EastBanc Prepping for 2012 Start in West End

Hoping to begin construction by this time next year, the joint venture EastBanc-W.D.C. Partners LLC - led by EastBanc and joined by The Warrenton Group, Dantes Partners, and LS Caldwell & Associates - will seek Zoning Commission approval on December 19th for its West End development site.

Though hope springs eternal for the development team, Joe Sternlieb, head of real estate acquisitions at EastBanc, knows that the potentially elusive 2012 start date depends on how long it takes to trudge though and pocket approvals from D.C.'s various commissions and committees, in this case Zoning, the Commission of Fine Arts, and DDOT's public space committee, among others - yet, the team is making strides, and although the design seems to change daily at this point in the process, Sternlieb remains optimistic.

With the CFA process begun, and DDOT in the future, the focus now is on Zoning's approval of the Planned Unit Development for Square 37, one of two West End sites being developed in conjunction by EastBanc. The other, Square 50, will be matter of right. The Square 37 property - fronting L Street between 23rd and 24th Street, NW - consists of three lots now holding the West End Library, a Police Operations facility and a surface parking lot. The site needs to be rezoned as Commercial Residential (CR) in order for developers to construct a mixed-use, 11-story building designed by architect Enrique Norten of TEN Arquitectos that will house a new West End Library, 7,617 s.f. of additional retail space which includes a corner cafe, and approximately 180 residences.

Zoning Commission approval of the plan (the PUD) and rezone request should be the easy part. Capitalizing on the West End site was the goal of the District, which issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for redevelopment (of both Square 37 and 50) in October of 2009. The city selected EastBanc in March of 2010; the winning developer beat out one other competitor thanks to asserting it would build both a new library and a new fire station without District subsidy. And in advance of EastBanc's PUD application filing, Victor Hoskins, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, sent the Commission a letter in support, highlighting that fact.

The entire project includes four District-owned sites at Square 37 and 50. The Square 50 portion (the other component not included in the Commission's review this month) includes the new West End fire station which will be topped with below-market rate residences, located at 2225 M Street, NW. Although both buildings at Square 37 and 50 are the vision of Enrique Norten, the project's architect of record is WDG Architecture.

District backing can only get the project so far, however. The development team will have to revisit the Commission of Fine Arts, after the CFA determined in its October 20th review that the library exterior needs a little "refinement," and suggested a "de–emphasis of supergraphics on the windows to support the clear architectural expression of the entrance."

The CFA also expressed concern about "building performance, such as the maintenance of the glass and metal skin of the building," and will have the chance to review another submission for the project in the near future. However, in a letter to Victor Hoskins, the "Commission commended the developer, DMPED, and the D.C. Public Library for their collaboration in supporting this distinctive design."

The entire Square 37 and 50 redevelopment project is part of Georgetown-based EastBanc's purported goal "to transform the once sleepy West End from a 'transitional zone' between Georgetown and Dupont Circle into a vibrant urban neighborhood with its own unique identity."

Washington D.C. real estate development news

District Releases Stevens School Development Solicitation

The District government has released a solicitation for developers to further develop the Stevens school, a historic landmark, in downtown DC / West End. The District is seeking developers to renovate and expand the historic school, built in 1868 to educate the children of freed slaves, making use of the adjacent empty lot. The DC government does not specify a use for the building, but does note that the ANC has expressed a strong statement of support for an educational institution - and the School Without Walls in particular - to take over the space in a manner "consistent with its African American heritage."

The Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School at 1050 21^st Street, NW, was closed by the Fenty administration during its school consolidation campaign, which issued a similar request for development proposals in late 2008, but later voided the winning bid. The District government selected apartment goliath Equity Residential as the winning bidder in 2009, but after 18 months of strong community opposition to its selection, the administration nixed the award and mothballed the building.

The school, "the first modern school in the District built for African-American students,” is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and even hosted First Child Amy Carter in the 1970's.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

You know, the other night I was sitting around my house and my head was sort of cold, and I thought, wouldn't it be nice if there were big armchairs in here with these sort of metal helmets attached to them that swiveled down and blew hot air onto my head? But there weren't. So I put on a hat instead. I forgot where I was going with this.

