If You Rent It, They Will Build

The ubiquitous JBG Companies is working on a new and rather unorthodox $70 million project, the K Street Office Complex at 1201 K Street, NW, to eventually replace the Four Points Sheraton now on the site. The 1/2 acre site might soon be home to an eight-story, 280,000-s.f. office building designed by London-based Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners architectural firm, world-renowned for their bleeding edge design (though the rendering, above, looks awfully 10 storyish to us). Unfortunately for those who long to see developments materialize sooner rather than later, JBG has vowed to delay construction until a tenant leases a "significant portion" of the future space.

According to JBG, the Sheraton is doing well financially. Yet JBG doesn't see the faded hotel as a serious competitor in the next five years, as DC gets more hotel beds and competition accelerates. The bottom-line: although JBG doesn't foresee an office complex being more lucrative than the hotel presently, they do predict it will hold up better to the coming market. Yet JBG is playing it safe both ways: Having a exit strategy in order to hedge against losses from a surge in hotel supply, and holding out for a pre-lease to avoid vacant office space.

Sheraton's replacement building is quite the anomaly; having been designed to have an offset core with removable slabs. Architects have moved the core - the load bearing portion - and elevators to one side and opened up the building to more efficient uses, leaving each floor without disjointed office space surrounding a space-stealing central elevator bank.

But one of the most innovative features of 1201 K Street is what JBG calls its "soft zone," three entire bays at the center of the floor plate which can be removed, all or in part, and replaced at a later date, to accommodate tenants who want to connect two floors with monument staircases or open trophy spaces. Managing Director at JBG, John Schlichting, broke it down: "The extraordinary advantages of the soft zone are connectivity between floor levels, delivering light into the deep portion of the floor plate, allowing flexibility in creating atria spaces within a tenant's space, and providing an animated sense of work place."

JBG's newest office building will surely stand out from the K Street crowd. "Together with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, we have designed an extraordinarily innovative building that will encourage a working environment that responds to the changing needs of corporate office space," Schlichting added. "In questioning the 'norm' we can better understand how to achieve the level of excellence to which the building aspires."

Aside from 1201 K's unique architecture and eye-pleasing asthetics, the building is being prepared for no less than silver LEED Certification. Although JBG is holding out for a nearly-full building before beginning construction, a ballpark-timeline puts the start date at January 2009. It seems likely the Sheraton won't be mourned.

Navy Living Without the Boat (Or Ocean)

DC developer Forest City Washington is planning to build one of southeast's newest residential buildings, officially known as Building 160, in the form of a 6-story tower at 301 Tingey Street. The project will be developed using the framework of the Pattern and Joiner Shop, a woodworking plant built in 1918 and part of the historic Washington Navy Yard Annex. Developers will convert the four-story, 157,000-s.f. Joiner Shop warehouse into a 170-unit apartment building by way of gutting the interior, maintaining and restoring the facade, and building a two-floor, 50,000-s.f. addition above its roof. SK&I Architectural Design Group plans for LEED Certification, although sources indicate that it is too early to predict the level.

The building serves as the first residential project to arise in the vast development known as The Yards. With step numero-uno of The Yards, Forest City will create "Upscale apartment units featuring stained concrete and wood floors, designer kitchen and bathrooms, split level bedrooms and contemporary amenity spaces," said Sami Kirkdil, principal at SK&I.

Estimated to cost between $20 and $30 million, the lofts will offer interior parking, club and theater rooms and a furnished courtyard on the second floor for its guests. The building's ground floor has been designed to accommodate retail spaces facing the river and main streets in addition to a smattering of garden apartments. The rooftop addition will house "luxury double story loft units," according to Kirkdil and a fifth floor sky deck and 30-ft glass lap pool will overhang into the courtyard. (We're not quite sure what that means but it sounds cool.)

General Contractor bids for renovation and construction will close next Thursday. Developers expect to break ground in the Spring of 2008 and finish in the Winter of 2009.

Virginia is for Lovers (of Height)

A mixed-use commercial project in Rosslyn at 1812 N. Moore Street has been given site plan approval by the Arlington County Board. If the project goes unhindered it will be the third building to heighten the Rosslyn skyline past the official 300-foot limit, continuing a trend started by The JBG Companies with its Central Place (not yet built) just across the street, consisting of two towers, office and residential. New York-based developer Monday Properties is seeking LEED Platinum certification, the highest official recognition offered by the U.S. Green Building Council, making it, potentially anyway, the first building in Virginia to attain such eco-prestige and the third in the DC Metro region, following the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis and Sidwell Friends Middle School in DC.

