Sales Begin at Keystone Condos

Sales officially begin this weekend at Keystone Condominiums, a renovated condominium at 3956 Pennsylvania Ave in Hillcrest. Nicol Development began renovating the former apartment building a year ago, and will feature granite counters, stainless steel appliances, hardwoods, and private storage spaces in each unit. Condos in the building will be 2 and 3-bedrooms priced from the upper $100k's to the mid $200k’s, with completion scheduled for April 2007. The Hillcrest neighborhood, called DC’s best kept secret by the Washingtonian, is a mixture of Colonial, Tudor, and Cape Cod-style houses. Minutes away from Fort Dupont Park, it is a few blocks from the Maryland line and thirteen minutes from Union Station. Sales will initially be by appointment-only. Marketing and sales by DCRE.

Washington DC retail and real estate news

Washington Gateway Project Images, Details

One of the more exciting proposed projects to hit the New York Avenue NE corridor the past year is MRP Realty’s Washington Gateway project, a $350 million development to be located in the NoMa section of Washington, just above the New York Avenue metro station at the southeast corner of New York and Florida Avenues NE, now the location of an abandoned lot and gas station (which will be going out of business in March). And MRP Realty has now provided us exclusive images and information about this anticipated project. Earlier this month, the DC Zoning Commission granted Final Action approval to MRP Realty’s plan for this 1 million-sf, mixed-use project, which will feature two office towers (600,000 sf of office space total), plus a T-shaped structure, with one side containing a 180-room hotel and the other side a 250-unit residential tower (with 8% reserved for affordable housing). 

MRP will also reconfigure, widen, and upgrade the walking areas along New York and Florida Avenues to enhance pedestrian access and safety, and also include new plantings and furnishings. In addition, sidewalk cafes and shops are planned for these thoroughfares. The project will also provide a direct connection to the metro through the Metropolitan Branch Trail via a three-story atrium. There will also be a public central plaza with cobblestones, benches, and a fountain, and will feature bicycle racks and a bicycle pump station. The architect for the office towers will be Gensler, with SK&I handing the residential and hotel tower. Land and streetscaping will be designed by Occulus. MRP expects to break ground in early 2008, with completion scheduled for early 2010. See the Washington Gateway site plan and more images of the project.  MRP Realty was created in 2005 by former Trammel Crow executives, and is quickly rising in the Washington metro developer scene, with over 2.25 million sf under development and another 3 million sf of development in the pipeline. Speaking with dcmud, Jonathan Lischke, MRP Vice President, stated that “[w]e are very excited about the project as Washington Gateway combines elegant and sophisticated urban architecture with sustainable design and smart growth. The buildings will be a combination of glass, metal, and pre-cast; incorporate green elements; and encourage pedestrian and bicycle use through proximity to metro and the Metropolitan Branch Trail. As one of the tallest projects in the District, Washington Gateway will not only have views of the Capitol Building but it will also be highly visible as a gateway to NoMa and downtown DC.”

Washington DC commercial real estate news

Second Chance Granted to First Baptist Church

The Arlington County Board first approved the “Views at Clarendon” on October 23, 2004. Two years, a project-halting technicality, and a $200,000 lawsuit later, the County board again approved the mixed-use church and multi-family residential building in a 4-1 vote. The meeting was just one more chapter of the ongoing saga over the First Baptist Church of Clarendon.

As DCMud reported at the beginning of this month, residents of the surrounding Lyon Village neighborhood filed a lawsuit in November to reverse the zoning approval of the project, objecting to the 10-story, 116 rental-unit structure that will keep the current church’s 107-foot steeple in tact and include daycare and moderately priced housing. The County Circuit Court judge ruled in 2005 against the neighbors, but the decision was reversed in 2006 when the Virginia Supreme Court determined that the board acted against their own Zoning Ordinance 27A and thus, invalidated the earlier zoning approval. After changing this technicality, the plan was resubmitted for approval.

