Navy Makes Way for Peace on the Mall

A new building with a lighted, wing-like roof will soon loom over the Capital Mall near the Lincoln Memorial, if recently submitted designs are approved. The United States Institute for Peace (USIP) received preliminary approval by the National Capital Planning Commission last week for plans to build its headquarters at 23rd and Constitution Avenue, NW, conditioned on the building's aesthetic deferral to the Lincoln Memorial one block to the south. Designed by Moshe Safdie of Massachusetts, the Institute would stand 118 feet at its highest point - about 10 stories - though grading around the site will diminish the scale of the project, with a precast concrete skin and capped by a series of "undulating spherical and toroidal segments" made of white translucent glass that will be lighted after dark. The Federal Government has appropriated $99.2m for development on the southern corner of the Naval Potomac Annex, which currently uses the space for parking, in exchange USIP will provide 140 garage parking spaces to the Navy. The Commission on Fine Arts has already approved the concept, but several commissioners voiced strong concern about the lighting overshadowing the monuments or overwhelming the Mall.

Southwest Waterfront Project Hits Rough Seas

It was all smiles and seemingly smooth sailing ahead in early October, when the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation (AWC) announced the DC-based venture of PN Hoffman and Struever Brothers Eccles & Rouse as the winning team for its $800 million project to develop the 47 acres along the Southwest waterfront into "maritime-themed" housing and retail. But now comes word that this much-watched project might be running aground over questions regarding transfer of the land, now owned by the National Capital Revitalization Corp. (NCRC), to the AWC. The NCRC states it was promised incentives by DC for the land transfer, including $25 million in cash, $25 million in land parcels along Georgia Avenue, and 25 acres at the McMillan Reservoir site, while the DC Council is now only promising the McMillan land – a deal not acceptable to the NCRC. Legislation is expected to be introduced in the DC Council this week to end the stalemate. But even if this succeeds, the AWC is also dealing with demands by JBG Cos., a developer bypassed in the selection process but which controls half of the development site via its venture with two existing businesses on the site. JBG is asking the PN Hoffman team to negotiate with it and be involved with this development project – something the winning team is bristling at doing. The AWC is trying to find a workable solution to this unexpected headache. Stay tuned for the results...

Update: On November 7, the DC Council’s Economic Development Committee passed legislation resolving the land swap issue. Under this bill, the NCRC will transfer its waterfront land to the AWC in exchange for the $25 million, the other DC land parcels, and 25 acres of the McMillan site. The full council is not expected to vote on this bill – which may still be altered - until November 14.

College Park Approves New Mixed-Use Project

Last week, the College Park (MD) City Council voted unanimously to approve a mixed-used development proposed by JPI Management for the intersection of Route 1 and Cherokee Street that would include 160 condo units, a 4,000-sf gym, and 35,000 sf of retail, all surrounded by 45 townhouses. This development was at first rejected in 2005 when presented to the Prince George’s County Council, which expressed concern that the original plans for a residential-only project did not conform to the College Park’s master plan for Route 1. However, JPI’s reconfiguration of the project to a mixed-use development has dissipated this opposition. JPI has also agreed to provide shuttle bus service for residents of this development through 2010 to help ease congestion along Route 1. Construction is expected to begin in early 2007, with a completion date of early 2008.

Canal Park Advances Near Ballpark

The National Capital Planning Commission gave approval this week to the design concept for Canal Park in Southeast DC, a gritty piece of land near the new ballpark currently used to store school buses. The current plans, paid for with a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts, will encompass three full city blocks between I and M Streets, and between Canal and 2nd Streets. The District government, which currently owns the site, will transfer the land to the Anacostia Waterfront Commission for development and maintenance. The park will be broken up by K and L Streets, but the AWC will take steps to make the park more pedestrian-friendly, including narrowing the streets from 34 feet to 28 feet and adding raised crosswalks. The park will feature an amphitheater on the South side along M Street, a boardwalk along the western edge and large, open green space, but its most prominent attribute will be its water theme, with aquatic gardens fed from storm run-off and water attractions accessible to the public. Design of the park is intended to evoke the canal that used to run across the site, connecting the Anacostia River to the National Mall.

