Arlington's Affordable Housing Haven

Affordable housing developers, AHC Inc., have opened the doors on their newest project, The Shelton, at 2310 Shirlington Road in the Arlington suburb of Nauck. The developer is billing the 94-unit development as an “affordable apartment community” – one that boasts a presidential pedigree with units named after former Commanders-in-Chief - Madison, Jefferson, Harrison (we don't know which one) and Washington, respectively - and rents that range from $636 for an efficiency, up to $1401 for a three-bedroom. According to the developer, "almost half the apartments are already leased" in the 4-story, 103,138 square foot building. Bonstra Haresign ARCHITECTS and Harkins Builders rounded out the development team, which began work following the 2007 demolition of the Fairview Manor Apartments.

The Shelton is the first AHC project to wrap up in recent months, but more are on the way. Other affordable housing projects in the Northern Virginia developer’s pipeline for 2009 include their partnership with the Macedonia Baptist Church of Arlington, the planned Westover Apartments (also of Arlington) and the Jordan Manor in Ballston - which is scheduled to begin construction in March and will share the same architect and general contractor as The Shelton.

Arlington Virginia commercial real estate news

EE&K Tapped for Three District Projects

Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn Architects have been awarded three multimillion dollar contracts in the District of Columbia, according to a statement released by the architectural firm. The first entails designs for a new gateway to the city’s “monumental core,” while the remaining two involve the creation of a master plan for Northwest’s Mount Vernon Square neighborhood and the modernization of Glover Park’s Benjamin Stoddert Elementary, respectively.

The first project reaffirms the city’s intent to install a definitive entrance to Washington’s tourist attractions. According to the press release issued by the firm, “[t]he study will be focused on North Capitol Street from Michigan Avenue to Hawaii Avenue, NE, and Irving Street/Michigan Avenue from First Street NW. The gateway would bring a sense of place to the adjacent neighborhoods and improved balance between the pedestrian focus of those neighborhoods and vehicular traffic flow and provide the initial design ideas for replacing an unsightly highway-style interchange with a more pedestrian-oriented design.” There’s no word, however, on when the first conceptual designs might begin to surface.

Meanwhile, in cooperation with the District’s Office of Planning and Department of Transportation, EE&K will be implementing infrastructural flourishes throughout the Mount Vernon Square with the hope of artfully integrating the borders between the Square, the recently opened Convention Center, and the historic Shaw neighborhood. EE&K has previously worked in a similar capacity with both the District’s Hill East neighborhood and Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

For their third and final District-sponsored project of the New Year, EE&K has been paired with Setty & Associates and KLTH Engineers to "modernize and expand" Ward 3’s 77-year-old Benjamin Stoddert Elementary School. The long overcrowded school will receive a new gym, cafeteria and media center under the guidance of the development team, while the school’s 6.5 acre plot has also been earmarked as the site of a new “intergenerational community center” by the Department of Parks and Recreation. EE&K principal Sean O’Donnell will be overseeing the school renovation and has assured the community that the firm has a wealth of experience when it comes to “[creating] sustainable 21st century schools that are the center of their communities.” EE&K has previously supplied designs for other local educational institutions, such as the School without Walls and Washington University’s Foggy Bottom campus.

Interns Replace Condos Downtown (A NOMA House)

The Washington Center (TWC) has announced plans to give Washington just what it needs: less condos and more…interns. The local non-profit has selected Paradigm Development Company to build out a new “mini-campus” for college students spending their summer at TWC-arranged, metro area internships. Though Paradigm, the Arlington-based development company, is perhaps best known for its Parc Rosslyn and Buckingham Village residential projects in Northern Virginia, the TWC project will mark Paradigm's first foray into from-scratch development in the District.

The $38 million dollar project will transform a NOMA parking lot at Third and K Streets, NE into a 345-bed dormitory complex, just around the corner from the Northeast BID’s only other ongoing residential projects thus far: the Cohen Companies’ Union Place.

The development will be sufficient to provide for approximately 80% of the thousand plus interns drafted by the TWC each year, who are currently housed in sundry apartment buildings throughout the area. Current plans call for the usual college-style accoutrements like shared kitchens, high speed internet and the nostalgia-inspiring “common area.” Though Paradigm representatives were unwilling to divulge the architects or general contractor attached to the project, they did say that “groundbreaking is imminent” and could begin before the end of the month.

