Waterview Condos

Waterview Condos, 1111 19th Street, Arlington VA
Waterview is a new office, hotel and condo project towering over the Potomac in the Rosslyn section of Arlington. Construction for Waterview condos started in March 2005; sales began in January 2007. Prices for the 136 condos ranged from $469k (one bedroom) to $2.5 million; 2-bedroom units started in the high $700k's. Located at 19th & Lynn and overlooking the Potomac and Washington DC, Waterview includes the 160-room Hotel Palomar, with condos rising 17 stories above the hotel, permitting full hotel amenities and concierge, not to mention great views of Washington DC and monuments from the eastern units. Waterview also includes 7,180 s.f. of retail above the Rosslyn Metro, all in two towers: a 24-story office tower (in front) and a 30-story building housing the condos and hotel; connected by a 4th-story terrace.

Development by JBG of Chevy Chase. Designed by James Ingo Freed of Pei/Cobb/Freed, construction by Clark Construction of Bethesda. The first settlements in the building took place in May, 2008, the project was reported sold out in by the sales team in late 2008, but sales continued on into 2010.

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Arlington's Rossdome of Art

Arlington planners have less than a year left on their self-imposed deadline to transform the former Newseum into Rosslyn's cultural center, and want you to come up with a name for it.

Transformation of the former Newseum site is scheduled for completion by the catchy date of 10/10/2010 (easier still to remember if the deadline is missed), by which time the 53,000-square-foot "showcase for the arts" will include an exhibition gallery, a "black box" theater for the Washington Shakespeare Company, IMAX screen, ballroom for cultural dances and lessons, and restaurant and retail space. Arlington is seeking LEED Silver certification for the project. The space has been unoccupied since 2002, when the Newseum moved to Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC (hard to imagine George Stephanopoulos broadcasting with the Rosslyn streetscape as a background).

The building, an ill-fitting dome on top of post-modernist prefab - fed of course by overhead walkways - was originally conceived by Ralph Appelbaum Associates. Arlington has entrusted The Lukmire Partnership with the renovation that will retain most of its original exterior but feature a fully-renovated interior space. But first, of course, the building needs a name, and the county is seeking public input on the new moniker. Interested parties are encouraged to vote online for the best new name - but freethinkers need not bother, the county has limited the vote to 3 choices.

Arlington has a 20-year lease on the property at 1101 Wilson Boulevard from Monday Properties, which owns the corner, and has plans on the boards for the nearby 1812 North Moore Street project, a 35-story tower that vie for the title of the region's tallest building.

Arlington, Virginia real estate development news

AHC Plans 8-Story Condo for Rosslyn

A three-story apartment complex in Rosslyn could soon be replaced by an eight-story condo and apartment building, bringing upwards of 225 units of metro-centric residential development. AHC, Inc. owns the 67 year old, 42-unit building at 1545 Key Boulevard, five blocks from the Rosslyn metro. AHC plans to build up the 1.24 acre site to replace the outdated building in need of serious upgrades. If all goes according to plan, the new development could be ready for move-in within four years, including planning, permitting and construction.

The developer's rationale behind replacing the existing building with a larger new building is related to concerns over the energy-efficiency of the building, aging systems and handicap-accessibility issues, among others. AHC began the planning process for the development considering the "significant investment needed to address the various deficiencies" and the site's "proximity to D.C."

The proposed project would include between 175 and 225 condominium and affordable rental apartment units with below-grade parking.

AHC's initial timeline includes 1-2 months of community outreach, followed by up to 12 months of planning and review, up to 12 months for permitting and approximately 24 months for construction. The group hopes to submit a site plan application to the County by June 2010. AHC is working with Bush Construction Corp. as their general contractor and development partner for the condo element of the project. Though the group has been consulting an architectural firm, there is currently no architect of record.

Industry Insight: Cecilia Cassidy, Rosslyn BID Executive Director

Cecila Cassidy has been Director of the Rosslyn Business Improvement District for 17 years, during which time most would agree that Rosslyn has changed, for the better. She spoke with DCMud this week about development, elevated sidewalks, traffic, and the only skyline DC has to offer.

DCMud: Why don’t you tell a little bit about yourself and your role here in the Rosslyn community. 

CC: I'm the Executive Director of the Rosslyn BID. I am also Executive Director of our sister organization, Rosslyn Renaissance which was started in 1992 based on a recommendation of the County Board when they approved the Rosslyn Sector Plan. The Rosslyn Sector Plan included two recommendations. One was to create a special zoning district that would encourage developers to redevelop Rosslyn. It was very well-tenanted at the time and developers didn’t have any incentive to redo their buildings. In 1996, the County Board created the C-O-Rosslyn Zoning district, which allowed developers to build up to 300 feet and a ten F.A.R. density, in exchange for a package of community benefits. The second major recommendation of the sector plan was to create a funding mechanism, in addition to the zoning, to implement some of the amenities that were called for in the Sector Plan. That was the creation of the Business Improvement District. Those discussions for the creation of the district took a long time and it finally started up in 2003. 

