Clarendon Center Approved and On Schedule

Clarendon Center looks likely to accomplish a feat many other construction projects cannot these days - delivering both planned elements of a project at the same time, on time. Impressive too because the project required complicated excavation, demolition and construction work close to the subway tunnel that runs under Clarendon Blvd. Developer Saul Centers Inc. (SCI) expects both buildings, which offer a mixture of office, retail and residential, to be finished and ready for tenants come the 3rd quarter of 2010.

Construction began in summer of 2008 on the south buildings of the large mixed-use project that sit directly across from the Clarendon Metro. The south buildings topped out in late October and the six-story north office building just received an above grade building permit in late November, for 171,000 s.f. of office space and 42,000 s.f. of retail space. Chris Sowick of Cassidy & Pinkard claims "significant interest" in the project, adding that the buildings do not necessarily require a large anchor tenant; the smaller floor plates of the 6-story north building mean a tenant could rent a space "as small as 7,800 s.f." The south buildings offer 9 stories of office and retail space and 12 stories of residential space, which includes 244 rental units. Nothing is leased on the south building either, though Mary Beth Avedesian, the Vice President of Acquisitions & Development at SCI, said there has been a lot of interest in the project given the proximity to the metro, especially from restaurants. Avedesian indicated the group is in "various stages of negotiation," but nothing finalized. Avedesian offered that rents seem to "still be holding up" at the expected level around $50 to $70 per s.f. for retail space. Construction for the project is by Clark Construction. The buildings were designed by Torti Gallas. 

Clarendon real estate development news

Preservation, Demolition and Construction...Oh My

Interior demolition has just been completed on 3030 Clarendon Blvd. in Arlington, most popularly known as the old E-Trade building. Developer Saul Centers Inc. (SCI) is still awaiting final approval from the county and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for full demolition. As the building is cleaned up, SCI expects construction permits in January from Arlington County for the three mixed-use buildings it plans to construct on both sides of Clarendon Blvd near the Clarendon Metro stop, to front Wilson Blvd, N. Highland and N. Garfield Streets. Completion of the entire 521,000-s.f., Clarendon Center project is anticipated for 2010.

Because the project requires excavation, demolition and construction work close to the subway tunnel that runs under Clarendon Blvd., WMATA has to approve the project. As a result, Saul will have to put monitoring devices on the tunnel to make sure it isn't jeopardized in the construction process, and keep close tabs on its integrity. WMATA typically does this when projects are within a proximity of 50 feet near subway tunnels.

Plans call for a two phase development: Phase I will be a 244-unit, 12-story apartment building, landscaped courtyard and 80,000-s.f. office building, on the south side of Clarendon. Phase II, on the smaller north block between Clarendon and Wilson, will house a 6-story office structure. All three buildings will have ground floor retail totaling 42,000 s.f, and are seeking LEED certification. Back in 2003, the design plans were recognized by the Washington Smart Growth Alliance. This is also the first Arlington project that complies with the Clarendon Metro Station Area plan.

Saul was able to plan for the gargantuan buildings with a little help from its neighbors; in order to increase building size, Saul obtained density rights from two historic buildings: The Leadership Institute on the SW portion of the south block, and the Underwood Building, at the northwestern-most point of the north block, in return for their historic preservation. In addition, Saul will safeguard two retail facades made of limestone and art-deco elements on the north block; the facades will be dismantled, cleaned and stored until the surrounding construction is complete, when they can be safely returned.

“The community involvement in the design and development of this project has been tremendous. By responding to that input, we believe Clarendon will enjoy a landmark project that will truly complement its distinctive character,” said Mary Beth Avedesian, Vice President of Acquisitions & Development at Saul Centers Inc.

Post construction, these two blocks may serve as the newest neighborhood hot spots, as there will be plenty of outdoor seating, with wider sidewalks and streetscape improvements thanks to the project design team of Silver Spring-based Torti Gallas. Most notably, a brand new Crescent Plaza will be built on the corner of Clarendon Blvd. and N. Highland Street, garnished with a fountain fronting N. Garfield and commissioned artwork by DC resident Lisa Scheer, a Professor of Arts at St. Mary's College of Maryland.