The rise of the TWC’s student housing center does, however, signal the death knell for another project once planned for the same site: Greenbaum & Rose’s Capitol Cab Condominiums. Once slated to deliver another 112 residential units to the NOMA corridor, the project never got off, or out of, the ground. Greenbaum & Rose did not respond to DCmud’s inquiries regarding the project.

UPDATE: Washington Center representatives have confirmed that the architect on the project will be Davis Carter Scott and that a groundbreaking ceremony will be held on April 14th.

Bread for the City to Rise in Shaw

Local non-profit social advocates and medical clinicians, Bread for the City (BFC), are just weeks away from breaking ground on an 11,000 square addition to their Northwest Center at 1525 7^th Street, NW - a project that will double the size of the facility that is currently forced to turn away patients daily.

"Our clinic schedules 15 new patient appointments every week, but these slots are taken daily within minutes of opening our phone lines," said BFC Director George Jones in a prepared statement. "We turn many people away for lack of space, and they're likely to go without care or turn to a hospital emergency room - both costly and dangerous alternatives."

BFC has partnered with developer Jair Lynch and architects Wiebenson & Dorman (who also designed BFC's Southeast facility) for the $8.25 million build-out of their Shaw location. Once complete, BFC projects that their patient capacity will triple – good news for the more than 2,700 District residents who receive their primary medical care at the center. New improvements will include a “bigger and better” laboratory, a new waiting area, twice the current number of exam rooms and handicap accessible features throughout. BFC’s food bank and social services programs will occupy the facility’s first floor, while the medical and legal clinic will be housed on the second.

"This summer we held a party in our parking lot, and canvassed the neighborhood inviting people to come and talk about the expansion and what it means to us here in Shaw,” said Kristin Valentine, BFC’s Director of Development. “A little over 50 people from the community showed up to meet with board members, clients, and staff so we could address any concerns. The design was also approved by the ANC2C."

The project is made possible in part by a recent $1.35 million grant from the District of Columbia Primary Care Association. That sum, and an earlier donation of nearly $3 million, were both made under the auspices of the Medical Homes DC initiative – a movement “designed to increase access to consistent, affordable medical care for underserved DC residents.” At present, BFC is seeking the remainder “through individual, corporate and foundation grants.” Those contributing gifts of $15,000 or more will have a piece of the new facility – anything from a computer station to food pantry, depending on the amount - named in their honor.

According to Valentine, “The project is not yet fully permitted, [but] we expect to receive the building permit and start construction by April of 2009.” BFC expects construction to be complete by the spring of 2010. Turner Construction will serve as general contractor.

Pentagon City Phase III

For the past five decades, Pentagon City has been primarily known for...well, not much other than its namesake. McLean-based developer Kettler, however, has been aiming to change that with their ambitious 8-phase, 10-building Metropolitan Park development – a project set to rank a solid second behind the world's largest office building in terms of size and scope. The first of those phases, the 399-unit Gramercy, opened its doors in 2006; the second, the 300-unit Millennium, is now under construction and on track to deliver in 2010. Now, wheels are turning on the project's third entry, which will head back before the Arlington County Planning Commission and County Board on February 9th for final site plan approval. Conveniently, they’re among the few plans in Pentagon City that aren’t top secret.

Designed by architects Dorsky Hodgson Parrish Yue, the untitled Phase III development will include 411 rental residential units, along with 16,350 square feet of ground floor retail – making it Metropolitan Park’s biggest entry so far. The 18-story edifice will stand on a 2-acre parcel at the southeastern corner of South Fern Street and 12^th Street South, just steps from the Pentagon City Metro. The site currently houses two warehouses servicing DHL Express and Danker Furniture.

Amenities planned for the residential high-rise include a fitness center, plus a rooftop pool on the building’s sixth story wing. Per the green-centric tone of Northern Virginia development these days, Metropolitan Park III will also shoot for a LEED certification and three green roof areas, ranging in size from 1,740 to 2,000 square feet.