DCMud: As you mention, Rosslyn was designated by several urban planning groups as how not to build a city. How would you say Rosslyn has changed since then? 

CC: In the 1960’s and ‘70’s, there were some buildings that didn’t have visible entrances. The retail is hidden away. The sky walk system was part of ‘60’s planning to get people off the street because Rosslyn was a thruway to D.C. So the way Rosslyn has changed is that the buildings that have been improved since C-O-Rosslyn was passed in ’96 have all contributed to fixing up that approved image. Several of them have been completed: The Waterview building was approved in 2000, the Turnberry Tower was approved and has just been completed. Abdo built the Wooster and Mercer Lofts, which have been award-winning residences. The Hollady Corporation has built 1800 Wilson Boulevard. 

DCMud: How are they different? What have they done to change that image besides just building a new building? 

CC: The main thing is that they’ve begun to pay attention to the streetscape and the pedestrian experience. So all of those buildings include retail at the ground-level. They meet the street in a different way than the former buildings. They allow for wider sidewalks. The rooftops are more interesting. And there are amenities that were not thought of when Rosslyn was first built. Among the amenities that we’ve negotiated are an observation deck, the only one in the region, atop JBG’s Central Place project (pictured at left). We also negotiated the re-use of the Newseum space as a cultural center. That project was part of Monday Properties’ site plan approval for 1812 North Moore (below at right), which is a 34-story building ready for construction. 

DCMud: Are they having financing delays? 

CC: Well, like everybody else, the economic situation is affecting both of those projects. The existing buildings have been demolished so they’ve completed the demolition stage. 

DCMud: Rosslyn has some of the highest numbers of commuters that pass through each day. Do you see that as a blessing or a curse? 

CC: Oh, it’s absolutely a blessing. This is the most highly-used metro station in the system. It drives the work force. Those are people that are coming to work in Rosslyn. Arlington has a day-time population of 200,000. Rosslyn is a major work center for Arlington. All the commuters are definitely a blessing.

DCMud: Rosslyn has been fairly retail, restaurant, and super market challenged. Not that long ago the Arlington Planning Commission said that Rosslyn has “very little presence or impact.” Do you think that’s changing? Or do you think that’s going to change now especially since a lot of retailers are cutting back? 

CC: We should probably talk about our new developments that have been approved, such as JPG’s Central Place, which is in the heart of Rosslyn. Here’s the metro station, right across from Metro. 1812 North Moore, the Monday Properties’ project. When this is built, it will be ringed by retail. We hope that there will be a variety of white table cloth restaurants and other retail at Central Plaza which will have 45,000 s.f. of retail. 

DCMud: Have they secured any tenants in advance? 

CC: No, because we don’t know when they’re going to start construction. They’re hoping that the economy will loosen up and the financial markets will loosen up so that they are able to begin next year. It’s all a waiting game. 

DCMud: And you’re hoping that it’s white table cloths? Are there any plans for any other supermarkets in the area, even a smaller one? 

CC: There was a low-rise project that was approved at 1716 Wilson Blvd. It’s next door to the 1800 Wilson Condominium that was developed by Holladay. They designed the space so that it could accommodate a smaller Trader Joes, for example. You know we have the Safeway at 1525 Wilson—the underground Safeway that was developed in conjunction with the retail for that building. 

DCMud: How is Rosslyn becoming more walkable, more drivable? You have a waterfront location. Is there an effort going on to make that more accessible, more walkable? 

CC: We have to talk to the National Park Service about that. In terms of the waterfront, one fantastic asset Rosslyn has that nobody else can claim in the region is the nature preserve—the sanctuary that is Roosevelt Island. Roosevelt Island is accessible by foot, directly from Rosslyn. The foot ramp is right next to the I-66 ramp. You walk 5 to 7 minutes away, but it is an incredible asset for Rosslyn. The same goes for the grounds or the Iwo Jima Memorial. Between those landmarks and Key Bridge, we are surrounded by green.The walk over Key Bridge to Georgetown is another wonderful pedestrian experience. On the streets of Rosslyn itself, the BID has undertaken an extensive beautification project. We have literally taken over all of the traffic islands and done plantings that are just lush and beautiful. Our customer satisfaction survey cites our beautification program as the number one improvement that the BID has undertaken since we began. We’ve made a real effort to green Rosslyn. We put plant containers on the streets as well as trash and recycle bins. We have also developed a wayfinding program. The first part of that program is a parking program that we’ve just installed. The pedestrian part of it will be installed as soon as we name the cultural center. It’s all ready to go, the fabricator has the design, but the cultural center is going to be named in the next few months. So when that is done we’ll install the pedestrian way-finding system. Following that, we will install a vehicular finding system. Gensler was our contractor on the wayfinding system. 

