Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wheaton Metro Projects
Labels: Bonstra Haresign Architects, Bozzuto, Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Spaulding and Slye Investments, Torti Gallas, Wheaton
Construction is well underway for Bozzuto Development and Torti Gallas and Partners' mixed-use project at the Red Line’s Wheaton Metro station. Located at 11175 Georgia Avenue in Maryland, Metro Pointe will include 2,000 s.f. of ground retail below 173 rental apartments which will be a mixture of lofts and single story units. Residents will have traditional amenities such as a business center, courtyard terraces, and a walking park, and less traditional features like direct elevator access to the Metro, an uncommon convenience in DC.
“It will be five buildings connected together, the main building on Georgia and Reedie Drive is brick with Hardipanel…When you get to Amherst drive it turns into townhouses,” said Project Manager Mark Weisner at Bozzuto. He added that Fed Ex Kinkos and a small convenience store will occupy the retail space.
While the Georgia Avenue project is underway and scheduled for completion in the third quarter of this year, Bozzuto’s other - more ambitious -project with Spaulding & Slye Investments, is still being conceived, it may soon take shape down the street where Georgia Avenue and Veirs Mill Road intersect.
Still in the planning and documentation stage, the Metro Plaza at Wheaton Square on Georgia Avenue may begin construction in the second half of next year; the mixed-use project will include over 400,000 s.f. of Class A office space, street-level retail, residential units planned as apartments, a Metro bus terminal, and parking for 500 cars. Planned at the intersection of Reedie Drive, and Veirs Mill, the project's backers expect the development to redefine Weaton's 'city center'.
The project is still not much more than a rendering (see above) - a representative at the company jokingly asked DCMud to tell them what was happening at the site - Bonstra Haresign Architects’ website says the project will have “an 11-story, 300,000 square foot commercial tower, a 10-story, 130,000 square foot residential building, 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail along Georgia Avenue, and 5 levels of above-grade structured parking.”
The project will have access to the Metro tunnel under Georgia Avenue on the north side of the site and to a pedestrian bridge at the west side of the site.
As Bill Bonstra said to DCMud in January, “Georgia Avenue is an unbelievable mix of land use... And the Wheaton area is coming in right on the coattails of the revitalization of Silver Spring. It was only a matter of time for development to move north as it had done from the west.” How much time, we just can't say.
Wheaton Maryland real estate development news
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Hill East - Another Day, Another Waterfront Initiative
Labels: Anacostia River, Hill East, Mayor Adrian Fenty, Southeast, Tommy Wells
The Hill East site, which is two and a half times bigger than the development at the old convention center, is intended to be a low-impact, LEED certified mixed-use development. The project will include residential, retail, and office components and will extend Massachusetts Avenue and other streets within the site to tie the new neighborhood into the existing community; including, apparently, the correctional facility, which will remain on site. Councilmember Tommy Wells, D-Ward 6, said the District envisions some sort of “health plex”, which could range from doctors’ offices to a specialized treatment facility, but that the decision is a long way off.
“It will be a truly mixed-use project,” said Deputy Mayor Neil Albert. “There is a great need for affordable housing in the District. There is a need for a health-plex, and because there are two metro stops [DCmud is still trying to locate the 2nd one], it will be good for office space, maybe some offices that are being forced out of the downtown area because of increasing lease prices,” he said.
“The more we bring to the waterfront, the more time people will want to spend there. We already have a bike path underway. We need to embrace the river as a community asset,” said Wells. Both Wells and Fenty pointed out the need to reduce the pollution in the river and to work with Maryland, the state through which the majority of the river runs. They both said part of the project’s goal is to make the river suitable for canoing and even swimming (cringe).
The site is bounded by 19th street, Independence Avenue, the Anacostia River, and the Historic Congressional Cemetery. The entire site is 67 acres, but development will take place on only 50 of those. The land, known as Reservation 13, is technically owned by the General Service Administration, but was given to the District under the 2006 Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2006, a “Transfer Act”. As DCmud reported in April of last year, 12 acres of the property were to be given back to the Federal government for a congressional mail facility. According to Fenty, the District is now looking for an alternative site for this facility and it will not be part of the Hill East development.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Dunbar Place on North Capitol
Labels: DC Real Estate, NoMa, Thoron Development
Thoron founder Robert Taylor describes Dunbar Place as a five-story, 29-unit condominium project that will include a deck of underground parking, ground-level green space, and a rooftop deck. Having completed the design phase of Dunbar Place with PGN Architects, Thoron now moves into the permit process, after which it will begin construction, with completion by the end of 2009. Taylor hopes that Dunbar Place and Mews will augment the blossoming NoMa neighborhood and notes that neighbors and the local ANC feel likewise.