Over 200 neighbors, community figures, and board members attended the February 24th meeting, 126 of whom signed up to speak. According to Mary Curtius, the Arlington County Media Relations Manager, the attendance was evenly divided between supporters and opponents. Curtius added that the county’s main interest in the project is the affordable housing and day care, “what is so unusual about it (the project) is that there are so few opportunities in Arlington for affordable housing and daycare within walking distance of the metro. The two together is almost impossible to find.” At the meeting, board member Jay Fisette shared the same sentiments, “If not here, where?” he asked.

Those opposed to the project threatened a second lawsuit, the first of which was paid for by the neighbors. Barring any further legal action, the Views at Clarendon Corporation, Inc., the non-profit that was formed for the project, will begin developing the county’s largest childcare facility and new affordable housing units. While the site plan has been approved, permits for the 1201 N. Highland Street development have yet to be obtained. The church began the process back in 2003 when it hired the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) to guide it on affordable housing.

Watergate Hotel's Conversion to Co-Op Off?

In 2004, Monument Realty bought the infamous Watergate Hotel, located at 2650 Virginia Avenue, NW, with hopes of converting this historic landmark into an upscale, 96-unit co-op. But while sales started one year ago, there is now word that the developer is reconsidering this plan, and – seeing the demand for luxury hotels skyrocket – is now exploring the possibility of keeping the Watergate Hotel … well, a hotel (though one renovated into a five-star destination). The original co-op plan called for architect firm Hickok Warner Cole to redesign the hotel into co-op units starting at $850,000 for a one bedroom (and penthouse units beginning at $4.5 million), with the building hosting a spa, health club, private theater, and a roof top terrace overlooking the Potomac River. Monument is expected to reach a final decision by the end of April on the direction it will take on this project.

Washington DC real estate development news

DC Zoning Approves Abdo’s Newly Named "Arbor Place" New York Avenue Project

Abdo Development’s massive plan to develop 17 acres of auto lots and underutilized space at the intersection of New York Avenue, Bladensburg Road, and Montana Avenue NE took a significant step forward in mid-February, when the DC Zoning Commission gave its stamp of approval to the company’s $1.1 billion residential mixed-use planned unit development proposal.

Abdo (with partner Broadway Management), envisions building at new town center called "Arbor Place" (so named after the nearby National Arboretum), which will include eight 11-story residential towers (some possibly with rooftop swimming pools) containing approximately 3,600 residential units (mainly condos, with some rentals possible), plus 130,000 sf of retail facing new York Avenue, a grocery store, and the 42,000-sf "Arbor Club" health club/day car center open to public membership - all surrounding a three-acre park. Pricing is expected to be in the $450 to $475 per sf range, with about eight percent of the housing reserved as affordable housing. Abdo is currently working with WMATA to get a bus stop at the development, but will also provide a shuttle to the nearby Rhode Island metro station.

The developer plans to finish acquiring all the land by June 2007, with demolition starting in mid-2008. If all goes on schedule, the residential buildings will be ready for occupancy in late 2010.

Note: We know, we know - you all want pictures and designs. As soon as we get our hands on some, we will be sure to put them up!

Sales Begin at Jefferson Condos

Sales officially begin this weekend at The Jefferson, a new condominium converted from a historic 39-unit apartment building at Jefferson and 9th Streets in Petworth. BHI International began renovating the site in 2005, and will feature private rooftop terraces and ground-level patios with many of the units. Condos will range in size from a studio to 3-bedrooms with terrace, priced from $225,000 for a studio, with one-bedroom units starting at $285,000, and completion scheduled for May 2007. The Petworth neighborhood, historically populated by single-family homes, has recently seen an influx of developers attracted by the relative abundance of under-utilized lots and attention the District has been lavishing on Georgia Avenue, which it intends to redevelop into a commercial corridor with higher-density mixed-use projects. Petworth was given a shot in the arm last Fall when Donatelli Development began construction on Park Place, its mixed-use project above the Petworth Metro.