DCMud: And as far as making it safer for people to just cross the street, are you working with the Virginia Department of Transportation to make sure you have signaling, you have signage, to make it a safer intersection for people? 

CC: Transportation planning’s a part of every site plan. So you’ll see the sidewalks around the Waterview, for example, and around the Turnberry project, the sidewalks and crossings are all very clearly marked—you can not miss if there’s a crosswalk around Waterview. All the crossing signals are all timed. We also installed a lighted street sign program. Rosslyn is one of the few areas in Arlington where the street signs are illuminated. We paid for it, and worked in cooperation with the County to get the signs installed. That goes a long way to helping drivers know where they’re going. 

DCMud: As far as parking, what is the plan? You said you'll have more signage. Are there plans to have more on-street parking or garages? 

 CC: There has been a lot of on-street parking added during the last five years — we made a real effort to find every nook and cranny where we could cram in a parking spot and have done that. The fact is there are 12,000 parking spaces underground in Rosslyn and the challenge is for people to be able to find them.

DCMud: I was happy to find on here this morning. 

CC: We put up big blue P’s, universal “P’s for Parking” on five buildings with parking spaces that are available to the public. It was a matter of identifying those lots so that people understand they can park there, since many lots are private. 

DCMud: I saw an article in the Washington Examiner about trying to extend the Circulator Bus instead of the Blue Bus. Have you been involved in this process at all? 

CC: We have been a partner with the Georgetown BID since the year 2000, when they began the Blue Bus. Rosslyn Renaissance raised $100,000 already to go toward the support of the Blue Bus. The Blue Bus was always intended to be a pilot project and what it has demonstrated is the viability of having a bus that goes back and forth across Key Bridge from Dupont Circle down to Georgetown through Rosslyn. So the initial funding used to finance the bus was Federal dollars to enable workers in the inner-city to get jobs in the suburbs, “outside of the District” and it has succeeded that way. There are workers at the Key Bridge Marriott who live in the District and take the Blue Bus to work. Absent a metro stop in Georgetown, it’s really a critical part of the transportation infrastructure that has been provided privately by the property owners of Rosslyn—and primarily Georgetown. Rosslyn gave a relatively small donation, but it was a donation that helped serve as a matching fund needed in order to receive Federal money. So it was a very critical component. We have always had a very cordial and close working relationship with the Georgetown BID. So we’re very pleased that the Circulator is going to take over that route. 

DCMud: I was under the impression that they're just lobbying for it to do so. 

CC: It had been our understanding that it was going to happen. But we aren’t as close to it as the Georgetown BID. They really take the lead on dealings with the DC government. We worked with Congressman Moran on this because he’s been very helpful in supporting the project. 

DCMud: Do you want to tell me a little bit more about the two biggest real estate projects in the works, Central Place and Monday Properties? 

CC: JBG's Central Place project is split into two towers, an office tower and a residential tower. The office tower will have 549,00 s.f. and the residential tower will have 350 condo units. 

DCMud: And they’re still slated for condos even though the market’s leaning toward rentals? 

CC: As far as I know. I don’t know that that decision has been made. It will include 44,554 s.f. of retail. The other benefit is a 27,000 s.f. public plaza between the two buildings. So where Metro Park is now, on the opposite side of the Metro Station, that park will almost triple in size. We worked very closely with the landscape designer - Michael Vergason Landscape Architects. The architect is Hany Hassan with Beyer Blinder Belle. The most significant amenity that is part of that project is an observation deck which has a 360 degree view. It will be a major tourist attraction. It has a view of the monumental core, of the Potomac out to Tysons Corner, over to the Iwo Jima Memorial…it will be the Washington Monument of Virginia. But it was designed so that it would not compete with the Washington Monument. It will be spectacular.

DCMud: So, right now they're just trying to decide when they're going to start construction, but they have all the zoning approvals? 

CC: Two of the three buildings on the site have been demolished. One remains because it is immediately adjacent to the skywalk that runs between the Rosslyn Metro Center building and the International Place building. That skywalk will be taken down when they begin construction. 

DCMud: And Monday Properties... 

CC: We don’t have all the particulars, but the most significant aspect of that project is that it’s the first LEED Platinum commercial office building in Virginia and it’s one of only 50 in the United States. 

DCMud: And its also pending financing. 

