Monday, January 25, 2010
Central Union Mission Pursues Gales School, Again
Labels: Georgia Avenue, Landex Corp., Park Morton, Warrenton Group
The District ran the building as a homeless shelter between 2000 and 2004. In the proposed trade, DC would have gained the Georgia Avenue property and the Mission would get use of the school as a shelter, plus an additional $7 million. But the exchange was derailed by an America Civil Liberties Union lawsuit claiming an Establishment Clause violation - i.e. separation of church and state - because the trade would, according to the suit, result in a "net gain" of $12 million for the Mission, which the ACLU objected to because the Mission requires homeless men to participate in religious services in return for room, board and counseling services.
In the face of the lawsuit, the Mission proposed to move the shelter to Georgia Avenue, only to face fierce community opposition to a homeless shelter and more opposition when the plan changed to a mixed-use residential and office project. That changed in October when DC Officials announced that the development team of the Park Morton Project, Park View Partners (Landex Corp., Warrenton Group and Spectrum Management), would be absorbing the Central Union Mission Property as part of Park Morton, though Park View has not yet solidified that agreement with the Mission. (Image below at left)
David Treadwell, Executive Director of the Central Union Mission, said that the deal with Park View Partners is a "long-term contract" that cannot be finalized until negotiations between the District and the developers are completed. That said, the property is "off the table as far as a swap with the government goes" said Treadwell. With the swap option gone and the $7 million spent long ago elsewhere, the Mission will now compete for the Gales School. Treadwell said it was his understanding that the concerns raised in the lawsuit had more to do with the cash payments than with the land swap, so the Mission will submit a response to the Gales School RFP.
Treadwell added that he hopes the new proposal will "work for everybody, that is fair to everybody and acceptable to the community" because the Gales School is a "great location for serving the poor and the homeless." Still, the Mission's offer will depend on its ability to raise funds for a project that ultimately will not be a revenue creator, and which may be torpedoed again if perceived to contain any sort of subsidy, a problem that non-religious organizations would not face. Treadwell said the Mission's offer will likely call for an addition to the building of approximately 5,000 s.f. for a new kitchen, classrooms and storage space to serve 150 or more men a night. The project will likely cost $12 to $14 million, "we are entering with fear and trepidation," said Treadwell.
As for the lawsuit, Treadwell said he cannot speak for the ACLU or other parties of the suit as to whether the new arrangements and changes to the original plans will have resolved any concerns. The Gales School was designed by Edward Clark, the Architect of the Capitol, and named for DC's 8th Mayor.
Washington, DC real estate and development news
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Onyx Apartments
Labels: Canyon-Johnson, Esocoff and Associates, Faison Development
Saturday, January 23, 2010
EYA Ready to Demo Another Old Town Low-Income Project
Labels: EYA, Lessard Group, Old Town Alexandria
CityVista
Labels: Michael Marshall Architecture, Mt. Vernon Triangle, Neighborhood Development Company, Torti Gallas
CityVista Apartments, 460 L St., NW, Washington DC
The CityVista complex in Mt. Vernon Triangle is comprised of 3 separate buildings: the "L" at City Vista with 149 condominiums, the K at CityVista with 292 condominiums, and the "V" with 244 apartments, which completed and began renting in Q3 2008. The K is 12 stories high with underground parking, with 59 subsidized condos. The L is slightly smaller, taking up 134,000 s.f. with 119 market rate and 30 low-income units. The project was built on the site of the former wax museum, in an area that still struggles with many underutilized lots that had offered promising development.
