GW Site Wrapping Up

Thanks to a recent topping out, Square 54 now dominates the corner of Washington Circle nearest the Foggy Bottom Metro. A little more than two years after breaking ground, Boston Properties and general contractor Clark Construction are well underway building and filling the new mixed-use campus. Gossip about tenants includes a Whole Foods filling a large portion of the retail, though the only officially announced leases belong to law firm Hunton & Williams, NIH Federal Credit Union and lunch time favorite Devon & Blakely.

Square 54 will bring 335 rental units, 440,000 s.f. of office space, an open central courtyard and retail plaza on I Street, over 80,000 s.f. of retail space (including the mystery supermarket), and over 1,000 underground parking spaces. The project is a partnership between Boston Properties and George Washington University, which owns the 2.6-acre site. The site was formerly part of GW Hospital; Boston has a 60-year ground lease on the land.

The residential portion will include 292 market-rate rental units and 43 units set aside for affordable and work-force housing. According to the developers, the residential portion of the project will deliver in May 2011 and begin leasing in January or February of that year. Residents will have access to approximately 250 parking spaces and at least three car-sharing spaces will be available for resident use.

The commercial/retail building will deliver in March 2011, according to Richard Ellis, a Project Manager for Boston Properties."All of the retail space is currently accounted for," according to Ellis. Ellis's calculations generously include the 15,000 s.f. under lease negotiations with a potential grocer, though he declined to comment on the Whole Foods rumors. Hunton & Williams signed on for 190,000 s.f. of office space in the commercial building and according to Jake Stroman, a Senior Project Manager at Boston Properties, the total leased office space and space under lease negotiation is 315,000 s.f., leaving 125,000 s.f. of office space up for grabs.

The project was designed by Connecticut-based Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, LLP and Sasaki and Associates, the architect of record was Hickok Cole; Boston recently hired design team Carlyn and Company Interior Design to work on the residential interiors.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Buying Time for Utopia

This week the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) granted a two-year extension to Georgetown Strategic Capital LLC (GSC) for the planned Utopia development at 14th and U, painting a hazy picture for the future of the site. In April, Robert Moore of GSC hinted that his firm might make an announcement "hopefully in the next couple weeks" about financing and a timeline. To date, no announcement has followed and now the developers have secured an extension for the project, plans for which will not expire until November 13, 2012. Moore could not be reached for comment on the BZA action.

GSC received original approval in November 2008 and the zoning exceptions would have expired this coming November. A May filing by GSC was met with approval this week after the firm sent a notice to all involved parties, including the ANC, none of which submitted a response objecting to the extension.

In April, Moore said once the team secures financing for the $93.5 million project they will put together construction drawings and obtain permits, reportedly over the next nine months. Moore said construction would likely begin in 2011 and complete in 2012. Utopia will provide 220 residential rental units on the corner of 14th and U Streets, with the building and all entrances facing 14th Street and incorporating some of the historic facades on U.

The new project will offer 150 parking spaces to service both retail and residential uses. The building with be tallest on U Street at 90 feet, stepping down to 65 feet, then 45 feet on the south side as it moves away from U Street and will include 20,000 s.f. of retail and a roof top pool. Eric Colbert & Associates designed the mixed-use project.

UPDATE: Robert Moore of GSC reached out to DCMud to provide a brief update on the project. Moore said his team is still wrapping up financing and a joint venture partner agreement. Financing in terms of debt financing for construction is still "a long way off" he added. That said, Moore hopes to obtain permits "over the next 12 months" and that he is "pretty confident" that the project will be in the ground in the beginning of 2011.

Washington, DC real estate development news

CityCenter: On Track for Early 2011 Groundbreaking

As the financial downturn slowly releases its chokehold from DC development, increasingly large projects are beginning to set timelines, even without tenants. Underscoring that point is Archstone and Hines Interests’ redevelopment of the old Convention Center site, a plan has been mired in delays, with one groundbreaking schedule after another falling to the wayside. Developers are now claiming that the project will begin early next year. The multi-phase, mixed-use development will commandeer 10-acres of vacant downtown property to eventually realize 400,000 square feet of retail space, more than a million square feet of office space, 458 rental apartments, 216 condos and a 400-bed “high-end” hotel with its own 100,000 square foot retail plaza, under a 99 year lease from the city.

