Takoma Central Underway

Its been a long time coming, but construction at Takoma's metro-centered residential project is at last underway.  Developers have begun work at 233 and 235 Carroll Street, on the District's side of Takoma, on 2 buildings that add 150 rental apartments to the traditionally tranquil neighborhood.

Development partners Federal Capital Partners (FCP) and Level2 Development, (in a crowded field of partners that includes MCZ and SGA Architects), began work last week
on the pair of buildings designed by SGA Architects, a 4-story building at the corner of Maple Avenue and a 5-story adjacent building closer to the Metro station.

Now actively under construction, Level2 partner Jeff Blum says construction to start moving up from the bottom of the hole will commence "within the next few weeks."  His plan incorporates the original 4-story building, plus a new 5-story, warehouse-like building to the west, along with new mandates on what to build.  "The original project was designed and permitted under a set of zoning regulations that did not include the Takoma Overlay [increased density] nor inclusionary zoning [affordable housing requirements]. "  The ANC initially argued against the height, but Blum notes that the higher density is permitted under the new zoning, a decision he says is "appropriate because it is only a few hundred feet from the Metro station."

Each building will have its own parking garage (about 100 spaces total), with a total of 9700 s.f. of retail space.  The buildings will be wood-framed over concrete, with differing architectural styles - the 4-story building featuring an "art-deco flavor," and the other a 19th century red brick, warehouse style apartment building.  A "3-story glassy hyphen" will connect the two.  Developers are shooting for LEED certification this time around, and expect completion in March of 2014.

The project has long stuttered, and for those that enjoy the long, twisted tale that accompanies many development projects, the tale of Takoma Central doesn't disappoint.  Bethesda-based architecture firm SGA purchased the lot for redevelopment in 2004, with plans to build Ecco Park condominiums - "green," but not LEED certified, said the owner.

To prep, the developer partially remediated the soil on the former gas station site, then announced the project in 2006.  With nothing more than clean dirt at the site, the SGA sold a third of the 85 condos, but the coming housing bust forced the developer (and financial partners) to rethink, and like many other condo projects, the development went rental.  At least on paper.

Returning deposit checks, SGA announced the project would still go forward, now as an apartment building.  But financiers were as scarce as condo buyers, and it was not until August of 2010 that the developer thought it had a financial partner, and Ellisdale was awarded a $13m construction contract.  But financing was elusive, and it was not until early 2011 that Level2 and MCZ entered the picture to partner with SGA, acquiring the second site and expanding the scope of the project.  Finally, earlier this year, FCP joined the fray and the site took on new life.

"This is a neighborhood that is thirsting for new retail" says Blum of Level2, noting that the new streetscape "will better connect the Metro station to the existing shopping area on the Maryland side."  In addition to the extra retail frontage, Blum says the sidewalk "is going to be vastly improved" - "from a 4-ft path of lose bricks and other obstacles" to an 18-foot wide space, including 6-foot sidewalk and space for a sidewalk cafe, for "a much nicer, and safer, pedestrian experience." Hamel Builders is doing the construction.  Finally.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Will Takoma Finally Embrace Its Inner Bethesda?

Denizens of the earthy Takoma neighborhood are finally seeing much-promised transit-oriented development beginning to sprout along underutilized Carroll Street NW, just steps from the Takoma Metro station.

Earlier this month, real estate giant Federal Capital Partners of Chevy Chase, which owns more than $1.8 billion in real estate assets in the mid-Atlantic region, announced the $36 million joint venture with Level 2 Development's Takoma Central, currently building in the 200 block of Carroll Street NW near the District-Maryland border.

Still, even as its neighbor to the north, Silver Spring, sees a burst of development, it hasn't been easy to convince the 17,000-plus globally-inspired Takoma Park citizens -- where illegal immigrants are allowed to vote in city elections and hold office -- to embrace their inner-Bethesda. Takoma Park residents, many of whom refer to the city as a "village," fought a long, but losing battle against a much-maligned CVS along Carroll Street in 1998 that led to the quick demise of a favorite mom-and-pop pharmacy on the Takoma Park, Maryland side. And a Subway sandwich joint that located in the village's historic district found its windows smashed in 2004 with the epithet "shop local" scrawled in spray paint.