CC: Yes. Going back to the question about making the streets more pedestrian-friendly - one of our goals was to break up the super-blocks in Rosslyn because they’re long, long, blocks. So that was the reason for having the park between JBG’s two buildings. The original plan did not have that. As it went through site review, the community helped develop that park. The 1800 North Moore Street building has a walk-through - so the park for Central Place is on this side of the street, this is on the other side of the street - you can walk through this lobby and go over to Fort Myer Drive. It will be very accessible. The pathway from Central Place over to that building will easily be seen and there’s retail at the bottom. There will be some kind of retail environment around the Virginia Power Sub station, so everything is very retail and pedestrian-oriented for 1812 N. Moore. This whole streetscape is part of their site plan approval so that it’s highly pedestrian-friendly. And it is 569,000, almost 570,000 s.f. It will have 11,000 s.f. of retail and it will be 384 ft or 30 stories. The architect is Davis, Carter, Scott 

DCMud: What do you think Rosslyn is going to be like in 10 years? 

CC: It will be unbelievable, with the cultural center, the observation deck, and the Synetic Theater, which is now the resident theater company in the Rosslyn Spectrum. We’re saying Rosslyn is going to be the next hot place. With our proximity to Washington, the nexus to transportation, and the kind of amenities that will finally come to fruition, particularly with the arts, it will be terrific. The Cultural Center will have Synetic Theater, Washington Shakespeare Company. Hopefully, there will be a well-known restaurant. There are negotiations that are going on that fit in with that type of activity. The Ellipse Art Gallery will move into the Center. There will be the largest ball room outside of Glen Echo. There will be all types of dance activities. And the Dome Theater will have music events and all kinds of activities - it’s a 200 seat theater and there’s also a small 36-seat film theater. There will be a high-end craft center run by, I think it’s the Artisan Center of Virginia. Until we get to that point, the other thing that we do is "Alive in Rosslyn." What’s happening now is that where we do not have the infrastructure the BID has taken a major lead in providing amenities to the community. We have a free movie series for the summer, the I Love the 80s movie series. It packed in 1,500 people at Gateway Park on Friday nights. Sometimes it would only be 1,000 people, but huge crowds. Our lunch time concert series in conjunction with our weekly farmers market runs from May to October. We have music in our restaurants called the Restaurants and Rhythms series. We pay to have performers go into restaurants and they draw crowds. Our jazz festival is renowned throughout, not just in the region, but I think its on the map of the great jazz festivals that have evolved. We just had our 19^th annual festival this year, next year’s our 20^th anniversary. We put on a lecture series called Room with a View, to take advantage of the views. Until we have the observation deck, we bring people into private rooms they wouldn’t necessarily have access to. We have had Cokie Roberts, editors from Politico, a whole range of people who have helped us show off what Rosslyn is all about. 

DCMud: Anything else you want to add? 

CC: There are other major events we participate in. The Marine Corps Marathon comes to Rosslyn the last Sunday in October and brings tens of thousands of people. Eighty to 100,000 people just jam the streets. The last thing we have is our skyline. We have the only skyline in the Washington Metro area. And over the holidays we light up the rooftops. We have a lighting ceremony the first Thursday after Thanksgiving. our homeless services program works in conjunction with our light-up program. We have a gala benefit [for the homeless] that many Rosslyn businesses contribute to. We also run a warm, winter clothing drive in conjunction with that. So there's a social service component to our work as well.

Arlington Virginia commercial real estate news

Arlington's Wilson Boulevard Scores, Part II

Call it Revenge of the Nerds Part IX. Science teachers and land developers, in a pointyheaded alliance, are joining forces to take over the cool restaurateurs of Wilson Boulevard in Arlington. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) has teamed with developer DRI to expand their Arlington headquarters at 1840 Wilson Boulevard, demolishing two neighboring facilities that currently house the Rhodeside Grill and Il Radicchio restaurants, and replacing them with a new 71,840 square foot office and retail complex.

The site - which fronts North Rhodes Street, Clarendon Boulevard and Wilson Boulevard - also adjoins a Hollywood Video surface parking lot (driving out to get videos, that's so 2007) that will also be re-appropriated for NSTA use. Parking, in fact, seems to be one of the main factors propelling the project forward. The development team plans to tunnel under the NSTA’s current building to install a new three-story parking garage, with another two planned for beneath the new structure. The hope of the Arlington County Planning and Transportation Commissions is that such maneuvers will “recapture shared parking for use by the public” in the rapidly growing Rosslyn - Ballston corridor with its two simultaneous projects next door (1716 Wilson and 2000 Wilson).

The building will top out at 6-stories and include a sixth-floor conference center that will host NSTA conferences and local community events. Meanwhile, a free-standing retail component will measure in at 10,160 square feet that will go towards a local restaurant or retailer like the ones it displaces. By doing away with the two diminutive office structures currently at the site, NSTA and the County hope to “create a better urban edge along Clarendon Boulevard” and, according to DRI, craft “a gateway into the downtown Courthouse.” The project is being designed by Davis Carter Scott and is aiming for LEED silver certification.

The NSTA received County Board approval for the project on November 15 and their current site plan – barring any major changes - will remain valid through November 2011. Progress appears to moving along swiftly, and NSTA has retained both construction and traffic engineers for the project. DPR Construction Company will serve as general contractor. Once completed, the new NSTA headquarters will be within an earshot of Elm Street Development's 2000 Wilson project, as well as George Contis' 1716 Wilson Boulevard development.