Howard Riker, Vice President at Hines Development, said the developers are "pretty much done with all of our plans and are within a couple weeks to be able to pull our building permits." Riker also indicated that the team had to rework a few elements of the office building design to "accommodate a major tenant prospect." He was unwilling to divulge any information about the prospective major tenant. Riker said the team has already chosen a general contractor team of Clark with Smoot Construction; subcontractor bidding will begin shortly. The first phase of construction is scheduled for the first quarter of 2011. "The idea is that we'd start construction on the entire site south of I Street at one time, dig a deep hole, build the parking" and then continue with the office and residential projects, explained Riker. The project should reach "substantial completion between May and September 2013" estimated Riker, adding that the office would deliver first, likely in the spring, with the residential following shortly thereafter over the summer. The first phase is estimated to cost $700 million and is is entirely privately financed, according to Riker. Foster and Partners of London and DC-based Shalom Baranes serve as co-architects on the massive endeavor. Designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, "the design of the landscape, office and condominium buildings relates to the specific sun and wind patterns and the climate. The site and the buildings will also incorporate solar shading, harness rainwater and water conservation and planting," according to Foster's website. The second phase (the northern quadrant) of the project includes a hotel on property owned by Kingdon Gould, which he obtained through a land swap with the District Government in 2007. Gould gave up land on the site of the future Convention Center Marriott to get the northeast parcel of CityCenter. Riker indicated the 350-400 room hotel project was still in the planning stage, but that the team could select an operator "hopefully later this year." Washington, DC real estate development news

NYU's Student Housing Still On Track Downtown

New York University's College of Arts and Sciences is moving forward with plans for 75,000 square foot, LEED gold-certified "multipurpose center" at 1307 L Street, NW. This week the University received updated Board of Zoning Adjustment approval for the downtown site, which it purchased in 2008 for $7.3 million. The NYU-DC Center, the educational/dormitory facility will house some 150 students studying off-campus each semester.

The Hickok Cole-designed 9-story complex will feature a lecture hall, seminar rooms and office space for NYU’s Office of Government and Community Affairs and John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress, below five-stories of student housing. The facility will also offer temporary living space for visiting professors. The slim 60-foot wide lot posed a design challenge to the architects, luckily students are adept at living in diminutive spaces, especially New Yorkers. Rooms will be arranged in four-room suites. A balcony along the building façade will act as a visual separation between the student housing and the academic areas below.

The BZA exception removes the developers requirement to provide parking or loading areas. The location lends itself to a walkable lifestyle, blocks from the White House and the legion of summer internship opportunities.

A groundbreaking is planned for September of this year, the first student would likely arrive in 2012. Once completed, the Center will serve as NYU’s thirteenth off-campus (but first domestic) study abroad site.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Demolition on East Capitol

Hill East has fewer abandoned buildings and more rubble after the recent demolition of the vacant, 80-unit apartment building (pictured) on East Capitol Street, SE, between 17th and 18th Streets. The 42,629-s.f. site is near RFK Stadium just across from Eastern Senior High School, which itself has gotten a bit of a makeover lately. The demolition makes way for Kennedy Place, a 141-unit condo building developed by The Merion Group and designed by PGN Architects.

General contractor, Moseley Construction Group, is responsible for the demolition and construction. According to Johnny Moseley, President of Moseley Construction Group, the demolition is 50 percent complete. Moseley said he was "not sure" about the status of the second phase, actual construction.

The project, originally planned as 131 units by then-owner Comstock East Capitol LLC, received a zoning extension in 2009. The approved zoning changes and plan modifications give the developers until December of 2010 to file a building permit, and December of 2011 to begin construction.

In December 2007 Comstock received approval for a consolidated PUD allowing construction of a 133-unit building. In that same month, Merion acquired the property for $6.2 million from Comstock, which paid $9 million in 2006. Merion Chairman Bill Bensten was formerly a senior executive at Comstock.


Washington, DC real estate development news

Pennsylvania Bike Lane Opens for Business

Today the long-awaited- or oft-dreaded, depending on who you talk to, bike lanes on Pennsylvania Avenue officially opened for public use. Bike enthusiasts hailed the lanes as a sign of the coming of equality for alternative forms of transportation. Car enthusiasts bemoaned the loss of auto lanes in favor of the lines of zippy bikers getting their exercise as they commute to and from work. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) scaled back the original lanes, which would have taken over a car traffic lane, in favor of designated lanes in the center median of the roads. Officials at the ribbon cutting and inaugural bike ride praised the $150,000 pilot program for setting an example for the rest of the country.

