The Greatest Show on Earth: ACPS

According to popular discourse, David Conrath has managed to meld tenets and technologies from "Planet of the Apes," ancient Egypt, an Antiguan monastery and 19th century prairie life into a sustainable formula that is catapulting Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) into the next generation, and the next, and maybe even the next.

Conrath, a free-associating kind of Captain Kirk of design and construction for ACPS, is ringmastering a sustainability makeover – or maybe more aptly a takeover – of ACPS’ 19 facilities, 17 of them schools. By his own admission, after four years at the helm, “…the road is littered with professionals – two or three civil engineers, an architect, and a couple of mechanical engineers – who didn’t get with the program and weren’t forward-thinking enough.”

In this case, the road to which Conrath refers is actually the asphalt parking lot that blankets TC Williams High School’s Minnie Howard campus. For the uninitiated, in Alexandria 9th graders are separated from sophomores, juniors and seniors, on their own campus, for what officials consider a pivotal year often fraught with transitional woes. While TC Williams High School was built a decade ago and achieved LEED Gold, the Minnie Howard campus was plagued by heating, cooling, and recycling failures, the detritus of the last energy crisis in the 1980s, and languished amidst mounting energy bills, insufficient classroom air and a Beatles-era Perkins diesel generator (what Conrath calls a “Planet of the Apes” scenario but which he has retained for emergencies “because the grid is pretty crappy in Alexandria”).

Hiring Dallas-based Energy Education Inc., a firm working with about 200 school systems across the country to facilitate energy modeling, according to Conrath, ACPS began by addressing the ‘80s answer to energy conservation. “In the 1980s, in our school system, they took out every fresh air intake for every classroom and bricked them up,” Conrath said, explaining that sometimes there’s an “unfortunate inverse relationship” between being green and indoor air quality – and energy savings. “To bring fresh air into the building costs a lot of money,” he added, noting that in order to save 16 percent of the energy bill back then, “not having to circulate, temper and condition fresh air was standard practice in the last energy crisis.” Unfortunately, the practice resulted in a lot of sleepy students and faculty, not to mention exceedingly high levels of classroom humidity and consequent “smelly, stinky problems,” according to retiring 9th grade teacher Mary Sue Garner, who said that even with an air conditioner, she had to keep the classroom door open.

Ground Beneath Their Feet

In a big picture effort to reverse the problem and address pervasive heating/cooling issues at Minnie Howard, and to align the school with 21st century sustainability, Conrath began the geothermal process by inventing methods to plant 64 wells, 310-feet deep, drilling through the asphalt parking lot without lifting it into the air (he admits the first couple of tries did just that). Drilling through the next layer - which was mud - ensued, as did tackling erosion sediment control and also installing a special muffling device so the work could continue throughout the school year. The job became a kind of choreography during the day, according to Conrath, because of the active bus loop meaning the work would have to start and stop and start again with an eye to bus schedules. The wells, which contain 10-inch diameter special piping with a silver nitrate lining (a natural biocide that precludes mold), would store air drawn in from the outside by a 10 kilowatt photovoltaic solar array, and keep it at a constant fifty-degree ground temperature. “If we draw in air at 95 degrees with 90 percent humidity (by the array), and it comes in at 80 degrees and 60 percent humidity, we get a 15-degree drop in temperature,” Conrad explained, noting that in winter, a 15-degree boost is expected. The solar array, in plain sight for educational purposes when you enter the parking lot (it also serves to shield southern exposure windows providing cooling for those classrooms), is linked to a variable zone refrigerant system, which serves to influence temperature even more when necessary.

Roof Over Their Head

With a green roof installed initially on a test basis on one-third of the footprint of the school, energy bills compared from a snowy, almost sunless January, 2010, to the same month of the previous year yielded more than $5000 in energy savings. A 5,000 sf green roof, visible from the road because of the way school is sited, is also projected for the school instead of the current tar roof, which will slow down storm water, filter and purify solids, and change nitrates and chemical properties of the water. It will also naturally insulate the roof, much like a 19th century prairie sod house.

