Uline Arena to Get the Douglas Touch

The has-been Uline Arena is once more, thanks to Douglas Development. The old skating rink, located at the corner of 2nd & M Streets, NE, adjacent to the Amtrak lines, seems to have been used for just about everything, but as we reported last year, developer Douglas Jemal of Douglas Development purchased the property back in 2004 with the intention of making it a thoroughly modern mixed-used facility, including condos and office space. Now the Washington Business Journal reports that Jemal has teamed up with the Wilkes Company to develop the area. Wilkes owns the land on the north side of M, and the two will apparently work in concert to develop the properties. Wilkes is the midst of redeveloping a sizable chunk of Mt. Vernon Triangle, with Madrigal Lofts, The Sonata (now complete), and Mount Carmel all on its resume.

Jemal, love him or hate him, has been the force and inspiration behind much of DC's development, including Cleveland Park and Penn Quarter, and most notably the new Convention Center. Counting cranes in the area may soon become hard to do, with the new Marriott scheduled for construction soon, the recent groundbreaking of Union Place at 1st and K, MRP's $350m Washington Gateway project at the intersection of New York and Florida, Constitution Square on 1st Street, the New Yorker going in soon one block south of the Uline Arena, and of course the massive would-be development of the Florida Avenue market and Burnham Place, Akridge's long-term plan to build above the tracks north of Union Station.

14th & U Corner Gets an Upgrade

The long-vacant lot and deteriorating building on the northeast corner of 14^th and U Streets in northwest DC - one of the few development holdouts on trendy U Street - will finally be developed; the owner plans a retail center that will connect both properties when completed later this year. The longtime owner of the building is renovating the historic façade on the corner, with only slight changes to the exterior, and constructing a new building on the vacant lot that abuts it on the north side. The new building will have three floors with over 10,000 square feet, and both buildings will be dedicated entirely to retail, and expects the pair to be ready for leasing by October. Bochle & Gates Architects designed the new space, the leasing agent says that none of the space has yet been rented, and that they are working to get a restaurant to occupy the ground floor.

DC Bureaucrat Seeks Rich, Ambitious, Type-A Developer for LTR

Hard working DC bureaucrat, ISO experienced, rich masochistic-type for long term relationship.
The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for Poplar Point, the mostly vacant site along the eastern banks of the Anacostia River in Ward 8. DC's purpose in issuing the RFEI is to "identify highly qualified developers who have the creative vision, demonstrated experience and organizational and financial capability and capacity to plan, construct and potentially operate a world-class mixed-use development and waterfront park."

Developers whose only experience includes conversions of 4-unit apartment buildings into condos need not apply - Poplar Point is expected to become a residential, commercial, cultural, and recreational development - 130 acres in all - with one mile of Waterfront, one of the key sites in the District’s $10 billion Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, with the potential for a soccer stadium, and sitting directly across from the new baseball stadium to boot.

Despite its location just across the river from the new stadium and a short drive to the Capitol Building, with views of the downtown skyline and monuments, Poplar Point is "an underutilized and isolated" collection of federal facilities, according to the District. The District’s vision for the redevelopment is embodied in the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan and includes "high-quality development, an emphasis on urban waterfront life, a commitment to environmental stewardship and the preservation of community character that fully engages local residents, community groups and other stakeholders..." Interested suitors should have thick skin too, as if working with the aforementioned groups won't get contentious enough, neighbors have already protested the "upscale" nature of the project, contending that hotels, conference centers and stadiums will not provide services they need, or will be able to afford.

The Anacostia Waterfront Initiative eventually proposes new parks, trails, housing, retail, office space and cultural amenities over the next 20 years, connecting residents of nearby Barry Farm, Hillsdale, Fairlawn and Historic Anacostia to the river.

Responses to this RFEI are due by October 19, 2007 at 12 pm. The District expects to select a development partner before the end of the year.