DC Mayor Adrian Fenty lauded the new route saying the "bike lane on Pennsylvania Avenue, literally connects the Capitol to the White House" a sign he said shows that America is "catching up" to other more multi-modal countries. Other officials clearly trying to quiet concerns from drivers emphasized the fact that more bikers means fewer cars and less competition on the roads and for parking.

In a press release, DDOT Director Gabe Klein explained in so many words the change in the bike lane design and the delayed opening, which was originally set for bike-to-work day several weeks ago. Klein said "before we officially opened the bike lanes we wanted to make sure they provide safe areas for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians...with a better design we have a better chance of success."

Washington, DC real estate development news

Mt. Pleasant's Effect on the Solar System

What's green, likes the sun, and never stops producing energy? Answer: Mt. Pleasant. Or maybe the answer is Anya Schoolman, the energetic head of the Mt. Pleasant Solar Coop. The latter (the coop) is an organization dedicated to helping residents of Mt. Pleasant bring solar energy to their townhouses one at a time; the former (Schoolman) is its lead sun-worshiper that has found religion in bringing the message city-wide. From humble origins three and a half years ago, the coop has grown to 350 members, 45 of whom have installed photovoltaic cells on their roofs, and has seeded similar coops throughout other DC neighborhoods. While not a collective financial institution as the name might imply, the organization helps individuals surmount hurdles associated with reducing reliance on the infamous grid. That's harder than it sounds. Schoolman says that even though subsidies make the decision a financial no-brainer, the process requires a large up-front investment and is fraught with difficulties, from installation of the panels and meters, filing tax credits, and dealing with PEPCO, to navigating the DC government's rules and adhering to historic preservation restrictions. Schoolman hopes to change that, and is on a mission. The Mt. Pleasant resident says she has worked "about half time" on the issue since it began in 2006, when her son came home and thought, apparently with little clairvoyance, that it would be a "cool" thing to do. "It really came about with my son, who was 12 at the time, and his friend. They had gone and seen Al Gore's movie (not Love Story) and really wanted to do something. At that time it was very confusing and very expensive, we got contradictory advice...the tax credit was limited to $2,000, so we told the kids it was going to be hard and that it would take a couple of years." That was optimistic. But financial incentives for solar have improved, thanks in part to those efforts. Schoolman says the average cost of installing solar is about $20,000 on a single family home, but the federal government will refund 30% of the entire cost in the form of a tax credit. On top of that, the District government rebates $3 per watt of system capacity, or about $9,000 for the average 3 kilowatt solar system. Then there are the utility companies that need to buy renewable energy purchase credits, which puts "about $900 per year" in the pockets of the typical homeowner, according to the evangelistic Schoolman. The credit is measurable thanks to an upgraded meter, which can run backward or forward, depending on which way the net energy is running. "Its a great deal. Over the lifetime, its an incredibly great investment," she says, noting that the payback time is only about three years on the typical installation. But that's not what takes the breath away from Schoolman, a natural energy force in her own right. "The most important factor is that you get a natural reduction in your PEPCO bill. Most systems supply one-third to one-half of a home's electrical needs," says Schoolman, who can rattle off energy ratings, government regulations, and average monthly kilowatt hours without punctuation. "People hate PEPCO, there's so much satisfaction in just being able to get out from under your electric bills. People email me just to say how excited they are about the change in their electric bills since they started." That satisfaction comes back to her. "Its been really fun and satisfying, if I go up on my roof I can see seven solar systems just from my roof, that's really why we do it." That subject naturally segues to the fierce debate in environmental circles about pushing small, easily adopted changes versus urging more fundamental change that, while more impactful, is less likely to be appropriated. Schoolman has an opinion: "Alot of policy makers see energy efficiency as the goal, with solar as a luxury, but installing solar is so tangible and makes it so real, that once you install solar people get really engaged in a way that they just don't with energy efficiency." Schoolman feels that energy efficiency can lead to a certain complacence, whereas with solar "once they see their bills drop it becomes a game to see how much they can save. Can they go totally off the grid? They totally understand the kilowatt usage. It becomes really inspiring and exciting."