CityVista features 110,000 s.f. of retail - an "urban" Safeway with banking and dry-cleaning services, hardware store and Results gym. Building amenities include rooftop terraces and pool, a one-acre private elevated interior plaza, and underground parking. Developed by a group led by Lowe Enterprises, and by L.A.-based CIM, Bundy Development, and NDC, with land acquired from now-defunct NCRC. Architectural design was by Torti Gallas of Silver Spring and Michael Marshall, construction by James Davis Construction Company. Groundreaking occurred in May, 2006; sales, by Mayhood, began late 2005. Occupancy began in September, 2007 with delivery of the first units at the L, completion of the entire development was in late 2008. Condo prices started in the mid $300's for one-bedroom condos, mid-$400's for two-bedroom condos.
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Friday, January 22, 2010
Brookland Gets its Art On
Labels: Bognet Construction, Brookland, Hickok Cole
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Local Governments Seek to Transform Wheaton Downtown
The three land owners are working together to create a constellation of new development to build a "high quality...vibrant community" with increased density that will transform the Wheaton CBD. Projects should be transit oriented, mixed-use developments that create active open space and promote pedestrian-friendly transit. The two-tier process will first rate the developers' "creative vision" and ability, saving project specifics for the second stage of application process.
Housing options should include moderate-income, workforce housing and live-work units such as art studios. The ten lots include both contiguous and stand alone plots. Depending on the owner, the property may be either leased or purchased. Expect a localized price spike, as developers may combine other parcels in their proposals by showing they will have the ability to control adjacent parcels for future development.
The properties are listed in groups, though each can be developed individually. Group A includes a Parking Lot on Price Avenue, a garage on Fern Street and Veterans' Park on Reedie Drive, a total of 2.62 acres. In the case of Veterans' Park, a developer would be required to "identify a replacement location for the park that enhances its impact upon the public realm."
Group B holds the bulk of the space with 8.02 acres, including three Montgomery County-owned parking lots, a Montgomery County Regional Service Center on Reedie Drive and two Metro properties. Concept plans for the Regional Service Center should address replacement locations for the services normally provided by the site.
The Metro offerings include a bus bay on Georgia Avenue and a 1.94-acre garage on Veirs Mill Road. Metro requires any developer with plans for the bus bay to develop an interim site prior to construction and an alternate permanent location for the facility in close proximity. Metro is not seeking replacement of the garage, which connects via a pedestrian bridge to the Westfield Wheaton Mall. However, any developer seeking to "better integrate these facilities with transit oriented development" would need to replace the "existing uses at appropriate levels of functionality," with replacement costs borne by the developer.
That leaves the sole member of Group C, a 1.06 acre Montgomery County-owned parking lot on Blueridge Ave. Despite the tie to Metro, the team is requiring that applicants replace all five parking lots with "appropriate levels of replacement parking/capacity."
Submissions are due March 19th, a pre-submission conference with site tour will be held February 2nd. A short-list of candidates will be released on April 14th, at which time the second phase information will be released.
Wheaton real estate and development news
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Lincoln Condominiums
2001 12th St., NW Washington DC
The Lincoln Condominiums may only offer 176 units, but with only 4 floors of residences takes up nearly the entire block, and was therefore designed with two main entrances, both just off U Street. The Lincoln was completed in July of 2000, well before the big condo boom in the U Street corridor. The Lincoln was named for the famed U Street theater a block away. The site was once home to Thompson's Dairy, which churned out as much as 35,000 gallons of milk per day from farms throughout the region. The wood-framed sits atop a concrete parking structure, with a quiet interior courtyard. The site was developed by Delores Johnson, who acquired the property from the Marion Barry administration in a deal that later raised questions about what taxpayers got out of it. The Lincoln was designed by architect Eric Colbert and Bush Construction. Real estate sales were by the Mayhood Company.
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Bozzuto Asks to Delay Mt. Vernon Development
Labels: Bozzuto, HPRB, Mt. Vernon Triangle, WDG Architecture
Getting to Bethesda's Medical Center
Labels: Bethesda, Bethesda Naval Hospital, BRAC, Walter Reed
Monday, January 18, 2010
New Development Potential for Corcoran's Randall School
Labels: Monument Realty, Shalom Baranes Architects, Southwest
Kristin Guiter, Manager of Media Relations for the Corcoran, would only confirm that "the Corcoran has entered into negotiations with a potential development partner."
