NoMa's Constitution Square is Green, and Now Gold

Constitution Square, NoMa's largest mixed-use project, received a Gold ranking today from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The project was awarded an enviable Gold ranking in the LEED ND category for sustainable neighborhood development.

But don't think of waterless toilets and recycled material; the "ND" standard is a fuzzier version of the older sustainability rankings. Rather than rate only the physical building, which can only be evaluated after construction completes sometime this summer, ND instead ranks the overall sustainability of the development with respect to potential impact on the surroundings. Factors that go into the certification include street width and building height, with an emphasis on mixing uses that allow more integrated living. According to the USGBC website, the system "integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism, and green building" into one rating. Alicia Call at HOK Architecture adds that the ND ranking "its a little bit more stringent than the other rating systems...but with a focus on community development." In short, the ranking is an endorsement of Metro-oriented, mixed-use, sustainable construction.

Liz Price, President of the NoMa BID, says Constitution Square is one of the first ND-approved projects in the country, having been part of a pilot program to factor location and neighborhoods into green techniques and to "look beyond the footprint of the building." Price says the BID and DC's Office of Planning promoted NoMa to the USGBC as a candidate for the pilot, and that Constitution Square was the obvious choice within NoMa, being the largest development in the neighborhood and one DC more ambitious projects.

The project broke ground in April of 2008, a joint venture between Bethesda-based StonebridgeCarras and Walton Street Capital, which acquired the land in early 2006. The development will include a 206-room Hilton hotel, 440 apartments, and 340,000 s.f. of office space in 5 buildings, including a new Harris Teeter. SK&I Architects designed the residential space, which will begin renting this summer and will deliver by August, according to Doug Firstenberg, a Principal with StonebridgeCarras. Office tenants will begin taking delivery next month. Planners hope the buildings themselves will also qualify for LEED Gold certification, with the outside chance of a Platinum ranking. The office space in Phase I is 100% leased, with only about 4000 s.f. retail space remaining up for grabs.

Bethesda-based Clark Construction is performing construction.

Washington DC real estate development news

NoMa's Largest Mixed Use Building Caps Off

All the dust being kicked up in NoMa is finally paying off, with the topping off of Constitution Square, in what will be NoMa's largest mixed-use project, a 7-acre mixed use anchor, one block from the New York Avenue metro, that will deliver by late next year. Having reached its maximum height of 13 stories (in the residential portion), the project is still about a year away from delivering the first of its capacity, which will eventually include a 206-room Hilton hotel, 440 apartments, 340,000 s.f. of office space, and a Harris Teeter to boot - NoMa's first grocery store and first residential building.

The two-phase project kicked off in April of 2008, with the groundbreaking of the first phase. The two million square feet of development is the brainchild of Bethesda-based StonebridgeCarras and Walton Street Capital. The residential and retail portion, designed by SK&I Architects, will be the first to deliver, likely in early 2010, and will be LEED certified. SK&I is also designing the common areas of the apartments and the core and shell of the Hilton. The office space, designed by HOK Architecture, will add the office space in phases one and two, and though it is still a year off it has already scored some major tenants, including the Department of Justice. The office portion aims for a Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for green design.

According to Guclu Durusoy, Project Manager of SK&I, the facade will include extensive floor to ceiling glass to lighten the massing of the building. The residences will include a fitness center, outdoor pool deck, and three courtyards. Bethesda-based Clark Construction, which is performing construction, will hold an event on September 4th to celebrate the construction milestone.

This will be the first mixed-use project to come online, according to Liz Price, Director of the NoMa BID, who cites the neighborhood as "truly walkable" given the incoming density and existing public transportation infrastructure. The 35-block area is expected to see 20m square feet of development over the next ten years.