Asked the inevitable question about its effect on property values, Schoolman notes that none of the solar-powered houses in Mt. Pleasant have tried to sell yet, so the empirical data just isn't there, but expects that this will become a strong selling point. Not to fear, she has an idea: "I think there's an emerging consensus that it would be more valuable if there were a disclosure requirement to show the years' utility bills. That way people could differentiate from these and other typical homes and it would show the relative value of solar, I think that's huge." She hopes for "another 10 to 20 houses going solar this year" just in Mt. Pleasant, but isn't stopping there. Her group has inspired 5 other coops in DC - Georgetown, Palisades, Brookland, Petworth and Shepherd Park, but Schoolman is "shooting for one in each ward." Hoping to increase the messengers and not just the message, Schoolman says she attends other coop meetings to give them logistical and practical support and encouragement. "Neighborhood roofs tend to have a lot in common, so we can share information and there are a whole host of issues with the roof types." Appreciative of the any financial incentives, Schoolman nonetheless is unimpressed with Washington DC's commitment to sustainable energy. "The only thing that limits this is that the DC rebate program has enough money to fund only about 200 houses per year," an amount she obviously thinks insufficient. "When we buy solar the money stays in our community; the installations are here - not like coal power. This is good for our local economy. We just wish they were more consistent about [the funding], it takes a while to build a base." Schoolman says the DC government "has not really made this program a priority. It was never really properly staffed and very poorly managed." 

As evidence, DC maintains a long waiting list for applications that don't yet have funding. In that crusade, Schoolman has found a kindred soul in Councilmember Mary Cheh. Cheh introduced the Clean and Affordable Energy Act of 2008 that created the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), a third-party utility responsible for fostering sustainable energy in the District and, among other things, requiring a study of building a sustainable energy facility within - or sponsored by - the District. The SEU is expected to come online next year, overseen by the newly created Department of the Environment (DDOE), but while details get worked out both Cheh and Schoolman have seen a lack of leadership and accountability for sustainable credits and programs. Cheh found the DDOE unresponsive and uncommitted. "They were dragging their feet and disorganized. I got them $2 million, but the money wasn't getting out the door even though the people were ready and had applied" said Cheh. In fact only about $600,000 was granted, and Schoolman and others had to pressure the District to roll the remainder over into the next year. "We had to fight to get the rest rolled over so it would be spent this year," says Schoolman. The funding now comes from a surcharge on every resident's PEPCO and Washington Gas bill, but only "a very small amount of that goes to solar, a lot more goes to energy efficiency projects." 

Schoolman complains that during the recent budget proposals solar funding was cut back from $2m to $1.1m, but she and Cheh fought to push that back up to full funding. Funding aside, both women found the District's concentration on the subject halfhearted, or worse. "I anticipated a three year period for it to come online...but they still can't get their act together. They had only one guy who wasn't even full time on this" said Cheh of the administration of energy credits and application processing. "There's no reason they shouldn't have been able to do it...they've been leaderless. They have done some good work over there, but it could be alot better." Cheh held an oversight hearing taking DDOE to task for their sluggishness, and a new Director has since been appointed by Mayor Fenty, events Cheh thinks will help focus DDOE's attention on the matter. "Mary's been an incredible leader on this" says Schoolman. Still, the two are ideologically separated, with Cheh playing the pragmatist to Schoolman's passionate visionary. Asked about the expansion of solar funding or government mechanisms to push solar conversions, or solar requirements in new developments, Cheh prefers to sidestep being too wedded to one technology. "Not overdoing technology right now might actually be a boon to us as we expand the options that we have. I see this as accelerating, but there are other things we can do too. We also want to look at geothermal and cogeneration. There are places where they use the heat generated in the city, but solar is definitely going to be part of the mix, and I anticipate RECs (renewable energy credits) expanding." 

To that effect Cheh has promoted the Energy Efficiency Financing Act of 2010, a bill introduced by the Mayor that would authorize the District to issue up to $250 million of revenue bonds to finance low-interest loans to District property owners to make energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements. Property owners would repay the loans through an assessment on their property taxes. Does the BP disaster add impetus to the demand for greener energy? Cheh thinks the District is already leading the way. "We're already getting close to being, if not number one, then at the top of the market. The problem is still racing forward without knowing where the technology is going." But the District does not quite rank at the top of renewable energy production by most measures, including those of the U.S. Department of Energy (despite hosting the solar decathlon), and many states have aggressive solar energy standards. The Councilmember points to more privatized solutions to meet the needs of sustainability. "The Willard Hotel greened its operations, it has been able to use its green approach to things. My bill requires you to benchmark your building for energy use and put it up on the internet, yearly. That gives you a comparative framework to judge efficiency." 