Changes Coming to Mount Rainier

Driving east along Rhode Island Avenue from DC toward the District line into Prince George’s County, you pass a stretch of empty buildings and lots as you cross Eastern Avenue. This 3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue was once part of the vital downtown of Mount Rainier, a charming neighborhood formed around an old rail and streetcar depot, but one still waiting for more of the revitalization that has been spreading across the Washington metro area. But plans are now being discussed to bring such change. This week, the Mount Rainier City Council heard a presentation by representatives of Landmark Developers Inc. focusing on this block as well as a large empty building on the 3100 block. One possibility is a mixed-use residential, retail, and arts-oriented development, with a parking structure to support it. The centerpiece would be a three or four-story condominium that would focus on attracting artists as residents, with the first floor being retail space for the community. Such a development would complement (and be similar to) the already-built Mount Rainier Artist Lofts at 3311 Rhode Island Avenue (pictured), an artist work-live structure (44 rental units with retail on the ground) completed in 2005 as part of the Mount Rainier, Brentwood, and Hyattsville "Gateway Arts District" project. In any event, given its location on the DC border and eclectic, small-town feel, Mount Rainier appears ready for its moment in the spotlight.

Two New Hotels to Join Development of New York Avenue NE

Once described many years ago by a local alternative paper as "The Devil's Bowling Alley" for its long stretch of dilapidated auto lots and boarded-up buildings, things are beginning to look up for New York Avenue NE. The latest news is that the joint venture of Rocks Engineering Co. and SharCon Hotel Management & Development Co. is moving forward on its development of side-by-side hotels next to the National Arboretum at the southeast intersection of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road in the Ivy City neighborhood. The hotels will both be five-story structures, with one being a 126-room Fairfield Inn & Suites and the other a 125-unit Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites. The hotels take the place of the old, now-demolished Travelodge Hotel (pictured, officially at 1917 Bladensburg Rd NE). Both hotels are expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2008.

The developers are banking on not only the 80,000 vehicles that pass the intersection each day, but also the other major developments planned for New York Avenue NE. The projects (as have been reported in past dcmud postings) include: Abdo Development's $1 billion mixed-use "Gateway" redevelopment project of 17 acres on the north side of the Bladensburg intersection into almost 4,000 residential units, green space, and a grocery (delivery after 2009); MRP Realty’s "Washington Gateway" project, a $350 million, 150-room hotel and 250-unit residential tower development to be located along New York and Florida Avenues NE (2010 occupancy); and New Town Development LLC’s $1 billion redevelopment of the 24-acre Florida Avenue Market, located between New York and Florida Avenues NE, into 1,700 residential units and 330,000 sf of retail, restaurant, and merchandising space.

Old Post Office Due for Redevelopment

The General Service Administration and the Office of Management and Budget have begun evaluating redevelopment options for the lower levels of the famed Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue. After an enthusiastic response to the GSA’s Request for Information in 2005, the two federal agencies began discussing the next steps for the 375-unit building. Federal Triangle’s Old Post Office was the largest government building and the first steel-framed building in the capital when initially built as the headquarters of the Post Office Department- an attempt to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood. Now, 100 years later, based on government and developers’ interest in the project, the building will either become a government office building, or the GSA will submit a Request for Qualifications and Proposals to gather ideas for making the Post Office a multi-use project.

Complete demolition is not a threat as it was after WWII, but under the National Historic Preservation Act the government space can be leased to private tenants, providing endless possible uses for the building. In the 80’s, the GSA tried to take advantage of this by creating retail space on the first two floors, a project that has since proved financially unsuccessful. Congress suggested that the use of the lower level space not be predetermined, but rather this redevelopment project to be used as an opportunity for developers to submit unique ideas for the building – with the stipulation that any changes made to the inside of the building during redevelopment be reversible. The decision to issue a Request for Qualifications and Proposals is still pending with no deadline, it may be a while before this historical building receives a modern internal revamp.