Arlington Fresh AIRE Initiative, an environmental task force conceived by Arlington County Board Chairman Paul Ferguson that focuses on reducing ozone-harming emissions by "using the technology, know-how, and practical solutions already at our disposal," played its part to give the gargantuan building its green cred. Fresh AIRE and the County Board offer increased building density "and/or additional height up to 3 stories for special exception site plan requests" to induce potential developers to create energy efficient projects.

Because the project falls into the Central Place jurisdiction (not to be confused with JBG's appropriately-named Central Place project), an area which receives relief from the C-O Rosslyn height limits of 300 feet, developers were allowed to max out building height which almost certainly pleased project architects DCS Design. The Central Place district surrounds the Rosslyn Metro Station in a two-block radius bounded by Lynn st., N. Moore Street, Wilson Blvd. and 19th St., and allows buildings to reach up to 470 above sea level. Because the 1812 N. Moore St. site sits 86 feet above sea level, the new building will measure precisely 384 feet. JBG's Central Place will also rise to 470 feet, and required FAA approval for its height and proximity to the flight path toward Reagan National Airport.

Obviously a project of this magnitude requires ample kowtowing, and Monday Properties has obliged, offering up a slew of fringe perks including an estimated $25 million in community benefits, transportation improvements and affordable housing funds. Another extra is Monday's proposed land lease to the city of its old Newseum Space at 1101 Wilson Boulevard, which Monday is offering to Arlington County free of charge for 10 years, with promises of a $100,000 donation to help lure worthy museums to the site. The Newseum opened its new office in the District last year, leaving the rental space vacant.

District Seeks Developers for Mt. Vernon Parcel

The District of Columbia has issued a Solicitation for Offers for the Redevelopment of a vacant 20,600-s.f. lot in Mount Vernon Triangle. The lot, at 463 I Street, NW, sits five blocks from the nearest Metro, and adjacent Walnut Street Development's newly announced project at 459 Eye Street, but will have substantial street presence on Massachusetts Ave. The District is seeking to turn the vacant lot into a mixed-use project that could potentially include housing, cultural and "hospitality uses," and it certainly wouldn't hurt if the project provided retail for the nearby Convention Center.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development (DMPED) issued the solicitation on December 27th, responses are due by March 7th. The property is located on the Northwest corner of Fifth and Eye streets, skirting Mass Ave.; current zoning allows for office, residential, hotel and entertainment uses, and for a height of up to 130 feet, with allowable FAR of up to 10.0. As with all DC-owned property sold off for private development, the District is requiring that at least 30% of any new housing conform to the District's "affordable" criteria.

The property is part of Mount Vernon Triangle, a 30-acre section that the DC government has been actively promoting in order to transform the vacant or shuttered properties into, well, an actual neighborhood. According to the District, there is currently more than 4 million square feet of development in the neighborhood's development pipeline, anchored by the nearly completed CityVista project.

Washington DC real estate development news

Preservation, Demolition and Construction...Oh My

Interior demolition has just been completed on 3030 Clarendon Blvd. in Arlington, most popularly known as the old E-Trade building. Developer Saul Centers Inc. (SCI) is still awaiting final approval from the county and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) for full demolition. As the building is cleaned up, SCI expects construction permits in January from Arlington County for the three mixed-use buildings it plans to construct on both sides of Clarendon Blvd near the Clarendon Metro stop, to front Wilson Blvd, N. Highland and N. Garfield Streets. Completion of the entire 521,000-s.f., Clarendon Center project is anticipated for 2010.

Because the project requires excavation, demolition and construction work close to the subway tunnel that runs under Clarendon Blvd., WMATA has to approve the project. As a result, Saul will have to put monitoring devices on the tunnel to make sure it isn't jeopardized in the construction process, and keep close tabs on its integrity. WMATA typically does this when projects are within a proximity of 50 feet near subway tunnels.

Plans call for a two phase development: Phase I will be a 244-unit, 12-story apartment building, landscaped courtyard and 80,000-s.f. office building, on the south side of Clarendon. Phase II, on the smaller north block between Clarendon and Wilson, will house a 6-story office structure. All three buildings will have ground floor retail totaling 42,000 s.f, and are seeking LEED certification. Back in 2003, the design plans were recognized by the Washington Smart Growth Alliance. This is also the first Arlington project that complies with the Clarendon Metro Station Area plan.