That approach squares with Schoolman's disclosure approach for energy costs in home sales, though the Willard has no mention of its energy efficiency on its website, taking some of the force out of the argument. Schoolman says don't wait, buy now. "Alot of people are not early adopters and are watching to see how it will go, but I always tell people that the future of the DC credit is uncertain, so now is definitely the time to do it. If anyone has any questions about this they can email me." Really? Publish your email address so anyone can write to you? "Sure, if I can't help them I can send them to someone who can." Okay, its SolarCoop(at) yahoo.com. Schoolman says there are plenty of reliable independent contractors that can help through the process, including GroSolar, Maggio Roofing, Switch Energy, Standard Solar, and Capital Sun, though the District has a list of approved contractors that must perform the installation to qualify for the credit. Surely her son and his friend (Walter and Diego Arene, both now 15) have long since found other types of sun worship and lost interest in the minutia of solar energy lobbying? "They're very involved" says Schoolman. "They come to meetings, they volunteer, they talk to the press, and explain about solar energy. Both are really into it." Perhaps Mt. Pleasant is on to something after all.

Washington DC real estate development news

Affordable Housing Comes to the Peck Site

Tomorrow the fulfillment of promised affordable housing in Ballston will be one step closer as developer AHC Inc. "breaks ground" on a parcel that was once part of the Bob Peck Dealership and Showroom site in Ballston. The project, thanks to a creative land swap between JBG and AHC during the planning process, will bring 90 units of affordable housing within a quarter mile of the Ballston Metro Station, 66 more than would have been possible without the swap. Tomorrow's celebration is not exactly a traditional groundbreaking, as JBG already began construction on the neighboring office building and the parking garage that will sit below the new residential project. But who doesn't love a party?

Designed by Bonstra Haresign Architects and developed by AHC, on a portion of the JBG Companies' land, the new building will sit on top of the 600+ space garage, which will largely serve JBG's office building. Work on the garage by JBG's general contractor, Clark Construction, is nearly complete and in July, AHC and Harkins Builders will begin work on the four-story affordable residential project. According to Curtis Adams of AHC, the project should deliver by summer of 2011.

The land swap made for "complicated real estate" admitted Adams, but "everyone agrees that the best land use came about in the end." AHC originally owned Jordan Manor, which sat across the street at Wilson Boulevard and North Wakefield Street, and wanted to develop a denser project than planning would likely allow. Nearby, JBG sought a lower density residential project to neighbor its large office project. So after some prodding and negotiating, they swapped, keeping the density all on one site. JBG will develop 28 townhouses on AHC's 1.1-acre Jordan Manor Site, keeping it lower density.

The entire development on the "Peck site" will deliver two office buildings with over 400,000 s.f. of office space (pictured at right) and 36,000 s.f. of ground floor retail space, designed by Cooper Carry.

Arlington, Virginia real estate development news

A Wedding in Washington (and Virginia): Tektonics Design Group

Tekton: from the Greek, meaning one who works with their hands. -Wikipedia

For the intrepid 11-member Richmond, Va.-based Tektonics Design Group, blazing trails into D.C. territory with a local office helmed by architect and LEED AP Will Teass, working with their hands has little to do with memories of Mr. Connolly’s freshman shop class. In fact, it has everything to do with the marriage of custom fabrication and cutting edge design, with which the firm is fast becoming synonymous. In short, Tektonics is in the details.


“There are two sides of our practice that merge,” Teass said, explaining with Principal Damon Pearson that the group, which started in a Connecticut garage, is not a signature style design firm. “We’re not a signature style anything,” Pearson affirmed, alluding to Tektonics’ maverick modus operandi.

Founded in 2003 by industrial designers Christopher Hildebrand and Hinmaton Hisler, the two principals had worked together in a New England fabrication shop before partnering and relocating to their garage digs. With backgrounds in fine arts, sculpture, blacksmithing and metal working, Hildebrand and Hisler tackled projects head- (and hands-) on with the same vision and acumen they later brought to their Mid-Atlantic practice. When joined in 2007 by architect Damon Pearson, Tektonics quickly developed a reputation for its execution of complex commercial and residential design challenges.