New Friendship Heights Commercial, Residential Center Gets Underway

Demolition has now begun on Wisconsin Place, a mixed-use, 1.1 million s.f. project at the corner of Wisconsin and Western Avenues in Chevy Chase. Wrecking crews began a very visible demolition in January of the Hecht’s department store, while the foundation is currently being poured on the 480,000 s.f. residential tower, which is expected to come out of the ground in April. The nine-building, four-architect project, developed by a partnership of New England Development Company, Archstone-Smith, and Boston Properties, will be completed by 2009, and include 423 residential units, 305,000 s.f. of office space, retail space, and a 20,000 s.f. community center.

While there are a number of prospective vendors for the town center, Whole Foods Market and Bloomingdales are the only confirmed companies at this time. The trapezoidal Wisconsin Place will front four different streets; specialty retail and office space will overlook Wisconsin Avenue and the Metro Station, while Bloomingdales and other retail space will be located at the corner of Friendship Boulevard and Western Avenue. Connected to the community center, the residential tower will encircle a courtyard, with exterior units facing the new Whole Foods Market on Willard Avenue and a one-acre park at the corner of Willard Avenue and Friendship Boulevard.

Construction on the eight-acre property began two years ago with the construction of the Bloomingdales’ parking garage on which the store will eventually sit. Hecht’s Department store remained open until late last year, a condition of NEDC’s acquisition of the property from Hecht’s parent company, May Department Store Co., but has now been closed for demolition. Bloomingdales, expected to open in September, will take Hecht’s place as the plaza’s department store. The "Residences at Wisconsin Place", developed by Archstone-Smith and designed by Bethesda-based SK&I Architects will include 423 "luxury" rental studio apartments. According to Darryl South, Vice President of Development at Archstone, the residences will feature a high percentage of glass including living rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. Initial occupancy of these one, two, and three bedroom apartments, starting at $1700 a month, will begin in June 2008.

Washington DC real estate development news

Bethesda Church Site To Add Residential Units

If you look closely while driving west on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, just as you pass Glenbrook Road you will notice a small cardboard sign in front of the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church at 8011 Old Georgetown Road announcing the possible future of new residential units just outside the downtown core of restaurants and rising condos. It appears that Bozzuto Development and the church have submitted an application with Montgomery County to change the zoning at the site from single-family to multifamily use, which would pave the way for them to build 107 new residential units, as well as make improvements to the church. A hearing on this application is scheduled for June 1, 2007, with the Montgomery County Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings. If all approvals are met, construction is expected to begin by mid-2008 at the earliest, with completion two years after that. More details will be provided as they are learned....

NCRC, AWC Complete Land Swap; Development to Move Forward

After two years of legal wrangling and waiting, the land swap between the National Capital Revitalization Corp. (NCRC) and the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. (AWC) is finally expected to happen this month, paving the way for development at both the Southwest waterfront site along the Washington Channel and the McMillan Reservoir site in along North Capitol Street. The AWC can now move forward with its $800 million project to develop the 47 acres along the Southwest waterfront into "maritime-themed" housing and retail (pictured). The AWC awarded this project to the DC-based venture of PN Hoffman and Struever Brothers Eccles & Rouse last Fall. Meanwhile, the NCRC can now focus on plans for the 25-acre former McMillan sand filtration property, located just north of the US Capitol. In October, the NCRC announced that 5 development teams responded to its solicitation for development of Phase I of the McMillan site along, with the respondents being Horning Brothers, Republic Land Development, KSI Services, Inc., EYA and EastBanc, Inc. Original plans incorporated massive mixed-use development, including 1200 residential units, with affordable housing, 100,000 sf of retail, a community center and "cultural center." No timeline has been set for choosing the developer.