“My first day on this campus I felt like Jethro Bodine in ‘The Beverly Hillbillies,’” Conrath quipped about the character who was always dazed and confused about creature comforts and accruing technology. “I was taking some time to wrap my head around the concept of putting Astroturf on the field and grass on the roof.”

Walls That Don’t Contain Them

In the bowels of the school, in what the crew of the Starship Enterprise might perceive as the command center (actually it’s the old mechanical room), the makings of a “Greenovation lab” emerge, a term coined by ACPS special projects assistant Grace Taylor. The kid-safe space replete with gauges, real time Web data, dashboards and other educational components will serve as an education center, maybe even imagination central, both for 9th graders and to entice some of the older children who have dropped out to return. The students will benefit from “green collar training,” or training in technology disciplines that don’t even exist right now like working with solar arrays, Conrath said, but which are “fast coming online.” In fact, at present, every system in every school can be directed from a laptop at Starbuck’s, Conrath noted.

Windows on their World

According to Conrath, among the many impetuses for the greening of ACPS was a series of incidents three years ago at John Adams Elementary School, located in an area where the grid is stretched thin. “We kept losing power and had to close the school,” Conrath said, “because there were no windows in the bathrooms.” Unable to afford an emergency generator, Conrath came up with a 21st century application of an ancient Egypt-based solution called a sun tunnel.

“While they didn’t have Fresno lenses and plastic in Egypt, the concept is the same where light is gathered through the lense’s multiple prisms (the lense is a small globe that sits on a white roof like a lighthouse),” Conrath explained. It is then sent down a mirrored tube into a 2’x2’ plastic light diffuser. “People never even knew there wasn’t a light in there,” he said.

At Polk Elementary School, seven emerging technologies including geothermal wells, a variable zone refrigerant system, solar renewable energy, photovoltaic energy, daylight harvesting, green roofs and an eco-air system grounded to the air/heat exchange system carry with them the distinction of making Polk the only elementary school in the country to merge these systems. The technology at Polk was used in the 1500s, Conrath explained, adding that he’d seen it exemplified at an Antiguan monastery where a catacombed basement was designed like a nautilus shell. When the wind blew, cold air from downstairs was rolled up through the monastery, exhausted and then emitted.

Citing a fiduciary responsibility to taxpayers and a dream way into the future to be off the grid, Conrath, who has a Masters degree in industrial design from RISD, said ACPS is trying to adopt Alexandria’s comprehensive Eco-City policy, implementing all of its projects. “It makes (progressive) San Francisco look archaic,” he said, noting the projects include water conservation, daylight harvesting, vegetative (or green) roofs and low-albedo finishes such as white roofs to reflect the heat. “As a school system, we’ve increased our footprint about 25 percent over the last 10 years but we’ve only increased our energy consumption by 10 percent,” he stated, with all that implies. “Nothing is as green as money.”

Parkside Development On The Skids

For those who've grown weary of all the Benning Road plans for development, with little action to follow, the worst fears may have been confirmed on Monday evening at the Zoning Commission hearing. The mammoth Ward 7 redevelopment project that Parkside Residential, LLC representatives told the Zoning Commission in 2006 was a "landmark Planned Unit Development," has all but lost its early momentum. Whether it's the recent rains, some runaway Gulf oil slicks, or the economic downturn, much of the initial proposal has lost traction. The Commission recently denied the request of Lano Parcel 12, LLC for a two year extension of their first Parkside PUD, which took effect April 13, 2007 and expires October of next year.

The entire 15-acre Parkside project, located between Kenilworth Park and the Anacostia Freeway, was expected to become a massive mixed use development, bringing over 1,500 units of both affordable and market rate housing, 500,000 s.f. of office space, and at least 30,000 s.f. of neighborhood-serving retail. The Kenilworth Parkside area has been targeted by the District and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development as a site in desperate need of improvement. Given its proximity to the waterfront, the Benning Metro Station, and three of the Great Streets Programs, the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), among other entities and initiatives, are in strong support of the proposed transformation.