Bethesda's Auburn Avenue Project Approved

The Montgomery County Planning Board has unanimously approved plans submitted by Auburn Building Associates LP, for Auburn Avenue, a condominium project to be located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Auburn Avenue and Norfolk Avenue in Bethesda’s Woodmont Triangle - across the street from Imagination Stage. The approved plans call for a 126,000-s.f., nine-story building featuring 60 residential units (nine being moderately priced dwelling units),19,000 s.f. of office space, and 12,000 s.f. of retail (with DCmud hoping the Italian deli now at this location finds a home in new the building). There will also be a two-story, below ground parking space for 140 vehicles. Although final renderings of the project have not been released, initial designs included extensive use of glass along the northeastern perimeter of the building. Bethesda-based SK&I is designing the building.

The developer, which has already announced that DC artist Mindy Weisel will create an oxidized green copper structure for the façade of the building, hopes to have the final site plan and all project specifics ready around the end of the year. The county had approved the project up to 110 feet, but the developer is planning to cap the project at 90 feet. The site is currently occupied by two and three story office buildings.

New Yorker Back on Track

Back in 2005, plans for the New Yorker condos had raised hopes for more revitalization in a struggling section of Northeast DC when developer KL Associates announced its intention to build a 44-unit condominium at 300 L Street, but shovels never quite hit dirt. Now the developer says it plans to pick up on the long-stalled project, rescaling the project from 44 to 32 units (the image below is the old version) in a ‘condo townhouse’ style, with Zahn Design taking over from Hickok Cole as project architect in a complete redesign of the size and scope of the project. The project will still take up the entire street front between Abbey and 3rd St., on the north side of L Street.

KL hopes to break ground by early 2008; the city has already given approval to remove the existing warehouse on site but the developer does not have immediate plans to begin demolition. Larry McAdoo of KL Associates scrapped the original design because construction costs, including the steel and concrete to be used in the first design, had been too high to support the project. The new design will utilize a wood frame with brick exteriors, according to McAdoo. A larger unit size, averaging from 1000 to 1500 s.f., will also replace small units envisioned in the first go-round, though a greater number of units would be permitted, thus allowing the townhouse style, which McAdoo says is more in keeping with the "Capitol Hill style" architecture. An additional bonus will of course be the massive office space of NoMa being built just a few blocks to the west, an area that - back in 2005 - was just a vast wasteland, with a forgotten bus depot and a few vague promises about redevelopment.

Washington DC real estate and retail news

Portico Condo Springs to Life

With excavation mostly complete, construction is getting ready to begin on the Portico, a new condominium in the center of Silver Spring. The 151-unit building had long been planned for the vacant lot on Fidler Lane, between Cubano's restaurant and McDonald's, but was halted when neighbors in an adjacent new development complained (typical) about the density and parking. The Patriot Group purchased in the land in 2003, anticipating starting prices to be around $200k, but the controversy slowed the project and the developer eventually agreed to sell the pre-construction plans to Centex. Centex in turn pulled the plug on most of its urban projects, including the Portico, as well as Scene (Arlington), 1200 East-West Highway (Silver Spring), Pavilions at Huntington Metro (Alexandria), and Pavilions at Takoma Metro (DC).

The project has been approved by the county and excavation is now underway, the Patriot Group anticipates completion in late 2009. Located just a short walk to the Metro in Silver Spring's central business district, the new condo is being designed by Silver Spring-based AR Meyers & Associates as entirely residential, no retail, which the developer states is prohibited by zoning code.

Silver Spring commercial real estate news

Flats at Blagden Alley Back to Life

When we last visited the Flats at Blagden Alley in July 2006, developer Walnut Street Development had canceled sales of the condo project before breaking ground, with sources saying only one of the 45 units had gone under contract, with the developer stating a likelihood of pursuing residential rental space in the near future. The Flats are indeed coming back, again as condos, but this time as ‘affordable’, to be built by North Carolina-based Self Help, a non-profit whose mission is to “create ownership and economic opportunity for minorities, women, rural residents, and low-wealth families.”

The Flats will front M St., the alley and 9th St., one block from the Convention Center in the heart of Shaw and directly across from the Whitman. WSD’s version, designed by Eric Colbert, had been priced from the high $200’s to the $800’s; the new plan calls for one-bedroom units to start in the upper $100’s to mid $300’s, with target incomes from the mid $30,000’s to the mid $80,000’s. The original project was designed to be a mix of 45 residential condos, ground floor retail, artist lofts, and office space for associations and small businesses; the revised plan calls for 49 one-bedroom condos and 14 two-bedroom condos. Self Help says it expects completion in late 2008.