Dunbar Place used to be Dunbar Towers, but Thoron recently dropped the name. As Taylor notes, “It didn’t really look like a tower.” Dunbar Mews, around the corner on O Street, is another Thoron project, this one an eight-unit renovation. Thoron recently completed Parkview Condos, a 24-unit renovation of a historic building at 610 Irving St., NW.
Just a few blocks north of the new project, at 1600 North Capitol, sits a lot with plans for a 40-unit building, where progress on and interest in the development is hard to detect, while just a few blocks south lies Northwest One and all of Noma, where progress is significantly easier to detect. Let's hope the activity to the south is a better indicator of success.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Howard Issues RFP for Bond Bread Building
The project is the site of the Bond Bread Building, a property long contested by its one-time tenant, which lost a legal battle for control of the land. According to the RFP, the development "must include rental apartments, retail (including grocery store) and parking," and is strongly suggested to be LEED certified. Though the site has a maximum floor area ratio (or FAR, which limits the amount of floor space in relation to the size of the lot it is built upon) of 6.0 and a height of 90 feet, but also falls within the districts "Duke plan" (for developing Shaw and U Street), which encourages greater height and FAR allowances. The project is expected to have 300 rental units that will comply with D.C.'s formula for market rate and affordable housing. A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held at Howard on May 15th to discuss the project, the terms of which require that the real estate developer enter into a long-term ground lease with the University and undertake all development obligations. Bids are due by June 10.
DC Announces New Convention Center Site Agreement
Labels: Archstone, Chinatown, Convention Center, Hines, Jack Evans, Mayor Adrian Fenty
(Dcmud's information on "Parcel B" is too new to have renderings - the rendering shown is of the southern parcel.)
Standing in a corner of the current Convention Center, overlooking the site of the old one, Fenty said the District reached a deal with developers Hines Archstone to lease the site for 99 years. The District had previously cemented a deal with Hines Archstone for the southern half of the site - a project estimated at $850 million that will add 350,000 s.f. of retail space, over 670 apartment and condominiums with at least 134 affordable units, and 465,000 s.f. of office space between New York Avenue, 11th, H, and 9th Streets NW.
“The one thing the District is missing that so many other large cities have is a bustling area where people come after work to shop or eat or to hang out, a city center.” Fenty said. In addition to the office, retail, and residential space, the project will include an additional 1.5 acres of public open space. There will be a park in the northwest corner as well as a central plaza between the residential buildings on the corner of 9th and H streets.
The “B parcel", bound by New York, 9th, and what will be 10th Street, was originally considered as a potential site for a museum or library in order to attract more families. Today, however, Fenty said that while the District is still “working aggressively” with the Library Board, there is a significant amount of programming under the current plan to attract DC residents to the site."
As the master developer, Hines Archstone had the first right of refusal to lease the B parcel from the District if the city chose not to locate a library on the site.
“This area is surrounded by museums; the Newseum just opened a few blocks away, the Portrait Gallery, the Spy Museum…we want this place to provide a social atmosphere outside their homes where residents can come and sit without having to sit at a cafĂ© or pay to eat or drink,” Fenty said.
Kingdon Gould III acquired a parcel on the Northeast corner of the site - the last site to reveal development plans - in a land swap that the city conducted to facilitate construction of the Marriott next to the new Convention Center. The Parking Management, Inc. president has his own plan for the site, but it must be "consistent with the entire site's master plan."
While retailers have not yet been announced, the developer has committed to devoting thirty percent of retail space to merchants with six or fewer stores in the United States, but will focus on a wide range of grocery stores, restaurants, fashion stores, and entertainment or performance venues. There are also plans for one larger retailer like Nordstroms or Macy’s; Fenty and the development teams will be meeting with companies in the coming weeks, but a final announcement is not likely for about six months.