Arlington Virginia real estate development news

Arlington's Rosslyn Reinvention Continues on Wilson Blvd.

The Rosslyn reinvention continues on into 2009, as Dr. George Contis plans to scrap the current headquarters of his own health services company, the Medical Service Corporation International (MSCI) at 1716 Wilson Boulevard, in order to make way for a new 134,000 square foot mixed-use development. In a counter-intuitive twist, the project will receive a county subsidy for not building density near the Metro-centered project. The 5-story, RTKL-designed project will include 108,000 square feet of office space, coupled with 27,996 square feet of ground floor retail that is intended to wrap around three sides of the building and possibly include a small grocer as well as a restaurant or two (at least until local banks throw money at them to take the space), though the adjacent 1800 Wilson has vacant retail space remaining, two years after the project's completion, which must give them pause. The development will sit atop a 231-space underground parking garage and include an extension of Quinn Street between Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards, in order to provide a new connection to the adjoining Colonial Village Shopping Center. According to the Rosslyn Business Improvement District, Contis has also contemplated constructing a “small pedestrian plaza” at the site that will serve bikers from the nearby Arlington Boulevard, Key Boulevard and Curtis Parkway Trails. In keeping with the wishes of the Arlington County Planning Commission (ACPC), the project will also include a public arts component by artist Christian Moeller, funded by a donation from the Lincoln Property Company. The developer intends an appeal to greenies with a LEED silver certification. The pediatric cardiologist-cum-developer owns all office-converted residences at the site; the Arlington Motor Cars, the Medical Services building and a small clothing retailer will be demolished in the coming months to make way for the new development. 

Once completed, MSCI will continue to use 1716 Wilson as a base of operations for their continuing health services programs in various developing countries. The Arlington County Housing Commission’s Bricks & Mortar Subcommittee ruled in September 2007 that the development will be eligible for upwards for $400,000 in county affordable housing contributions, despite the lack of a residential component within the project. This is due to a complex system of exemptions within Arlington County zoning and density statutes that reward achieving particularly low-density at a site zoned as “’Medium’ Office-Apartment-Hotel.” The project was approved by the ACPC the following month. Most developers are still opting for size over subsidy, however, and will add to the "gateway into the downtown Courthouse" such projects as DRI’s expansion of the National Science Teachers Association headquarters at 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Elm Street Development’s sort-of-under-construction development at 2000 Wilson and Donohoe’s residential WRIT-Rosslyn Center at 1650 Wilson. Correction: Due to a misinterpretation of Arlington County documents, we erroneously stated that the $400,000 affordable housing contribution mentioned above would be going towards the project. In truth, it is the other way around; according to David Cristeal of the Arlington County Housing Division, “This would be a contribution TO the affordable housing fund…[it] should be clear that funds would be coming from the development to the County/Affordable Housing Fund."

Arlington Virginia retail and commercial real estate news

Marriott Digs in Around DC

Marriott International, Inc. is planning an extended stay of its very own in Crystal City's Potomac Yards. As part of development deal with the JBG Companies, a parcel bounded by Crystal Drive, Potomac Avenue and 29^th Street South will soon be home to not one, but two new Marriott- branded hotels – the Renaissance Inn Crystal City Potomac Yards and the equally tongue-twisting Residence Inn Crystal City Potomac Yards.

Situated just minutes from Ronald Reagan National Airport, the new 13-story, 444,000 square foot facility hopes to attract a healthy stock of business travelers with 625 new rooms and 10,000 of meeting space. The team is also looking to draw locals to the increasingly developed Potomac Yards segment of Alexandria with a 10,000 square foot retail component that will sit atop a 500-space underground parking garage.

Of the new rooms going to market, 325 on the facility’s southern end will be dedicated to extended stay suites, courtesy of Marriott’s “Residence Inn” brand. In keeping with the project’s dual nature, the Residence Inn will have its own individualized entrance on the corner of Potomac Avenue and 29^th Street and front on an “outdoor hearth” planned for an adjoining public park.

The two-in-one project expects to clear the threshold for LEED certification - which, according to JBG, would be a first for Northern Virginia hotels. The project officially broke ground on October 22^nd at a ceremony attended by Congressman Jim Moran and Arlington County Board Member, Chris Zimmerman. At the same event, JBG also went public with news that Wells Fargo would be providing $128.7 million in financing for the project. The development expects to open the doors on the new complex in winter of 2010.

Despite the new Renaissance/Residence Inn’s position as the first new Crystal City hotels in 20 years, both JBG and Marriott aren’t content to keep their focus only the Alexandria area. JBG also owns two other large hotels in the immediate area – the Westin Reston Heights and Westin Arlington Gateway. JBG already owns Washington DC's largest hotel, the Marriott at Wardman Park - which will keep the title of DC's biggest since yet another new Marriott, the Convention Center Marriott, reduced the size and scale of the project that should begin construction next year.