Saul was able to plan for the gargantuan buildings with a little help from its neighbors; in order to increase building size, Saul obtained density rights from two historic buildings: The Leadership Institute on the SW portion of the south block, and the Underwood Building, at the northwestern-most point of the north block, in return for their historic preservation. In addition, Saul will safeguard two retail facades made of limestone and art-deco elements on the north block; the facades will be dismantled, cleaned and stored until the surrounding construction is complete, when they can be safely returned.

“The community involvement in the design and development of this project has been tremendous. By responding to that input, we believe Clarendon will enjoy a landmark project that will truly complement its distinctive character,” said Mary Beth Avedesian, Vice President of Acquisitions & Development at Saul Centers Inc.

Post construction, these two blocks may serve as the newest neighborhood hot spots, as there will be plenty of outdoor seating, with wider sidewalks and streetscape improvements thanks to the project design team of Silver Spring-based Torti Gallas. Most notably, a brand new Crescent Plaza will be built on the corner of Clarendon Blvd. and N. Highland Street, garnished with a fountain fronting N. Garfield and commissioned artwork by DC resident Lisa Scheer, a Professor of Arts at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

Zoning to Shaw: Just Wait

Sights have been set on revitalizing O Street market (pictured, looking north) as a retail anchor for Shaw since the idea hit Roadside Development back in 2002 when it acquired the property. But the Planned Unit Development application has been held up with the Zoning Commission due to height problems, and residents are getting anxious to see their commercial hub come to life. Now, thanks to some design modifications, Zoning has finally designated the project for public scrutiny, but has yet to schedule Roadside and its supporters on their agenda. 

 Initially, Roadside slated the market for renovations to accommodate new retail space, but heavy snow brought the roof down both on their plans and the building itself in February of 2003. Since then Roadside formulated a $250 million revised plan to not only bring the historic market back to its original splendor but to fill four acres of land between 9th, 7th, P and O Streets, NW with residential and commercial space. "Our goal is to create a high quality, interesting project that will be the centerpiece of a great neighborhood," said Armand Spikell a principal at Roadside. In August, the Historic Preservation Review Board approved revitalization of the site and the Mayor's agent for historic preservation ok'd partial demolition because of the development's special merit, leaving the Zoning Commission as the only entity standing between Shaw residents and their commerce. But a lack of agreement between Zoning and the developers led to three months of hearings; an October 15th meeting ended with Zoning's complaints about the 110-ft. building height, and despite fervent support from Councilmember Jack Evans who called upon the Zoning Commission to "Reconsider their decision and approve this project as proposed," they sent the project back to the design phase again on November 19th. "Our patience is running out," wailed Evans after Zoning's decision, and who could blame him - the community has been patiently waiting since 2003 for their 70,000 s.f. Giant grocery store and more than 12,000 s.f. of commercial space. Add to that a mix of roughly 650 condos and apartments (80 of which will be affordable housing for seniors), two levels of underground parking, a 180-room hotel (not yet flagged) and the grand reopening of 8th Street, and Shaw would truly have its anchor...and some very happy campers. 

But size matters. In the October hearing, Commissioner John Parsons was quoted as saying "I just think these 110-foot buildings are just totally out of scale with this community." Either Parsons' had never looked across the street at the three-block long, 110-foot Convention Center and the neighboring 108-foot residential building, or he chose to ignore them. According to Spikell, Zoning justified the adjacent 108-foot building because its livable area ends at the 90-foot mark, whereas Roadside would have used their upper two floors for residents. Members of the DC Office of Planning appeared at the Zoning meeting in November to argue for the project, noting its proposed LEED certification, traffic alleviation in the form of underground loading docks and truck courts, and overall consistency with the community's desire to have a retail anchor. More importantly, they reasoned that the building is graded, and that the highest points of the buildings sit back from the street. 

Finally, zoning approved the project for "set down" at the December 10th meeting - meaning it will be open to public participation, but it ended up costing Roadside. In order to get past Zoning's disapproval, developers nixed the residential space planned for the top two floors. In order to compensate for that loss of potential income, Roadside deleted 100 parking spaces and 20 affordable housing units from the overall scheme to reduce construction costs. The next step is Zoning's public hearing which has not been scheduled - but it will be at least thirty business days from now due to statutory laws requiring advanced notice to relevant parties. Roadside hopes to be in the ground by late 2008, but with Zoning delays some will be happy to get CityMarket at O by the turn of the century.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Historic Board Downsizes Buckingham Plans

DC-based Georgetown Strategic Capital (GSC) is drafting a mixed-use development at the intersection of N. Glebe and N. Pershing Drive in Arlington. The retail-oriented project will create roughly 45,000 s.f. of commercial space replacing a number of existing stores currently on the site, which GSC has vowed to bring back to the new property, sans Glebe Market. Although figures have yet to be ascertained regarding the residential components, sources indicate that the numbers being contemplated by the developer are likely to drop.