The project will generate 3,000 development-related jobs and 2,500 direct permanent jobs. It will also generate a projected $32 million a year in annual direct tax revenues. According to developers, the District will receive more than $200 million in consideration for the land as part of the land lease including a minimum of $28.5 million in lease payments, $55 million to provide affordable housing on site, and $48 million in payments for new infrastructure. Two new streets, I and 10th, will be constructed through the site.
When asked about the likelihood of delivering the project in a timely manner given the not-so-exuberant state of the economy, Councilmember Jack Evans, D-Ward 2, said the District has not been affected by the economy and that this project’s success would be no different than that of other D.C. projects like the Nationals Stadium.
“The Southwest waterfront looks pretty good. Poplar Point is off in the distance, but Clark, the main developer hasn’t had problems getting the money they need. There is such a strong interest in the development of the District that as long as that interest remains, these projects will stay on schedule,” Evans said.
The first phase of the project, which includes the office, apartments, and condominiums, will begin in the second quarter of 2009, while the entire project will be completed by the end of 2011.
Evans added that this summer the city is planning to set up a large screen in the parking lot on-site to continually broadcast the Olympic Games. He said the city’s goal is to use the backdrop of the Chinatown arch to attract families and residents to the area.
“This is the most exciting property on the East Coast,” he said.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Slow and Steady for Rhode Island Station
Labels: A and R Development, Mid-City Urban, Rhode Island Ave., WMATA
Construction will begin in July for Rhode Island Station, a 370,000 s.f. mixed-use development planned for the current Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station. The project, by Rhode Island Avenue Metro, LLC - a partnership of Mid-City Urban LLC and A&R Development - formerly known as Brentwood Town Center, won final zoning approval in April 2007, but will not finally close and begin construction until July.
Rhode Island Station will include a series of four-story buildings with three floors of residential rental apartments above one, ground floor of retail. At its completion, the project will have 274 rental apartments and 70,000 s.f. of retail space in what is now the Metro station’s parking lot.
As DCmud reported in June of last year, the developers have launched retail-leasing efforts, but have not yet announced final tenants.
“We really spent the last year permitting and finalizing. There were two approval processes to go through because it was a joint development with Metro, so it did take a bit longer,” said Caroline Kenney, a development associate for Mid-City Urban, LLC.
She added that commuters will not be inconvenienced by the construction as protected sidewalks will keep the Metro station fully accessible.
“We are currently focusing on getting to the construction,” Kenney said. “We want to give it a vibrant feel, but be pedestrian-oriented and friendly. We want it to blend into the surrounding area.”
That may be a challenge given the somewhat decrepit buildings across from the current Metro driveway. A February 2008 Ward 5 Development Report based on records from the Councilmember’s office did show eight projects within a mile of the station, including Macy Development’s Basilica Lofts, and Menkiti Group Development’s Illora Condos, but most of the new buildings are or will be on the other side of the tracks, behind the station. Given the nature of DC’s development, however, the rest of Rhode Island Ave. probably won’t be far behind.
Upon completion in July 2010, Metro users, shoppers, and residents will also have access to 400 parking spaces in the parking garage planned for the project.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Howard Town Center to Finally Take Place of Bond Bread Building
Labels: Howard Town Center, Trammell Crow Companies
This exchange means Howard will receive the former Bond Bread Building at 2146 Georgia Avenue, NW. The lot provides redevelopment space for the long-planned Howard Town Center: 300+ residence units, 70,000+ s.f. of commercial property, a supermarket, and parking. The District will receive in exchange, the site at Florida and Sherman Avenues, and will solicit bids for a mixed-use project to include at least 300 housing units (30 percent affordable). Both Howard University and the District have wanted to complete this seemingly simple exchange but had been foiled by a legal conundrum dating back to Mayor Washington's promise to the Peoples Involvement Corporation (PIC), a 30-year tenant in the Bond Bread Building.
PIC, a federally funded nonprofit focused on community development, was founded in 1968, the year after DC Mayor-Commissioner Walter Washington took office. Washington, who became the first Mayor of the District under home rule, supported PIC, and verbally promised the organization that if it retained tenancy for two decades and made improvements to the property, the District would turn over its ownership of the Bond Bread Building. But, as any first year law student will attest, exchanges of lands do not meet the Statute of Frauds if not in writing.
