Showing posts with label New York Avenue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New York Avenue. Show all posts

Thursday, February 02, 2012

Washington Gateway Finally Breaking Ground?

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MRP Realty edged closer to a groundbreaking of the $360 million Washington Gateway in NoMa, as crews this week began disassembling commercial billboards occupying the three-acre site at the intersection of New York Avenue and Florida Avenue, NE.

While some real estate insiders said construction would start shortly, Julie Chase, a spokeswoman on behalf of MRP Realty, said in an e-mail not to read too much into the action on the site as MRP is still in the permitting process. "Yes, the billboards are coming down, but that does not mean they are starting any construction," she said.

The two billboards on the site, both facing the railroad tracks, the Metro Red Line and inbound New York Avenue drivers, have been a familiar sight for road and rail commuters, but now it appears they could finally be replaced by construction cranes and equipment.

The million-square-foot project, designed by SK&; I Architectural Design Group and Gensler and to be built by Davis Construction, will be completed in three phases. The first step will be SK&I's 11-story apartment building with 400 units and 5,200 s.f. of retail.

The initial phase will be followed by two Gensler-designed 11-story office buildings, one with 200,000 s.f. and the other with 400,000 s.f., along with 10,000 s.f. of retail. Gensler is the designer of PNC Place at 800 17th Street NW, and SK& I recently designed Wisconsin Place in Friendship Heights.

All told, the 170-foot high (by some ways of measuring), triangle-shaped project with green space in the middle will have about 15,000 s.f. of retail facing Florida Avenue, NE, which will get its own facelift with new sidewalks, street lighting and landscaping.

The anticipated construction of Washington Gateway comes as the District is in the middle of a $36.5 million rehab of the nearby New York Avenue bridge which will run through September 2013, thanks to federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funding. The bridge reconstruction, which began in March 2011 is about 40 percent complete, according to contractor Fort Myer Construction Company. Already, on the northwestern side of New York Avenue, NoMa West, by Mill Creek Residential Trust, is nearly a year in towards constructing more than 600 residential units, having broken ground in March 2011 and is expected to be complete by spring of 2014.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Friday, May 14, 2010

Arbor Place No More

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Abdo Development's planned Arbor Place, an outer New York Avenue project first destined to offer up to 3500 condominiums, then retooled as a subsidized housing project, is now clinically dead according to the Washington Business Journal (WBJ).

Just last July, Abdo asked the DC Zoning Commission for consolidated approval of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and related zoning map amendment. At that time, Abdo had significantly downsized the planned development and was working with the DC government to subsidize the first phase of construction. Abdo told the WBJ that the $1.1 billion mixed-use workforce housing project under current fiscal conditions was "next to impossible."

The 16-acre triangle bordering New York Avenue, Bladensburg Road, and Montana Avenue, NE, is now dominated by warehouses and dilapidated commercial buildings near the National Arboretum. In filing for last summer's Zoning Commission hearing, the developers admitted that scaled-down "new application reflects changes to market conditions." The original PUD called for approximately 3,500 residential units, 148,120 s.f. of retail, 4,294 parking spaces, one acre of open space and an overall floor area ratio (FAR) of 4.98. The drastically smaller new plan offered approximately 1,400 residential units, 1,254 parking spaces, 69,883 sf of retail, 2.71 acres of open space and a less dense FAR of 2.46. It would seem, not even a down-sizing could save the ill-fated development.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Friday, August 07, 2009

Arbor Place: A Pulse Detected

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Map: Abdo Development, Arbor Place, Douglas Development, retail for lease, Washington DCAbdo Development's Arbor Place project, an unusually large outer New York Avenue project which received initial approval in February 2007, is back on the boards. At a hearing before Washington DC's Zoning Commission on July 30, 2009, Abdo asked for consolidated approval of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and related zoning map amendment from C-M-1 to CR Zone district for the same land.New York Avenue real estate development, Washington DC, Jim Abdo, Douglas Development In a move that clearly reflects the financing constraints many developers are facing, Abdo has significantly downsized the planned development and is working with DC to subsidize the first phase of construction (at least). The new Arbor Place is a planned mixed-use community on the colossal 17-acre triangle bordering New York Avenue, Bladensburg Road, and Montana Avenue, NE, (click on map, above) a section of real estate now dominated by warehouses and dilapidated commercial buildings. 

The site counts the opposite National Arboretum as an advantage, but sits on a challenged stretch of New York Avenue sometimes referred to impolitely as "the Devil's bowling alley" for its lengthy sameness, segregated by the CSX lines that run adjacent. The project will also include three new internal roads. The original PUD called for approximately 3,500 residential units, 148,120 sf of retail for lease, 4,294 parking spaces, one acre of open space and an overall floor area ratio (FAR) of 4.98. The drastically smaller new plan offers approximately 1,400 residential units, 1,254 parking spaces, 69,883 sf of retail for lease, 2.71 acres of open space and a less dense FAR of 2.46. In Commission filings, the developers admit "the new application reflects changes to market conditions." Most notably, the new filing changes the subsidized portion of the project from a mere 8% of units to 70% of units. About 25% of those units will now be available to residents at 80% AMI (Area Median Income) or below, and another third would be available to low-income households earning 60% AMI or less, and in some cases 50% AMI or less. The remaining 30% would be market rate. In their pre-hearing submission, the applicants, which still includes New York City-based Broadway Development, claim the "affordable housing component is the PUD's most significant project amenity and public benefit," a fact which underscores the removal of several project amenities, such as expansion of a local recreational facility and on-site health club. 