Pentagon City's infrastructure is also due for an upgrade as the project nears completion. Kettler intends to divide their “superblock” of development up with extensions of 12^th, Elm and South Fair Streets, and a pedestrian passageway linking South Fern and South Fair Streets. A 1/3 acre public park is also planned, featuring the works of landscape architects Lewis Scully Gionet and possibly a public arts component.

At present, Kettler projects little or no difficulty in getting their third installment Metropolitan Park through next month's site plan hearing. "We had an original master plan penned by Robert AM Sterns for the entire development. There were guidelines within that and we've followed them closely," said Jamie Gorski, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for Kettler. "Our internal meetings [regarding the project's future] have gone very well." According to Gorksi, construction is currently slated to begin in 2010, with completion following in late 2012.

Auction Raises $4.5 Million for Washington, DC

Last Friday's auction of District-owned "nuisance properties" netted more than $4.5 million for the city, according to documentation obtained by DCmud (pictured). In total, 28 of 31 properties listed were snatched up by new owners and there were some bargains, too. A Southeast property at 2321 Highland Street went for only $35,000, while none of the listings exceeded $400,000. Per Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) guidelines for the auction, the majority of the funds raised will benefit the District’s affordable housing fund.

“The potential revenue from the January 30 auction could be as much as $4.85 million for the District however, there are conditions (outlined in the disposition agreement) that have to be met before sales are final,” said Angelita Colón-Francia, DHCD’s Senior Public Information Officer. A public hearing will precede the settlements. We anticipate that closings will likely occur in early spring.”

Despite the disclosure of the District’s take from the sales, there’s still some question as to who actually purchased the properties. Some citizens at Mayor Fenty’s announcement of the auction expressed concerns that the derelict homes would immediately go to developers with deep pockets, rather than private citizens with a stake in the community. It can't be worse than the status quo ante.

Awaiting the New Bruce Monroe

Several District agencies are currently in the midst of coordinating plans for the demolition and subsequent reconstruction of the recently closed Bruce Monroe Elementary School. The 36-year-old educational facility and recreation center, located at 3012 Georgia Avenue NW, closed its’ doors this past June along with several other neglected DC public schools after years of making do with shrinking budgets, overcrowding and/or deteriorating conditions.

In a Request for Proposals issued by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (ODMPED) this past autumn, the 121,000 square foot lot will be repurposed with a new school and, in the words of the Office of Planning, "a mixed-use development project which [is being] developed to fund the new school." Though the Mayor's office has yet to announce a development team, DC Public Schools’ Office of Public Facilities Management has been tasked with overseeing the school's development, while ODMPED and the DC Department of Small & Local Business Development share the responsibility of seeking a partner for the project’s mixed-use component.

ODMPED’s Communications Director, Sean Madigan, tells DCmud that there is no firm timeline for when the demolition may take place, but the Deputy Mayor Neil Albert’s office is currently in the process of securing the necessary paperwork in order to expedite the process once an announcement is made.

At present, the bulk of Bruce Monroe’s former student body and staff have been consolidated into nearby Park View Elementary at 3560 Warder Street NW - which itself will be closed once school bells start ringing at Bruce Monroe Elementary’s newest incarnation. According to ODMPED, Ward 1’s newest old school is currently scheduled to be “open in time for the fall of 2011.”

Barry Weighs in on Poplar Point

While the inevitable fallout from the Poplar Point decision continues, one of DC’s most controversial politicians has made it plain where the blame lies: Mayor Adrian Fenty. Councilman Marion Barry opined on the subject of the District’s split with developer Clark Realty Capital over the $2.5 billion Poplar Point redevelopment in Southeast – a project once slated to deliver a hundreds of new residential and hotel units to the neighborhood, along with a new stadium for the DC United.

This past Friday, the former mayor and current Ward 8 representative issued a statement condemning both Mayor Adrian Fenty and Deputy Mayor Neil Albert’s handling of the development process. The full text of the letter follows below, courtesy of The Washington Post [grammatical errors in the original].