In relying on the District's promise, PIC renovated the crusty digs, somewhat, and occupied the building for the requisite term. When the District announced its intention to swap the Bond Bread Building with a property belonging to Howard University, the PIC learned that it risked losing what it had seen as a multi-decade investment. The organization sought and received from Mayor Washington a written statement from the former mayor confirming his verbal promise to give away the site. In 2003, to protect its interests, PIC filed a lawsuit with the D.C. Superior Court against the District.
If PIC won its suit, Howard University stood to lose its planned project. The university had already hired Trammell Crow Company’s subsidiary, High Street Residential, and alumna Michelle Hagans to develop the property. The Howard Town Center project had received press coverage from the Washington Business Journal and other local publications as part of its plan to transform the neighborhoods surrounding the university. But Hagans, High Street, the architects, the construction firm, and planned lessees such as Fresh Grocer were now all put on indefinite (or potentially permanent) hold as they waited for the Bread Building dispute to rise.
And rise it did, doubling in size; the District decide to instigate its own suit, and it sued PIC to establish itself as the rightful owner of the property. Legally, Washington’s verbal property promise did not pass muster with the courts. In what would make a picture-perfect law school exam over tenancy rights and verbal promises for land subsequently written, PIC lost both cases, concluding that a Mayor's verbal promises could not be relied upon (duh).
In 2006, the D.C. Council considered the issue, first in a bill sponsored by Councilmember Jack Evans that would have halted the swap, but finally approving the exchange of the Bond Bread Building with Howard University’s 63,400-s.f. property at Sherman and Florida Avenues.
As DCMud reported in June 2007, legislation sponsored by D.C. Councilmember Jim Graham was supposed to get Town Center construction moving that year, with possible completion projected for 2010. Now, almost halfway through 2008, it looks like Howard Town Center may soon get out of its jam and into the Bread Building. The Mayor has said he intends to issue the solicitation for a development partner later this year.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Takoma Park Condos Go Rental
According to the developer, the lack of financing for a new condominium building became the insurmountable hurdle in the development process, requiring a new financing agreement that precluded condo sales. Domus Realty had presold 35 of the 85 units as of last fall, when the sales center closed. "I'm really excited that the project is still moving forward despite the turmoil in the markets." said Sas Gharai, the architect and developer of the project. But Gharai also suggested that with the dwindling condo construction the decision may not be irreversible, "At some point, we may re-evaluate when the market changes."
Ecco Park is designed to include 6,500 s.f. of retail, and at one time was mentioning a Trader Joe's Express as a possible tenant. It would also feature underground parking, and patios or balconies for most of the units. Prices started at $180k for a studio and in the high $200k's for a one-bedroom, and at $495k for a two-bedroom. SGA recently completed and is selling the last few units at the Butterfield House on Capitol Hill.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Will Montgomery County Put the Brakes on Bethesda's Parking Garage?
Labels: Bethesda, Bethesda Row, Coalition for Smart Growth, PN Hoffman, StonebridgeCarras
But rather than add such massive garage space, the Coalition for Smarter Growth recommends that Bethesda consider making use of a “smart parking” system, similar to those used in Rockville Town Center and at the Baltimore/Washington International Airport. A digital readout at the entrance to a garage or floor of parking displays the number of available parking spaces to approaching motorists, reducing the time, traffic, and frustration used in circling for spots. As Cort puts it, “Bethesda was just a suburban outpost 30 years ago…[Now] Bethesda has grown up…The question is, how do we treat automobiles in this context?”
David Hauck, Chair of the Montgomery County Sierra Club, has a suggestion for how to assess this situation. “Step back, take a breath, and think about it,” he advises, “What will Bethesda look like five years from now?” If the pedestrian-, bike-, and Metro- supporting contingent has its way, says Hauck, the proposed parking garage will be a “white elephant.”