Residential Units for Hilton Washington?

As a part of a larger hotel revitalization project, the Hilton Washington, north of Dupont Circle, could be seeing residential units in the near future. After buying the Hilton for $290 million in May, L.A.-based Lowe Enterprises Inc. and Beverly Hills-based Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds LLC are considering adding a yet-to-be-determined number of residential units to the 1,119-room hotel.

Harmar Thompson, Senior Vice President of Lowe Enterprises said developers are in the process of doing the initial schematic design and massing. He added, “We haven’t formalized anything yet; we are going through detailed work with the community and the Office of Planning.” According to Thompson, more details, including a decision on condos vs. apartments and number of units, will be announced in September.

NOMA Waitin' for First Residential Building

The Cohen Companies’ Union Place, the first of several residential buildings planned for the NOMA Business Improvement District (BID), held their ceremonial groundbreaking this week. At the project’s completion, the development will include 700 residential units two blocks from both Union Station and the New York Avenue Metro Station at 3rd and K Streets, NE.

Designed by Bethesda-based GTM Architects, the project will be built in two phases; the first, named the “Loree Grand” after Loree Murray, a neighborhood leader and activist, is slated for completion in mid 2009 and will include 212 apartments in a 10-story structure, some of which will be voluntarily designated as affordable workforce housing by the developer. Though not bound by the affordable housing requirements that accompany deals with the DC government, the developer has allocated 11 percent of all apartment homes as affordable. Phase one will also deliver an interior public courtyard, "green" roof, childcare center, fitness center, 4,000 s.f. of retail space, and underground parking that will allow one space per unit. Phase two is planned to raise the height to 14 stories. Rick Conrath, principal of GTM and project architect, says the K Street frontage will allow an attractive street presence, with wide sidewalks permitting a generous separation between vehicular and pedestrian traffic; conforming to DC's vision of the avenue as a walkable boulevard with cafes and shopping.

At the completion of both phases, the project will have seven different floor plans that range from junior one-bedroom units starting at 516 s.f., to two-bedroom-plus-den units of more than 1,400 s.f., as well as an indoor/outdoor swimming pool opening onto the courtyard. Cohen has acquired 42 separate properties and is in good company among other large-scale developments likely to begin soon, including Archstone Smith’s project at 1st and M, and MRP Realty’s Gateway Project at the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues.

Elizabeth Price, President of the NOMA BID, tells DCMud that almost 3 million s.f. of development will break ground in the now-vacant neighborhood by the end of the year, including the neighborhood’s first hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott. Plans for a grocery store are also in the works, the name of which has not yet been announced.

With 1500 rental apartment planned for next year, Price noted, “Everything that is planned as residential in NOMA for the next 6-12 months is rental, which is not a surprise given the condo market. The first phases are planned as apartments, but many have second phases that may change to condos.”

The seventh in the District, the NOMA BID was established in March and is bounded by Massachusetts Ave. on the South, North Capitol Street on the West and Q and R Streets on the North. It extends beyond the CSX/Metrorail tracks on the East.

Converting Truckstops to Townhomes - $300 Million Mixed-Use project Coming to Laurel?

Back when dcmud was still running around in knickers (it was the ‘80s – fashion victims all), we spent a year or so living in Laurel MD, just miles north of the Beltway along Route 1 in Price George’s County, but miles (and years) away from the developing mini-city it has recently become (plenty of farms were still around then). The latest major development involving Laurel now arrives via DC-based Patriot Group, which is hoping to build a $300 million mixed-use community on the 10-acre site of a former trucking terminal, located just east of Route 1 at Marshall Avenue and Staggers Road. In late June, Patriot Group submitted a conceptual development plan to the city, the first step in an approval process that might not be completed until 2009. (Those interested in this project should note that there will be a community forum this week (August 1, 7 pm at Laurel City Hall) to discuss the plan.) The developer envisions erecting seven buildings (ranging in height from five to 20 stories) that would feature 1,208 residential units and over 140,000 sf of office space. If all approvals are met, construction will begin in 2009, with project completion slated for 2017.