Macy Announces New Project on U Street

Macy Development has announced the development of a new project at 1900 Vermont Avenue, called Evanti Row, that will renovate 10 existing rowhomes for residential occupancy when the project is complete in late 2007. Prices are expected to start in the $700k's. Designed by Zahn Architects, sales will likely start in early 2007. Evanti Row is named after Madam Evanti, the first internationally-renowned black opera singer, who hailed from the neighborhood. Macy is currently working on several other DC projects, including the Basilica Lofts, The Gaslight and The Venetian.

Sales Begin for Abdo’s Wooster and Mercer Lofts Project

After many months of waiting, Abdo Development, LLC, officially announced on November 1 that it has started sales for its Wooster and Mercer Lofts project at Clarendon Blvd. and Queen Street in Arlington. The Mercer Lofts building will house 34 condo units averaging about 1,500 sf, while its sister building Wooster Lofts will contain 53 units. Both brick structures will feature 17-foot ceilings and floating stairs, penthouses with 21-foot high living spaces, private roof terraces, and underground parking and storage. There will also be a garden pool between the buildings. Pricing begins in the $500,000s and goes up to $2 million. Delivery is expected by early 2007.

Five Developers Bid on McMillan Site

The National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC) announced today that 5 development teams responded to its solicitation for development of Phase I of the McMillan sand filtration site along N. Capitol Street. The respondents were Horning Brothers, Republic Land Development, KSI Services, Inc., EYA and EastBanc, Inc. Each group has to have in place a development team consisting of Local Small Disadvantage Business Enterprises (LSDBEs) that must participate in the project’s equity stake in order to get the nod. Original plans incorporated massive mixed-use development, including 1200 residential units, with affordable housing, 100,000 s.f. of retail, a community center and "cultural center". No timeline has been set for choosing the developer.

Approval Granted for Two Columbia Pike Projects

This past week, the Arlington County Board issued its approval for two new projects along Columbia Pike as part of the county’s "Town Center" revitalization effort. The first project receiving the Board’s approval is Penrose Square (pictured), which will be located on Columbia Pike between Cleveland and Adams Street. This project, which will replace the existing Adams Square strip shopping center, will include 299 rental apartments, a new 61,500-sf Giant grocery store, and 36,000 sf of retail. The developers, Carbon Thompson Developers and B.M. Smith and Associates, will also provide land for a public plaza to be built by the county. The Board also approved a new project by developer Georgelas Group LLC, that will contain 188 rental units, 32,000 sf of retail, and 14,000 sf of office space, plus 408 parking spots. This development will be built on the site of the old Safeway store on Columbia Pike between Adams and Wayne Streets.

MRP Realty to Build Mixed-Use Development Near New York Avenue Metro

MRP Realty, the new development company recently formed by ex-Trammell Crow executives, appears ready to close on land at the intersection of Florida and New Your Avenues in NoMa, and hopes to break ground on its planned 950,000-sf mixed-use project by the end of this year. The development, next to the New York Avenue metro, is expected to consist of two office buildings, a hotel, and some residential housing (though the number of units is not yet known). With this intersection also featuring the new ATF building and a slew of other new residential and commercial projects, the MRP development will join a busy crossroads.

Metro to Put Up Three Prime Sites for Development

As part of its yearly drive to bring in money for its long-term transit projects and spur residential and retail development, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has released three prime and long-unavailable sites alongside existing metro stops to private developers, and bids on these lots must be sent to WMATA by November 17. The three sites now up for bidding are: (1) a former air conditioning facility (14,000 sf) alongside the Navy Yard metro station in Southeast, located at Half and L Street SE, plus a 4,000-sf lot next to the metro entrance; (2) seven acres of a park-and-ride lot and bus terminal near the Capitol Heights metro stop in Prince George's County (this land would be sold instead of leased to a developer if the county decides to allow condos there); and (3) eight wooded acres near the Backlick Road VRE site (recently rezoned from industrial to commercial and residential use). The leases on all these sites will be for 60 years. WMATA will evaluate the bids starting November 17, and if a developer is selected for a site, the local jurisdiction will then review the proposal.