The View from Here

Sometimes viewed as the architect’s architects and (industrial) designers, Tektonics Design Group is often retained by the architect of record as a key component in the design and building processes. In this respect, the primary architect’s vision sets the stage for a collaboration which results in Tektonics’ quest for materials and methodology that will completely transform a space, or a particular element of that space, something Teass calls “things that are designed discretely within the context of the overall project.”

In the case of the design for a new, mixed-use church and office building near the Convention Center at 10th and G Streets NW, in downtown Washington DC, working under the aegis of Cunningham Quill Architects in D.C. and Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects in NY, Tektonics is charged with cladding a column that has particular significance for the church. Tod Williams Billie Tsien had clad the façade of NY’s American Folk Art Museum with white bronze panels wrought from sand molds taken from the texture of concrete. The result was an irregular shape and texture, which is also the objective for the column that will become the symbolic icon for the D.C. church. While not looking to replicate things entirely, Tektonics’ goal is to decide how to meet the primary architect’s (or builder’s) vision with appropriate, even locally-sourced and sustainable materials when possible, and to determine a casting process within the parameters of the client’s budget. The group also prides itself in successfully reducing cost in many cases. At a project’s inception, “…sometimes the drawings for a particular project can be an abstraction,” Teass said, admitting he didn’t want to sound pejorative. “But they can be drawn in such a way that can be very expensive, and because we’ve done so much of this before, we have a really thorough understanding of a level of detail most architects haven’t had exposure to.”
The View from Within


Operating from a nearly 11,000 s.f. warehouse in Richmond with a full millwork shop that includes CNC milling equipment and a metal fabrication shop, the group’s dexterity with metal, wood, glass, synthetics, stone and concrete has facilitated the design of such entities as a servery ceiling in the form of an overturned boat at Annapolis’ Naval Academy, a 300-ft curved stainless steel guardrail for Richmond’s Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and a staircase for Richmond’s Reynolds Crossings building. “Every time we present this (Reynolds Crossing) project, people want to know what it looked like before,” Pearson and Teass recalled. The staircase, cantilevered off a beam inside the wall, required that Tektonics fabricate the steel cantilevered treads that are about 50 inches out. A glass guardrail sits in a bracket at the end of the cantilever. Teass explained that glass as a material “can be intimidating, but it’s actually remarkably strong, though very sensitive to movement and deflection” resulting in cracking. With this in mind, the firm ended up developing the connection detail and having the glass prefabricated with the use of templates, then installed.

In possibly one of their most rigorous design challenges, under the auspices of Rand Construction, the group has recently begun work on the redesign of a solarium – to be sited in the interior of P.J. Clark’s, the NY-based restaurant coming to Washington. The 19’ x 29’ornate metal solarium with Victorian overtures, curved roof and flat glass skylight, acquired at auction, reflects the restaurant’s vocabulary but must be modified to fit within its space. Originally designed to be outside, the solarium will arrive at Tektonics’ Richmond facility where the group, among everything else, will scale it down and fabricate the roof – its most complex component. Working under its own roof, something the group promotes whenever possible, precludes time spent in the field where laborers and materials may be subject to such variables as changing working conditions, weather and more.

A View to the Future

For Teass and Pearson, who each graduated from the University of Virginia and received masters degrees from Princeton’s School of Architecture, working in the hands-on realm of fabrication plus design was a natural expression of their respective philosophies. Teass, who spent high school and college summers employed as a millworker, believes the chasm between drawing/designing and building is a result of the intellectualization of architecture in the past 120 years, when it began to exist as a profession. People like Vitruvius and his successors were master builders, he explains, decrying the 20th and 21st century’s “disconnect” with the people who actually do the work. He does acknowledge a more recent shift, however, to a hands-on approach with the evolution of programs such as Auburn University’s Rural Studio, brainchild of architects Samuel Mockbee and D.K. Ruth, where students build homes for rural west Alabama communities. “I don’t see why they (schools) don’t all mandate it,” Pearson said.

With immediate plans to expand into a 30,000 s.f. office and fabrication space in Richmond’s Old Manchester district, and a move this month into brand new offices in D.C., Tektonics Design Group’s future appears as ambitious as its thinking.