Update, May 7: According to a representative from the Montgomery County Council, at its work session today, the full Council tentatively approved the parking garage planned for Bethesda's Lot 31. While a few council members did raise concerns about the project, no one introduced a motion to overturn or alter granting approval. On May 22, the project is expected to receive the final go-ahead when the Council officially votes on the county government's capital budget. Any changes to the plan between now and then are unlikely.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
5th & I: The Final Four
Labels: Donohoe Companies, Mt. Vernon Triangle, Shalom Baranes
Since we now only had to research four proposals, instead of seven, we thought we would show you a preview of what to expect:
The Arts at 5th and I (Holland-Donohoe): A Shalom Baranes-designed creation (rendering below) that would reach 120 feet in height, with a swanky ME by Melia, a Spanish hotel chain opening their first venue in the States. Sitting on top of the 174-unit hotel would be a 96 unit residence, and underground (alleviating noise issues) would sport Boisdale, a London-based live jazz club.
Buccini/Pollin: With master Architect Sorg & Associates, BPG is planning a 130-foot, 12-story building that would house not just one but two hotels: A 186-room Aloft hotel and 128-bed Element hotel, sitting on top of a two-story, 30,000-s.f. entertainment venue called World Cafe Live.
JBG: No catchy name yet, but with design by New York-based FXFOWLE (we're not being obnoxious, they spell it in all caps), the project would include a 230-bed hotel, 187 market rate residences, 34 subsidized residential units, and 44,000 s.f. of retail/commercial space "appropriately scaled to serve the community" with "priority to local retailers." In addition to the subject parcel, JBG will add its contract negotiations with the sellers of adjacent parcels, upping the space that could be developed.
i5 (Potomac Investment Properties): And since it looks like a hotel is destined to occupy the site, PIP is proposing a 79-room Avalon hotel - an independent four-star hotel now in Portland and, it claims, only the 7th LEED certified hotel on the planet. Capping the hotel would be 84 units of mixed income apartments, some of which would be dedicated to artists who would live, work, and just plain be creative on site. Designed by Martinez & Johnson Architecture, the whole building would be designed to achieve a LEED Gold rating. But forget environmentalism, Constantine Stavropolous - owner of Tryst, Open City, and the Diner - would open a fourth retail venue on site (we don't want to bias the decision makers, but they make the only good cappuccino in the city). The scrupulous reader has already realized that PIP has a far smaller total unit count, an intentional decision that building the project as Matter of Right, rather than seeking zoning changes, would allow it to start the project 'within a year' of gaining control of the site.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
New Condo in Columbia Heights
There's a new condo in town. Though that wouldn't have been so newsworthy a few years ago, the dearth of new construction makes us happy to be able to report that inventory doesn't just shrink. Drummond Development has come out of the ground with Privado, its most recent project, a 16-unit building on Chapin Street in Columbia Heights.
The project will sit on the crest of the Hill overlooking DC, reportedly providing rare views across the city from the upper floors. Developers hope that adjacent Meridian Hill Park, as well as the recently opened DC USA and newly revived Columbia Heights center, will be an attractant for condo sales, but aren't taking chances. According to Steve Schwat of Drummond, the condominium will feature "real wood stained entry doors, solid real wood floors...dove tail drawers, and Siedle full color video/audio entry systems with biometric fingerprint access." Not mincing words, Schwat says that interior details permeate the thought behind the building, including "super-silent powerful bath fans - not those cheap noise makers everyone else uses...even our garbage disposals are better. Its designed for those that appreciate true quality."
Drummond has seemingly not lost its footing in the current market, completing numerous apartment renovations throughout DC as well as having recently completed Meridian Heights, The Drummond, Archbold, Providence Square, and Penn Circle, all condo projects in or near downtown DC. The project is designed by PGN Architects., and should be complete late this year; the units will range in price from the high $300's to the $900's.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Restoration to Rejuvenate Aging Eyesore in Shaw
The house was built in the late 1870s and had fallen into disrepair (see picture); as a result, the Board had “previously determined that [the property did] not contribute to the character of the historic district.” After complaints from neighbors, in May 2007, 444 M St. became the subject of one of Mayor Adrian Fenty’s Ward 2 “Operation: Fix It” projects, wherein government agencies devote several days to improving a particular neighborhood. Representatives of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs built a temporary blockade to prevent use of the garage. But first, the Department of Public Works had to tow an equally abandoned truck from the property, apparently used solely for “illicit criminal activity”.