January 30, 2009

Honorable Adrian Fenty
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004

Dear Mayor Fenty;

This letter is to express my disappointment at the way you and your administration has handled the Poplar Point development. The announcement this afternoon terminating the partnership with Clark Realty is another staggering blow to a project that was already hindered by an unfocused approach. I told you over a year ago that your quick change in direction to put the project out as an RFP would stall the efforts to keep things moving in the right direction. I still believe that the original approach was the best option to rapidly plan and execute this critical development. The setback today demonstrates how your administration's decision making places the promise that is Poplar Point farther out of the reach of the residents of Ward 8.

For over three years the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, heads of civic associations, ministers and other community persons have spent hundred of hours giving input in what we in Ward 8 wanted to see at Poplar Point. Moreover, I have personally met with Deputy Mayor Neil Albert at least a dozen times as it relates to the development of Poplar Point. Early on he discussed with me the attitude of Council as it related to the original approach to the project. I told him repeatedly, that the great majority of Councilmembers, for the sake of urgency and expediency, would support the sole source deposition if the community were in agreement with the plan, which they were.

It has always been understood that this would be a complicated process. The clear attitude was to support a direction that would allow planning and other preparations to keep pace with the mountain of federal requirements that have to be satisfied. This is no longer possible, at minimum a year has been added to the process.

I have never seen the Ward 8 community so unified behind a project such as Poplar Point. Now I will be forced to face my constituents and community leaders to tell them we are headed back to the drawing board. Over my concerns and those of the people, many of whom it took a long time to convince to support any project at Polar Point, you charged ahead without us. I am certain that this serious misstep will have a lasting negative effect on the public support for the project. In addition, it will be difficult to attract a quality developer to the project. Even so, I remain optimistic that your administration will move quickly to resolve this situation. Your next steps will be crucial in maintaining the promise made to the citizens of Ward 8.

I look forward to your response on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Marion Barry
Councilmember, Ward 8

Building Peace on the National Mall

Construction of the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), is well under way at Constitution Avenue and 23^rd Street, NW – the so-called "war and peace corner" of the National Mall. Once a simply a surface parking lot for the neighboring Naval Potomac Annex, the site is due to be reborn as $185 million, LEED- certified testament to the United States' "commitment to building peace around the world."

The new 5-story white glass edifice will serve as the new headquarters for the USIP – a congressionally funded think tank dedicated to resolving international conflicts and increasing “peacebuilding capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide” – in addition to serving a bevy educational purposes for the public at the large. The latter will be served by a 20,000 square foot Public Education Center for visitors that will count a “Peace Lab” and theatre sponsored by the Chevron Corporation among its publicly accessible features. These will be joined by a conference center that is planned to include a 230 seat auditorium, a 45 seat amphitheater and 8 meeting rooms, as well as a public plaza and garden in the Institute’s inner courtyard. The USIP’s three uppermost floors will house office space for the Institute’s 200 or so employees and rotating roster of visiting researchers.

Moshe Safdie and Associates was selected as architects, following a nationwide design competition. Composed of “three distinct sections linked together by atriums covered by large-span undulating roofs,” the new USIP will be clearly visible from the nearby Lincoln Memorial, as well the adjacent Korean War and Vietnam Veterans Memorials (the latter of which has too been singled out by Congress for a significant expansion).

A ceremonial groundbreaking for the new facility took place this past June, with both then President George W. Bush and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in attendance. The project boasted bipartisan support in Congress as well - the body that allowed now disgraced former Alaska Senator and then-Senate Appropriations Chairman, Ted Stevens, to allot $100 million in funds for the development. USIP is currently in the midst of seeking approximately $6 million more in private donations – a quarter of which was met in September by the BP America Foundation.

USIP has been represented throughout the development process by local developer John Stranix, who is also currently spearheading efforts to redevelop the District’s Parkside Additions public housing project. Clark Construction is serving as general contractor on the project (a webcam of their progress at the site is available here). The project is expected to open in the fall of 2010.