“We are really focused on how things are put together,” Teass maintained. “It’s about the process.”

Breaking Ground and Inclusionary Zoning on Georgia Avenue

The developer of 2910 Georgia Avenue is again claiming that construction is imminent on 22 new condos, to be completed within a year's time. The matter of right development, designed by Eric Colbert and Associates, will come in at five floors, plus a penthouse, and will be no higher than 50 feet. The project was originally set to break ground in May, but faced a bit of a technical setback.

Art Linde, President of ASL Development Corporation confirmed the pending construction, "I'm picking up the building permits as we speak." Linde said there had been a few delays because of some confusion over inclusionary zoning. The rules, which kicked in almost a year ago and are fairly straightforward, require that new buildings (or groups of homes) with 10 or more units provide 8 to 10% of new units as affordable for "moderate-income households" - applicants making up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Though the developer had previously said the entire project would be market-rate, the IZ rules require a building of this size to offer two units to moderate income buyers. Oops. Despite the snafu, Linde was eager to get to work, saying he hoped to start on Monday, but given the Friday afternoon permit pick-up that might again be a bit ambitious.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Ellis Ready to Build Broadcast Center One

Ellis Development Group will reportedly break ground on both of its Shaw projects in the same week in August; the Howard Theater and the newly-dubbed Renaissance Project, the quiescent project formerly known as Broadcast Center One. The developer, along with partners Jarvis Company, LLC and Four Points, faced a major setback earlier this year when Radio One decided not to relocate to the area (hence the new name). But the District stepped in and enticed the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to fill a large portion of the mixed use project, purchasing an office condominium and ensuring its place in the community for years in the future. Just this week the team received news that the District Council approved $3.6 million for the UNCF, guaranteeing their relocation to Shaw at the northeast intersection of 7th and S Streets, NW, above the Shaw Metro.

The subsidy will come through real estate tax abatement over 10 years, starting in fiscal year 2012, and relocation assistance through a grant of $710,000.

With the loss of Radio One, the developers slimmed down the project to include 94,000 s.f. of office space with anywhere from 180 to 200 residential rental units. The change drops 25,000 s.f. of retail space and reduces the amount of office space by about 10,000 s.f.

Alexander Padro, the Executive Director of Shaw Main Streets, said the project should deliver in phases, office space first. UNCF is expected to occupy in May 2012. Total project costs are estimated at $144 million.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Senate Approves $8k Tax Credit Extension

The Senate yesterday voted to provide homebuyers with an additional three months to complete their home purchase. The credit, which would have expired June 30, provides an $8,000 credit against federal taxes for qualifying first-time homebuyers. The extension will affect only those sales already pending (or new backdated contracts; wait, that's not legal), but gives them until September 30th to settle. The bill has not yet been approved by the House, but is expected to pass and be signed by the President. Homebuyers in Washington DC will still enjoy the $5,000 tax credit, which extends through the end of the year.

Archstone Pushes Back NoMa Start Date

It's easy to get excited by the mere promise of progress these days; excitement, however, is still no substitute for financing. In March, Archstone announced they would be breaking ground in April on its residential project at 1st and M Streets, NE in NoMa, a project that will fill out First Street as one of the latest empty parcels on that strip, along with Constitution Square which is just completing across the street. But as June slips away, the parking lot remains, sans construction. Senior Vice President Rob Seldin of Archstone now aims to break ground in July, financing depending.

Seldin said he hopes to have a "firm loan closing and start date" in the next few weeks. Archstone's 469 rental residential units will replace a surface parking as the first of two phases; the total project will bring 1.5 million s.f.: 500,000 of which will be in the Davis Carter Scott- designed residential building (with a nugget of ground floor retail at the corner of M and First). A parking garage will provide 421 spots on three levels below grade. The new building will increase residential space in NoMa by over 50 percent. Phase 2 is also planned as a residential building. Forrester Construction is the general contractor for the project.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Shaw's Great Expectations

Shaw will have its renaissance yet. Earlier this week Alexander Padro, the President of Shaw Main Streets, provided positive updates on several long anticipated developments in the Shaw neighborhood. It should make for a busy summer and fall, beginning with Monday's groundbreaking for 1501 9th St., NW, a small development by a small business, Inle Development. It marked the beginning of the groundbreaking "season" with bigger projects, like the Howard Theater, set to follow shortly.