GSC presented their design plans to the Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) in Arlington last week, but no decision is being sought, yet. Board members gave largely disapproving feedback on the concept design plans, mostly finding dissent in the density, massing and size of the project, all but calling for the numbers to be reduced. The developer and architectural team, Cunningham + Quill Architects, to modify their proposal before the next meeting.

Arlington's historic review process makes such informational sessions routine, giving developers a chance to vet their projects before formal submission. GSC plans to sit in on sessions through 2008 in order to prepare a strong application for a Certificate of Appropriateness, the Historic Board's proverbial thumbs-up. Rebeccah Ball, a Historic Preservation Planner with HALRB, implied that the approval process is quite tedious; hence developers allocating months of foreplay for the board.

The project plans call for the destruction of several commercial buildings west of Glebe Road, including Glebe Market and a CVS, among others; replacing them will be a set of four-story structures with an undetermined amount of apartment units and workforce housing, and retail. Although GSC has development rights on all four corners, the majority of redevelopment will be taking place on the two sites that front Glebe Road: between N. Pershing and 2nd Rd. N, and between N. Pershing and 3rd Rd. N.

"HALRB made broad brush recommendations about how they would like to see this change, to be more compatible with the neighborhood in terms of massing, scale and design. These are recommendations the board is putting forward at this time, to make this a better project," Ball added. Despite the seemingly beneficial qualities of a better retail for the Buckingham Historical District, sources indicate the the impact on the neighborhood would be large, but the developer has taken a methodological approach to resolve the board's issues, presenting pieces of the project one at a time. HALRB expects to discuss the project again very soon.

Tenley Solicitation Extended to January

The deadline for responding to the Tenley Library / Janney School RFP has been extended by the DC government to January 4th. Developers were asked October 31st to submit proposals for a "world class mixed-used development" (but don't even think of building more than 5 stories) on the site of the now-demolished Tenley Library at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Street, which will include rebuilding a state of the art library as well as renovating the existing 43,000-s.f. school and constructing an addition for its cramped students.

Development of the land, currently owned by the District, has been addled by the incongruent needs of interested parties, pitting at odds the DCPS (public schools), DCPL (public libraries), the Office of Planning, retail-starved neighbors, and local anti-development activists that have a near perfect record in the community. As DCmud reported in October, the process began in 2005 when Roadside Development, developer of the just-completed Cityline Condominiums across the street, assembled its own development plan after discussion with neighbors, offering school renovation and a free library (the dated library having been shuttered in 2005) in exchange for the right to build residences above the new public library. The plan was obviated when DCPL came up with its own plan, but when that failed to launch, Roadside came back to the table to offer an amended plan. But by then Tenleyites had recently downsized another condominium on Wisconsin Ave. and successfully removed an adjacent (and admittedly monstrous) tower from the top of Tenley hill, and successfully petitioned the DC government to open the process to competitive bidding.

The District issued general specifications for the project, including doubling the size of the historic school, construction of a 20,000-s.f. library, and providing 30% of the new housing units for low-income residents, in keeping with the Comprehensive Plan's stricture for development of DC-owned property. The RFP also suggests that bidders incorporate retail into the project. Because plans for the library are already underway, DCPL has requested that residential units be built next to its new facilities, rather than over it, to avoid delaying its opening.

Offerers are being asked to provide their vision for the site as well as work with school and library officials to incorporate their uses, as well as provide a "meaningful community outreach." In accordance with the District's Comprehensive Plan, the site could also potentially be used for housing and retail, specifically street-level retail, that would enliven the Wisconsin Avenue commercial corridor. The site is less than a block from the Tenleytown-AU Metrorail Station.

DC Seeks Developers for 2 NE Sites

The Office of Planning - more bureaucratically known as (breathe in) the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (ODMPED) - has issued a Solicitation of Offers for development of two sites east of the Anacostia, in northeast, as part of its New Communities Initiative. The two District-owned sites, one a boarded up three-story apartment building located at 4427 Hayes Street (rendering pictured); the other consisting of seven vacant lots, totaling 17,500 s.f. of land on the 4800 block of Nannie Helen Borroughs Drive, are intended to become mixed-income residences, with a third of the housing aimed at families falling below 30% AMI. Hayes Street, which sits within walking distance of the Minnesota Ave. Metro station, has sat vacant for 12 years and had been on the drawing board of now defunct NCRC, which had intended to turn the project into 28 one and two-bedroom condos for mixed-income residents. Bids on both properties are due January 9th.