Oh right. The open house. So THIS place – this is the place with the hot-air-helmet-chairs. I have to admit, I didn't realize until I got there that it was a house-slash-upscale hair salon. When I looked at the listing I thought it just had really quirky furniture. (Yes, I do this for a living.) Of course, as the agent helpfully pointed out, it doesn't have to be a hair salon. Just like you, me, and every other American – it could be anything! (The main difference is that with the house, it's actually true.) An office, a consulate, a private residence, whatever.

A beautiful historic rowhouse in the West End, with gleaming hardwood floors and tons of light, it's a live/work property, so the upstairs is still totally residential, with two very large bedrooms and a fine bathroom. Out back is a wooden deck and a large brick patio with a quirky little fountain, and lots of privacy. And the salon level could easily be converted to a regular house-type house where you do normal life stuff like sitting around and watching the entire first season of “Night Court” online while eating out of styrofoam takeout containers and then in a fit of existential disgust afterwards asking yourself, “yes, I'm biologically alive, but am I really living?” (I decided the answer was no. Then I watched Season 2.)

*Update: the present owners are going to remove the hair salon before the sale, so yeah ... no big chairs with air helmets attached in the living room.

1013 24th Street NW
2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
$1,299,000

West End Hilton Garden Inn Seeks Modifications This Week

This Thursday, the joint venture between Perseus Realty, Starwood Capital, and OTO Development, "PerStar M Street LLC," will visit the Zoning Commission with its request to modify the PUD zoning application for its West End hotel site, a now-empty parcel at 2201 M Street once occupied by the Nigerian Embassy. The 15,600-s.f. area is currently visualized by developers as a Hilton Garden Inn, a vision that replaces an earlier, sustainable, "eco-luxury" 1 Hotel.

The change in brand, from a 1 Hotel to a Garden Inn, comes with several zoning changes: a redesign of the exterior façades; an increase in the number of rooms, from 170 to 238; a minor increase in density, from 122,235 g.s.f to 124,564 g.s.f. (7.84 to 7.99 FAR); a small reduction in height by 3' to approximately 107'; and 11 additional parking spaces (increased from 42 to 53) in a valet-operated garage.

The Hilton Garden Inn, although not "eco-luxury," aims to become LEED-Silver certified; the Garden Inn is being designed by Shalom Baranes, who replaced the architect of the 1 Hotel, Oppenheim.

The neighborhood ANC was disappointed in the change from the 1 Hotel to a new plan and new flag; ANC 2A Chair, Rebecca Coder, emailed the following: "While the West End didn't need another hotel, the fact that the 1 was a unique concept made it palatable." Coder added that the ANC is hopeful that the concerns articulated by residents, related to the design and desire for unique retail, will be considered by developers.

The current version of the PUD, which accommodates the scrapped 1 Hotel plan for the site, was approved in June of 2008, and the buildings at 22nd and M Streets, NW – the Nigerian Embassy and Asia Nora – were razed in February of 2009 in anticipation of the project's start, which never happened.

In March of 2010, the PUD application was given a two-year time extension, due to "difficulties with financing based upon changes in economic and market conditions beyond the applicant's control;" a report by the Office of Planning in support of the time extension stated that Perseus Realty contacted 40-plus lenders unwilling to provide financing, citing the general decline in the hotel market and the negative growth in revenue generated by existing hotel rooms.

The construction extension requires that a building permit application be filed by June of 2012, however, from that time, a full year is given before construction must be underway – "no later than June 27th, 2013" – which means that although Robert Cohen, president of Perseus, said in August that the development team's goal is to begin construction in June of 2012, there is no pressure from the District to begin next year, and still another hurdle awaits – construction financing.

The Office of Zoning explained that the upcoming hearing, on Thursday the 27th, to review zoning request, may or may not result in proposed action by the Zoning Commission: "It’s possible that the Commission could take proposed action at the end of the hearing and then it would be referred to NCPC for a 30-day comment period before final action could be taken. If they don’t take proposed action at the end of the hearing, then the next step would be for it to be placed on one of the scheduled meeting agendas for decision."

In August, Neil Jacobs, president of SH Group, Starwood's luxury hotel brand management company, stated the reason for the brand change was that, "With a 1 Hotel we were limited in the number of rooms we could get onto the site. We didn't want to compromise the brand, and commercially [the Garden Inn] is a better choice."