National Gateway Developer Sells Hotel Portion to Marriott

Meridian Group, which is developing the massive National Gateway project just west of Reagan National Airport with partner Archon Group, has decided to sell the 2-acre plot in the project zoned for hotel use to Marriott International, which is planning to place two hotels (a Residence Inn and a Renaissance) on the site with a total of 625 rooms. No sales price was disclosed, nor is there a known timetable for the hotels to be built. Progress is being made on the National Gateway project, a mixed-use development slated for the Potomac Yard area along Route 1 between Crystal City and Alexandria, with Meridian and Archon reportedly ready to break ground this Spring on one of the project's office buildings, with completion targeted for 2009. When finally built (no final completion date has yet been set), the overall National Gateway project - which also includes developers Comstock and Camden Realty – will cost over $1 billion and contain 2.2 million sf of office space, 1,550 apartments and condo units totaling 880,000 sf, the two aforementioned hotels, and retail space totaling 210,000 sf, including a Harris Teeter grocery store. Arlington Virginia real estate development news

Shirlington Hotel Approved

Arlington County gave approval this week for a final site plan application by Shirlington HHG Hotel Development on Arlington Mill Drive in Shirlington across from Jennie Dean Park. The proposal for the project, located at the corner of South Stafford St., was for a 7-story, 142-room Hilton (110,000 s.f.) located on a 0.79 acre parcel with street-level retail. The masonry structure with red, blond, and buff colored brick will feature a mix of studio, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units, indoor pool, and provide parking with a residential garage located across S. Stafford Street. The entrance will face South Stafford St., and the developer will improve landscaping and sidewalks surrounding the building as part of the project. The county is requiring a minimum LEED score for the project, though the developer does not intend to seek certification for the project.

This hotel was initially given the green light by the County Board in late 2000 as part of a larger development by the Federal Realty Investment Trust, a nationwide developer which has been a shaping force in Shirlington. The completion of the hotel will be the final element of the Phase II plan.

Abdo to Expand Arlington Holdings, Buys Land Across From Its Mercer and Wooster Project

Jim Abdo must like what it sees when surveying the sites from his new Mercer and Wooster Lofts condo project in Arlington along Clarendon Boulevard between Rosslyn and Courthouse. That would explain his company’s recent purchase for $42.2 million of five lots, bounded by North Quinn, and North Queen Streets, 16th Road and Clarendon Boulevard, across from his existing complex. While no plans have been drawn up yet for this stretch of street, Abdo is contemplating building residential condos. Currently the lots hold aging garden apartment buildings and a single-family home – most likely these will be demolished. Sales at the Wooster and Mercer Lofts (pictured) started last Fall, with delivery expected this year. The Mercer will house 34 condo units averaging about 1,500 sf, while its sister Wooster 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.

Camden USA Buys a Piece of NoMa Pie

Last week, Camden USA purchased 60 L St., NE, a 71,000 s.f. site, joining the laundry list of developers vying to join the NoMa development surge. This location has become a hot potato, belonging to three different companies in the last three months. As we previously reported, 60 L St. belonged to J Street Development and was called “First Place”; it was then sold to Tishman Real Estate Services. While Tishman won’t comment on the quick turnaround of land ownership, the lot was then sold to Camden USA, a Houston-based company with projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic and lower half of the United States, which plans to turn the site into a two-building, 700 residential unit project designed by WDG Architecture. Located between Tishman Speyer’s remaining property on L Street and J Street Development’s Property on North Capital St., Camden’s “luxury” apartment high-rises will begin the first phase of construction in mid 2008. Ginger Ackiss, Vice President of Camden’s Real Estate Investments in the DC area, said the first phase will include 315 “luxury” apartments rather than condominiums, followed by 375 units in the second phase. While the project is still in the permit process, Camden is happy to have its foot in the door. Ackiss said, “We wanted to get into NoMa because of all of the development going on there, we see the area transforming and we would like to be in that mix.” According to Ackiss, the DC and Dallas-based architect, experienced in residential properties including the Potomac Promenade Condominiums on the National Harbor, will begin the design process next month.