In 2008, the Zoning Commission approved the first Second Stage PUD for three of the ten building blocks. Affordable senior living housing is planned and approved for Block A, B, and C. Being that the Second Stage PUD was granted for an area less than the original First Stage approval, Parkside Residential was accorded three years to submit the rest of their Second Stage PUD applications for review by Zoning. Applications for two more blocks are currently pending, and the submission of Second Stage plans for a third block are said to be in the works and should be filed soon. This would amount to Second Stage plans for a total of six blocks out of the original ten. But that's four blocks too few. The venture's representative pleaded in a recent document that this was "significant progress given the size of the project and the recent economic conditions." The Zoning Commission was apparently unmoved, and the deadline for all Second Stage applications remains October 3, 2011. This still leaves over a year left for the parties involved to shore up resources and finalize plans for the remaining four blocks. But given the the already requested extension, and characterization of meeting such a deadline as "not possible" despite their "every effort," that seems unlikely to happen.

The Lano Parcel 12 LLC and the Parkside Residential LLC are both multiparty ventures between Bank of America Community Development Corporation, Lano International, City Interest, and Marshall Heights Community Development Organization. The majority of design plans are being shouldered by Urban Design Associates in Pittsburgh.

Washington DC real estate development news

Canal Park Plans its Debut in Southeast

DC's Capitol Riverfront neighborhood near the ballpark may have its skeptics, but it remains the only neighborhood with a riverfront presence, and now may add to its credentials the most active public urban design in the city. Having heretofore suffered the indignity of lacking a real park despite ample vacant land, planners expect to start work within a month on Canal Park, a 3-block, 2-acre stretch of parkland that juts north from M Street. The city is just putting the finishing touches on its waterfront park as well.

 

Chris VanArsdale, Executive Director of the Canal Park Development Association (CPDA), says work will likely begin on the site by "late July or early August," notwithstanding the fact that permits have not been issued and a general contractor has not yet been selected. VanArsdale says the CPDA issued a Request for Qualifications for the construction work, followed by a Request for Proposals, and is now waiting for those responses. Completion is expected in late 2011. Each park block will have a distinctive design, with a shaded boardwalk that runs the length. Green features include a linear "rain garden," combination of large and small open spaces, three pavilions, an urban plaza, and prominent water features like ponds, fountains and seasonal ice rink. The rain garden will act as an on-site water collection, treating and reusing stormwater runoff. The open green space between K and I Streets could be used for movies or concerts, with seating room for 500 and standing room for 1,200 accommodated by a sunken amphitheater. A two-level pavilion (pictured above) will serve as an observation area and cafe with outdoor seating. Canal Park replaces what was once bus and car lot, and more recently a Kansas-flat strip of lawn. Development of the land into a green space, first conceived in 2000, has been stymied by changing control. 

The land was first given to the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation, which drew up plans for a park, but the AWC was disbanded by the government and not until May of 2008 did DC transfer development rights to the CPDA. The CPDA then started anew by replacing the design team with Philadelphia-based OLIN; Studios Architecture designed the pavilions. While the feds still technically own the land, the District controls the property by way of a "jurisdictional transfer," which VanArsdale says gives the federal government a right to redeem the land, which it "rarely, if ever" does. The CPDA has a 20-year license to develop and maintain the park; the District will pick up most ($13.5m) of the $15m in construction costs for the project. The National Capitol Planning Commission gave an initial approval to the plan in October of 2009, and gave final approval in June. The canal that once ran across the site connected the Anacostia to Tiber Creek (now buried under Constitution Avenue), which ran to the C&O canal. 

Washington DC real estate development news

Flats at Dupont Circle

Flats at Dupont Circle, 2000 N Street, 20036, NW, Washington DC
The Flats at Dupont Circle offer an exceptional location, modernist and thoughtful lobby, but not much interior design to match. Hardwood floors, plush carpeting in the bedrooms, Formica countertops, and cultured marble bath vanities mar what is otherwise a thoughtful design of common areas and great interior courtyard. Archstone and Charles E. Smith developed this 306-unit property, a former Embassy Squares Hotel that they emptied and renovated in 2007, with architecture by WDG Architecture and interior design by Forrester Construction Interior Group. At least the modern design of the lobby, Click! Cafe (with WiFi), fitness center and party room give a general aura of sophistication to apartments that are rent-controlled. Common amenities include pilates/yoga studio, outdoor circular pool and patio, BBQ grills and laundry room in lower level. The building maintains a two pet policy (breed, age & weight restrictions). The apartment building is just a few blocks from Metro set between Dupont Circle, the West End, and downtown Washington DC.