RFP Issued For Dalecarlia Plant

The U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers is accepting proposals to construct a Residuals Collection and Treatment Facility at The Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant located at 5900 MacArthur Blvd, NW (pictured, thanks to the technology of Google). The total bundle will encompass construction at four separate locations: Dalecarlia Resevoir, Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant, Dalecarlia Forebay site and Georgetown Reservoir site. The estimated value of the entire project has been estimated at $50 to $100 million; the deadline for proposal submission is set for January 3, 2008.

Southwest: School is Out, Condos are In

Nearly a year after the the city's $6.2 million sale of the vacant Randall Junior High School to The Corcoran College of Art and Design, the mold is finally setting for the new mixed-use project at 65 I Street, SW, the soon-to-be largest residential building in the quadrant which will incorporate elements of the 50-year-old Randall school and new art facilities for Corcoran. The project's overseer, Monument Realty, and design firm Shalom Baranes Architects, have to go back to the drawing board one final time before the final action hearing on January 14th with the Zoning Commission. MR Randall Capital LLC, a legal entity created by the developers, will own the entire mixed-use structure. Corcoran is selling their real estate to MR Randall for an estimated $8.2 million, and is set to retain a condo interest in the 100,000-s.f. facility it will occupy. All has not gone cosily for MR Randall however; the Planned Unit Development application has had some turbulence in the past few weeks. 

At the behest of the Office of Planning and the Department of Transportation, some minor changes had to be made to alleviate traffic concerns. As of the December 10th zoning hearing, new problems arose. A group called Square 643 Associates LLC, is worried about the project's potentially negative effects on their already-approved P.U.D. for the historic Friendship Baptist Church, just across the street. To add insult to injury, their legal representative from Arnold & Porter LLP, went on the record before Zoning to complain that the H Street facade was "not sufficiently rendered at the street level to enhance pedestrian experience." (Proving again that high fences make good neighbors.) ANC Commissioner David Sobelsohn had mixed feelings about the project yet the "net positive" for the community, largely presented in the benefits package offered by Corcoran, pushed him and his colleagues into unanimous support. "We are concerned because its going to be a huge development, and the access to the [residential] building will be through one of four partially or fully closed streets. [But] after final analysis we were very pleased with the benefits that will come to the community." Assuming no more impediments arise for the project, SW will soon see the construction of this 499,843 s.f. brand-spanking-new development, 100 feet high with roughly 480 condominiums, more than 100,000 s.f. of new Corcoran facilities and three levels of underground parking.  Shalom Baranes Principal Patrick Burkhart described the look of the new building: "As a counterpoint to the symmetry of the restored Randall School buildings along Eye Street, the new residential structure set behind them is a studied assymmetrical composition of ochre brick, metal and glass, whereby the new compliments the old through contrast." 

The $6.2 million that Corcoran coughed up (which was subsequently donated to the school system's maintenance fund - thank you Mayor Fenty) began a long list of "donations" the gallery will be making to the city, including: An "After School For All" program for DC Public Schools, 96 affordable condominiums in the new building for families earning up to 80% AMI, preservation and renovation to the "significant portions" of the Randall school, an assortment of scholarships to neighborhood undergraduate and graduate students, and a host of other community-oriented services including a Randall Neighborhood Day which will offer free admission to Corcoran's 17th Street Gallery (including special exhibits) every year, beginning next Thursday, December 27th. Corcoran is planning to move into its newest campus no later than 2011, making it the third functioning space after its main building on 17th and the gallery in Georgetown. To be sure, the architectural team will be hard at work to assuage the recent dissidence. In the meantime, the NCPC will give their slant on January 3rd, regarding whether L'Enfant would have supported it. Well, that's not exactly their criteria, but that's a future story.

Washington DC commercial real estate news

2300 Penn: One Step Closer to Workforce Housing

Last week the Zoning Commission approved a proposed action to build a mixed-use residential project at 2300 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, leaving the P.U.D. (Planned Unit Application) to be reviewed by National Capitol Planning Commission (NCPC) at its January 3 meeting before a final decision can be made. Inside sources assure DCmud that NCPC will rule that the project does not impinge on Federal interests, thus clearing the way for the Zoning Commission and bringing Chapman Development LLC one step closer to completing its long awaited and highly supported project to the Fairlawn community. Zoning commissioners have yet to set an official date as to when they will take final action, but a tentative agenda puts it on their January 14th schedule.

