New Joint Venture Development Team for Braddock Gateway's Phase One

In a strategic move undisclosed early this

fall, Jaguar Development has sold Phase 1 of its Braddock Gateway development site in Alexandria, Va., to joint-venture partners Trammell Crow Company and Washington Real Estate Investment Trust. The land sale and development site closed on November 23rd, the partnership was announced by press release yesterday. The recently purchased one-acre development site of Phase 1, a 15-story, 270-unit apartment building, at 1219 First Street (First and Fayette Street), is only the first piece of a larger, 7-acre, five-phase Braddock development plan. 

The residential and retail building, designed by Rust | Orling Architecture, consists of a mix of studios, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedroom apartment units, and will vary in height from 50' to 150' - from 6 to 15 stories - with the tallest section being the central tower (the focus), which is flanked by "two lower shoulders," the eastern 6-story wing with pool deck, and the western 13-story wing. Phase 1 is now undergoing final site plan approval with the City of Alexandria, after preliminary site plan approval was given by the City this past September. After final approval, likely to come in the next half year, two years of construction will then begin in the fourth quarter 2012, developers expect. If all continues to go smoothly, the project - developed through TCC’s wholly-owned subsidiary High Street Residential - will deliver in 2016. 

Alexandria, Virginia real estate development news

Braddock Gateway Residential Plan Gets Initial Approval

Alexandria-based Jaguar Development has received preliminary site plan approval for the first phase in its 5-phase Braddock Gateway development, paving the way for a 270-unit, 277,000-s.f. apartment building.

Jaguar managing partner, Eddy Cettina, says that the next step, final site plan approval, will take place within the next 9 months to a year.

Although the entire Braddock Gateway development plan was approved in 2008, its developer laid low through the recession, and approached the City with amendments to Phase I in July. Preliminary approval of these amendments was granted by City Council on September 17th.

Phase I's acre-sized parcel is at the southernmost end of the development property, located 1000 feet from the Braddock Metro station.

Jaguar chose to lead with rental apartments on the site because "[i]t is the closet [building] to the metro, and will cater to renters who want easy transit access."

As a transit oriented development, the first phase will also include the construction (by Jaguar) of a "high capacity" bus/transit stop along First Street, just east of Payne Street, with a covered waiting area and LED touchscreen offering rider info.

Designed by Rust | Orling Architecture, the residential-and-retail building will vary in height from 50' to 150' - from 6 to 15 stories - with the tallest section being the central tower (the focus), which is flanked by "two lower shoulders," the eastern 6-story wing with pool deck, and the western 13-story wing.

During design revisions, the western wing was taken down by two stories in order to further stagger height overall, emphasize the "shoulder" appearance of the building, and better relate the design to that of the entire development, according to the city. The staff report, recommending preliminary approval of Phase I, stated the importance of the design review, "Given the site's strategic location... and the pronounced vertical nature... the 2008 development review process placed considerable importance on the quality of the architecture, as the site truly serves as a gateway into the historic portion of the City."

The first completed building in the development will be surrounded by 14'-wide sidewalks, featuring decorative brick and dotted with trees; pedestrian oriented street frontage will be built along Fayette Street. Open space included in the development will total 14,000 s.f., consisting of a 6,000-s.f. central green on the ground floor and a 8,000-s.f. roof top area. Two levels of underground parking will offer 243 parking spaces, with another 26 spaces located on a surface lot off of Fayette.

As for the rest of the 5-building development, "[w]e are concentrating on phase one right now," said Cettina, although she did confirm that the plan for the entire 7-acre development site has not been changed; the plan is for 770,000 s.f. of new development that includes 630 residential units, 70,000 s.f. of office and 15,000 s.f. of retail.

Patricia Escher, principal planner with the City Dept. of Planning and Zoning, offered that the development a considerable improvement to the site, currently holding two vacant warehouses and a surface parking lot. "The entire five phased development of Braddock Gateway will improve an underutilized portion of the City." The project, to be LEED certified, will also conform to Alexandria's green standards.

Escher added that "the first phase will be providing a combined total of $1.6 million to the City’s affordable housing fund, the neighborhood’s streetscape fund and [include] improvements to a local park."

Alexandria, Virginia real estate development news

Erkiletian to Deliver Apartments in Old Town

The Asher, a 206-unit multi-family residential project in Old Town Alexandria, is on track for delivery in spring of 2012, says Bill Denton, Vice President of Development for Erkiletian, the local suburban developer behind Alexandria's Halstead Towers and the Discovery building in downtown Silver Spring.

The project broke ground in November 2010 at 621 North Payne Street, the former site of a Security Storage Warehouse, two blocks from the Braddock Road Metro. The building which the developer hopes will secure LEED-Silver certification will feature terraces and a landscaped plaza, a business and fitness center, a sliver of retail, and 256 underground parking spaces.

Rust Orling Architecture and Hovnanian conceived the project, to which Erkiletian added 60 units and signed on Lessard Group for support.