But things may finally be changing in the People's Republic of Takoma Park as once development-wary residents embraced the Takoma Central design. That made it an ideal opportunity for Federal Capital Partners' Wade Casstevens, vice president of residential development.

"I think its a great place to live and well-kept secret," Casstevens said in an interview. "There haven't been areas in Takoma that you could build a large complex, so this is a true infill opportunity." Takoma Central will have amenities common to other Class A spaces in Logan Circle, Bethesda, and most recently Silver Spring, such as granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances, not easily found in Takoma. "Our strategy is to look for areas that have one or less competitors, not four or more, which is what we're finding in Silver Spring " he said.

Originally known as Ecco Park condos, the plan converted to apartments in 2008 under the design and ownership of SGA Architects. Takoma Central will be built in two phases.

Phase One, already under construction, is four stories, with a round, castle-like turret at the corner of Carroll Street and Maple, and will have 84 units and 70 underground parking spaces, plus 6,500 square feet for ground level retail.

Phase Two is a five-story, brick warehouse-style complex with 60 units and 35 underground parking spaces and ground-floor retail.

More importantly, the development may fill in a key gap between the bustle and activity of the Metro station and the quarter-mile walk to Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park's main street with well-kept sidewalks and quaint Victorian-era street lighting. Carroll Street NW becomes Carroll Avenue at the Maryland line, for those keeping score.

The 200 block of Carroll Street currently consists of a convenience store, a funeral home, the CVS pharmacy, and several surface parking lots. But the brick sidewalks are crumbling and there is no pedestrian friendly street lighting. Casstevens says the infrastructure and consistency of the street will improve with the completion of Takoma Central. "Right now, that part of Carroll Street looks a little beat up."

Phase 1 construction has begun already and Phase 2 will begin later this year. FCP says they will complete construction by the fourth quarter of 2013.

The construction of Takoma Central will go a long ways to renovating Carroll Street on both sides of the Metro line that the District and Maryland have been seeking to make ripe for transit-oriented development projects.

On the West side of the Metro line, where Carroll Street becomes Cedar Street, the District Office of Planning has been looking at possible enhancements to the neighborhood near the dormant Takoma Theater and its surrounds since Anthony Williams' tenure as Washington D.C.'s Mayor.

The Office of Planning's 2002 report shared the puzzlement over why TOD near Takoma Metro wasn't forthcoming. "Neither Carroll Street nor 4th Street have developed the critical mass of retail, commercial and housing that their Maryland neighbor enjoys, despite being anchored by the most heavily used pedestrian Metro transit station in the District of Columbia."

The Gables, a LEED-certified 142-unit complex opened in 2008 along Blair Road. FCP's Casstevens credits the opening of Gables for influencing their decision. "It was definitely a factor in our choice," he said. The Gables has many of the same amenities that Takoma Central offers, such as stainless steel GE appliances, hardwood floors and black granite countertops.

Still, south of Cedar Street there has been little progress in building a revitalized neighborhood around the historic Theater. Takoma Village, a unique co-housing urban village opened next to the historic Art Deco Takoma Theater in November 2000.

Milt McGinty, father of WUSA-9 anchorman Derek McGinty owns the theater, and wants to raze it to convert it to luxury apartments.

Preservationists want the the city to buy the theater outright but McGinty says the theater, which was built in 1923 isn't for sale and the theater stands in disrepair, prompting some accusations of "demolition by neglect." Like many development disputes, the fate of the Takoma Theater may end up it court while neighborhood redevelopment plans continue to gather dust.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Takoma Park Progresses on Twin Developments

SGA Companies and Level 2 Development are finally watching construction progress at their joint residential-and-retail project at 235 Carroll Street NW in Takoma Park, a long dormant site that Bethesda-based SGA Companies, founded by Sassan (Sas) Gharai, purchased in 2004. Three years later, site prep was undertaken, including extensive environmental remediation and the removal of rusted-out oil drums left over from the former gas station and truck rental facility on site. Still, four years went by before construction began, last month.