The affordable housing provision is now the subject of substantial negotiations over workforce housing programs between Abdo and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DPMED). The developers will "utilize a combination of direct subsidy and tax incentives to finance and construct the initial phases" of Arbor Place. These financing programs determine the distribution of affordable units in the PUD. Phase I, set to begin approximately two years after PUD approval, will start with two buildings that run along New York Ave. and part of Montana Ave. Every unit in Phase I will be available only to households at or below 60% AMI. Phase II's five buildings run along Montana Ave, New York Ave, part of Bladensburg Rd. and new internal roads. This phase provides 20% of units at 50% AMI and the remaining at market-rate, which the developer intends to price at a level generally affordable to an 80% AMI level. Phase III's three buildings run along Montana Ave and Bladensburg Rd and will be entirely market-rate, which the developer anticipates will generally priced equivalent to workforce housing. The developers expect Phase III to be ready 15 years from the Zoning Commission Order.

Arboretum Neighborhood Association President, Bleik Pickett, submitted a letter to the Commission expressing overall support, but with several key concerns. The original PUD had included a commitment to support and expand the local recreation center, and plans for a health club as one of the retail facilities. Neither offer exists in the new PUD application and residents are concerned about the influx of people without the necessary neighborhood resources to handle it. The letter mentioned that Abdo had expressed interest in a public-private partnership to provide resources for the community, and which it wanted reinstated. 

The Architect and Master Planner for the project is Maurice Walters; Torti Gallas and Jyh-Mei Lee, AIA (Abdo's in-house architect) are project architects. Additionally, Shalom Baranes Architects and Bradley Site Design are the landscape architects. The watercolor renderings were done by ArchiBIM, Inc. The Zoning Commission approved the consolidated PUD application and the Zoning amendments, and has now submitted its recommendation to the National Capitol Planning Commission (NCPC) for review. The NCPC will review the application and send a report back to the Zoning Commission. A final hearing before the Zoning Commission is scheduled for September 14th. Barring any bureaucratic hi-jinx, the application would then be approved. The guidelines for PUDs mandate that the developer has up to two year after approval to apply for a construction permit and an additional year after that to begin construction. If the two year or three year deadlines are not met, the PUD becomes void. The original PUD application is now void, due to the alterations and the above described time lapse. Assuming the Zoning Commission approves the new PUD application on September 14th, 2009, Abdo will have two years from that date to apply for a construction permit and an additional year to begin construction.

Washington DC retail and commercial real estate news

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

A New New York for DC

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DC construction, Bozzuto, northwest DC, new York Avenue, WDG Architects
Details regarding the Bozzuto Development Company's once mysterious New York Avenue project have finally surfaced. Now teamed with WDG Architects, the developer is pursuing at least one, if not two residential developments along the burgeoning Mount Vernon Triangle strip that also includes recentDC construction, Bozzuto, northwest, WDG Architects developments such as Yale Laundry and CityVista.

The so-called New York Avenue Apartments (let’s hope that's a placeholder) is planned to stand 13-stories tall at 460 New York Avenue, NW and include 87 residential units for a total of 85,555 square feet of new District development. The project's 9,059 square foot lot is now mainly vacant, with the exception of a non-contributing building at the intersection of New York Avenue and L Street, NW that will be demolished to make way for the project. A historic building next door to the site "that by virtue of alterations and its serious structural deficiencies has lost its integrity" will include 6 of the planned apartments and receive a full renovation.

Bozzuto Development Company President Toby Bozzuto told DCmud the company has also made tentative plans for an abandoned warehouse across the street that is also under their control.

Per the development team’s presentation to the local ANC 2C last year, WDG will utilize masonry, stone, glass, and metal for the building’s façade, along with “projecting bays” running from the third to eleventh stories. According to documentation from the developer, “The project will serve as a bridge between the historic rowhouses along 5th Street and the new Yale Steam Laundry project.” A ground floor fitness center and two levels of below grade parking will reportedly round out the development.

Though the PUD project’s timeline DC construction, Bozzuto, northwest, WDG Architectshas been elongated due to snags with another governing ANC (the project's location is flush to the boundary between two zones) and market declines in general, Bozzuto said it would be "terrific to start...in 2010."

Washington DC commercial real estate news

Friday, June 08, 2007

Old New York Avenue Hecht’s Building To Become New Mixed-Use Development?