Harris Teeter To Open in Old Town in 2014

Old Town, Alexandria is preparing for an addition to the neighborhood: a 51,500 s.f. Harris Teeter, on the north end of Old Town, one block east of Washington Street. Buchanan Partners of Gaithersburg will team with The Pinkard Group LLC of Bethesda to develop the project, which will also include 175 rental apartments.

"Harris Teeter has been working on finding an Old Town location for years, said Kingsley McAdam Project Manager for Buchanan Partners. "Everyone is very excited about this." Developers are hoping to break ground in 2012 with a 2014 completion. Three condemned buildings reside in the space presently as well as a dry cleaner whose lease will be up by the time the project breaks ground.

The lead architect for the project is John Rust of Rust Orling Architecture, based in Alexandria. Buvermo Properties, Inc. of Bethesda is an equity partner in the $74 million mixed-use development.

Alexandria, Virginia real estate development news

Erkiletian to Start Old Town Apartment Project

Developers in Old Town Alexandria haven't had the stomach for starting large residential projects of late, but at least one thinks the timing is now right. Locally based construction and development company Erkiletian says it is just a few weeks away from starting work on The Asher, a 206 unit apartment building two blocks from the Braddock Road Metro station.

Developers of the apartment building slated for 621 North Payne Street in Old Town say both the site and building permits should be issued this week, allowing them to submit for demolition permits next week to tear down the Security Storage warehouse now on the lot. Garland Miller of Erkiletian says work could begin by mid-November, with demolition lasting about 2 months.

Erkiletian purchased the land in June of 2008 and expected to be under construction last year, but hasn't kicked off a large residential project since the Halstead Towers in Alexandria, which it completed in 2005. "The developer just feels the timing is right" said Miller. The developer is shooting for LEED Silver certification. The six-story Ashton will feature 206 apartments, a three-story, 256-space garage, and a tiny retail component.

The project was first conceived by Rust Orling Architecture and Hovnanian, which Erkiletian modified and added 60 units to, bringing on Lessard Group as project architect. BE & K will build the apartments. The Asher will sit just a few blocks west of EYA's Old Town Commons mixed-income project, which began construction earlier this year.

Alexandria, Virginia real estate development news

Walgreens 2, Neighbors 0

Despite their best efforts, the Concerned Citizens of Van Ness will be stuck with a brand new Walgreens Pharmacy at 4225 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Last week the Board of Zoning Adjustment denied an appeal by the neighbors who protested building a Walgreens next to such gems as Jerry's subs, Embassy Cleaners and a parking deck. The initial design was "suburban," sitting back from the street with a parking lot in the front. After negative initial responses from neighbors and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), the Walgreens design team revamped the plans twice, and in April of last year, the BZA approved plans for a store that sits closer to the street and has below-grade parking, but construction has been stalled by continued community objections.

On a strip rife with commercial buildings, neighbors of the Connecticut Avenue site, currently a gas station, were unhappy with the plans after design adjustments to facilitate a so-called "urban environment." Neighbors were concerned about additional traffic from the new store and problems associated with loading. Requests for additional greenery were met to an extent, though a green oasis, it is not.

The 20,000 s.f. store, designed by Rust Orling Architects, will sit a mere 50 feet from the Van Ness Metro Station and will provide 27 spaces of parking on one level beneath the store. The application required a variance and reduction from the zoning requirement for 57 spaces. The Zoning Commission approval references "other parking alternatives" at the neighboring Giant and CVS. Ah yes, Walgreens customers can use parking at a competitor's neighboring store, which offers the same products and prices. It is the second controversial Walgreens to open on that stretch of Connecticut, the first having replaced the beloved Yenching Palace restaurant in Cleveland Park.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Condos Fail at Alexandria's Nordic Press Site

It's a fabulous condo project: the citizens' associations have supported it, the city heartily endorsed it and even gave it a special zoning exemption, and at a meeting to present their plans the developers reportedly even got a standing ovation for turning an outmoded printing plant into an attractive "gateway" into Alexandria. The only glitch is that it will never be built.

In fatter times, the Nordic Press condominium development would have been a no-brainer, bringing 28 residential units to the 800 block of Slaters Lane in Alexandria. But the developer, Diamond Property Co., bought at the wrong time, and now the 16,000 s.f. property has gone back to lender Cardinal Bank, which has leased the property to another printer, ending hopes for a transformation of the site into something less industrial.

The developer has had plans since 2005 to demolish the warehouse, just off the GW Parkway on the northern tip of Alexandria, in favor of 28 one- and two-bedroom units designed by Rust Orling Architects. The project was intended to be green enough to meet the USGBC's Silver certification, and would have required the developer to undertake streetscape improvements. The city had even approved a rezoning from commercial-industrial to residential, no easy feat, noting that the area had undergone a thorough transformation, with even more residential planned for next-door Potomac Yards. "Everything was good except the economy," lamented architect John Rust, who would have overseen the design.