Of the changes at 235 Carroll Street in the Takoma Park Historic District, Sara Green, Commissioner of ANC 4B 01, has no complaints. It's the site next door, at 231 Carroll St, also being developed by SGA and Level 2, that is giving her some grief.

The developers' plans for the adjacent site (231 Carroll) were approved, with suggested refinements, yesterday, June 30th, by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), and now await final approval by the Historic Preservation Office (HPO).

Although Green submitted in her testimony to HPRB yesterday, "Everyone I have talked to is excited about seeing a vacant and ugly lot on our 'main street' developed, and this design has several very appealing and creative features," her concerns lie with the back of the building at 231, not the appearance from the front.

Along the new "main street," the two buildings will be distinctly different, thanks to community feedback and HPO recommendations, as the HPRB Staff Report by Anne Brockett details, "The design for [231] has changed dramatically in its exterior appearance since submission. Initially it was proposed to match the design of 235 Carroll."

In the interest of visual diversity, the newest plan for 231 Carroll St is a 5-story complex with 60 residential units, 35 underground parking spaces, and a retail component, designed with a "warehouse-inspired aesthetic" using predominantly red brick. In contrast, 235 Carroll St is a longer but shorter building, with 4 stories, 84 residential units, 70 underground parking spots, and 6,500 s.f. of ground-floor retail, featuring "yellow brick with panelized bays."

The two residential-and-retail complexes will be connected by a glass "hypen" of sorts that at once connects and separates the two buildings, which Commissioner Green appreciates, as does much of the community, according to her.

Of 231, the staff report explains that "large, street level openings have brick arches and are covered by a corner canopy suspended from metal rods. The upper story windows are 6-over-6 hoppers with steel lintels and sills. The side elevation along Cedar Street continues the warehouse materials and detailing of the main block and then at a setback and lower wing changes to a mix of stucco bays and hardiplank-sided recessed balconies. Along this elevation, the northernmost corner loses its top floor for a terrace, thus stepping down toward the adjacent historic home on Cedar."

It's the "step down" plan, on the corner of Carroll Street and Cedar Street, where Green's concerns are focused.

In her testimony to the HPRB yesterday, Green stated, "The Takoma Central District Plan specifically addresses height. It states that 'new commercial and residential buildings should be no more than 2-4 stories in height to match existing residential scale' and to preserve Takoma’s 'small/town village character'."

She continued by saying that, "The Takoma Overlay District permits heights of up to 55 feet, but as I also understand it, you have the ability to reduce the height, as needed, on case-by-case basis."

Yet, overall, the project has been well received by both ANC4B and a majority of the immediate Takoma Park community. Green also asserts that Sas Gharai of SGA, and Jeff Blum of Level 2, have worked diligently with concerned parties, and have revised the design at 231 Carroll into something commendable. Still, she believes, it could be better, and specifically, shorter.

Meanwhile, the complex already underway at 235, dubbed Ecco Park early on, had planned for condos but turned rental in the spring of 2008. The project was also once in the hands of Ellisdale Construction, in the summer of 2010, but is currently being built by Hamel Builders; Hamel Builders could not be reached this morning, and Ellisdale would not disclose any information on the change.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Takoma's Long Awaited Residences May Be Underway Soon

Long thought to be another dormant development, turned rental then stalled even after Domus Realty presold nearly half of 85 units in 2008, the Ecco Park project in Takoma, at 235 Carroll Street, is now reported to be back on track. Ellisdale Construction, responsible for mixed used developments such as Moderno and Riggs Place, was awarded the $13 million contract earlier this week to build the four-story building, containing 5-6 thousand s.f. of retail, and 70 below-grade parking spots. The building was designed and developed by Bethesda-based SGA Architects and will include a few environmentally friendly features such as a green roof and recycled materials, but is unlikely to receive a LEED certification. Even without the rating, architect Sassan Gharai confidently described Ecco Park as "the building equivalent of a hybrid car." Financiers are hopeful that it sells better than a hybrid car.

