Newfound Humanity in Arlington

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia will soon convert a 50-year-old Arlington apartment complex into low income housing, pending county approval. Known to area residents as the Perry S. Hall Apartments, Habitat will update the aging facility at 2912 17^th Street South and then, in a move not usually associated with non-profit developer, put all 12 units of housing in complex up for sale as affordable-rate condos.

But neighbors shouldn’t fret over more low-income housing going up next door, says the developer. Since purchasing the property from Wesley Housing in 2005, the building has remained entirely vacant and George Lane, Project Manager for Habitat NOVA, tells DCmud the revitalized Hall Apartments will contribute to, not detract from, thank you very much, the surrounding Nauck neighborhood.

“[It’ll be] a major improvement to the neighborhood. If you drive by what’s there, it’s a pretty raggedy looking old building. No one’s done anything to it in 25 or 30 years and what we’re doing will blend in with the neighborhood. It’s colonial-style and it’s going to look very nice. There will be brick used in it…and a lot of nice window features. The units will be updated with modern appliances and plumbing and all that,” said Lane. “We’re building the same sort of housing [middle-class buyers] expect to live in today. We’re just building it for people who don’t make as much money.”

According to Lane, the development team – which also includes Creaser/O’Brien Architects – met with local Nauck residents last year to present designs and has stated the intention to ensure that locals already living in the area with be given “an equal, if not preferred opportunity” to purchase condo units. At present, they are scheduled to be available to those making between 20% and 60% AMI. Though Habitat famously relies on a stable of volunteers to construct their homes, the developer stresses the quality of the colonial-style apartment building will be on par with that of any professionally built project.

"Habitat uses a lot of volunteers for finishes. They’ll hang the drywall, they’ll install the insulation, they’ll do the carpentry and they’ll paint…All electrical, mechanical plumbing and things of that nature…are all done by professional contractors,” said Lane. “We sub-contract that out to other companies.”

Surprising to most will be the fact that this is not Habitat of Northern Virginia’s first foray into world of condominium development. They’re currently under construction on another, 9-unit development, entitled the Maple Ridge Condominiums, at 4150 Stevenson Street in Fairfax. Another Fairfax condo project, the 12-unit Westbrook Forest, was completed in 2007. And, following an upcoming Planning Board hearing, Habitat hopes to have the Perry S. Hall condos join them in short order.

“If all goes well [at the May 19th hearing]…then we’ll settle our building permit. Hopefully, the County will turn those plans around in a month or two and we’ll be able to start in mid to late summer,” said Lane. The project is scheduled to wrap up by the spring of 2010.

Lacey Condos Grand Opening

The Lacey, a new condominium in the U Street neighborhood, will have its first public grand opening party this Thursday, from 6:30-9:30pm. The Lacey is a new 26-unit condominium at 2250 11th St. designed by Division1 Architects and developed by a partnership of Imar Hutchins and Division1. The ultra contemporary project took the place of the empty lot next to the fabled Florida Avenue Grill at 1100 Florida Ave., itself a bit of a Washington institution. The catered event is being co-sponsored by Washington Humane Society.

Condos at the Lacey, now about half sold, start at $319,000 for one-bedroom units and the low $600's for two-bedroom units. The building is strikingly non-traditional, with design features like floating common hallways, glass demising walls that project light throughout the building, an ultra-quiet and hyper-efficient pistonless elevator, sliding glass interior walls, and Italian Snaidero cabinets. Four glass box penthouse units crown the project, featuring multiple private roofdecks with views stretching across Washington DC. Construction of the project, which began in May of 2007 and being carried out by Eichberg Construction, is almost entirely complete; deliveries began last month.

Washington DC real estate news

The Duke Begins Sales in Old Town

While a small group of VIP previewers got a sneak peak of the Duke Townhomes and Flats sales center last night, the official grand opening for Old Town's newest residences will be next Saturday, June 7th. Marquis Custom Homes, an affiliate of Van Meter Companies, is selling 18 brick townhomes ranging from approximately 2,000 s.f. - 2,300 s.f., each with a patio, balcony, and parking in a garage under the structure. The project also includes 40 flats that range from about 1,300-1,600 s.f. that will deliver in a year, the developer claims. These are two-bedroom, two-bathroom units, with parking and storage space, some of which also have a den.

The project replaces the Fannon Oil site, which has been largely been vacant recently. Unlike the innovative, urban-chic styles developers strive for in emerging D.C. neighborhoods, the developers had to follow specific architectural guidelines to make the project fit into the Historic District.

“The Old Town Architecture Review Committee is very picky, so a lot of the decisions of what to build were governed by the historic nature of the area. The townhomes that you will see from the street are all brick, so they blend in. Every detail was combed over to make sure the project fit in with the historic nature of the area,” said Jane Herrmann, Sales Manager for the project.

Located on the 1300 block of Duke Street on the edge of the Historic District of Old Town Alexandria, the project is two blocks from the King Street Metro and the main strip of shops and restaurants. The project will join Cromley Lofts and the Jamieson, both new residences selling near the King Street metro station.

Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

New Condo Project Develops in Shaw

Georgetown-based MCN Corporation has announced that sales have begun on a 15-unit condo downtown called the Marion. The condominium will be built on quiet and historic Marion Street in the Shaw neighborhood of DC, 2 blocks to the Shaw Metro Station, in the shell of what is now a 3-story ‘50’s apartment building. The condo conversion is one of the larger condo projects undertaken by MCN, which has designed and built a number of single family suburban homes and several downtown commercial spaces. Prices will range from the mid to upper $100k’s for studios, and mid to upper $200k’s for a 1-bedroom condo, with two 1-bedroom units offering “private” gardens and parking available on site. The Marion is said to have an “architecturally contemporary” – but largely unmodified – exterior, with interior spaces offering granite countertops, GE Ranges, dishwashers, microwave/ranges with hoods, double glazed energy-efficient windows, and maple, oak or cherry bathroom vanities with cultured marble counters and sinks. Sales by Domus Realty are now underway, delivery is expected within a few months. The surrounding blocks will be home to the Broadcast Center One project – the mixed-use project atop the Metro Station – as well as a number of large, historic shells intended to be commercially rejuvenated in the near future.

King Farm Condo Conversion Opens for Sale

Sales begin this weekend for the Royalton, the newest condo development at King Farm in Rockville. The townhouse community was built over the last six years at the intersection of I-270 and I-370. Located 2 blocks from the Shady Grove Metro, the condos-to-be were built in 2004 as part of the 1100-plus rental apartments within the planned neighborhood until Chicago-based developer Monaco purchased 317 of the apartments for conversion, reportedly for $112m. Each unit will be renovated as it is purchased; condos will start at $253,900.