White Flint Mall Plan Goes Before County

The Montgomery County Planning Board will vote today on a preliminary plan put forward by the owners of the White Flint Mall to transform the 1970's-era shopping mall into a high-density development with over 5 million s.f. of residential and commercial development.

As indoor malls fade across America, mall owners Lerner Enterprises and the Tower Companies plan to replace the mall, and an adjacent office building, which sits on 45 acres on the east side of Rockville Pike, half a mile from the White Flint Metro Station. An attorney representing the developers said the owners have declined to comment before the hearing.

The genesis for redevelopment plans came after the County's approval of the White Flint Sector Plan in 2010.  That plan allowed additional development on properties in the 430 acres covered by the plan, many along Rockville Pike and near the metro, from single-use commercial to vertical mixed-use.

White Flint Mall property, Image: Montgomery Planning Dept.

Construction won't come quickly; today's sketch plan approval vote will be solely conceptual and preliminary; owners will still have to submit a Preliminary Plan followed by a Site Plan process, all of which could take years to finalize.

The mall redevelopment is part of the White Flint Mall District within the larger Sector Plan.   Plans call for replacing acres of surface parking and the 874,000 s.f. mall with a 5.2 million s.f. development that will include commercial, residential, and hotel space.  To date, the Pike and Rose has been the only project to commence since passage of the Sector Plan.

White Flint Mall Redevelopment Plan. Image: County

Unlike the existing mall, the new plan calls for primarily underground parking and includes 1 million s.f. of office space, 280,350 s.f. of hotel space, 2,426 residential units (2.8 million s.f.), and 1 million s.f. of retail.  Plans also set aside a site for a possible future elementary school, lay out a grid of public and private streets, and sketch out a new a public park area north of the existing White Flint Neighborhood Park.

Planned building heights range from 40 feet to 250 feet, with the tallest fronting Rockville Pike and the shortest buildings facing the public park.  The plan, which would be built in three phases, details other public-use spaces - a central plaza, a gateway plaza, north and south gateway plazas, and a neighborhood plaza - which county planners say must be built to completion.

County planners are also requiring developers to include wayfinding signs, vegetated areas and walls, small business opportunities, moderately-priced dwelling units (MPDU's), and bicycle parking, among other obvious things like transportation and storm water management plans.

White Flint Mall Redevelopment Phases. Image: Montgomery County Planning Dept.

Washington DC real estate and retail news

20 M Street SE Secures Booz Allen Hamilton Lease

The underdog southeast ballpark neighborhood has something to boast about today: 20 M Street, SE secured a lease for nearly 30,000 s.f. from Booz Allen Hamilton, bringing building occupancy up to 70%. While other potential projects sit as big gaping holes, Lerner Enterprises and WDG Architect's 20 M Street has scored a series of victories in snagging leases from the General Services Administration, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and now from a coveted private entity. Both the BLM and Booz Allen Hamilton will move into the neighborhood this year; Booz Allen Hamilton will be the cool kids on the top floor.

The 10-story, 190,000-s.f. office building contains four levels of below-grade parking, 10,971 s.f. of retail space and was the first LEED Gold certified building for core and shell in the District. The building sits across from the Navy Yard Metro and a block away from Nationals Park. Hmm, who wants to bet how many season tickets Booz goes in for this year?


Washington, D.C. real estate development 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.