Post your comments below about the Flats at Dupont Circle

New Visions for Washington Monument Grounds

What do you do with 50 acres of under-utilized, poorly maintained land in downtown Washington DC? When the site is the grounds of the Washington Monument, planning ignites a nearly existential debate. Yet one organization has set out to envision a fresh design for the grounds and the monument with an unofficial "ideas competition" that will kick off later this summer.

Despite more than 200 years of unfulfilled designs that include creating museums, lakes, universities, a paved plaza, and World's Fair space, the land surrounding the monument - the focal point of the Mall and most important tribute thereon - remains largely unimproved, unplanned, and dilapidated. The National Ideas Competition for the Washington Monument Grounds hopes to bring attention to that and "develop innovative and creative ideas for making the Washington Monument grounds more welcoming, educational, and effectively used by the public." The competition will launch this summer, accepting any and all ideas about how to better use the space and (maybe) pay tribute to the first president, with submissions due October 31, 2010. Organizers hope to narrow submissions to five finalists by next summer and submit those contenders to a public vote.

Obstacles to adoption of the winning ideas are daunting. The land is administered by the National Park Service (NPS), which would have to support the plan, which would then have to be signed off by Congress, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts, none of which have even endorsed the competition. NPS has already devised plans to renovate century old Sylvan Theater, and the Army Corps of Engineers plans to work on a levee system for the northwest corner of the grounds.

Leaders of the competition, however, are more animated by the debate and thought provocation than by a redesign that would actually stick. Jim Clark, President-elect of the Virginia Society of the AIA and Chair of the steering committee, says the project is "mostly an educational forum, that's why we've opened it to younger students as well." Clark has been leading design competitions for 15 years and sees a larger purpose. "This will generate interesting dialogue about the center of our capital city, and will help educate people about history, about planning, and about the status of the National Mall."

As to the choice of this quadrant of the Mall, Clark answers that "this is really the heart of the National Mall. Symbolically it should be the richest area of the Mall from an interpretive standpoint. The mall has many many needs and will continue to evolve. We're really looking at this competition broadly to assess what role the monument grounds should play in the future." Ellen Goldstein, Executive Director of the steering committee, notes that the intent is not to actually transform the Mall. "We don't have any intent to advocate or lobby for the ideas to be implemented" she says of the winning design, though adding that it "could lead to be a transformational process ultimately, even though it is not a stated objective."

The grounds surrounding the monument have changed little over the years, despite the numerous grandiose ideas by accomplished architects. In the early 20th century a public pool graced the northwest corner of the site, and mid-century government office buildings packed the foot of the monument until they were torn down in 1960. Following the terrorist attacks of September 2001, a circular security perimeter was added to the landscaping, which otherwise looks much like it did when the land was originally reclaimed from the Potomac in the late 1800s.

The steering committee has already selected five of the judges and expects to announce the full panel of judges shortly, whose job it will be to determine what good design will never be built.

Washington DC real estate development news

Architect as Archaeologist

On July 3, 1863, as General Robert E. Lee intensified his attack on the Union center at Gettysburg's Cemetery Ridge, Daniel Klingel's farm house looked out on the Civil War's darkest hour.

Nearly 150 years later, preservation architects Oehrlein & Associates Architects would be charged by the National Park Service with restoring the residence's exterior to that very day in 1863, the log structure built originally in 1812 and over time sheltering many families since the Klingels from the more typical battles of everyday life.

"We have spent the past 18 months doing research on the house," Principal Mary Oehrlein said, explaining that painstaking historical research and documentation of any project involves all manner of archival, photographic and records research: census records; newspapers; trade directories; property transfers; deeds; wills that may describe a property; estate sale records; inventories (especially important where the person conducting the study may have walked from room to room) and even paint analysis. The Klingel house, sited in the middle of the battlefield, is exposed to tours that go by and will be used by the NPS for its own purposes.