Unpoplar Point - Clark and District Sever Ties

The District announced Friday that it is ending its agreement with Clark Realty to develop Poplar Point, the 110-acre parcel that fronts the Anacostia River. In an unusual late night announcement, Deputy Mayor Neil Albert said "Clark is a great local company that will continue to do excellent work in this city. But in this extremely challenging economic environment it is no longer practical for Clark to pursue the deal structure we currently have in place." The District announced on February 14, 2008, that Clark had been selected to lead the development team. Development had always been contingent upon several key factors, such as transfer of the land from the federal to the District government and a favorable environmental impact study. Several groups have since contested the project, noting the diversity of wildlife that exists on the site, and the desirability of converting it into a 70-acre park and mixed-use development. In an interview with DCMud last May, the Deputy Mayor said the project remained on track. "Poplar Point is off in the distance, but Clark, the main developer hasn’t had problems getting the money they need. There is such a strong interest in the development of the District that as long as that interest remains, these projects will stay on schedule." Development was never expected to be imminent, with most of the interested parties pegging construction over a 10 to 20 year timeframe, the announcement is a setback for the District, which began the official search for a development partner back in August of 2007. "The District will continue the planning process for Poplar Point and pursue avenues for site remediation and infrastructure development. In the near future, the District will issue a solicitation for vertical development partners for site. All development activities will continue to be contingent upon the outcomes of the environmental impact study process," said Albert.

Washington DC commercial property news

Auctioning Babes

If any one thing comes to embody the zeitgeist of real estate skepticism, it may be the comeuppance of would-be developments, outlived even by their own ephemeral marketing life. First among that class may be the sad story of Babe's Billiards, purchased and shuttered by Clemens Construction to make way for the Maxim at Tenley, a condominium development at 4600 Wisconsin Avenue, NW that will go to auction as a recent victim of foreclosure.

Popular watering hole Babe's was prematurely closed by the new owner - an easy sacrifice for the nearly 70 condo units intended for the site. Clemens began their pursuit of the elusive project in 2006 and had their intentions reaffirmed when the DC Zoning Commission ruled in their favor the following year.

But the approval was only the beginning of a long and arduous - but eventually mortal - debate with the community. In a coup de grace similar to what may befall neighboring Tenley-Friendship Library/Janney Elementary project – the project was downsized past the point of viability, ultimately ending at approval for a 36,000 s.f. building with a maximum of 42 units and a puny retail component fronting retail starved Wisconsin Avenue.

The combination of the real estate market and reduced scale proved fatal, leaving the blackened building skinned in "coming soon" signs for a prominent epitaph.

Now the entire 12,661 square foot lot, including the store fronts at 4600-4608 and 4614 Wisconsin, has been bundled for the auction, along with its Cunningham & Quill Architects’ designs. In addition to the blueprints, the high bidder will also inherit the development’s previously approved status – meaning that a well financed developer could resurrect the project (or bring back Babes, we hope).

At this time, Clemens still owns the property; the auction is being sponsored by a third party and will take place at the DC offices of attorneys Ober/Kaler (1401 H Street, NW) at 11 AM on February 5^th. The winner will be required to provide a deposit in the form of a cashier’s or certified check for $100,000 at the time of sale.

Washington DC retail and real estate news

DC's "Nuisance Properties" Headed to Auction

Mayor Adrian Fenty was joined by Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Director Leila Edmonds today at a vacant Columbia Heights townhome to announce an auction of District-owned "nuisance properties" tomorrow afternoon.

"These are neighborhood nuisances and they've been the site of numerous problems. What councilmember, what citizen activist, what great media person hasn't heard the tales of nuisance properties like one behind me [at 3004 13th Street, NW] causing problems with everything from rodent infestation to plain old visual blight?" said the Mayor.

In total, 31 properties located in the DC neighborhoods of Columbia Heights, Shaw, LeDroit Park, Trinidad and Deanwood will hit the auction block (all of which can be viewed here). All were acquired through eminent domain, foreclosure or “friendly” sale and represent just a fraction of the city’s inventory of derelict properties. According to Director Edmonds, funds raised from the auction will benefit the city’s affordable housing fund and, if successful, another round of sales open to the public could occur in the near future.