That's great news for a development project that has faced uncertainty since the Corcoran purchased the 50-year-old, 80,000 s.f. middle school from the District government in November, 2006, for a reported $6.2 million dollars.
No news yet on who the new mystery developer might be or what changes might happen to the previous designs by Shalom Baranes Architects. Guiter says that "at this point, we are not prepared to release details since an agreement has not been signed."
Originally, the Corcoran had hoped to convert the school into a combination of apartments, studios, classroom, and display space. But when its partnership with Monument Realty dissolved last spring, plans for two nine-story residential towers with 420 units of housing and 100,000 s.f. of college facilities were scrapped.
But with its first zoning approval expiration coming up this March, news of a possible development partner couldn't come soon enough.
ANC 6D Commissioner David Sobelsohn said "we in the community are anxious to get this project underway. We're very concerned that this building has been sitting vacant and empty all this time." Sobelsohn added that the ANC voted unanimously on Monday to support the Corcoran's efforts to be granted a two year PUD extension with the Zoning Commission on "the condition that various community benefits agreed upon in 2007" remain intact in any new agreements. The ANC Commissioner noted that the new developer will likely be announced once the PUD is extended. "The development partner probably wants to be sure that the PUD is in place," said Sobelsohn. Corcoran is not yet on the Zoning Commission calendar for PUD extension.
Washington DC real estate development news
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Senate Square Apartments
Labels: Broadway Development, Esocoff and Associates, Streetcar
Senate Square Towers are part of the redevelopment of the old Children's Museum site. The museum itself was turned into a condominium, the remaining land was sold to Broadway Development of New York. Broadway and architect Esocoff and Associates designed and built the 432-unit pair of towers, completing in late 2007. While under construction, the developer attempted to sell the project as condos, but with prices as low as $410 per square foot, only 150 sold, all of which were then canceled when the project converted to apartments for rent.
Senate Square Towers - the Lexington and Concord - are 12-stories each are masonry structures with metal windows and precast concrete and stone trim, and feature an 80' rooftop pool and sizable fitness center. Within walking distance of Union Station, the Metro, and the Capitol, Senate Square towers also share a common amenity space with Landmark Lofts - a historic building in the central courtyard that serves as a business and conference center. H Street is also supposed to have streetcar service, but that remains an elusive goal. Bozzutto Management began leasing the apartment building in 2007, but leasing rates were initially very slow until prices were lowered and incentives given. In 2009, Broadway lost control of the project for lack of payment; the building will be auctioned February 22, 2010.
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Saturday, January 16, 2010
Jenkins Row Condominiums
Labels: Harris Teeter, Hill East, jpi, SK and I Architects
Jenkins Row was originally designed as an apartment building, converting after the start of construction, and both finishes and amenities reflect the original intent (more amenities, less expensive finishes). Contracting problems forced the delay of construction, and many of the original buyers to back out. The 247-unit wood-framed building finally delivered in September of 2007, with prices starting from $250,000 for a studio and from $378,000 for one bedroom, prices that ultimately went down considerably.
Located adjacent to the Potomac Avenue Metro, two metro stops from the Capitol Hill Office Buildings, Jenkins Row features a fitness center, front desk receptionist, underground parking, and encircled central courtyard with water fountains. In 2008 a Harris Teeter opened on the first floor. The project was built by JPI of Texas, which later disbanded its DC operations, and designed by SK&I Architectural Design Group. The building was designed to look less massive than it is, with varying architectural styles on the facade.
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DC Gets Bids on Georgia Avenue
According to Sean Madigan, Communications Director for the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, only two teams met the 3 PM deadline on Friday. Madigan indicated the project managers for the site would be moving quickly to review the applications and announcements about the proposals might become public as soon as this week.