DC-based developer Tim Chapman has created an affordable residential opportunity for the Fairlawn neighborhood, just over the Anacostia River and adjacent to its namesake park. Chapman is offering 100% workforce housing for residents earning up to 60% AMI in the 118-unit rental building. In a special public meeting last week, the community all but unanimously backed the project; 18 form letters were submitted as public testimony in favor of Zoning's approval - none in opposition. Chapman even received rave reviews from a few key politicos; including Councilmember at Large Kwame Brown and political wild-card Councilmember Marion Barry, who submitted his two-cents in approval.

Currently, the 31,000 s.f. lot sits occupied by row houses. McLean-based design architects Computecture Incorporated designed the building to integrate the texture of the surrounding neighborhood. The structure's facade will be comprised of a two-tone light brick design and Hardie Plank siding around the 6,000-s.f. courtyard that the building encircles. The 59-foot apartment building, bounded by Prout Street, Pennsylvania Ave and two public alleys, will also house 8,000 s.f. of retail on the ground floor.

Chapman's CFO Steve Lawrence discussed his view on the firm's newest project: "Chapman Development is excited to participate in the construction of 2300 Pennsylvania Avenue. The company is dedicated to providing quality workforce housing in the District. We consider this a gateway project for Pennsylvania Ave, S.E." Although the development team has yet to determine the project timeline, their hopes are that ground breaking will start sometime early next year.

Eastern Market Rehab to Begin Soon

Bids have closed on a project that will revitalize Eastern Market at 255 7th Street SE, confirming Mayor Fenty's promises to rebuild more than six months ago. The Office of Contracting and Procurement received a total of five bids ranging in price from $7.5 million to $11.5 million and expects to finish due diligence on the final contract just after the new year, when the award package will then travel to the Office of the Attorney General for review. A hierarchy of approvals, on average a 15-day process, will commence at that point, after which time the DC Council will have 10 days to approve the contract. Although no sources were willing to give a timeline for reconstruction of the historic flame-gutted market, it has been estimated that efforts would begin as early as January.

The three alarm fire caused an estimated $20 million in damage to the 134-year old building on April 30 2007, the same day the Georgetown Library burnt down, requiring more than 150 firefighters to quell the destruction. The market, designed by Adolf Cluss (the architect behind the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building), had been in constant operation until that fateful Monday morning in April. The fire destroyed most of the South Hall, where the vendor's stalls were housed, and destroyed the roof above. Vendors have since been moved to a temporary location across the street, until the South Hall can be returned to its former glory.

A Notice to Proceed - the governments nod to begin construction - will be given shortly after the council approves (hopefully in January). Once the thumbs up is given, contractors will have a maximum of 400 days to complete the project. If all goes according to plan, we should have the historic structure back in action by Spring of 2009.

Condos Even the Washington Post Can't Hate

J Street Development and equity-partner Westbrook Real Estate Partners will hold the official ground breaking ceremony for their office condominium building tomorrow at 111 K Street NE, where pedestrians like us can watch big-wigs drop their golden shovels into the dirt. Each of the nine floors will be its own 9,000-s.f. condo (presumably sans granite countertops). Among the A-list invitees for the ceremony is Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and her former intern, Mayor Fenty; the latter has yet to reserve a seat for the event, although the J Street staff undoubtedly hopes he'll show, fedora and all.

The 90,000 s.f. addition of commercial space, only a block away from the bustle of Union Station, will be presented as an 11-story building with a self-described "grand two-story lobby," thanks to the design strategy of Gensler Architecture Worldwide. J Street has incorporated all of the necessities to facilitate commerce, a 3,000 s.f. conference center on the second floor, underground parking, 1,000 s.f. of retail, a rooftop terrace and most importantly, a prime commuter location. 111 K will serve as the first of a pair of offices J Street has planned for the 1st and K intersection. The second, just across the street at 100 K, will offer double the amount of office space and 7,000 s.f. of retail on a lot ten-times as large; a tentative construction timeline puts groundbreaking late in 2008.

111 K is not striving for LEED status, although green features have been incorporated into the overall design. As with most DC's newest buildings, it will house a green roof atop its tinted glass, use recycled construction materials and utilize an assortment of energy star equipment.

“We feel that 111 K Street is a terrific opportunity for office condominium owners," said Jay Bothwell Principal and Senior Vice President of Design and Construction at J Street. The design, Bothwell added, allows owners to "control their facilities costs in a uniquely designed Class A office building in an exciting and well situated area of the District." With regards to avoiding the typical leasing procedure, Bothwell added, "We're very pleased with the way the market has responded to this relatively underutilized product." 111 K Street is set for completion in mid-2009.