OTO Development came on as a partner after the decision was made, in the fall of 2010, to desert the 1 Hotel in favor of a more affordable Garden Inn.

The Hilton Garden Inn will contain a 5,000-s.f. restaurant offering seasonal sidewalk seating, and if all goes well with the upcoming PUD change process, and ability to secure construction financing, developers aim to deliver the hotel and restaurant by the summer of 2014.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

IMF's Dupont Hotel on Path to Redesign

The IMF wants to clean up its hotel image. No, not the mental image of DSK in a hotel room (eww), but its image in Dupont Circle-West End, where it has run a nondescript apartment-hotel since 1991 for visiting professionals from the IMF and World Bank. The stately location - a visible corner 2 blocks from Dupont Circle at 21st and New Hampshire Ave. - may offer a convenient respite for employees, kitchenettes and multilingual staff, but its tired structure needs a reinvention befitting its international clientele.

To that end, the IMF will gut and refit the 10-story structure, now with 100 apartment units, into a more contemporary visage, taking the same shape as the existing edifice, and sell the smaller of the two buildings that now make up the Concordia Hotel. The IMF will employ Washington D.C. architects Bonstra | Haresign to redesign the '60's motif by gutting the building and keeping the existing concrete frame.
The IMF will sell off the Bond Building (see picture below), now accounting for 78 of the 178 units of the Concordia and connected on the ground floor. Initial plans are for a LEED Gold certified building that will slightly increase the interior space with the same footprint, gaining additional units over the current 100-unit configuration, adding rooftop amenities for residents. The Concordia, appraised by the DC government for $58m, was designed in 1965 by Berla & Able who, in a more inspired moment, also designed the Omni Shoreham hotel in Woodley Park.

Next door, Bonstra | Haresign's designs are already coming to fruition. The architects designed a pavilion that will add more retail to the corner of New Hampshire and M Streets in the West End, where Meiwah now sits. Construction is about midway to completion.

Even if the thought of DSK makes the idea of staying in an IMF hotel unappealing, at least the avenue will get what is expected to be an upgrade, erasing one more '60's building.

Building permits have not yet been issued for the project.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Eastbanc Releases West End Designs

Eastbanc publicly released drawings of its two proposed West End projects last night. The designs by and Mexico-based TEN Arquitectos as primary designer with collaberation from WDG Architecture are a substantial departure from the more traditional architecture of the neighborhood. Below are the newest renderings:

Eastbanc Releasing West End Plans Tonight

Eastbanc will reveal its plans for West End library and fire station sites tonight at the Fairmont Hotel. The plan comes after months of meeting with local community groups one year after the District of Columbia awarded the developer the redevelopment rights.

Eastbanc will build a 52-unit, 9-story, low-income building above a new fire station on M Street, and a 10-story residence of up to 180 units above a new library along the 2300 block of L Street. Eastbanc chose New York and Mexico-based TEN Arquitectos as primary designer and WDG Architecture as the architect of record for the two projects.

Eastbanc will present its plans to the ANC tonight at 7pm.


Washington D.C. real estate development news

Eastbanc to Unveil West End Residences

At long last, Georgetown's Eastbanc will unveil its plans for West End library and fire station sites on the 25th of April at a meeting of the ANC. After months of meeting with local community groups to fine-tune plans, Eastbanc intends to roll out its plans more publicly for redevelopment of the two sites.

Eastbanc's proposal is for a 52-unit low-income (max 60% AMI), 90 foot residential building above a new fire station on M Street, and a 10-story residence of up to 180 units above a new library and retail filling the 2300 block of L Street. The developer was selected by the District of Columbia in March of 2010 to redevelop the 4 city-owned sites - 1 at the fire station and 3 contiguous sites between the West End Library and special operations facility at 23rd and L, each a 2 story, deteriorating building subsumed by development and recent population surge. Eastbanc is not releasing its designs until the ANC meeting, but early renderings (at left, above) indicate the projects will be in keeping with the designer's minimalist, contemporary style.

The project is being designed by New York and Mexico-based TEN Arquitectos, (for Taller de Enrique Norten) and will add 10,000 s.f. of ground floor retail to the street.