Rules of Engagement

According to Oehrlein, historical architects play by an entirely different set of rules than mainstream practitioners because “…you’re not starting with a blank piece of paper or an empty site where you can put anything you want on it. You have to work within the confines of an existing building,” she says, noting that even where alterations are mandated, there’s a limit to what can be done. “You have to be more creative about how you accommodate a new mechanical system, or get an elevator in, or make a building more accessible without destroying something that somebody said needs to stay.”

It was these kinds of parameters that presented a variety of challenges for the firm when it created the Hotel Monaco a decade ago. Conceived as a post office with a series of wing additions from 1836-67, the property later served as an office building replete with acoustic tile ceilings, carpeting, Formica counters, partitions, fluorescent lighting, mechanical and electrical systems and “phone wires draped all over the place,” all of which were taken out in order to see and measure what had been there, according to Oehrlein. Vacant for 15 years at the inception of the hotel process, the structure, at 700 F Street NW, was both a restoration and rehabilitation project, the former denoting the retention of materials from a significant time while permitting the removal of other materials, and the latter focusing on retention and repair of materials but with allowances for replacement in light of a property’s deterioration (per the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for The Treatment of Historic Properties). Oehrlein, who said the Standards are clearly guidelines for historical architects, added that during a rehabilitation, the specific needs of the new user must be accommodated, in this case a 21st century hotel.

In the Hotel Monaco interior, while certain spaces and finishes were carefully preserved and restored, naturally each guestroom required a bathroom, and two new elevators were installed at the north side of the building where the structure could be modified without major interventions.

“There had been an alteration to one of the really beautiful circular stairs,” Oehrlein says, “where the government had put an elevator in the middle of it.” The elevator was removed and the stairwell restored, along with an accruing skylight.

Material Rules

In a major restoration, rehabilitation and renovation of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, 1725 Rhode Island Avenue NW, over the course of three years Oehrlein & Associates Architects met multiple challenges in transforming the 1893 multi-use property (the church was initially established in another building in 1840 at 15th and H Streets). These included eradicating roof leaks and repairing plaster falling from the ceiling, reconfiguring office and living space, and considering a shoebox full of tiny glass tiles from a 35-foot tall mosaic.

“We started by making the envelope of the building water-tight,” Oehrlein says, replacing the copper-clad dome with a new dome fabricated to look exactly like the original. Slate was replaced or repaired, and brick and stone pointed to further weather-proof the structure. The mosaic was repaired by gluing pieces back on the wall by a process of injection, and the surface was restored, cleaned and regrouted where necessary, as was the cathedral’s marble in places. New carpeting and lighting were installed throughout the structure, with artwork designed and installed where old organ pipes had been. The basement, in a major renovation, included upgraded conference rooms in a new conference center and a redesigned dining room in the old rectory. The reconfiguration of two adjacent buildings provided parish offices and residential apartments for the priests who live there. “There was a lot going on,” Oehrlein quipped.


Perseverance Rules

Trained as a design architect, an entity she prefers not to hire “because they are not happy in this kind of work” (Oehrlein’s staff, for the most part, has advanced degrees in historic preservation), Oehrlein revealed that as a student she was admonished by professors for taking up space that male students should occupy. “They told me I was wasting their time,” she reflected, adding that when she guest lectures today and sees that 50 percent of the class is comprised of women, it’s a different world.

“Counter to those professors who told me I didn’t belong, I had architectural history professors who were supportive and encouraged me to pursue preservation,” she said, which was a brave new world at that time. Spending summers working for the Historic American Building Survey, where student architects go out and measure buildings throughout the country, Oehrlein came to embrace the fact that in choosing a different path she was never relegated to drafting rooms.

“My first job was with a construction company that was doing some preservation work,” she recalled, explaining they were restoring buildings because people had come to them about leaky roofs or masonry falling off walls. With virtually no preservation architects in existence at the time, Oehrlein blazed some trails by spending time at the Library of Congress researching, for example, which materials were used in 19th century masonry construction, what the mortar mixes were, how water was kept out of walls and what the caulking materials were. “Nobody can get into the stacks now,” she said, “but I had a stack pass and would spend days at a time there. I did research into the technical side of things because if you don’t understand what’s in the building, you can’t decide how to repair it.”