Rockville Town Center Project to Start Construction in Early 2008

After two years on maneuvering, Duball (a joint venture between Reston-based Duball LLC and LA-based CIM Group) is now expected to break ground in early 2008 on its Rockville Town Center project, a $240 million, two residential-tower complex in downtown Rockville just one block west of the Rockville metro station and bounded by East Montgomery Avenue, Maryland Avenue and Monroe Street. Duball plans to develop 485 homes, 45,300 sf of street-level retail, and about 1,400 garage spaces on this 3-acre plot, with architecture by Torti Gallas. Final project review by Rockville planning officials is scheduled for this month, after which applicable permits will be acquired. Construction is expected to be completed by 2011. While these units are believed to be condos, there is still a possibility that the developer will instead make them rentals. If apartments are built, then a hotel might also be constructed on the site (an approved use according to Rockville officials). The Rockville Town Center project has gone through some morphing over the years, with Akridge being the original owner of the site and planning a tall 300-unit building that met opposition due to its height. In 2006, Akridge sold the site to Duball for $34.5 million.

Progress in Pointe at Cheverly

Cheverly, Maryland will soon host the Pointe at Cheverly, a new condo project expected to break ground in the fall. This two-building, 244-unit project, developed by DC-Based Republic Land Development, LLC and Maryland-Based Stepping Stones Development, LLC will offer a pair of four-story buildings built over a two to three level-parking garage with room for upwards of 300 vehicles, built as a gated community. Known for their large-scale mixed-use projects including residential development of the Washington Harbour in Georgetown and Market Square at 701 Pennsylvania Ave, Republic’s development will combine five separate plots of land, totaling 3.34 acres, and replace a one and a half story office building and several empty lots. Designed by Morris and Ritchie Associates, the site will include open space for a swimming pool, courtyards, and a sundeck. Cecil Brown, the Project Architect at Morris and Ritchie, said of the first project of its size to be built in the area, “We wanted to bring a contemporary if not modern feel to the community. We wanted to sort of change the design process in that area.” According to Stacy Hornstein, Republic’s Director of Development, building on the southwest corner of 57th and Annapolis road will begin after the purchase contract with Prince George’s County Redevelopment Authority is completed in the fall; the team is currently in the process of filing for permits. The Cheverly Newsletter reported in October that the average estimated selling price for the units was about $350,000. The project's estimated completion is mid 2009, but sales are expected to begin in May. According to Ken Stuart, Deputy Director of Capital Markets for PGRA, the Prince George’s County Redevelopment Authority will work with the developer to provide below market interest rates to buyers.

H Street Project Finally Gets Go-Ahead

On February 6, the DC Board of Zoning Adjustment unanimously approved plans submitted by H Street Ventures LLC to build a mixed-use development at 601-645 H Street, NE. H Street Ventures wants to turn this stretch of block into a 312,000-square-foot residential, retail and office complex valued at nearly $150 million. According to documents filed with the Board, the developer is hoping to build 240 residential units (no decision yet whether condos or rentals), with 13,000 sf of retail space and 180,000 sf of office space. This project had faced much community opposition since its proposal last Spring, with the main concern focused on the nine-story building H Street Ventures was hoping to build between two existing buildings in this space, specifically its height and scale compared to the rest of the block (citing that it violated the H Street Overlay guidelines regulating the construction of buildings over 6,000 sf, thus necessitating a special exception). The developer subsequently worked with neighbors to reach consensus on a reconfigured, more pleasing scale for the building that adhered to all the other Overlay guidelines, and proved its exemption would not set a bad precedent for future construction on H Street. Construction is expected to start later this year, with completion in 2009.

JBG Looking to Develop Next to Red Line’s Glenmont Metro Station

Developer JBG has big plans to mine the untapped potential of the underdeveloped strip of upper Georgia Avenue running past the Metro Red Line’s last stop at Glenmont (officially located at 12501 Georgia Avenue, north of Layhill Road). JBG has reportedly reached a deal with the owner of Privacy World, a 1960’s era, 352-unit apartment complex just north of the station at 2501 Glenallan Avenue, and the developer hopes to build a new, large mixed-use complex on the 31-acre site. The JBG project would include a total of 1,550 residential units (including 250 townhomes) and 90,000 sf of retail space. There will be a 12.5% unit set-aside for affordable housing. The developer is looking to also include an upscale grocery store and restaurant. If approved, construction is expected to begin around 2010 and continue over the next 15 years. JBG’s transit zoning application for this project is expected to be considered next week by the Montgomery County Planning Board.