Enrique Norten, lead designer on the West End project, started TEN Arquitectos in Mexico City in 1986 designing small, modern single-family homes. The firm has now swelled to an international presence, though still with a predominantly Mexican portfolio, and seeks to "straddle the line between Mexican and New York sensibilities," says a spokesman, who says Norton creates for a "very minimalist aesthetic." The architect has received attention for his redesign of federal buildings throughout Mexico as well as several high profile projects in New York City.

Completed projects and proposals bear that out, with designs that encompass simple, angular and monument- style towers with expansive footprints as well as diminutive rectangular buildings in more clustered urban spaces, most of which reject the graph paper effect of even lines and flat facades in favor of broken, asymmetrical contours and surfaces. (see visuals: Harlem Park in NYC above left, James Hotel in Los Angeles, above right, Mercedes House in NYC below 1, Chopo Museum Mexico, below 2, New York library below 3, Reforma in Mexico, below 4)

Sean Stadler, Principal of WDG Architecture which was chosen as the architect of record to execute the designs, says Eastbanc's choice of Norten demonstrates Eastbanc's commitment to "trying to assert good architecture into the community." Says Stadler, "they approach development not just from a dollars and sense position. I think that TEN Arquitectos is thinking with a much more global eye on architecture than DC tends to, and I think that's part of the strategy that Eastbanc has had in the past." Citing Eastbanc's other accomplishments at 22 West and Ritz Carlton Georgetown (a former power plant), Stadler credits Eastbanc with the transformative effect of well executed project. "If you look at the old power plant in Georgetown, its really made it a much more personable place."
To accomplish the LEED - possibly gold - ranking that Stadler says the team is striving for, and which Eastbanc didn't apply for on prior projects, the architect says to expect efficient glass, solar shades, exterior louvers, a green roof, and the latest wastewater management strategies. Noting the "strategy in this project in reducing our carbon footprint," Stadler calls the mostly glass, louvered shell "a much more efficient vehicle to stop heat from entering the building. Its not an eyebrow, but a more European approach, an operable full louver, somewhat like a blind on the exterior." According to Stadler, the exterior blinds block heat before it enters the building, in contrast to interior blinds, but also "visually adds texture and depth to the facade."

Eastbanc's Joe Sternlieb says the April 25th unveiling will be just the end of a years-long roadshow, acclimating the public and seeking input that has honed the design. "We tend to do alot of community meetings before we file...we've had over 60 community meetings so far over last 4 years, and retooled project many times based on community feedback." Sternlieb says he hopes to file the PUD application with the zoning forces in the first week of May, in conformance with milestones dictated by the District government, though he declines to set a timeline for construction, saying only that construction could begin within a year of zoning approval, or late 2012, at best. Only the library-police site is subject to zoning review, with the fire station "within the zoning envelope." LeMay Erickson Willcox Architects, which has expertise in designing fire stations, is helping craft the M Street site.

While the library and fire station will be rebuilt on site, the special-operations unit will be moved elsewhere.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj Poised to Start Newest Dining Scene at 22West

Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj - the savvy businessman and cosmopolitan host behind Bombay Club, Bibiana, the recently remodeled Ardeo+Bardeo, and Rasika, the city's four star Indian restaurant where it's impossible to get a table - is poised to sign a lease for the retail space at 22 West, the West End EastBanc project that was completed in 2008. As far as the marriage between 22West and Bajaj, "I've been wanting to get into the place for years," Bajaj said last week of the 3000 s.f. retail space that has remained empty since completion. Factors such as opening Bibiana, and remodeling 701 and Ardeo+Bardeo had been vying for his attention in the meantime. 22 West is one of several projects that may re-energize what has been a relatively staid neighborhood. The Columbia Residences and the Ritz Carlton have injected life into the West End, which still lags as a destination retail site, despite the success of Trader Joe's and Blue Duck Tavern, and now an independent theater. The secretive Bajaj won't give away the menu just yet. "It's something I think people in Washington will find very interesting," he added. Also on the docket in the West End is East Banc's redo of the neighborhood's post office, library and fire station, a coordinated development plan awarded to EastBanc in early 2010, and a renovated retail pavilion across the street from 22 West, now underway