A Common Building for Petworth

Petworth's newest multi-family, Georgia Commons, will break ground by early next summer, according to developer Jair Lynch Companies (JLC). The 130-unit apartment building with 22,000 s.f. of retail will go up two blocks north of the Petworth Metro station by JLC and development partner AHD Inc. (Affordable Housing Developer). The pair was awarded the contract to build by the National Capitol Revitalization Corporation in 2006. The $38 million project, at 3910 Georgia Ave. NW is being designed by EDG Architects and Frank Schlesinger Associates.

JLC is the only developer that has two projects accepted into the eco-friendly pilot program LEED Neighborhood Development, which encourages Smart-Growth, transit-oriented development. According to the Congress for New Urbanism, an anti-sprawl organization with similar goals as Smart Growth, the new LEED program is "a joint venture of the Congress for the New Urbanism, the US Green Building Council, and the Natural Resources Defense Council...just as other LEED systems have improved building efficiency and energy performance, LEED-ND will reward efficient use of land and the building of complete and walkable communities." According to Tania Jackson, Director of External Affairs at Jair Lynch Companies, the new LEED designation targets sustainability on a macro-level instead of just "sticks and bricks." JLC's two LEED ND projects are Georgia Commons and the upcoming Solea, a mixed-use project at 14th and Florida, NW.

When completed, Georgia Commons will hold five-stories of mixed-income residential apartments organized around a central courtyard, sitting atop one level of street retail and two underground parking levels. It will be a contemporary structure, fitting into the Georgia Ave overlay zone, which aims to catalyze retail activity. "It's contextual but contemporary," said Don Tucker, Principal at EDG Architects. The project is a bit behind its original deadline, but is said now to have the financing in place to begin construction within 6 months.

After Renovations, DC Gets New Charter School

Community Academy Public Charter School (CAPCS), an organization dedicated to "providing a world-class education rooted in an ethical culture," is giving the derelict Samuel H. Armstrong Manual Training School (pictured, circa 1910) at 1400 1st St., NW, a complete overhaul in preparation for the coming school year. The historic Armstrong School underwent environmental abatement (aka. cleanup of all the crap that has accumulated over the past decade) in October; renovations are set to begin in January.

The Armstrong building, which served as an adult education center until being closed in 1996, once served as one of the first high schools in DC for African American students. Since '96 the building has been vacant; the interior has suffered tremendously but the facade of the building will be kept as-is.

"It was in pretty bad shape inside, because it hadn't been occupied in more than a decade," said Cecelia Blalock, Director of Communications at CAPCS. "The outside has held up well. We're very excited about the prospect of bringing back the Armstrong School to the position it once held as an important element in the community," Blalock added.

CAPCS currently operates four charter campuses in DC, and is seeking new opportunities; their governing charter allows them to educate no more than 4,250 students - they are currently at the 1,000 mark. Thus CAPCS's purchase of the Armstrong School back in 2005 from the District. With the help of a $25 million DC revenue bond, CAPCS will prepare their fifth location for more than 800 students. The school is expected to open in the fall.

DC Tries Again with Old Carnegie Library

In advance of an RFP, the Office of Planning sought inspiration from a group of University of Notre Dame School of Architecture students yesterday, in an attempt to transform the Carnegie Library into an integral part of Mt. Vernon Square. During a hefty portion of yesterday afternoon, students presented their design visions for the library both before an architectural review board and the general public. The raw talent of the soon-to-be graduates is being used to wrest new ideas (free of charge) for the ancient and mostly unused building; according to inside sources, this academic brainstorming serves to guide the focus of an RFP that the Office of Planning will soon issue for century-old library.

Carnegie donated an estimated $300,000 to build the Beaux-Arts style library in 1899. It was officially dedicated in 1903 as the Central Public Library - designed as a “closed-stack library,” meaning books and periodicals were stored out of public reach requiring visitors to request their materials from library staff. Slowly, the 60,000 s.f. structure became too cramped to serve the community and was replaced by a more modern Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Library in 1972, leaving the Carnegie vacant for the rest of the decade. Partial renovations were made to the structure in the 1980s to fulfill the needs of the University of the District of Columbia, but in 1999 DC’s Historical Society raised $19m in attempts to convert it into a museum dedicated to the history of our fair city. The City Museum of Washington DC opened in May 2003, but the projections of how many tourists would visit proved overly optimistic - consultants not realizing that tourists were trying to get out of Shaw, not into it - and the building was overtaken by the National Music Center in 2006.