Monument Halves its Chase Condo Project in Bethesda

Monument Realty has "temporarily" stopped sales on half of its condo conversion project in Bethesda. The Chase, which sits across from the Bethesda Metro station, began sales in May of its two 7-story buildings - a North tower (122 units) and a South tower (255 units) at Woodmont and Edgemoor Rds, both former apartment buildings currently under renovation. While the sales office reports that 87 of the units have sold, slow sales in the North tower have caused Monument to freeze sales of that portion. Monument says that this is just a temporary shift to "focus the project" on the better-selling portion and that they are not abandoning sales, but buyers under contract in the North tower are reportedly being encouraged to switch to the South side, and settlements are being scheduled in the South tower only. Monument has already cancelled two conversion projects this year – the Prime in Arlington and the Park Center of Alexandria – but has plenty of work left with its Watergate hotel conversion, a 3.5 acre parcel across from the new stadium that will develop into an 800,000 s.f. mixed-use project when ground is broken early next year, as well as three other condo projects that are still selling. Condos at the Chase are offering a balconies, garage parking, a fitness center, concierge services, 2 pools and 2 tennis courts, priced from the high $200k's for a studio, the mid $300's for a one bedroom and from the high $500's for a two bedroom.

Montgomery County Planning Board Reviews Mixed-Use Designs for Silver Spring Project

On Thursday, October 26, the Montgomery County Planning Board of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MC-MNCPPC) heard proposals from three development teams competing to design and build a new mixed-use project on 3.24 acres at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Spring Street, at the northwestern entrance to downtown Silver Spring. The development will include the new headquarters for the Montgomery County Park and Planning Commission (MCPPC), as well as workforce housing and retail. The three development teams selected to make presentations were: (1) Silver Place Joint-Venture, LLC (Donohoe Companies, Otis Warren & Company and MCF Investment Company), which is proposing to erect three buildings on the site (one residential, one mixed-use with residential, office space, and retail, and the PPC headquarters; (2) SilverPlace, LLC (Bozutto Group, Spaulding & Slye, and Harrison Development), which would build a 358-unit residential and mixed-use building along Georgia Avenue, with a specialized grocery store, and a nine-story office headquarters for PPC; and (3) PN Hoffman / Stonebridge Associates, which would build residential and retail on this site, and a new PPC headquarters at a different lot already owned by the team. The MC-MNCPPC is expected to make a decision on a winning team in early 2007, with redevelopment of the site completed by 2010.

Moderno Begins Sales

Lakritz Adler and Robertson Development unveiled their latest condo project, the Moderno, during the sales grand opening on Thursday evening, October 26. The Moderno is a new 19-unit condominium at 12th & U Sts. that will also offer ground floor and underground retail space and 12 outdoor parking spots, built in two adjoining structures of four and five stories. Unique features included in some units: 19-foot ceilings, Spanish built cabinets and - a truly unique feature -some units with outdoor showers, and some with hot tubs. Onebedrooms will start in the high $300k's and the 3-bedroom condos will step just over the $1 million line. Construction to begin by the end of 2006. Designed by CORE Architects of DC, this brick and glass structure features uber-modern interiors that incorporate stone flooring and minimalist interiors as well as glass bays to enlarge the sense of space. Located only one block from the U St. metro. Lakritz is also currently working on developing the Renaissance on Georgia Ave., with 105 “affordable” condominiums.

San Francisco Team Plays in Nationals’ Yard

San Francisco-based MacFarlane Partners, looking to capitalize on the new Nationals ballpark, is making big plans to continue playing in the Southeast DC residential and commercial market. The real estate investment management company, which has already made a 25 percent investment in the new $2 billion Southeast Federal Center (pictured), the 44-acre, mixed-use annex next to the Navy Yard, sees the nearby ballpark area as the logical next step for its development plans. To that end, the company is indicating that it plans to announce three new mixed-use projects (residential, office, and retail) near the stadium by the end of the year, totaling almost $400 million and covering up to 2 million sf – a significant addition to the crowded development field already committed to the neighborhood.