No tenants for the retail space have been selected, and the development team is still undecided on whether the building will be built and marketed as entirely rented units or for-sale units. Dan Ford at Ellisdale said a mix of rentals and for-sale condos is technically possible but not exactly the most attractive option from a marketing standpoint; however, their team has accounted for each scenario in their budgeting strategies, and SGA effectively opted for that on Capitol Hill when its Butterfield House condominium real estate project failed to sell all its units after 3 years of marketing and rented unsold units.

Patios or balconies are planned for a majority of units; and a combination of brick veneer, metal and glass paneling, and stucco siding will make up the palette of materials used in creating the exterior fenestration. The building will be a wood frame structure secured over podium slab. Ellisdale President Kevin Ash explained, "We’re really excited about this project; it really is what we do best. With the economics of construction what they are today, wood-frame buildings really hit the sweet spot between density and cost. We’re finding this building type to be the most able to be financed right now.” Dan Ford insisted that the wood frame technique has been perfected by their construction engineers to mitigate common problems such as fire safety and noise transference, enabling them to build safely and keep their budget slim.

A popular technique on the West coast for some time, podium slabs are now becoming a more common occurrence on East coast construction sites. An efficient design solution for up to 4-story residential projects with underground parking, like Ecco Park, this special type of foundation system effectively distributes the weight-load from the wood-frame above the slab to walls and pillars below. This technique is not only cost effective, but also environmentally responsible, reducing concrete usage. The cement industry is considered to be one of two principle producers of CO2, accounting for as much as 5% of worldwide emissions.

The site, adjacent to the Takoma Metro, formerly home to a truck rental facility, and a gas station before that, needed loads of contaminated soil replaced and the excavation of several rusted-out oil drums before it was properly suited for construction. That preliminary work was done over two years ago, and the dirt there has had plenty of time to sit idly by, pondering its future. But ground is expected to finally be broken this fall (somewhere between October and January). Constructions is anticipated to span approximately fifteenth months, meaning a delivery date cannot be expected until at least early 2012.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development

Takoma Overlook: Conversions Continue

Not every condo developer is sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the market to improve. Even in the suburbs, some are betting that the lack of competition means that condo conversions are still viable. To that end, DC-based Tenacity Group is still converting units in their Takoma Overlook project from rental apartments to market-rate condos. The team purchased the Hampshire Towers apartments in mid 2006 for $15.3 million and rechristened them Takoma Overlook; the 1960s high-rise at 7333 and 7401 New Hampshire Avenue is just outside DC in Takoma Park neighborhood of Maryland. In 2007, the team's general contractor, Monarc Construction, began gutting the rental units and converting them to for-sale condos ranging in size from efficiencies to three-bedroom units.

The team at Monarc construction completed renovations on the first phase, covering the 94 units of the north wing, in December 2009, now 50% sold, according to the sales office. Now the team is working on both the South and West Wings (not of Jed Bartlet fame) to convert yet more units. The work in the West Wing's 44 units is now underway, with 8 units sold; the development team expects the first units to be ready by June. Work has even begun on the 94 units of the South Wing, which should begin delivering by the end of this year. The team is largely delivering one-bedrooms first because of demand; three-bedrooms will come last. Greg Coupe, Project Manager at Monarc Construction, said the project could finish as early as December.

The building is FHA approved, with one bedrooms from $124,500 and "huge" two-bedrooms from $229,500. Sales began in October of 2007.

Takoma, Maryland real estate development news

Making Metro Pretty(ish)

Two metro stations will soon get a much needed touch of culture when the public art, approved at Thursday's Metro Board of Directors meeting, is installed. Farragut West and Takoma Metro stations will get new art installations as Metro tries to encourage ridership, make the commute a little less drab and support the arts.