Trammell Crow Readies Work on Alexan Project in South Arlington

No longer will you be able to glimpse the familiar site of the old EconoLodge Motel alongside the western side of Interstate 395 at 2485 South Glebe Road while driving south, as developer Trammell Crow Residential has finished demolition work on this site in preparation for the early 2008 construction start for its $50 million Alexan at South Glebe project. The Alexan, located less that a mile from Shirlington’s restaurants and shops, is expected to be a 217-unit apartment building skewing toward young professionals. Twenty units will be set aside as affordable housing. Plans also call for about 330 below-grade parking spaces. The Alexan is expected to be completed in 2010.

White Flint View Moves Forward

On July 12, the Montgomery County Planning Board approved the preliminary plan submitted by builder Naples Commercial LLP for White Flint View, its proposed development for the 1.87 acres located at 5511 Nicholson Lane (at the north end of Huff Court) in North Bethesda, just east of Rockville Pike and the White Flint Metro station. Naples intends to construct a 16-story tower with underground parking containing 183 residential units (about 23 units will be reserved as moderately priced dwelling units), as well as 29,500 sf of retail, including a sit-down restaurant. The plumbing supply store now on the lot will be torn down. In addition, Naples will contribute to the County’s planned extension of Citadel Avenue from Marinelli Road south to Nicholson Lane, where it will connect with Huff Court. No timeline is yet known for this project.

The Sound of Silence – Birchmere Cancels Plans for Silver Spring Music Hall

And now for a story that harshes our mellow, considering dcmud’s mini-obsession with music (after our real estate crush, of course). Last September, we reported that Montgomery County officials had announced a partnership with Lee Development Group that would bring a new branch of the Birchmere Music Hall to the old art-deco J.C. Penny building at 8656 Colesville Road (owned by Lee Development), located at the corner of Colesville Road at Fenton Street in Silver Spring, by 2009. The Birchmere – a long-time stalwart of the Del Ray, Alexandria, scene on Mount Vernon Avenue (old-timers like us will also remember its original location in Old Town), has supported many major singer-songwriter talents, including well-known performers such as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lyle Lovett, and John Hiatt.

However, this week Birchmere officials announced that the planned $8 million, 800-seat venue (pictured) is now off the table, and that Montgomery County officials and Lee Development both have backed out of the deal. Instead, it appears that this location might instead see the development of a 152-room hotel, 183,000-sf office building, a 650-space garage, and a "stand-up" nightclub. (A comedy club? Shudder ....) While the loss of The Birchmere is a blow to music lovers, at least developers appear to still be singing a positive tune on Silver Spring’s potential.

Update: The Post is now reporting that instead of the Birchmere, a bigger music venue is in consideration to occupy this space! Live Nation, the world's largest producer of live concerts, is contemplating putting one of its Fillmore-branded clubs here, and would make the club three times as large (over 2,000 capacity) as what was planned for the Birchmere. While we'd personally prefer having the homegrown Birchmere and its emphasis on intimate shows, the Fillmore coming would be a major coup on Silver Spring's part. Stay tuned ....

Developer to Expand Hyattsville Project

As the redevelopment of Route 1 in Hyattsville into a vibrant, livable city center moves forward, Bethesda-based developer EYA is already making plans to add new residential units and commercial/retail space to its current $125 million "Arts District Hyattsville" plan for the area. EYA has agreed to purchase two additional properties next to the former Lustine Chevrolet dealership lot (where Route 1 hits Madison Street), which it is now in the midst of redeveloping, with Phase I delivering 12 "live-work" units plus 119 townhouse-style row homes that are scheduled for Spring 2008 completion (and will sell for between $400,000-$600,000), and Phase 2 promising 220 more row homes, four "live-work" units, and 34,500 sf of retail and restaurant space (pending plan approval by the Prince George's County Planning Board this fall). With its new land purchases, EYA envisions building either 82 new residential units, or perhaps 12 residential units and a mix of commercial and retail use. EYA’s "Arts District Hyattsville" project is part of Maryland’s designated effort, launched in April 2005, to redevelop the town’s Route 1 corridor into a "gateway arts and entertainment district."