With completion of construction documents for a restoration/ conservation of the exterior stone of the U.S. Capitol on deck, a process that, due to various circumstances with the Architect of the Capitol, took nine years, Oehrlein calls it “a pretty wonderful opportunity” though Congress’ funding of the project is another matter. “We have projects that have gone on longer than that though,” she said. “There’s the stop and start: the review process; the approval process; then it stops because the economy is bad; then the economy gets better and starts up again but there’s a redesign. We’ve had projects that have been through two economic downturns before we finally got to construction,” she explained. With historical architecture, "that happens."

1000 Connecticut Avenue Ahead of Construction Schedule

What will surely be the cornerstone property of the Golden Triangle in downtown DC, the trophy building at 1000 Connecticut Avenue is under construction and may deliver ahead of early estimates.  Construction work on the site (see old image) began last summer, but site preparation wound down without foundation work until early this year. But Clark Construction has now poured the foundation and, according to Project Manager Michael Tyler of MJ Tyler and Associates, the building exterior should now finish up by February of 2012, with interior tenant build-outs picking up from there. Law firm Arent Fox is the only tenant but will not occupy the building until early 2013 when its current lease expires. Arent Fox signed up in May 2008 to occupy 70 percent of the space with 8 floors and over 238,000 s.f. of office space.

The site is an aggregation of several buildings that were demolished in 2007. The 12-story building, roughly the same height as what it replaces, was designed by the late Jim Freed of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, who also designed the neighboring building at 1700 K St NW. Washington DC based WDG Architecture worked with Pei Cobb Freed on the interior to design a building that is targeted to earn a LEED Gold certification.

Tyler estimated that the total hard construction costs will come in around $70 million, with total project costs around $180 million. In a statement, designers refer to the site as the "boundary" to Farragut Park and K Street and the "gateway" to Connecticut Avenue, NW. According the to architects, the "building’s two principal façades respond individually to their settings while at the same time complementing each other in a variety of ways, convening to turn the corner in a distinctive and unexpected fashion." The materials for the Connecticut Avenue street front create a "skin [that] is folded into reflective pleats of glass and stainless steel." The K Street frontage is "composed primarily of granite and glass as foil to the stainless and glass façade of 1700 K Street opposite."

Though demolition began in 2007 and construction was initially to begin in 2008, the property sat empty for several years, leaving some chafing at the vacancy of the highly visible site. Cushman & Wakefield, the leasing broker, did not return phone calls and does not list the property on its website.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Local Builder Starts Condo Project in Adams Morgan

A local real estate developer will turn a pair of historic apartment buildings in Adams Morgan into 43 condominiums for delivery next year. Urban Investment Partners (UIP) acquired the properties at 1801 and 1811 Wyoming Street last year for $6.9m and has plans for a $4.5m upgrade expected to complete in late 2011. Washington DC based architect David Haresign of Bonstra Haresign is the lead architect on the project, EHT Traceries is assisting with historic building conformance. The building dates from 1909 and was originally designed by architectural firm Hunter and Bell. The apartment buildings were put up for sale by Marcus & Millichap in early 2009 and went under contract shortly thereafter, but the tenants exercised their rights under DC's Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and negotiated a contract with UIP in late 2009. UIP Principal Steve Schwat say tenants will be out in about 90 days and expects renovation work to commence immediately thereafter. Schwat says he expects about 16 of the tenants to purchase their units at "deeply discounted prices", but that the building will be extensively rebuilt - "a full gut renovation" - with finishes that rival "an Ian Schrager hotel." 

Finishes will include "extensive landscaping" between the buildings, large patio spaces on the garden level units, and interior finishes like two-tone cabinetry and Cesarstone counters, pocket doors, smart wiring, gas cooking, and a bike storage room. Schwat also has designs for often overlooked roof, including "huge" roofdecks with benches and water. "People will actually want to use them," he notes. UIP has undertaken numerous TOPA re-trades recently, including the Policy in Kalorama, the Shelby in Dupont, and the Macklin in Cleveland Park, all within the past two years. "We haven't done a condominium in a couple of years, I'm excited to start that again" says Schwat. "We love the idea of working with tenants, there's alot of benefit to both parties. Whether tenants exercise their TOPA rights or not we're going to work with them to get a product that benefits everybody...many people are scared of TOPA, but for us its been a great experience." The hardware store on 18th Street will be emptied and fully renovated during the reconstruction.