The south entrance of Farragut West (17th and I Streets NW) will get its cultural infusion from artist Michael Sirvet, whose work was recently featured in DC's Artomatic. The artist designed low-relief "botanically inspired" aluminum and LED light sculptures to light the walls at the top of the escalator. The art at Farragut West will be funded by the DC Arts Commission and the Golden Triangle BID, WMATA will pay for upkeep.


The Takoma art work will be on display at the Metro's underpass. Artist Sam Gilliam created an abstract mosaic tile mural, which the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities will fund and donate to WMATA. There will be no costs to metro for the upkeep of the Takoma installation. Metro worked with the partner organizations to select the winning pieces that will be featured in the District.

Washington DC real estate development news

McGinty's Takoma Theater: After 86 Years, is "The Party Over"?

The battle between Milton McGinty, the 82-year old owner of the historic Takoma Theatre and Washington DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) came to a head on Friday. McGinty appeared before the Mayor's Agent, arguing that his proposed apartment complex was a project of special public merit and that the failure to issue permits would cause him unreasonable economic hardship, appealing an earlier HPRB recommendation to block redevelopment.

As Director of the DC Office of Planning, Harriet Tregoning served as the Mayor's Agent, hearing testimony from McGinty, friends and former associates and Takoma residents. Tregoning gave McGinty until January 29th to submit documents supporting his claim that the theater can no longer remain operational without causing him undo financial strain. The community, including groups like the Takoma Theatre Conservancy will have seven days thereafter to respond to McGinty's new evidence.

According to McGinty's testimony at the hearing, he has spent more than $250,000 on renovating and repairing the theater since 1983, when he purchased the theater for $300,000. The theater, designed by architect John J. Zink, was built in 1923.

McGinty began leasing the theater for public plays and performances in 1995. In early 2007, he closed it down, then drew protests from the Takoma Theater Conservancy when he sought permits to raze the building to pave the way for office space. The HPRB blocked that, and McGinty worked with architect Paul Wilson to draw up a new plan to convert the space into a 43-unit, five-story apartment building while maintaining the theater's original facade and including a 100-seat venue. Last October, the HPRB once again disapproved of granting permits for a plan that called for demolishing 75% of the theater.

At the time of the hearing, McGinty had made no plans for public space in his design, nor had he planned the inclusion of an affordable housing component to the project outside what the Zoning Commission requires by law. Another strike: while arguing that his project is of "special public merit," McGinty added that the designs were "nothing out of this world."

Despite the community's reaction to the plans, McGinty was resolute in his decision to convert the space, testifying at the hearing that since 1983 he's been on the front lines working to put the theater "together piece by piece."

"It's easy for others to vote to preserve the theater. That's free," McGinty argued, and maintained that he has not received any formal offers from community members or developers hoping to purchase the property - though that's unlikely to happen, considering McGinty placed the property in a family trust to prevent a sale and told DCMud in August that he never has - and never will - consider a sale.

When asked whether or not he had taken into consideration HPRB's recommendations with his architect, McGinty said "no." He was equally clear on his position for the future of the theater as a public performance space under his ownership, stating that "after 86 years, if you'll pardon the expression, the party's over."

Depending on McGinty's ability to proffer evidence that maintaining the property without development would cause him undo financial strain, the party may, in fact, be over for development plans as well.

Washington, DC real estate and development news

Historic Preservation Frowns on Takoma Theatre Plans, Again

It's never a good sign when a government office known for its design-heavy critiques starts the review of your project with "before discussing the specifics of the proposed design...," exactly how the Historic Preservation Office (HPO) staff report began for owner Milton McGinty and Architect Paul Wilson's plans to reinvent the Takoma Theatre in northewest Washington DC. The design for a 43 unit apartment building incorporates the facade of the historic 1923 Takoma Theatre and involves substantial demolition, about which neither the Takoma Theatre Conservancy nor, apparently, the HPO approve.

