William Cromley its first LEED- certification for a condominium in the state of Virginia. Cromley Lofts was awarded "Gold" Status by the industry’s governing body for its sustainable design, the first building in Alexandria to be certified as ‘green’ and the first such condominium anywhere in the state. Cromley Lofts is a new eight-unit condominium, an adaptive re-use of a century-old warehouse in the center of Old Town Alexandria.

As we reported last Spring, the Lofts were Designed and built by William Cromley, retaining most of their historic structure and original features that make them worthy of the "loft" moniker, in an era where the term is thrown around loosely, and include warehouse-sized windows and original curved wooden support beams. Cromley supplemented the project with historic, if not original, construction material, including wood floors fashioned from centuries-old heart pine culled from the aged timbers of a dismantled Georgian textile mill, making the floors possibly older than the city in which they sit. In sync with loft style of New York, Cromley Lofts adds modern features to accentuate the architecture and history, with all-glass tiled showers, double stainless ovens in the kitchens and bamboo cabinets. The sales Grand Opening will take place in September.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification is a third party verification process created by the USGBC in 2000 to promote the cause of green building. Green features taken into account at Cromley Lofts include proximity to Metro, vegetated green roof to reduce ambient air temperature and runoff, water-sparing plumbing fixtures, highly efficient heating and cooling mechanisms, non-CFC based refrigerants, use of salvaged, reused or rapidly renewable building materials, use of low VOC materials, built-in bike storage, interior design to maximize natural light, and double the required insulation, to name just a few. Says Cromley, "Green design is dynamic and beautiful, it isn't tie-dye and yurts anymore." The "Gold" level awarded is the 2nd highest designation, which run, in order, certified, silver, gold and platinum.

William Cromley has an architectural legacy in the neighborhood's homes, many of which he designed and built to work within the historic framework of Old Town's architectural heritage, an accomplishment that moved Alexandria to name an Old Town street in his honor. Sales and marketing by DCRE.

Washington DC real estate and retail news

New Condo to be Alexandria's First Green Building

Condo developers nationally have been on the leading edge of the green movement, and it now appears that Alexandria’s first LEED-certified building will be an Old Town condominium. Alexandria Developer William Cromley is renovating a century-old warehouse at 1210 Queen St. into an 8-unit, "loft" style condominium called Cromley Lofts, featuring a green roof and sustainable, low-emission materials. LEED certification requires a rigorous third-party designation process and contemplates such factors as indoor environment, sustainable materials, access to public transportation, and energy efficiency. Cromley expects that the project, which has not yet been LEED-approved by the U.S. Green Building Council, will receive "certification," the lowest of the four possible rankings available, making this the first Alexandria project to receive such classification when it completes in the Spring, and estimates that the enhanced design will reduce utilities by about 30%. Alexandria's T.C. Williams High School, which has also applied for certification, will not complete until the Fall.

Each of the condos will offer about 1250 square feet of space in what Cromley describes as "true lofts," a departure from much of modern construction despite the prevalence of the term "loft" in marketing. Set in a historic building that was functional until recently as office space and artist studios, the lofts will exhibit "sleeping niches" rather than formal bedrooms, and bamboo cabinets as a sustainable alternative to traditional wood. Prices are expected to range from $500,000 to $700,000 when sales commence this Spring, competing with the Prescott and Monarch, much larger condo projects now underway in the quickly developing neighborhood. Sales and marketing by DCRE.

Washington DC real estate news