Washington DC real estate development news
The Saratoga
4601 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington DC
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Carillon House Apartments
The Carillon House Apartment building is a massive 50's era apartment building offering up a few amenities for its studio and one-bedroom apartments, like limited garage parking, shared washer/dryer, very small fitness center, 24 hour front desk with some concierge services, storage spaces, bike room, and small roofdeck, but offers decent rates, and a solid Wisconsin Ave location on main bus routes (but not near Metro). The apartment building sits across from a park in the middle of trendy Glover Park, one of the best little retail strips around, with a Whole Foods across the street to boot. And if you're into espionage, the Russian Embassy is next door. The Carillon House lobby is updated and pleasant, though the interior finishes remain pretty spartan, and include the original parquet floors, but are well maintained. Despite the austere white brick facade, which looks like it could be an adjunct of the old Soviet Embassy, the neighborhood is vibrant of full of good retail, and the only large apartment building in Glover Park proper. The Carillon sits on the rise above Glover Park, so the bonus views are on the south side, where going only a few floors up yields dramatic views over the city. The building was topped by an electronic carillon for many years, broadcasting music to the neighborhood every day at noon, and was the first Washington DC apartment building with central air conditioning.
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Friday, January 15, 2010
Fillmore Sounds Like Music to Silver Spring
Labels: Georgia Avenue, Hickok Cole, Lee Development Group, Silver Spring
DeSoto Apartments
The Desoto apartment building is a 7-floor, 66 unit apartment building located in the heart of the Logan Circle neighborhood. The Desoto aims for the loft style prevalent in Logan, with floor to ceiling windows, polished concrete floors, stainless steel appliances, sisal bedroom carpeting, and exposed ducts. The building was completed in 2003 - one of the early multi-family buildings in the area - designed by SK&I Architectural Design Group and developed by PN Hoffman and SJG Properties.
The DeSoto is named after the car maker, sitting as it does in the heart of what was once "auto alley," where cars were sold and repaired once upon a time. But pedestrians have reclaimed the scene, and the area is now much better known for the Whole Foods across the street. The DeSoto Apartment building is the sister building to the Hudson, located next door. Parking is available in the two-level garage below, and small pets are allowed.
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
Embassy Condos Try Again
The previous owners of the Embassy Apartments, as they have long been known, registered the apartment with DCRA as a condominium way back in 1980 - a necessary step in the conversion process - but did not pursue sales. When the new owners attempted to evict the tenants for the conversion on the basis of the 1980 approval, the tenants brought the matter to DCRA, which issued a "cease and desist" order against Embassy owners in March 2005. The ensuing law suit ended in 2005 with a judgment against the building owners in which Superior Court Judge Gerald Fisher issued a smackdown, and ruled that “having failed to exercise its right to convert for 19 years since it acquired the property and for almost 25 years since the property was approved for conversion, Harvard is equitably barred from doing so now."
Since that time, the group behind the project is now back in good standing with DCRA and has started condo sales. In 2006 the owners received approval for window replacement and interior renovations. The sales website for the condos boasts of "sweeping hardwood floors, chef’s grade kitchens and contemporary finishes." Sales representatives did not return any calls regarding the project. Paid advertisements began appearing last week, but the project has not yet appeared on the MLS.
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UPDATE : (o1/15/10) Sales representatives for the Embassy contacted DCMud with additional information on the building. Sales are set to begin next week on the 23rd, at which point it will appear on the MLS. Prices for studios range from just below $200 to the mid-$200s, one-bedrooms range from the high $200s to the high $300s, and two-bedrooms range from the mid-$400s to the low $500s.
Ripley District Moving On Up
Labels: Division1 Architects, Home Properties, Lessard Group, Ripley District, Shalom Baranes Architects, Silver Spring
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
NoMa's First Residential Projects
Labels: ADC Builders, Cohen Companies, GTM Architects, Paradigm Development, Union Place, Union Station