McGinty submitted a similar request in February 2006 to raze the building, with plans to replace it with an office building. The Takoma Theatre Conservancy formed in opposition to the application, leading to Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) denial of the request. This time around, the HPO waxed philosophical about its role in deciding the future of the property, namely whether it could rightly approve a design that according to various quoted definitions would "demolish" 75% of the historic building, including the auditorium and stage, thus requiring a raze application. The HPO recommends that the HPRB "reaffirm its position that razing the building is inconsistent" with the Historic District Preservation Act.

Still providing no actual review of the planned design, the HPO sets out "next steps" for the owner, such as building in the parking lot adjacent to the theater and funding this endeavor with grants available to such projects. The report also points to other historic theaters, like the Newton, Sheridan and Strand, that either have been or are in the process of being redeveloped without jeopardizing their historic integrity.

Finally, the report reviews the actual design, critiqued for not being "compatible in scale and height given its location on a street of modest one- and two-story" commercial and residential buildings. The staff also indicated that the proposed rooftop addition would subsume the underlying historic building, preventing the theater from being clearly distinguished as a prominent feature.

The HPRB will meet this Thursday to review the plan; while they are not required to agree with the staff report, they likely will do so and make the recommendations official.

* Renderings courtesy of Paul Wilson Architects.
*Picture by Loretta Neumann of the Takoma Theatre Conservancy.

DC Seeks Developers for Georgia Avenue in Takoma

DC's Takoma neighborhood may be on the receiving end of new development, thanks to a Solicitation for Offers from the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). The solicitation is for the 15,000 s.f. parcel at 6925-6929 Georgia Avenue, NW, across from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The district seeks a group to plan, finance, build and operate a project that may include mixed-income housing, community-serving retail, and cultural amenities. Responses are due January 15, 2010 at 3PM.

Currently, the property is unimproved and zoned for R-5-B, with height limits set at 50 ft and maximum lot occupancy at 60%. In the solicitation documents (PDF), the District boasts of the property's location on Georgia Avenue, "ubiquitous mass transit" in the form of a "highly-trafficked arterial" road and its relatively short distance from the Takoma Park Metro, a little more than half a mile away.

Community preferences for the parcel include residential (apartments or condominiums), child care facilities, green space (particularly setbacks), LEED standards and appealing architecture. Big no-nos are commercial uses and clubs and liquor stores; probably strip-clubs and check-cashing stores too. Hint: the solicitation indicated that these preferences should be taken into strong consideration by developers.

Drama Over Takoma Theatre

There's a new drama going on at the Takoma Theatre, but its not the theatrical kind. The Takoma Theatre Conservancy is pitted against Milton McGinty, the building's long-time owner, over the future of the Theater as either an arts/cultural center or an apartment building. The Conservancy has been raising funds for the purchase and maintenance of the theater, but McGinty maintains that it is not for sale. Can a preservationists force an owner to sell property? It would give "hostile takeover" new meaning.

The theater, located on the corner of 4th and Butternut Streets in Takoma Park, DC, was built in 1923. Architect John J. Zink designed The Takoma and many other theaters in the DC area, including The Uptown and The Atlas Center for the Performing Arts, which still serve DC neighborhoods. The DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) designated the building as an historic site.

In February 2007, McGinty submitted a request to the HPRB to raze the building, with plans to replace it with an office building. The Takoma Theatre Conservancy formed in opposition to the application, leading to the HPRB denial of the request to raze the building. McGinty is now working with architect Paul Wilson to design a five-story apartment building. The design would maintain only the facade and marquee of the original building, and include a new 100-seat theater on the first floor. McGinty and his architect discussed the plans on July 30th at the theater and are hoping to submit it for HPRB review in September.

Having prevented the Theater's destruction in 2007, the Conservancy now seeks to preserve the structure and use it for a community-based art and cultural center to contribute to the revitalization of the Takoma area. Renovation and purchasing costs have been estimated at $6.9 million, with $1 million a year needed to support programming. Nevertheless, the group is confident that they'll be able to obtain grants and funds needed to convert the building; even now they are in the middle of a fundraiser for building acquisition and rental.