Additionally, the Donohoe Companies’ Hospitality Services division is also currently constructing another Residence Inn in Rosslyn’s Courthouse District at 1425 North Adams Street. That project is significantly smaller – 176 rooms and 141,000 square feet – but is being designed by renowned architect Leo A. Daly and will be completed a bit earlier, in fall of next year. Alas, all too late to be completed in time for the Obama-nation invasion next month.

Arlington Virginia retail leasing and commercial property news

High-Style and Mixed-Income Meet at Parc Rosslyn Opening

This Thursday, the new Parc Rosslyn high-rise - located at 1531 North Pierce Street - will open its doors to the public and solidify its' place as one of Arlington County's greatest affordable housing accomplishments. The product of more than 10 years of work by the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), the Parc Rosslyn is a 15-story, 238 unit building that sports 96 units of affordable housing and amenities otherwise unimaginable in such a development - floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the DC skyline, patio grills, a business center, a concierge and, perhaps most surprisingly, a rooftop swimming pool.

"I think people will be stunned by this beautiful building," said Nina Janopaul, Executive Director of APAH. "It represents a very efficient use of government resources to create this wonderful opportunity for a mixed-income, diverse property.”

Located in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, the Collins & Kronstadt-designed building satiates the area’s needs for high-density, affordable, green housing (a LEED silver certification is pending for the project) in one of the region’s biggest and busiest thoroughfares. “We’re really fulfilling this goal that the Arlington County Board had back in the 1960's to create transit-oriented development,” Janopaul told DC Mud. “We’re using density near public transit corridors - and what a wonderful thing that is for the environment, too.”

At a total cost of $68 million, more than two-thirds of Parc Rosslyn budget came from tax exempt bond-issue financing – making it the largest ever such project approved by the County. "Essentially, the term of art is a conduit financier," says Ken Aughenbaugh , Director of Arlington County's Housing and Neighborhood Division. "These bonds are sold on the market by an investment bank to others who buy the bonds as investments - usually larger corporations or mutual funds. This is a mechanism that other jurisdictions around the country use to finance affordable housing developments." The rest of the funds for the project came from low income housing tax credits and soft second mortgage financing provided by the County.

APAH originally acquired the site - which formally housed a 1940s-era, 22-unit garden apartment development - from Arlington County in 1994 at no cost, but did not begin construction until January of 2007. Residents began to move in this past July, while the finishing touches – swanky pool included – were finally completed in September. Construction was handled by Paradigm Development, the company which will also be serving as the building manager of the project.

In order to mark the occasion, Parc Rosslyn will hold its’ gala grand opening this coming Thursday, October 16^th, on site at the new building. Congressman Jim Moran (D), Chairman J. Walter Tejada of the Arlington County Board, Executive Director Susan F. Dewey of the Virginia Housing Development Authority, APAH Chairman Caroline Settles, and Executive Director Janopaul will all be on hand to remark on the occasion. The ceremonies begin at noon and will include a tour of the facilities. The event is open to the public.

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.

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.

Rosslyn's Tallest Coming Soon

Size matters. And for those of us that live in the height-deprived District, our pinnacle envy is about to get worse. The culprit: JBG, which released yesterday that it is about to start demolition for Central Place, Arlington's newest, and tallest, pair of buildings. The developer is now preparing for "interior abatement," i.e. gutting interior spaces in advance of outright demolition that make grown men stop and stare, setting the stage for demolition to begin in the upcoming weeks. With construction scheduled to start in October and FAA approval secured, Central Place will soon begin its 387 foot skyward climb as part of its mission to change Rosslyn’s skyline. At its completion in early 2011, the approximately 31 story project, designed by international firm Beyer Blinder Belle will include both a 350-unit residential tower (no condo vs. apartment decisions yet) and a 531,000 s.f. office tower. Central Place will also offer 40,000 s.f. of ground floor retail and above and below-grade parking. The site will only allow for one level of below-grade parking, so additional parking will follow New York and Chicago's examples and sit on the second floors above the lobby in each tower.

Central place will be the tallest building in Arlington, rising above the boat-shaped Rosslyn Twin Towers, built in the early 1980's, which top out at 381 feet. CP will also stand taller than the two Waterview towers, which JBG finished just this year. So what is the rundown of the tallest buildings in the DC area? The Washington Monument is likely to remain the tallest indefinitely at 554 feet, Central Place will be slightly taller than its 1812 N. Moore Street neighbor which will rise to 384 feet, The Twin Towers are both 381 feet, the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center is 338 feet high, and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial hits 331 feet. The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is next at 328 feet, then the Old Post Office building at 314 feet, the Turnberry Tower in Arlington will be ninth at 311 feet and bringing up the the rear in the tenth spot is St. Peter and Paul's Basilica at 301 feet.