Washington DC retail and commercial real estate news

Ten Years and Two Locations Later, Subsidized Housing Still Beats Private Development

Montgomery County will soon begin construction in downtown Bethesda on a transitional residence; work on the 12-unit project may start as early as this month. The diminutive project, tucked among other moderately sized residential buildings and small commercial buildings, will fit in at 4913 Hampden Lane and serve as permanent housing for the formerly homeless. After swapping land with two developers and facing many delays of its own, Montgomery County's project will actually outpace its neighboring private residential projects, at 4901 and 4917-4921 Hampden Lane. Just blocks from the Bethesda Metro station, the Housing Opportunities Commission's (HOC) project should begin construction before the end of the month, according to Construction Manager Scott Kataline. HOC will develop, own and manage the property.

In 2000, Armont Development, the team behind the proposed Edgemoor at nearby 4821 Montgomery Lane, originally proposed the idea of a land swap to provide room on Hampden Lane for the moderately priced dwelling units for its development. Montgomery County began working on a site plan for 4917 Hampden Lane in 2003 and the land swap took place in January 2004, according to John Poyer, HOC's Housing Acquisitions Manager. The county was ready to begin construction when a second developer under the name Hampden Lane Associates LLC acquired properties on either side of Montgomery County's space with plans for a now-stalled 60-unit condominium.

In order to have a contiguous site, the developer offered to swap land and reimburse the county for any costs it had already incurred. The two parties signed a development agreement in June 2005 and 4913 became the new HOC project site. HOC has since reworked the design for the new site and secured financing so that now, ten years after the seed was planted, the permanent supportive-housing-for-formerly-homeless-project will find its home at 4913 Hampden Lane.

The four-story wood frame structure was designed by NOA Architects and will be constructed by recently selected general contractor, Hamel Builders. A single-family home on the property will be demolished to make way for the new construction. The building will consist of six studios and six one-bedroom units, financed in part by federal low income housing tax credits through the Maryland Community Development Administration. The building will be built to LEED certification standards, but HOC will not apply for certification by the USGBC, given the extra costs entailed.

Residents will receive Section 8 vouchers to cover their rent and the operational costs of the building. A resident counselor/on-site building manager will provide necessary assistance for residents, ranging from job training to computer instruction. Unlike temporary or transitional housing, the project's residents "will not be on a clock that forces them to leave after a preset time," explained Poyer. The goal is to give residents services "to help them move on to a more independent lifestyle." Despite the progress on the shelter, none of the related private developments nor any of those planned for Hampden Lane have moved forward.

Bethesda, MD real estate development news

JBG Razing Residential Hopes on 14th Street

14th Street appears to have crossed the last hurdle to its next big project, now that the JBG Companies has filed its application to demolish a strip of properties along 14th Street between S and Swann Streets. JBG says construction will begin this year to build its condo project on the site of the historic Whitman-Walker Clinic. Matt Blocher, a Senior Vice President for JBG, said "it is our goal to begin construction in late 2010; the construction timeline is estimated to be 20-months."

The seven-story building, designed by Shalom Baranes, will bring 120 residential units to the 14th Street Corridor/U Street area. A below-grade parking garage will offer at least 90 spaces to serve both the residential and retail needs.

According to plans submitted to the Historic Preservation Review Board, the 14th Street side of the building will have four five-story "vertical projecting bays," and the seventh floor will be set back and largely composed of glazed glass. The District's Zoning Commission has already approved changes to the roof design that will maximize rooftop recreational space. To beautify the back alley, the designers proposed a "panelized brick wall" that might, designers say, be partially hidden by vines growing down from rooftop planters.

Retail will be available on three sides: on the north, south, and along 14th Streets, the main residential entrance will be off of S Street. Ground floor retail of 18,000 s.f. includes 200 feet of frontage on 14th Street and 110 feet of frontage on S and Swann Streets. The 14th Street frontage required an exception to the Arts Overlay to allow a higher percentage of dining or drinking space. The Overlay requires that no more than 25 percent of "linear footage" be used for eating and drinking establishments. The developers received approval for the exception from the Board of Zoning Adjustment in February of 2009.