DC Council Approves Sale of 6428 Georgia Avenue; Park East Back on Track?

Last week, the DC Council gave unanimous approval to the sale of 6428 Georgia Avenue NW, a 5,184-sf lot containing a vacant building of 7,000 sf (formerly Blockbuster Video), to Georgia Avenue Investment Partners, LLC (Ellis Denning) for almost $4 million, bringing to a close the short, odd tale of this Brightwood property. A year ago, Ellis Denning actually owned this land, and had plans to construct Park East (pictured), a condo-retail complex on the site. But in August 2006, the DC government, threatening eminent domain, managed to purchase the lot from Ellis Denning for $3.9 million with the intention of building a firehouse for Fire Engine Company 22. Soon after, opposition to this plan was raised, with many pointing out that a firehouse would be inconsistent with efforts to revitalize this stretch of Georgia Avenue as a livable, pedestrian-friendly space. With this in mind, the DC Council passed a bill to sell the lot back to Ellis Denning at the same price for which it was purchased from them. Ellis Denning is expected to now move forward with its plans to build a 5-story complex on the lot, but now with 39 apartment units rather than condos (12 units will be affordable housing). Design is by Hickok Cole Architects.

Washington DC real estate development news

Court Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Views at Clarendon Project

On July 11, the Arlington Circuit Court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Clarendon residents that challenged the Arlington County Board’s approval of the First Baptist Church of Clarendon’s Views at Clarendon project, clearing the way for this contested development just a block from the Clarendon Metro station. The judge, in rejected the eight counts of the lawsuit filed by three residents after the Board approved the project in February, stated that the complainants failed to show the Board acted improperly in its decision, and that the zoning change by the Board was acceptable. While this case may still be appealed to the Virginia Supreme Court after a final order is entered, it appears that the Views at Clarendon might actually now see the light of day. The First Baptist Church of Clarendon is looking to build the Views at Clarendon, a mixed-use church and residential development, at its current location at 1201 N. Highland Street. The project will keep the church's 107-foot steeple, while rebuilding the church (a smaller version) within a 10-story, 116 rental-unit structure (with 70 units reserved for moderately priced housing). The project will also preserve Arlington’s largest child care center, which serves 185 children.

Master Planner Selected for Southwest Waterfront Project

It has been some time since we last heard word regarding the massive $800 million redevelopment plan for the Southwest Waterfront along the Washington Channel. Now home to middling touristy restaurants and asphalt lots, developer Hoffman-Struever Waterfront LLC (PN Hoffman and Struever Brothers, Eccles & Rouse) and the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. (AWC) are hoping to transform this prime real estate into a mixed-use maritime, commercial, residential and cultural destination by the year 2017. And now comes word that Hoffman-Struever and the AWC have selected New York-based Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects as the master planner for this project from a pool of 15 applicants. Ehrenkrantz was selected based on its past waterfront experience on Manhattan’s Battery Park City and Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

When completed, the Southwest Waterfront project is expected to contain up to 825 mixed-income housing units, 200,000 sf of cultural space (such as a museum, church and civic space), a 450-room hotel, 84,000 sf of office space, 317,000 sf of retail space, and 2,000 parking spaces. The project will also improve public access to the waterfront with 13-acre waterfront promenade, public piers, and public plazas. The fish market now on the site will be preserved and renovated. Other items on the drawing board include a possible aquarium, space for Cirque du Soleil, and a facility for the Living Classrooms Foundation.

Silver Spring Transit Center MOU Approved

Last week, the Montgomery County Planning Board reached a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Public Works and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) regarding the massive mixed-use development project slated for the site of the Silver Spring Metro station, clearing the way for the issuance of bids for this $75 million development. The new Paul S. Sarbanes Silver Spring Transit Center, as the project is called, broke ceremonial ground last November, and is expected to be completed in 2009.