For the architects, the height was, well, central to the design. “Rosslyn’s skyline has an image of being relatively flat. Many of the buildings go up to the 300 foot height and it tends to create more of a flat skyline that has no definition. Our objective was to create a skyline for Rosslyn and Arlington in a more central location and that’s what the two buildings do, they rise up above the limited height. You can recognize a lot of cities, just looking at a silhouette of a skyline, without having to look at a daylight shot. Just like the Chrysler Building or the Empire State Building, you can recognize them from a silhouette. We were looking for a strong form to create the skyline for Rosslyn,” said Hany Hassan, Design Partner of Beyer Blinder Belle.

The architect added that each building will reflect it’s intended use, the residential building, thirty-five feet shorter than the commercial building. “The overall office building has a consistent crisp quality with a curved building as it rises to the top versus the residential building which has the qualities of dwellings with balcony indentations that are staggered and not stacked on top of each other. Yes, they are both glass buildings, but nevertheless, they reflect the function of each building,” Hassan said.

The commercial building will also include an observation area with 360 degree views of the area. Visitors will be able to access the observation level through an elevator in the public plaza.

“Rosslyn today sort of lacks the balance of mixed-use projects, retail amenities, restaurants and we really hope that Rosslyn becomes a destination. Now it’s mostly office buildings and at five or six o’clock, people vacate the area, they don’t live in Rosslyn proper, and what makes cities vibrant is to have people live in it and make it 24 hours. The image of the building is impressive with respect to massing. In addition to the material being all glass-which in my mind reflects lightness and reflectivity, it will have a quiet elegance,” Hassan said.

The project sits on a two-block site bound by Wilson Boulevard and North 19th Street to the north and south and Lynn Street and Fort Myer Drive on the east and west, and will replace several buildings, including the doomed Orleans house, which shuttered last year. Central Place was recognized as a Smart Growth project for its density and mixed-use qualities, as well as proximity to the Rosslyn Metro Station. Beyer Blinder Belle is known in DC for their work on the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative and for winning the History Channel inspired "City of the Future Competition".

Virginia is for Lovers (of Height)

A mixed-use commercial project in Rosslyn at 1812 N. Moore Street has been given site plan approval by the Arlington County Board. If the project goes unhindered it will be the third building to heighten the Rosslyn skyline past the official 300-foot limit, continuing a trend started by The JBG Companies with its Central Place (not yet built) just across the street, consisting of two towers, office and residential. New York-based developer Monday Properties is seeking LEED Platinum certification, the highest official recognition offered by the U.S. Green Building Council, making it, potentially anyway, the first building in Virginia to attain such eco-prestige and the third in the DC Metro region, following the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis and Sidwell Friends Middle School in DC.

Arlington Fresh AIRE Initiative, an environmental task force conceived by Arlington County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson that focuses on reducing ozone-harming emissions by "using the technology, know-how, and practical solutions already at our disposal," played its part to give the gargantuan building its green cred. Fresh AIRE and the County Board offer increased building density "and/or additional height up to 3 stories for special exception site plan requests" to induce potential developers to create energy efficient projects.

Because the project falls into the Central Place jurisdiction (not to be confused with JBG's appropriately-named Central Place project), an area which receives relief from the C-O Rosslyn height limits of 300 feet, developers were allowed to max out building height which almost certainly pleased project architects DCS Design. The Central Place district surrounds the Rosslyn Metro Station in a two-block radius bounded by Lynn st., N. Moore Street, Wilson Blvd. and 19th St., and allows buildings to reach up to 470 above sea level. Because the 1812 N. Moore St. site sits 86 feet above sea level, the new building will measure precisely 384 feet. JBG's Central Place will also rise to 470 feet, and required FAA approval for its height and proximity to the flight path toward Reagan National Airport.

Obviously a project of this magnitude requires ample kowtowing, and Monday Properties has obliged, offering up a slew of fringe perks including an estimated $25 million in community benefits, transportation improvements and affordable housing funds. Another extra is Monday's proposed land lease to the city of its old Newseum Space at 1101 Wilson Boulevard, which Monday is offering to Arlington County free of charge for 10 years, with promises of a $100,000 donation to help lure worthy museums to the site. The Newseum opened its new office in the District last year, leaving the rental space vacant.

Rosslyn's "Central Place" Project Moves Forward

Creating “a new horizon” for Rosslyn, JBG Companies is proposing to create Central Place, two glass buildings that will become Rosslyn’s tallest structures (and replace long-time fixture Tom Sarris Orleans House on the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Lynn Street). Designed by Beyer Blinder Belle, the Central Place buildings will feature curved glass tops that will stand above their lower, rectangular neighbors, diversifying the otherwise flat horizon.