Washington DC real estate development news

West End To Get Independent Movie Theater At Former Site Of The Inner Circle

For D.C. film nerds and pseudo-intellectual George Washington University students in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, the Washington-based Circle Theater chain was an oasis of obscure, independent, foreign, and cult films and documentaries; and may be so again in just a few months. Built in 1911, the original Circle Theater at 2105 Pennsylvania Avenue stood as the oldest film venue in the District for almost ninety years. To the chagrin of $1 matinee frequenters, it was demolished in the late '80s to make way for a 12-story office complex. Although its various sister-theaters (Circle West End 1-4, later the Inner Circle 1-4, as well as Inner Circle 5-7) held on to life for some years after, they were subsequently bought and sold, each now demolished or out of operation for several years. But luckily for those Washingtonians nostalgic for the art-house film chain, the one remaining venue unscathed by wrecking balls will be resuscitated and reopened this fall. Josh Levin, a New York film producer and distributor has leased the building formerly housing Inner Circle 5-7, and has plans in the works to reopen the venue as the West End Theater.

Circle Theaters first expanded to include the West End property (1101 23rd Street NW) on August 17, 1977. In 1985 the chain amassed another property just a block north at 2301 M Street NW, a three auditorium venue that sat 94, 78, and 55 people. This theater became the Inner Circle 5-7, and later simply the Inner Circle when the Inner Circle 1-4 was torn down to build the Ritz Carlton residences (adjacent to the hotel).


The movie house has not shown a film since 2003, but that will change soon, as the property is set to become the new West End Theater. A few seats will be subtracted from each of the three viewing rooms, in order to make the venue a bit roomier and classier, but of course without losing the intimate feel. The cinematic repertoire will remain much the same, showing "first-run independent films, art house, documentary, and remastered classic films." No significant structural changes are needed as the venue "still has the projector systems, platters, sound systems, screens, seats and concessions line exactly where they were when the theater closed in late 2003, early 2004," according to Levin. Going inside to discover the eerily but cleanly foresaken theater was a bit "like a science fiction film," Levin told the West End Friends, "where the humans have been erased but everything else remains."

While the multiplex is not equipped with a kitchen, Levin plans to serve salads and sandwiches in addition to traditional theater snacks - think Jujyfruits and popcorn. He is also pursuing a full liquor license to serve beer and wine, with the hope of offering cocktails as well. Levin presented his plans to the ANC last week, and an application should go before Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) shortly. There seems to be some apprehension from some members of ANC2A concerning small details of the liquor license, but no serious roadblocks stand in the way of Levin's plans - ABRA is well-known for its strong pro-business tendencies.

Even though major renovation is unnecessary, the interior will be refitted to some extent: the seats will be replaced, as will the drapes, the bathrooms redone, and lighting fixtures updated. "A luxury screening room setting with plush leather seats and real food and drinks," is Levin's aim. On July 21st, Josh confirmed his business intentions via the internet, assuring film geeks on the website Cinema Treasures (dedicated to iconic movie houses) that West End Circle Theater would soon be moved from the "old listings" to the "new listings."

The architect of the original Circle Theatre was A.B. Mallett & Co/Luther Ray. Ray was well known during his time as a designer of restaurants and commercial store fronts, and also did considerable business producing large porcelain enamel signage for local businesses. Pictured right is an old rendering of the design for Hahn Shoes (located at Seventh and K Streets NW) drawn by Luther Ray. Although the Art Deco styling of the Circle Theater was faded and crumbling by the time obscure foreign films like the Italian classic Bicycle Theives or Ladri di Biciclette (1948) made its way onto the reels, the theater remained a film-buff favorite for over two decades. Jim and Ted Pedas took over the cinema in 1957 as local law students and ambitious film-enthusiasts. Their repertory cinema venture was so successful, they not only expanded into a chain operation, but also founded Circle Films, an independent film production company. The brothers along with two other business partners produced many of the Coen brothers early cult favorites, including: Blood Simple (1984), Raising Arizona (1987), Miller's Crossing (1990), and Barton Fink (1991).