So that's a wrap? Maybe not. McGinty placed the property in a family trust to prevent a sale and asserts that he never has - and never will - consider a sale (though at least one news article contradicts that.)

McGinty's decision to build the apartments hinged on his unsuccessful attempt to run the Theatre as an active venue for plays and shows that challenged racial biases. Apparently, the 500-seat theatre rarely filled more than 50 of them. McGinty chides the community as unsupportive and reactionary. In the 11 years he produced plays, McGinty claims that no one from the "Takoma Park area" introduced themselves or offered to help; only now that they want to preserve the theater do they acknowledge his work. "Everyone applauds me, but nobody ever came."

The building appraisal in 2006 concluded the community could not support a theater, so McGinty moved along with the apartment building design and intends to make it work within the constraints of the HPRB; though he told his architect to design the very best building he could and then to worry about HPRB standards.

The battle of wills continues in Takoma. The next act will take them back before the HPRB. Will the HPRB side with McGinty this time or will the Conservancy manage to secure a repeat performance?

*Picture by Loretta Neumann of the Takoma Theatre Conservancy.

Takoma Project Gets Underway as Apartments

The developer of the aborted Centex project, the Pavilions at Takoma, has begun excavation on the site to carry the project forward, now as an apartment complex. Atlanta-based Gables Residential, which owns numerous apartment buildings throughout the DC area and has substantial assets throughout the Southeastern U.S., demolished the existing structures after it purchased the land from Centex in January of this year, and has begun underpinning to make way for the new building. Gables will go forward with the same Eric Colbert-designed project originally planned by Centex, with 144 units, 180 underground parking spaces, and street-facing courtyard two blocks from the Takoma Park Metro Station, but will develop the property as rental apartments instead of condos. Centex began selling the project as condominiums in the Fall of 2006 before selling the development outright, but sales for the project were reportedly slower than anticipated, one of several Centex projects locally that began marketing but never got out of the ground. Gables expects the project to complete in the first quarter of 2009.

New Digs for Riggs and Dakota

As previously reported in DCMud, Lowe Enterprises Real Estate Group is planning the development of their 9-acre site at the intersection of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road. A partnership of Hickock Cole Architects, Jacksophie Development, Ellis Denning, CityPartners Development, and mixed-use planners, StreetSense, the development team is planning a mixed-use project that could include up to 900 condominium units, 100,000 s.f. of retail space, and corresponding parking.

While no final plans have been made, potential retail options include restaurants, a grocery store, salons, and dry cleaners. Developers also plan to improve the traffic dynamics of the intersection to make it more pedestrian-friendly. The project is estimated to cost $300 million according to the Washington Post’s coverage of the development.

Located blocks away from the Fort Totten Metro Center, the development may also include a pedestrian pathway to the station which is served by the Red and Green Line. According to the Washington Business Journal’s coverage of the project, WMATA would like to extend the Yellow line to include Fort Totten Station.

It may be another month before plans are finalized as community support of the project is necessary. Developers plan to meet with community groups to present and discuss their plans. Their current community website gives a general overview of the project. We will keep you posted as plans are finalized.

Centex Sells Pavilions at Takoma to New Developer – Project Back On, But As Rentals

Just when you think you’re out, they pull you back in. Yes, real estate and the Godfather have plenty in common, none more so than the more things change, the more they stay the same. Just weeks ago, Cityhomes by Centex Homes announced that it was canceling its Pavilions at Takoma project and not moving forward with this development. But now arrives word that the company actually is in the process of selling the project to another developer, which plans to build it more or less as originally rendered, but then offer the units as mostly rentals rather than condos. The new owner has not yet been identified, though Centex has confirmed the sale. The Pavilions at Takoma originally began condo sales in November, with prices starting in the low $200,000 range for studios in a LEED-registered, four-story building at 7023 Blair Road NW, just one block from the Takoma metro station. Expected rental prices are not yet known at this time for the revived project.

Washington DC commercial real estate news