Tuscany Condos in Alexandria Terminates Sales

Bozzuto’s Tuscany condo project in the Landmark section of Alexandria is shutting down its sales office to convert to rental units when the building is completed early next year. Maryland-based Bozzuto broke ground on the project and began sales on the 104-unit building in early 2006, but recently the project website was taken down and Bozzuto’s main office has confirmed that the project will now become a rental building. Locally, the company is still completing work on its project in Capitol Heights, MD, called the Addison at St. Paul, and has not yet completed sales on the Fedora, a condo at DC’s Meridian Hill Park which completed earlier this year.

Alexandria Virginia new condo sales news

New Condos Come to Adams Morgan

The Adams Investment Group is has broken ground on a new condominium at 2426 Ontario Street between Adams Morgan and Meridian Hill Park. The Viya is replacing 3 townhouses formerly on the site with 16 "loft-style" units designed by Bonstra Haresign architects, overlooking a shared courtyard. The project will feature 10' ceilings and wood floors. Sales are not expected start until the Spring, and pricing is likely to start in the mid $300's for a 1-bedroom condo, going up to the mid $800's. The project will be adjacent to the long-awaited Harris Teeter supermarket, someday.

Onyx on First to Break Ground by Start of November

According to developers Faison and Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds (yes, that Magic Johnson), the Onyx on First - a 14-story, 226-unit condominium located at 1st and L Streets NE, just one block form the new Nationals ballpark - is expected to break ground by the end of October. This $100 million project, which will rise next to Opus’ planned 13-story office building at this location, will also feature a four-level underground parking garage with approximately 210 parking spaces and 65 storage spaces. Pricing is expected to start in the upper $200,000 range to the high $300,000s, with units averaging 725 sf. Completion is expected sometime in 2008, when the new ballpark should be ready.

Washington DC real estate development news

The Incredible Shrinking 2000 Wilson Boulevard

Elm Street Development’s planned project at 2000 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington is likely to get smaller, according to new plans it intends to submit to the Arlington County zoning board. Original plans called for 175 condo units, but the zoning board had objected to the "height and mass" of the building, forcing the developer to rescale the project. The new plans, to be submitted in February 2007, will likely bring the project down to 140 units. If approved, construction is not likely to start until 2008, giving a reprieve to Dr. Dremo’s and Taco Bell, which currently occupy the site – a temporary victory for beer and taco lovers.

Anacostia Waterfront Corp. Reveals Poplar Point Plans

The Anacostia Waterfront Corp. (AWC) is keeping itself quite busy these days, first with selecting a development team to work on its $800 million redevelopment of the Southwest waterfront along the Washington Channel, and now announcing at a recent community hearing its preliminary plans for its 110-acre Poplar Point project, located across the river from the Washington Navy Yard at the eastern foot of the South Capitol Street bridge in Southeast DC. The AWC expects the federal government to transfer this land to it in November. In addition to the site possibly hosting a new DC United soccer stadium and a hotel, initial plans also call for townhouses and mixed-income rental developments to be built, along with new retail and parks. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP has been assigned the task of creating a design for Poplar Point.

Jair Lynch Announces $30 Million Project in Petworth

With the excitement surrounding Donatelli Development’s new Park Place project on top of the Georgia Avenue/Petworth metro station and the soon-to-begin-sales Jefferson Condos at 5401 9th Street, more developers are finally starting on their long-planned buildings for this hot neighborhood. The latest is Jair Lynch, which officially announced this week that it will build a $30 million residential project at 3910 Georgia Avenue, between Randolph and Shepherd Streets. (Jair Lynch received the development rights for this plot last May from the National Capital Revitalization Corporation.) Georgia Commons, as the project is called for now, will have 110 mixed-income apartments, as well as 19,500 sf of "neighborhood-serving" ground floor retail, including a 14,500-sf Results Gym. Design will be by Frank Schlesinger Assoc. and EDG. Delivery is expected in 2008.