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News

Marriott Readies for West End Demolition

After years of sitting dormant, plans for the GW Marriott Courtyard Hotel at 515 20th Street, NW are looking increasingly active. In March, the development team was shopping around for a general contractor and in May submitted a raze permit to the Historic Preservation Review Board to demo the six-story, 420-car parking garage the new hotel would replace. The 125,000 s.f. hotel will bring upwards of 150 suites to the GW neighborhood.

Mike Tyler of MJ Tyler and Associates, a representative for the development team, said the team hopes to begin the six-week demolition in "the latter part of July." From there, construction will begin "immediately" and will last for upwards of 20 months, delivering in early summer 2012.

Developer Allstate Hotel Partnership received original project approval in 2006, but was sidelined by a lawsuit from an unhappy ANC chair and the extended financing drought. The ANC and other Foggy Bottom civic organizations opposed the development, expressing concerns about the increased traffic and the likelihood of blocked streets during construction. When asked about these concerns, Tyler responded that the team is "working through that right now" and promised it would be a "very organized and professional operation." Construction noises aside, Tyler said "we're excited to get started, it's been a long time in the works.

Designed by WDG Architecture, the new nine-story building will squeeze in between offices and residences in the West End neighborhood. The general contractor is HITT Contracting.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Eastbanc Wins West End

Life is a circle, of course. To underscore that point, the District government announced today that Eastbanc won its bid to redevelop three underused properties in the West End. The D.C. government issued the RFP last July, after a contentious process in which Eastbanc had been awarded the rights to develop the land in 2007, only to have a public outcry over no-bid contracts stop the process, and give the Council a morning-after moment and, shocked at what it had done, recall the land sale to Eastbanc. That, in turn, led to the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to issue a fair and balanced solicitation last July, which received two offers, one from an Eastbanc partnership, the other from Toll Brothers, Paramount Development and Torti Gallas. Now, two and a half years after the Council pulled the plug on Eastbanc, the city has given it the official nod to develop the three sites. To those few unfamiliar with the sites, the properties include the West End Library, fire station, and special operations police unit, all low-rise relics in a sea of pricey condominiums. EastBanc had said in its initial proposal that Square 37, the current site of the library, would sport a 20,765 s.f. ground floor library with a 10-story residence above (rendering below). Designed by Ten Arquitectos, the plans call for approximately 153 market-rate residential units on the 2nd through 10th floors, 235 parking spaces and 10,000 s.f. of ground floor retail. LeMay Erickson Wilcox Architects will be the architects for the fire station and WDG Architecture will be the architect of record. Eastbanc's designs for Square 50 - the fire station - include a replacement fire station and mezzanine with 52 affordable residential units on the 2nd through 4th floors. Eastbanc's Anthony Lanier predicted a renaissance, thanks to the $150 million project, saying "we want to make a community...not just a street with 10-story buildings." Asked about how the new plans differed from those he proposed more than 2 years ago, which could possibly have been built by now, Lanier responded "not much." Eastbanc had earlier said it "can and would build a supermarket on site if the community and city united to support it," but has voiced skepticism about the need for one. The Toll Brother's plan for the library called for 48,000 s.f. of retail, including a 40,000 s.f. grocery store. The library would remain in place; 21,300 s.f. on two levels. To top it off, the building would have been LEED Silver and would have included as many as 220 residential condos. The group did not submit a plan for the site of the fire station. Eastbanc's partners on the project also include the Warrenton Group, Dantes Partners, TEN Arquitectos, and WDG Architecture. Eastbanc also recently won the rights to develop a highly visible Capitol Hill property late last year. Deputy Mayor Valerie Santos said the District would work hard to "ensure what has been proposed moves forward as quickly as possible." Mayor Adrian Fenty added that he expects groundbreaking for the project "at the end of 2012, at the very latest." Washington, DC real estate development news

West End Development Showdown

Two months after the drop-dead date for responses to the West End Development solicitation, the parties have released more information about what might replace the aging city-owned sites. Eastbanc-W.D.C. Partners is vying for the parcels, which it briefly controlled two years ago, against a team comprised of Toll Brothers, Paramount Development and Torti Gallas. At a recent community meeting the two groups presented their plans for the sites which include the West End Library, fire station, and special operations police unit. Neighbors have been told to expect a final decision this spring.