The last tenant, Nordic Press, closed its doors last year, raising hope that the building would be readied for demolition, but with construction financing nil, the bank took control of the property in December of last year. Sources familiar with the project say Cardinal Bank has now leased the property to ABC Printers, ending the possibility of another developer picking up the designs and approvals. County records show the property traded for $2.2m in December, less than the $2.7m that Diamond Slater LLC paid for the land in 2005.

Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

"Historic" Cleveland Park Pharmacy Set for Summer Opening

After more than two years of deliberation, Cleveland Park's new "historic" Walgreens at 3524 Connecticut Avenue will be opening this summer. Best known as the former site of the Yenching Palace restaurant, where intermediaries for President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev negotiated the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the site is currently is the midst of a commercial conversion, courtesy of Mid-Atlantic Commercial Properties (MACP) and Rust Orling Architecture.

"Construction started a couple of months ago. We’re hoping that’ll be completed this summer," said Randall Clarke, MACP Vice President. Construction is being overseen by the Dietze Construction Group.

Since purchasing the building in 2006, Walgreens reps have made numerous presentations of (and revisions to) their plans for the landmarked, 8,600 square foot site at the behest of the local ANC 3C and the Historic Preservation Review Board. In doing so, the development team arrived at a retro-esque design that recalls its original 1945 facade and will certainly make it one of the swankiest pharmacies in the District – but at the expense of a brief construction timeline.

“We went through the HPRB process and, as a result of that, we had to be careful in the demo and do some extra things, so it’s taking a little longer than it would have otherwise. But it’s plugging along,” said Clarke.

The Cleveland Park site will be Walgreen’s second location in the District; the first, at 22^nd and M Streets, NW, opened in March. A third location is planned for Connecticut Avenue and Veazey Terrace, NW in Van Ness, and won zoning approval early April. In all, the drugstore chain plans to open 495 new locations in North America this year.

Alexandria's Newest Gateway

Alexandria will pocket a sizable expansion of mixed-use space once the Braddock Gateway, now planned just south of the Monroe Avenue bridge, gets underway. Jaguar Development expects that its new development - not technically part of Potomac Yards, but adjacent to it, and only a few blocks away from the banks of the Potomac River - will provide close to 770,000 square feet of new development as it gathers momentum to build in the first quarter of 2010.

Jaguar is planning a whopping 630 residential units for the 7-acre site at North Fayette and First Streets, coupled with 70,000 square feet of office and 15,000 of retail. The development will consist of five buildings, built in as many phases - a plan that will allow Jaguar to tailor each successive component of the project to the demands of the marketplace.

“Each phase needs site plan approval and at the time of each approval, you tell the city what the use is going to be,” said Eddie Cettina of Jaguar Development. “All these numbers are moving targets according to where they sit in the development cycle and what the market calls for at that time.”

Though the inclusion of a hotel in the Gateway project was bandied about for a time, Jaguar has since decided against one - after meeting with Alexandria’s Board of Zoning. “It was resolved in March with ACCD [A Consolidated Development District] zoning which allows you…to change uses depending on how the market fares,” said Cettina. “It will now be residential, office and retail.”

Utilizing designs by RustOrling Architecture, the Gateway will sit on two contiguous parcels currently home to warehouses, a small office building, a large surface parking lot, and a National Car Rental service center. The first phase of the project is expected to be open for business by the end of 2012.

Correction: Per Jaguar Development, the site will accommodate about 770,000 s.f. of developable space, the original article stated there would be close to 2 million square feet.

Old Town Storage Site Development

After changing hands and changing plans, "The Security Storage Site" at 621 North Payne Street in Alexandria will now be developed into mixed-use development, a design that will bring more than 200 residential units to Old Town. Hoping to break ground next year, the developer is not yet committing to for-sale or for-lease units, but condos seem unlikely with financing of condominium construction so limited.

Erkiletian Construction Corporation bought the site, currently occupied by a warehouse, from Security Storage at the end of June, altering the plans presented to the Alexandria Planning Board back in 2007. The prior development plan, submitted by K. Hovnanian Homes in February of 2007, included 146 condominium units in the form of townhouses, live-work units, and low rise building.

Erkiletian will instead develop a three-story, 12,000 s.f. building designed by Rust Orling Architecture. According to Tom Woodhouse, Project Manager, the building will be consistent with the appearance of the surrounding buildings. "It won't be a contemporary high rise because they don't like that in Old Town, we're going with traditional design - brick and glass with cornices. The building is designed to harmonize with those that are already present in Old Town, those from time periods starting around 1725 and going through the present day. So you have all kinds of architectural achievements."

Woodhouse said the developer has not yet filed for permits for the site two blocks from the Braddock Metro Station, but hopes to do so in the near future and begin construction in Spring of 2009. Erkiletian is also responsible for Alexandria's Carlyle Towers and Northampton Place.