The auction will be held Friday, January, 30th at 2 PM at 441 Fourth Street, NW. The Mayor projects that the “more than 200 developers and investors” who turned up for last week’s pre-bid conference will be in attendance and the public has been encouraged to participate as well. Prospective bidders will be able to register on site, provided they can meet the city’s minimum price point of $10,000. Those who purchase property at the auction will be required to have their properties in fully operable condition within 18 months or face the prospect of ownership reverting to the District. Additionally, they will also have to meet a series of DCHD-dictated expectations in restoring the once neglected homes.

“Bidders and potential purchasers will be required to fulfill the certified business entity requirements within the District. So, not only will we get these properties back into productive use, but we will also be fulfilling the mandate and mission to get them to help people find job opportunities” said Edmonds.

Fenty and Edmonds also used the opportunity to unveil the DHCD’s new “interactive housing database,” dchousingsearch.org – a site that aggregates both “rental and homeownership opportunities throughout the city.”

“Until today there wasn’t one place that you could go and find affordable housing in the city,” said Fenty. “That changes with the great work of DHCD. Obviously, it’s impossible for us to mandate affordable housing providers to give us information, but I think there’s great incentive for them to do so. We already have 5,672 total units in the system…and we have to date 64 housing providers that are registered as active within the system.” More 600 of the site's listed units are currently available.

Washington DC real estate news

EYA Paints the Town Green in Southeast

In an unprecedented move for a large scale residential development in the District, developer EYA took steps this week to ensure that all 210 for-sale townhomes within their Capitol Quarter development along Southeast Washington’s Capitol Riverfront will meet the standard for "LEED for Homes" certification – the industry standard for recognizing sustainable design and green building practices par excellence.

“It’s been our intention all along to select an organization that we could partner with and meet agreed upon standards that would certify ‘being green,’ if you will,” said Andy Warren, EYA’s Chief Operating Officer. “It’s an emerging area and some builders are just doing kind of silly stuff…and calling it green. We felt the perfect thing to do was to find some sort of third party that was recognized and public in the industry as a valid resource to define what is and what isn’t green.”

Per a statement released by the developer, EYA intends to use the Capitol Quarter project as a “model for volume builders on how to implement LEED for Homes on a larger scale.” They’re even pushing their eco-friendly ethos one step farther by including Energy Star-branded appliances and windows in the homes, along with a host of other green chic features like high efficiency cooling units and low flow plumbing fixtures. According to Warren, the modifications will represent only a modest increase in cost over their typical construction practices, as the development team had always intended on utilizing some aspects of sustainable design for the Capitol Quarter - with or without LEED certification.

“I think frankly if you were going from the minimum code requirements to the standards that you need for LEED for Homes and Energy Star, the cost would be very significant. For us, it’s more the magnitude of several thousand dollars, as opposed to the maybe tens of thousands of dollars you’d have to spend otherwise.”

At present, the Capitol Quarter project is slated to deliver approximately 137 market rate townhomes, 75 workforce housing townhomes and 86 public housing units to the burgeoning Capitol Riverfront quadrant of Southeast – well within walking distance of the Navy Yard Metro, the Nationals home turf and a bevy of similarly scaled (re)developments, such as Forest City’s Yards project . The Capitol Quarter’s public housing component - built in conjunction with District of Columbia Housing Authority – will not, however, bear the same LEED certification as its ballpark brethren.

“That is primarily due to the significant lead time that was involved in putting the plans and specs together for the city,” said Warren. “Those decisions were made more than a year ago and to change that just wasn’t feasible, but some same elements and construction techniques that we used on the for-sale units will carry over.”

EYA currently projects an April or May 2009 delivery for the first batch of Lessard Group-designed rowhouses at Capitol Quarter; all construction is expected to be complete by the fall of 2010. The market rate units are currently available for pre-sale, with prices starting at $630,000.

Eisenhower Ave. Towers Get the Green Light

As of last week, Lane Development's ambitious development proposal for Alexandria’s Eisenhower Avenue has received design approval from the Carlyle/Eisenhower East Design Review Board. The project, which seeks to add four towers of mixed-use development just feet from the Beltway at 2250 and 2200 Mill Road, had initially been delayed due to concerns over the planned building materials and the project's distinctive rooftop accents. Now, with the buildings to definitively be constructed out of "dark precast" and the crowning cross patterns (pictured) scaled back to appease the Design Board, the project can proceed unimpeded.