Inle's development will be home to Mandalay Restaurant and Cafe, a Burmese restaurant currently based in Silver Spring. Mandalay will have a ground floor restaurant with outdoor seating, a second floor bar and the remainder will be residential space for the restaurant owner and family members. The restaurant will open next summer.

Ellis Development Group and Four Points will break ground on August 22nd at the Howard Theater, marking the centennial anniversary of its opening. According to Padro, the team recently acquired and demolished a neighboring building and plans to seek approval for an alley closing so that the Theater will get a makeover and an expansion all at once. Construction should take approximately 18 months.


As we previously reported, Roadside Development will "break ground" on the O Street Market in September. At that time the developer will begin the process of bolstering and securing the existing structure with new construction likely to follow in "Spring of 2011." The two-block, mixed-use project will include 611 residential units, 86 of which will be subsidized by the city, senior housing, a 189-room hotel, a 516-space parking garage and 88,000 s.f. of retail: 57,000 s.f. Giant and 31,000 s.f. for additional vendors. The Shalom Baranes-designed project will cover two city blocks between 7th and 9th Streets, and O and P Streets and will re-open 8th Street.

Padro said this forward momentum is leading other developers, small and large alike to begin piecemeal work in other areas. Developers are "already investing in renovating some of the smaller historic buildings that are part of the larger projects." Little by little, one project at the time, Shaw's developers are bringing new energy to the neighborhood.

Washington, DC commercial real estate development news

Marriott Readies for West End Demolition

After years of sitting dormant, plans for the GW Marriott Courtyard Hotel at 515 20th Street, NW are looking increasingly active. In March, the development team was shopping around for a general contractor and in May submitted a raze permit to the Historic Preservation Review Board to demo the six-story, 420-car parking garage the new hotel would replace. The 125,000 s.f. hotel will bring upwards of 150 suites to the GW neighborhood.

Mike Tyler of MJ Tyler and Associates, a representative for the development team, said the team hopes to begin the six-week demolition in "the latter part of July." From there, construction will begin "immediately" and will last for upwards of 20 months, delivering in early summer 2012.

Developer Allstate Hotel Partnership received original project approval in 2006, but was sidelined by a lawsuit from an unhappy ANC chair and the extended financing drought. The ANC and other Foggy Bottom civic organizations opposed the development, expressing concerns about the increased traffic and the likelihood of blocked streets during construction. When asked about these concerns, Tyler responded that the team is "working through that right now" and promised it would be a "very organized and professional operation." Construction noises aside, Tyler said "we're excited to get started, it's been a long time in the works.

Designed by WDG Architecture, the new nine-story building will squeeze in between offices and residences in the West End neighborhood. The general contractor is HITT Contracting.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Pete's Apizza Dishes Out Two New Locations

The owners of Pete's Apizza (pronounced \ah-bēts\) in Columbia Heights are taking that old real estate adage: "location, location, location" literally these days. Just two years after opening their popular, New Haven-style pizza joint in Columbia Heights (1400 Irving Street, NW), the owners have turned their attention to opening two additional stores in Metro-adjacent hot spots throughout the beltway.

First stop: A converted antique/interiors store at 4940 Wisconsin Avenue, NW in the Tenleytown-Friendship Heights neighborhood, opens for business tomorrow (June 16th).

"We're right between two metro stops and [the location] has the buzz factor we were looking for," says Michael Wilkinson, a co-partner in the family and friend-run endeavor. The team toyed with the idea of locations ranging from Navy Yard to Dupont Circle but ultimately decided on the 3,400 s.f., 84-seater in Tenleytown because of its "high concentration of families," fair amounts of foot traffic, and limited (read: crappy) pizza options.

Northern Virginia gets its own slice of the strangely-pronounced, pizza craze by 2011: a Pete's Apizza is slated for the construction-laden, corner of North Clarendon Boulevard and North Garfield Street.
"What we love about this location is that we could have gone to Rosslyn or Ballston, but being situated in Clarendon gets us right into the grouping of five metro stations, within transit-oriented development" says Wilkinson.

Talks with retail brokers went faster than expected and now Pete's Apizza's Clarendon location is happening "a year sooner than we thought it would," says Wilkinson. With building permits already submitted and a construction timeline that spans three months or less, a 4,000 s.f. pizza space could be up and running as early as the end of this year.

Washington DC Real Estate and Development News