Now, efforts are being made to rejuvenate Carnegie's legacy, although the Office of Planning would not comment on how or for what purpose. Yesterday morning's presentation, largely filled with technical descriptions and design rationale, was made in front of a board of professional judges from Franck Lohsen McCrery Architects Inc. and Grenfell Architecture. The latter presentation went two hours in the office of The Historical Society of Washington DC for District residents where UND students discussed their designs, creative motivations and the economic and preservation needs that their concepts fulfill.

"The students came to this project with no agenda," said Kara Kelly, Director of Communications at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. "They can be objective, creative, and are not hindered by any political situation." Graduate students, untainted by the doldrums of innumerable planning, zoning and ANC meetings, are apparently what the District needs to help inject life into DC's greatest symbol of Carnegie's altruism. Apparently, the students also required some time-off from the corn fields and countryside; DC served as a wise curricular choice. "What better Classical architecture can be found than in DC?" Kelly pointed out.

Public Land to Go on Endangered List?

Councilmember Harry Thomas will introduce legislation today to overhaul the way the District privatizes its land - part of the debris left from the big bang of September's botched West End redevelopment plan. The official nyet to the District's sale of three parcels of land to Eastbanc Inc., came from the council during a public hearing in early October; now crusading residents, appetites whetted, are pursuing the issue of public land disposition on the whole. Councilmember Carol Schwartz made an attempt in mid-November to garner public interest in the issue by holding a roundtable to flesh out ideas about changing the land disposition process. Now, bringing action to the rhetoric, Councilmember Thomas will present a protection bill for public property to drive the nail further into the coffin of public-private partnerships.

Councilmember Thomas' bill resulted from a draft created by the People's Property Campaign (PPC), a resident-led division of Empower DC. PPC's vanguard effort to compose legislation materialized with the help of myriad supporters: Tenley ANC 3E Special Committee, Save Our Schools, Dupont Circle Citizens Association, Foggy Bottom Association and Benning Library Dynamo to name a few.

The bill lays out prerequisites for public land disposition; "The People's Property Bill would require, before disposing of any public property, a detailed explanation of why it has no other viable public use," according to the Library Renaissance Project - an active member in the campaign to retain property in public hands. In addition, the bill calls for a comprehensive inventory of public properties, a community development plan and a master facilities plan.

"Public property has found its protector. With an open door, an open mind, and decisive action - [Councilmember] Thomas is setting a new standard for responsiveness," said Robin Diener, Director of the Library Renaissance Project.

Stanton Square to Rise Soon

Stanton Square, a 187- single-family townhouse community to be built on 8 acres between Hillsdale and Fort Stanton, received the official endorsement of the Zoning Commission last week. Horning Brothers, the development firm behind the project, is preparing to break ground on the first of three phases by early Spring 2008; some units are projected for delivery around September of the coming year. The timeline for construction on the remaining two-phases is largely dependent on the celerity of phase one sales.

Horning Brothers promised to reserve 63 of the homes for "workforce" housing, 20 of which will be set aside for families earning up to 60% AMI and the remaining 43 units for families earning up to 80% AMI. In addition, Horning will create a new chapter of the MANNA Homebuyer's Club, a "peer support group and homeownership counseling program," according to MANNA.

The project, including green space, is being designed by Vienna-based Lessard Group. Design of the new community will feature a pseudo anthology of architectural styles found throughout DC. "The fronts of the townhouses have a mix of Federal, Colonial and Transitional Victorian (...as opposed to Invariable Baroque) architectural styles," according to a Zoning Commission description of the project.

Stanton Square's assemblage of two and three story town-homes is self-described as "[Dazzling] your senses with an array of quality features and stylish design that add up to a homeowning (sic) value unmatched by anything available in the city," as stated on their website. Sales for the homes are to commence at the beginning of next year.

Residents Win Fight for Historic Community

Yesterday's Montgomery County Planning Board meeting couldn't have fared any better for the score of residents that testified in support of preserving and officially naming the Falkland Apartments as an historic community (see Thursday's post). Executives at Home Properties, the owner of the 70-year-old apartment community, are probably not as elated about the setback for their development plans.

Less than 24 hours ago, the Planning Board decided on the record that the Silver Spring apartment complex is a "key part of history and should be preserved," according to the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission. This decision comes in the wake of community activity (petition-signing and all) to preserve the site.

The Planning Board's decision last night initiates a full historic designation process, which begins with the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), then comes back to the Planning Board for further review and finally goes before the County Council – who will make the ultimate decision on whether the property deserves historic landmark status.