Once completed, the developer intends to add 485 new residential units, 5700 square feet of retail and 585,000 square feet of office space in buildings as high as 22 stories - not to mention two new roads - to the Northern Virginia market. A definitive start date for the project has yet to be scheduled.

Post Office Makeover in the Works for Bethesda

One of Bethesda's most ennui-inspiring edifices, the United States Postal Office site at 7001 Arlington Road, was recently approved for a mixed-use makeover - courtesy of the Keating Development Company, KGD Architects and a future wrecking ball. Though the Montgomery County Planning Board (MCPB) initially approved the project in 2007, the development plan was approved by the Montgomery County District Council in November of 2008.

The $10 million project aims to do away with the current 18,600 square foot postal facility at the site and, in turn, replace it with a 4-story residential development located above a new post office. Plans on hand call for up to 105 residential units (14 of which will be reserved as affordable housing), approximately 7,000 square feet for a new USPS retail store and 23,000 square feet of ground floor "workroom" office space that will house a re-jiggered and newly improved Bethesda Post Office. These will be joined by 299 parking spaces - divided between a ground floor garage for postal service customers and vehicles, and a below grade structure for residents and employees.

Amenities planned for the as-of-yet untitled development include a landscaped deck area that will connect to the adjacent Capital Crescent Trail. In conformance with the zoning requirements, the project will also feature the required 50% green area - a surefire improvement, as the majority of the site is currently devoted to a large surface parking lot.

Keating representatives declined to comment on the status of the development, beyond conforming that it had, in fact, received approval of the development plan from the County Council. No timeframe has been established for groundbreaking, and the current post office at the site remains open for business and in full operation for the immediate future.

New Development Going Green in Alexandria

The Northern Virginian city of Alexandria can now count itself among the few townships in the nation working towards codified green building policy. Since mid-2008, a group of city officials, developers, builders and non-profit employees - calling themselves the Green Building Working Group - has been aiming to realize a 2007 Department of Planning and Zoning recommendation that called for "the development industry and community to develop a sound understanding and reinforce its commitment to Green Building and sustainable development in the City.'

The riposte has finally arrived. While not legally binding, the "Green Buildings in Alexandria Policy Recommendations" report - featuring the input of various Alexandria policy makers, along with that of representatives from MRP Realty, the JBG Companies, Winchester Homes, Environmental Resources Management, and the US Green Building Council, among others – signals several significant changes for green building projects in Alexandria.

First and foremost, all projects that “require a site plan or development special use permit” will now be “expected” to adhere to the policy recommendations. Those include a minimum LEED silver certification for nonresidential projects, “flexibility for non-standard buildings,” and the need for a closer working relationship between city authorities and would-be developers. According to the report, the city of Alexandria cannot legally mandate green building practices; instead they’re seeking a "lead by example” approach “in anticipation that the building and development industry will act in own interests.” Wait for the lawyers to parse that distinction.

Nonetheless, for every stance taken in the report, there is an opposing opinion and the panel has yet to unanimously agree on several issues. Two currently at the forefront of deliberation include whether LEED silver certification shall remain the city’s minimum standard for all projects, and exactly what types of incentives should be offered to those developing eco-friendly projects.

“While there are some areas of disagreement...there is general agreement on the policy issues such as flexibility, phasing, and recognition,” says Rich Josephson, Deputy Director of the Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning and Working Group member. “It is our intent to have City Council adopt this policy in March and to have development applications follow this policy some time shortly thereafter.”

Consensus or not, there are still numerous green projects already on deck for construction in Alexandria over the course of the next year. Among the upcoming projects highlighted in the report were the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s (ARHA) developments at West Glebe Road and Old Dominion Road, Jaguar Development’s Braddock Gateway, Trammell Crow Residential’s Carlyle Center, ARHA and EYA’s James Bland redevelopment and the Payne Street Condos.

The Working Group will be on hand to present the draft to the public at the George Washington Memorial Masonic Temple on January 28^th from 7 to 9 PM. The presentation will include a panel discussion on the merits of the current draft, in addition to a question and answer session.

Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

Drinking Deep at the McMillan Sand Filtration Plant

There seems to be substance dribbling out of the McMillan water treatment plant these days, not all of it good. Last month, the District-selected development team tasked with transforming the 25-acre, deteriorating facility into more than 2 million square feet of new mixed-use development presented a fresh round of designs to the local community. New details disclosed at the December 23^rd meeting include the possibility of a restaurant corridor and amphitheater at the corner of North Capitol Street and Michigan Avenue – new conceptual renderings of the latter are available via the Washington City Paper’s Housing Complex blog.

McMillan was designated as a historic landmark in 1991 and, as such, will be subject to review by the District’s Historic Preservation Review Board as the $500 million project moves beyond the planning stages. The immediate result of this is that that the development team – which includes Vision McMillan, EYA, Jair Lynch Development and architects the Lessard Group – will retain as many of the 107-year-old site’s architectural flourishes as possible, including the distinctive concrete towers that abut the reservoir. Current plans call for those to be joined by 1,170 residential units (with a roughly 50/50 ratio of rental apartments to condos), 684,000 square feet of office space, 110,000 square feet of retail and 63-room boutique hotel rooms, with construction starting as early as next year.

So far so good. But DC residents got an unpleasant surprise in their mailboxes this week, courtesy of the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DCWASA). According to the statement from DCWASA General Manager Jerry N. Johnson that was mailed to District tap water consumers, the quality of potable water emanating from the McMillan water treatment plant in Ward 5 was compromised for a 14-minute period on the evening of December 22^nd. Per an addendum from the US Army Corps of Engineers, the lapse could have resulted in release of organisms that cause “nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.” Surrounding areas affected via the Washington Aqueduct included the whole of the District of Columbia, Falls Church, Vienna and the Willston area water system in Arlington.

The prospect of such large scale development also seems to have caused some nausea in the community. Just last month, local resident Paul Kirk started up a “No Drilling at McMillan” blog that protests the perceived downsides of the redevelopment – including a presumed rise in the crime rate and traffic, in addition to infrastructural critiques such as a lack of “usable park space.” With four years to go until the ribbon cutting, there should still be enough time for everyone to get a word in edgewise.

Bonafide New Residential for Silver Spring

There's yet another residential project in the works for downtown Silver Spring. Independent developer Theo Margas hopes to deliver his Bonifant Plaza project to so-named Bonifant Street in the heart of the suburban city's Central Business District. Since filing plans with the Montgomery County Planning Board more than two years ago, progress on the Bonifant has been slow coming due to traffic issues - but that's something that could begin to turn around as early as next month.

Located on an unaddressed parcel within a stone's throw (approximately 135 feet) of Georgia Avenue, the Bonifant Plaza would measure in at roughly 115,000 square feet and sport new 72 new rental apartments with the same number of private parking spaces. (As required by Montgomery County statutes, 12.5% of those units must be devoted to affordable housing – which amounts to 9 sacrificial units for the developer.) The 9-story project is being designed Silver Spring-based architects AR Meyers & Associates and, though current plans don’t include a retail component, Margas has still not discounted an alternative that would allow him to service the heavily trafficked Silver Spring corridor. “The zoning…doesn’t allow for ground floor retail,” he says. “If for some reason that changes, then we would pursue putting ground floor retail in. But at this point there’s no retail in the designs for the project.”

Per recommendations made by Planning Board staff and the Maryland Department of Transportation, Bonifant Plaza has been on hold pending a design adjustment of the of alleys intended to service the new building. At one point, there had been concerns that the recently resolved issue of Purple Line’s prospective route could also impact the site, but with both matters now headed towards a speedy resolution, the project will return before the Board next month. ““[That meeting is] only for the budget plan, and we still have the site plan,” says Margas. “We’re not going to be at [the final] stage until sometime after budget approval.” Meanwhile, Margas concedes that a final timeline and cost analysis for the Bonifant project will be contingent on the next phase of the approval process, but seems confident that 2009 will be the year that Bonifant Plaza joins its fellow Silver Spring CBD projects – like SilverPlace, 1050 Ripley, the Adele, 8227 Fenton, and 8711 Georgia – on the docket of County-approved developments.