Now, Grant Epstein, the President of Community Three Development, LLC, intends to make Bob Vila proud. Besides renovating the gutted, deteriorating original row house, he plans to take advantage of the depth of the lot (194) by building a four-story addition behind the original house. Epstein describes the project as “one structure with a courtyard in the middle… in order to provide light to all the units.” His current plan calls for eight units that would be designed for use as either condo or rental units.
Given that the Review Board has given the go-ahead, Epstein projects that creation of architectural drawings will last approximately six months, the process of receiving a permit will take two to six months, and construction should last about a year.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
814 Thayer Street Seeks Approval
The plan calls for a 52-unit residence at 814 Thayer Avenue, between Fenton and Grove Streets, a five-story building with shifting floorplates to create overlapping residences (see above rendering). The new condos, replacing the NAD building and adjacent parking lot, would include 45 market-rate residences and seven Moderately Priced Dwelling Units. In building residences, the project will address concerns of the Silver Spring Central Business District Sector Plan, which notes that currently the "disjointed pattern of commercial activity and the lack of a residential population [in Fenton Village] dilute pedestrian traffic - a key component of retail activity."
Because of regulations mandating that 20 percent of the project's area be developed as public-use space, the proposed condos would be set back 17 feet from Thayer Avenue, allowing for a 4,2620-s.f. public plaza, with plans for trees and other greenery, game tables, and two county-mandated art projects
Since its last reviewed submission in November, planners have consulted with an artist and can now provide more details about one of the proposed - well, mandated - displays, designed in honor of the NAD (now half a mile away, on Fenton Street): "Down-lit glass columns separate the work into panels of inspirational quotes to add color and vibrancy. The free-standing piece on the northeast side of the plaza will be a historic teletype machine...A glass piece of 'paper' will serve as an artistic intervention and show how Braille text was created by the machine."
814 Thayer LLC purchased the $4-million property, which currently houses an office building, in May 2006, and its development plan was first reviewed by the Montgomery County Planning Board in November 2007. The original NAD building dates back to 1965, and was purchased by the Association in 1971 for $640,000.
UPDATE: This project is a joint venture between owner/developer Banneker Ventures and co-developer Four Points, LLC. Banneker projects the project will break ground in fall of 2008 and complete construction the following year.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Parkside Terrace Apartment Renovation to Begin
The twelve-story high-rise at 3700 9th St., SE, vacant since 2005, will be converted into 316 units of "affordable" rental housing, with seven floors of housing for low-income seniors with rental assistance by the DC Housing Authority. The remaining five floors will become "workforce housing" targeting small families, in all a $73 million project financed entirely by the city through the DC Housing Finance Agency through a bond program.
CPDC's own press release called Parkside Terrace Apartments, built in the late 1960's as a Section 8 housing provider, "a major source of blight" in Ward 8, despite early visions of a new era for occupants. Monday's ceremony will mark the beginning of a complete gut of the building by Harkins Builders, with hopes of a new start for working families, and of improving the general community. Let's hope the plan works out better this time.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Fenty Announces Petworth Metro Development Opportunities
Basilica Lofts
Final phase: Beautiful new condominiums starting at $299,500 for spacious condos with two-bedroom plus den, with a three-bedroom, three-bath, three-level penthouse available. Basilica Lofts, the conversion of a historic row of storefronts into two and three-level lofts, named after the ideal vistas of the nearby Dome of the Immaculate Conception at Catholic University. Classically traditional on the outside, interiors evoke the best of true loft living - large, open spaces, long expanses of hardwood floors, Close to Metro, Catholic, and Trinity College, Basilica Lofts borders the booming NoMa neighborhood, now realizing the long-planned development of massive commercial space that makes it the fastest-growing neighborhood of DC. Only 3 units remaining.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Lincoln Theatre's Development Debut
Labels: Jim Graham, Mayor Adrian Fenty, rfp, U Street
Among the requirements for any potential developer: the stipulation that at least 30 percent of any housing units be set aside as affordable housing, as would be obligatory in any DC-owned property. Also, projects must include "at least 7,500 square feet of flexible event space, including a restaurant-quality kitchen, which would be managed by the theater management."
Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham, also in attendance, expressed his obvious excitement that the project has begun “moving and shaking.” He and Mayor Fenty both emphasized the importance of the lot’s development to the continued economic growth of the U Street area —and its benefit to Lincoln Theatre. As Mayor Fenty put it, “This is and was black Broadway” - and he wants to keep it that way - and by combining affordable housing, some needed development on U Street, and saving the theatre all in one act, we're guessing he'll get a standing ovation.
Washington DC commercial property news
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Washington Adventist Hospital Presents Silver Spring Move
The hospital describes its current facilities as “crowded,” "difficult to access,” “aging,” and “inefficient.” Geoffrey Morgan, Vice-President of Washington Adventist’s Vision for Expanded Access, WAH's strategic planning group, spins it more professionally, citing “a host of physical challenges related to a constrained campus.” The hospital’s property used to be bounded by woods, which have since been developed into a residential area leery of helicopter noise and confined by neighborhood- sized roads; i.e., slower route to the ER.
The new property is located about six miles north of its current location, on Plum Orchard Drive just off of Cherry Hill Road, less than a mile from the intersection with Route 29. The development plan calls for growth in two phases. The first includes construction of the main eight-story hospital, an ambulatory services center, two parking structures, and a medical office building; and later, construction of a second medical office building. Morgan’s theoretical timeline has the project breaking ground in 2010, with the first phase estimated to take three years.
Vision for Expanded Access has consulted RTKL Associates throughout the site planning and master planning process. According to plans, while the new facility will have approximately the same number of beds as the old, the increase in space means that most of them will be private, rather than shared. The hospital will feature “state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and more space for clinical services, including cardiac care, emergency medicine, oncology services, behavioral health care and other medical services. The new design also incorporates enhanced patient safety and improved visitor and patient flow throughout the facility.”
True to its Adventist founders, the hospital emphasizes its “holistic approach to community health care, which focuses on the well-being of mind, body and spirit of patients, visitors and staff.” In keeping with these beliefs, it is planning to build green and achieve LEED certification.
If the Planning Board recommends approval, the process will move to the Hearing Examiner and Board of Appeals for consideration, followed by the Planning Board. Morgan expects that zoning approval will take the rest of 2008. To move, the hospital must also apply for a certificate of need, administered by the Maryland Health Care Commission.
Good luck, Washington Adventist Hospital. We hope you get approval stat.
A Giant Project on Wisconsin
Labels: Street-Works, supermarkets, Wisconsin Avenue
Sizes and costs of the individual residential units are premature, but 10% will most likely be designated as affordable housing. And what new development would be complete without some green? Pedestrian- friendly public spaces are being designed to grace Idaho Ave. and Newark St. with trees, fountains, and places to sit. Street-Works is still deciding which green components to add to their buildings, which could include green roofs on the residential units. According to George Idelson, president of the Cleveland Park Citizens Association, "One of the things the community wanted was a lively streetscape. That is what the plan calls for, and it seems to be doing a pretty good job with that."
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Harris Teeter To Open First DC Store
The 37,000 s.f. building, owned by DC-based Douglas Development, was an old roller rink built in 1947, and had been vacant prior to the occupancy by HT. The Honorable Adrian Fenty will be on hand at the 10:00am ceremony to honor the city's newest taxpayer; the first of three Harris Teeters to eventually stock the District's shelves. Jenkins Row, JPI's new 247-unit condominium at 1390 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, has long been marketing the bourgeoise market, which was slated to occupy the first floor of the building in mid 2007, but has yet to open its doors. And just two weeks ago, the Mayor was at the mike at Constitution Square to announce that a lease for a 50,000 square foot version would open in NoMa in early 2011.
But meeting deadlines may not be HT's forte; the Adams Morgan store was originally scheduled to open in the fall of 2006, but issues such as delivery through the narrow and one-way streets that surround the building held the project at bay for some time. Jennifer Panetta, Director of Communications for HT, would only say that the delay stemmed from the company "trying to be a good neighbor," saying that specific requests took "alot of development."
But the grocer will make up for lost hours, shoppers will be able to obtain their Angus Reserve or choose from the "extensive selection of seafood" from 7am to 11pm. Which, coincidentally, beats Whole Foods.