The Silver Spring Metro station is one of the busiest transit centers in the Washington area, currently serving 27,000 Metro riders, 32,000 bus riders and 1,100 MARC train riders daily, a number that is expected to increase to 97,000 patrons per day by 2025. Under the MOU, the Planning Board agreed to exchange its 35,000-sf Metro Urban Park (located on the current site) for an 11,633-sf park at the transit plaza entrance and an 11,590-sf park just off site. In addition, the Planning Board made clear it expects the county and WMATA to build all “essential elements” for the Center (escalator canopies, shade tress, light fixtures, etc.), and for any necessary additional funding to be sought from Federal and/or state governments.

If project plans hold, the development will transform the 5.7 acres around the metro station into a new three-story transit hub, with the first two levels for buses, and the third for metro’s Kiss and Ride, taxis, and some parking. The project will also feature two residential buildings containing 469 units, a 196-room hotel, 25,000 sf of street-level retail adjacent to Colesville Road and Wayne Avenue, and a public plaza. When completed, the Center is expected to significantly enhance access to existing Metrorail, Metrobus, Ride-On, MARC rail, bus and taxi, and the Metropolitan Branch Trail, as well as the planned Purple Line. The private development is being handled by Silver Spring Metro Center Partnership/Foulger-Pratt Development, with architecture by Zimmer, Gunsul and Frasca.

Logan Circle's Wardman Row Buildings to Stay Affordable, Get Upgrades

With the Logan Circle neighborhood gentrifying northward along 14th Street NW, and the concurrent redevelopment of the U Street corridor working its way downward, many wondered what fate was in store for the number of affordable housing buildings in this area. Once such development is the row of housing holding 124 units located along R Street just west of 14th Street. The answer is now clear, as the expected new purchasers of five of the seven buildings in the complex (1416, 1428, 1432, 1436 and 1440 R Street NW) are planning to implement more than $6 million worth of renovations once the sale is completed later this summer, and the units will be offered with more diverse income-level requirements than before.

Non-profit group NHT Enterprise and the Hampstead Development Corp. are believed to be paying current owner R Street Associates LP $11 million for the five buildings (1420 and 1424 R Street are not part of the deal, and are owned by another entity). The new owners have already requested funding from the DC Department of Housing and Community Development and the DC Housing Finance Agency toward the expected upgrades to the five 4-story buildings, which should begin this fall and continue for the following year. Residents will continue to live in the units during the work, which will include new kitchens and bathrooms, plus new roofs that incorporate "green" features.

The other major change will come with the income requirements for these units. Currently, the property owner receives federal subsidies to keep the units affordable, and the top threshold for these units is $28,350 for a family of four (30 percent and less of the area’s annual median income). Under the new ownership, residents will instead receive Section 8 vouchers which they can use to stay at these units, or to rent elsewhere. In addition, there will now be “tiers” of affordability, with 6 brand new carved-out units renting at market rate with no income restrictions; of the existing 124 units, 94 units will require a 60 percent and below annual median income, 24 units will require a 50 percent and below median, and 6 units will remain at 30 percent and below median.

The "Wardman Row" buildings have experienced a long and lively history. First built by Harry Wardman and architect Albert Beers in 1913-1914 in the Classical Revival style as affordable apartments, the buildings watched as the neighborhood fell on hard times after the riots of the late 1960s left 14th Street scarred. The buildings underwent renovations in the 1970s and 1980s, and were put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. They have since watched new shops and restaurants open on either side since the 1990s.

BNA Site Project Wins Zoning Approval

On July 9, the DC Zoning Commission approved plans submitted by TRS Inc. to build its Planned Unit Development (PUD) at 1227-1231 25th Street NW, the West End site of the Bureau of National Affairs office, which is relocating to Crystal City. TRS is converting the three office buildings now on the lot (which is just above M Street NW along Rock Creek Park) into two connected condominium buildings (1229 and 1231) with four additional stories added on top, with the third building (1227) reserved for offices. The condominium portion will contain up to 295 residential units, including up to 8,000 sf as "affordable" housing. The project is expected to be completed in late 2008.