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Readers of dcmud know of our particular fascination with all the new development slated for what we call The Devil’s Bowling Alley – that stretch of New York Avenue NE starting from N. Capitol Street going to the Maryland border long known for its auto lots, warehouses, and houses of "entertainment" of mixed repute. But the march of redevelopment continues its move eastward, first with MRP Realty’s mixed-use Washington Gateway project at the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues NE, and Abdo’s massive $1.1 billion Arbor Place complex planned for where New York Avenue, Bladensburg Road, and Montana Avenue NE meet. And now, it looks like the old Hecht’s distribution warehouse, located between these two projects on 16 acres at 1401 New York Avenue NE, will be the next to go under the knife. Pennsylvania-based Patriot Equities is now under contract to purchase the750,000-sf warehouse from Macy’s, and the company plans to develop a mixed-use complex on the site, with retail, office space, and residential units. As the property is currently zoned for industrial use, Patriot will need to have the zoning changed, as well as deal with the building’s landmark status. We will be sure to update you as plans are further developed and released.

Previously: Exclusive: Washington Gateway Project Images, Details
Previously: DC Zoning Approves Abdo’s Newly Named "Arbor Place" New York Avenue Project

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Washington Gateway Project Images, Details

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Washington DC commercial real estate agent
One of the more exciting proposed projects to hit the New York Avenue NE corridor the past year is MRP Realty’s Washington Gateway project, a $350 million development to be located in the NoMa section of Washington, just above the New York Avenue metro station at the southeast corner of New York and Florida Avenues NE, now the location of an abandoned lot and gas station (which will be going out of business in March). And MRP Realty has now provided us exclusive images and information about this anticipated project. Earlier this month, the DC Zoning Commission granted Final Action approval to MRP Realty’s plan for this 1 million-sf, mixed-use project, which will feature two office towers (600,000 sf of office space total), plus a T-shaped structure, with one side containing a 180-room hotel and the other side a 250-unit residential tower (with 8% reserved for affordable housing). 

Washington Gateway Elevation, MRP Realty, SK+I Architecture, Occulus landscape, Gensler ArchitectsMRP will also reconfigure, widen, and upgrade the walking areas along New York and Florida Avenues to enhance pedestrian access and safety, and also include new plantings and furnishings. In addition, sidewalk cafes and shops are planned for these thoroughfares. The project will also provide a direct connection to the metro through the Metropolitan Branch Trail via a three-story atrium. There will also be a public central plaza with cobblestones, benches, and a fountain, and will feature bicycle racks and a bicycle pump station. The architect for the office towers will be Gensler, with SK&I handing the residential and hotel tower. Land and streetscaping will be designed by Occulus. MRP expects to break ground in early 2008, with completion scheduled for early 2010. See the Washington Gateway site plan and more images of the project.  MRP Realty was created in 2005 by former Trammel Crow executives, and is quickly rising in the Washington metro developer scene, with over 2.25 million sf under development and another 3 million sf of development in the pipeline. Speaking with dcmud, Jonathan Lischke, MRP Vice President, stated that “[w]e are very excited about the project as Washington Gateway combines elegant and sophisticated urban architecture with sustainable design and smart growth. The buildings will be a combination of glass, metal, and pre-cast; incorporate green elements; and encourage pedestrian and bicycle use through proximity to metro and the Metropolitan Branch Trail. As one of the tallest projects in the District, Washington Gateway will not only have views of the Capitol Building but it will also be highly visible as a gateway to NoMa and downtown DC.”

Washington DC commercial real estate news

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Two New Hotels to Join Development of New York Avenue NE

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Once described many years ago by a local alternative paper as "The Devil's Bowling Alley" for its long stretch of dilapidated auto lots and boarded-up buildings, things are beginning to look up for New York Avenue NE. The latest news is that the joint venture of Rocks Engineering Co. and SharCon Hotel Management & Development Co. is moving forward on its development of side-by-side hotels next to the National Arboretum at the southeast intersection of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road in the Ivy City neighborhood. The hotels will both be five-story structures, with one being a 126-room Fairfield Inn & Suites and the other a 125-unit Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites. The hotels take the place of the old, now-demolished Travelodge Hotel (pictured, officially at 1917 Bladensburg Rd NE). Both hotels are expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2008.

The developers are banking on not only the 80,000 vehicles that pass the intersection each day, but also the other major developments planned for New York Avenue NE. The projects (as have been reported in past dcmud postings) include: Abdo Development's $1 billion mixed-use "Gateway" redevelopment project of 17 acres on the north side of the Bladensburg intersection into almost 4,000 residential units, green space, and a grocery (delivery after 2009); MRP Realty’s "Washington Gateway" project, a $350 million, 150-room hotel and 250-unit residential tower development to be located along New York and Florida Avenues NE (2010 occupancy); and New Town Development LLC’s $1 billion redevelopment of the 24-acre Florida Avenue Market, located between New York and Florida Avenues NE, into 1,700 residential units and 330,000 sf of retail, restaurant, and merchandising space.
 

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