One building will be a 350-unit residential structure while the other will be a 577,000 s.f. office building; both will include retail on the lower levels. The residential building will be approximately 35 ft shorter than the office building, which will include a two-level observation deck rendered with arched windows that will provide a panoramic view of D.C.’s monuments and the Arlington National Cemetery.

According to Kathleen Webb, a Principal at JBG, if the plan is approved in April, demolition of Orleans House restaurant, McDonalds, and office buildings that currently occupy the site will begin a year later.

Thomas Miller, Current Planning Supervisor in the Arlington Planning Division, said that despite the nearly five year planning process, “people are really supportive of and happy with getting more heights in the area.”

In order to establish building heights that both fulfill the project’s goals and are safe for the area’s air traffic, developers have been working with the Federal Aviation Administration. The tallest building will be about 470 ft above sea level and divided into approximately 30 floors. A completion date has not yet been announced.

Abdo to Expand Arlington Holdings, Buys Land Across From Its Mercer and Wooster Project

Jim Abdo must like what it sees when surveying the sites from his new Mercer and Wooster Lofts condo project in Arlington along Clarendon Boulevard between Rosslyn and Courthouse. That would explain his company’s recent purchase for $42.2 million of five lots, bounded by North Quinn, and North Queen Streets, 16th Road and Clarendon Boulevard, across from his existing complex. While no plans have been drawn up yet for this stretch of street, Abdo is contemplating building residential condos. Currently the lots hold aging garden apartment buildings and a single-family home – most likely these will be demolished. Sales at the Wooster and Mercer Lofts (pictured) started last Fall, with delivery expected this year. The Mercer will house 34 condo units averaging about 1,500 sf, while its sister Wooster will contain 53 units. Both brick structures will feature 17-foot ceilings and floating stairs, penthouses with 21-foot high living spaces, private roof terraces, and underground parking and storage. There will also be a garden pool between the buildings. Pricing begins in the $500,000s and goes up to $2 million.

Sales Begin for Abdo’s Wooster and Mercer Lofts Project

After many months of waiting, Abdo Development, LLC, officially announced on November 1 that it has started sales for its Wooster and Mercer Lofts project at Clarendon Blvd. and Queen Street in Arlington. The Mercer Lofts building will house 34 condo units averaging about 1,500 sf, while its sister building Wooster Lofts will contain 53 units. Both brick structures will feature 17-foot ceilings and floating stairs, penthouses with 21-foot high living spaces, private roof terraces, and underground parking and storage. There will also be a garden pool between the buildings. Pricing begins in the $500,000s and goes up to $2 million. Delivery is expected by early 2007.

As the Turnberry Turns...

In our latest installment of the Turnbery Towers tale, the Best Western Hotel, located at 1850 North Fort Myer Drive in Rosslyn, has officially closed, making way for construction of this new high-end condominium building. The Turnberry Group is expected to strip the interior of the hotel down to the studs, as well as start demolition of the exterior of the building this October. Official groundbreaking for the new residential building is set for January 2007. The 247 condos at Turnberry Towers (ranging from 1-bedroom to 3-bedroom (configurable to 5-bedroom) units) start at $800,000 and go up to $7 million for the penthouse (slightly higher than the typical night’s stay at the Best Western) – Turnberry reports that approximately 30 percent of the units have already sold. While all units feature amenities such as Miele appliances and terraces, the units are to be delivered "designer-ready" – it’s up to you to finish them. When complete, Turnberry Towers, designed by BBG-BBGM, will be the tallest building in Rosslyn, and the most expensive in the DC region to boot.

Arlington Virginia commercial real estate news

The Condo Gods Giveth, and Taketh Away

It might be tempting to analyze recent developments in the Rosslyn/Arlington condo market and make broad pronouncements on "The State Of The Market," but we’ll leave such baseless articles to the Washington Post. We’ll just go with, "You win some, you lose some." Early this week, a planned grand opening for 1325 Pierce was canceled by the Dittmar Company, and instead the company has decided to move forward with the building now being apartment rentals. Originally, these 19 units, which feature 2 or 3 bedrooms and balconies, were to start selling in the $600s, but they are now being listed for rent starting from $2350/month. When contacted, a Dittmar representative confirmed the "reverse conversion" to rentals, asserting it was done to take advantage of the "strong rental market for 2 and 3 bedroom units." However, all is not lost, as just around the corner from 1325 Pierce near Ft. Myer is a new upscale condo project named Scene Cityhomes by Centex Homes. These units are expected to include secured parking, gas fireplaces, walk out balconies, stainless steel appliances, etc. - not to mention interior "translucent walls" for those always wishing they had x-ray vision. Units will range in size from 900 sf to 2900 sf, and prices are expected to start from the mid-$400's for 1BR/BA to $1million for the penthouse 2BR/2.5BA. Delivery will be in 2008.

Arlington Virginia commercial property news