According to DMPED Communications Director, Sean Madigan, the Toll Brothers and Eastbanc offers were the only two received in response to the July solicitation. The December 17th community meeting was an opportunity for the groups to show off their plans and answer questions from an often outspoken neighborhood. Local residents became incensed over the lack of BID competition in 2007 when the District attempted to sell the land to Eastbanc Development, which developed the Ritz Carlton hotel and condo and 22 West condos, but which the community viewed as not arms-length.

EastBanc's plans for Square 37, the current site of the library, would create a 20,765 s.f. ground floor library with a 10-story residence above (rendering at left). Designed by LeMay Erickson Wilcox Architects, the plans call for approximately 153 market-rate residential units on the 2nd through 10th floors, and 9,000 s.f. of ground floor retail.

Eastbanc's plans for Square 50 - the fire station - include a replacement fire station on the ground floor and mezzanine with 52 affordable residential units on the 2nd through 4th floors.

At the public presentation Eastbanc responded to questions about including a grocery store in their plan. An Eastbanc representative explained that the group "can and would build a supermarket on site if the community and city united to support it," adding that so far the group has "heard more opposition than support."

The Toll Brother's - Torti Gallas-designed plan for the library calls for 48,000 s.f. of retail, including a 40,000 s.f. grocery store. The library, which the solicitation encouraged developers to keep in the immediate vicinity, would remain in place; 21,300 s.f. on two levels. To top it off, the building will be designed to LEED Silver standards and include as many as 220 residential condos (with views of New York City, if the submitted renderings are accurate).

The group did not submit a plan for the site of the fire station. At the public meeting a Toll Brother's spokesperson explained the decision, saying "if there were some flexibility in some other areas of the Project...we would be willing to discuss subsidizing the construction of the new fire station in Square 50, but we would not be interested in purchasing this site from the District."

Now with two options for Square 37 and only one for Square 50, the DMPED's office will review the community concerns, which they will continue to accept through January, and may eventually request a "best and final offer" from the developer that demonstrates a response to community feedback. A decision should be made by the spring, said Madigan, at which point the land disposition negotiations will begin. Madigan indicate that process could take between 6 and 12 months, and would end with review by the City Council.

Eastbanc had been awarded development rights to the site in 2007, but an outcry over the non-competitive award caused the Council to revoke the grant. Eastbanc was one of the partners awarded the rights to develop the Hine School at the Eastern Market last September.

Washington, D.C. real estate development news

District Gets 2 West End Development Offers

Plans to redevelop three West End parcels including the West End Library, fire station, and special operations police unit were due to The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development last Friday at 3 PM, and DMPED Communications Director Sean Madigan tells DCMud that "at least two packages" came in before the deadline. "We’ll have to start vetting them now to see if they are responsive." No news yet on the timeline for selection, nor would DC reveal the identity of the bidders, but given the recent flap over Mayor Fenty's procedures for choosing development partners, you can bet the Council will vet this carefully.

DMPED originally issued its Solicitation for Offers back in July. When offers didn't start pouring in by mid-September, DMPED extended its due date from Oct. 2nd to Oct. 30th. The District sought proposals that could effectively address issues such as coming up with interim library facilities during construction, developing housing for Metropolitan Police and Fire Departments, and figuring out how to gain support for the projects from the Department of Homeland Security. Local residents became incensed over the lack of BID competition in July when the District attempted to sell to Eastbanc Development, which developed the Ritz Carlton hotel and condo and 22 West condos, but which the community viewed as not arms-length.

Washington DC retail and commercial real estate news

District Gov Adds More Time for West End Development Offers

The DC government has postponed the deadline for three West End parcels now on the block for redevelopment. In July, the city sought proposals to redevelop the West End Library, fire station, and special operations police unit, each of which would have to be rebuilt on or off-site. The DC government initially set a due date of October 2, but changed the date in mid September to October 30th. No bids have been received to date. The District is seeking "creative proposals" that thoughtfully address the neighborhood's overall vision for the neighborhood - a plan that foresees safe, lively streets with a local retail center, and livelier Washington Circle, revamped to be more of a meeting place. The process began with legislation in the summer of 2007 with an attempted sale to Eastbanc Development, which developed the Ritz Carlton hotel and condo and 22 West condos, but which stirred the ire of residents for its non-competitiveness.