Washington, DC real estate development news

JBG's Florida Ave Project Under Review

Unifying the neighborhood is the task at hand for JBG Companies and west coast-based architecture firm Miller Hull Partnership LLC as they continue planning a mixed-use retail and residential development in Shaw on Florida Avenue and 8th Street NW near the U Street Corridor.

The companies presented preliminary plans to the Historic Preservation Review Board Thursday for input on the overall concept and support for moving a historic building and an alley way on the site to make way for two new buildings on the mostly empty lots.

While the board was mostly receptive to the idea for development including moving a historic building, members encouraged developers to make the building relate to the neighborhood. The property falls into the Uptown Destination District Plan, dubbed "DUKE," aimed at creating an arts and entertainment hub in the area of U and 7th streets. The plan identifies the vacant lots as a "gap" in the neighborhood.

“You, the architect and developer, have a responsibility to knit this neighborhood back together,” said board member Graham Davidson who expressed his interest in the project while reminding the developers of the expectation to create more than an iconic building. “There's a big hole in the neighborhood here."

Below: Brian Court of Miller Hull Partnership LLC presents plans for development at Florida Ave. and 8th St.

The proposed concept places two 6-story buildings on Florida Avenue with retail on the ground level and five floors of residential units above. The building facades could be made of concrete, full-height windows and metal panels. Final decisions on building materials have not yet been made, though individuals present at the meeting said JBG proposed a wood-framed building.

In an effort to both increase density and blend with the neighborhood, Brian Court, an associate with Miller Hull, explained that the buildings would decrease in height along 8th Street to transition into the mostly residential part of the neighborhood. The building is intended to have a modern feel while reflecting the overlaying arts district and the established urban community.

The HPRB wasn’t entirely convinced. Board members agreed that the project needed more consideration. Concerns included using building materials that fit well with surrounding buildings, reducing the size of the building as it approaches the smaller residential structures on adjacent properties, and generally making the project fit the community.

Steve Callcott, deputy preservation officer for the Historic Preservation Office who has been working with JBG on the project, said he wasn’t surprised by the board’s reactions to the proposal. Board reviews of projects like this one, he said, open the door for "back-and-forth" discussion and offers a developer some "general guidance and direction."

This development is not the first planned for the lots at Florida Avenue and 8th Street. Banneker Ventures previously planned to develop the site, but controversy surrounding the company's selection for several DC projects ultimately derailed those plans.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Georgetown University vs. Georgetown Residents

Georgetown University is knee-deep in planning and development this summer. Today, Spiros Dimolitas, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Georgetown University released an open letter to (angry) neighbors about the University's 2010-2020 Campus Plan.

You see, every ten years, the District requires the University and the Medical Center to outline all future infrastructure and development projects for the upcoming decade. Georgetown's 2000-2010 plan expires this year on December 31st, and while the changes being considered are not drastic, the review offers an opportunity for the community to address other issues they have with the university, which usually involves off-campus students.

Andy Pino from GU's Public Affairs Office tells DCMud that work first began on 2010-2020 plans in 2008. A final plan has yet to be submitted to Zoning and the University will continue "to have conversations with members of the community" before that happens.

Looking forward to Fall 2010, public Zoning Commission hearings about proposed projects such as "...renovations to the Medical Center, improvements to Kehoe Field’s roof" as well as "road construction" that will allow the Georgetown University Transportation Shuttle (GUTS) buses to turn around on campus, should prove to be contentious.

And because the chance to weigh in on University activities only comes around every ten years, residents of the neighboring Georgetown and Burleith communities seem to be seizing the opportunity to try to force the University's hand on some undergraduate housing issues.

The Burlieth Citizens Association and the Citizens Association of Georgetown have joined forces to petition Planning and Zoning to oppose the 2010-2020 plan unless the University takes action to stop "the already alarming conversion of single-family homes to group rental units" off campus. Over the next ten years, Georgetown expects to increase student enrollment by 3,200 or more, and the community would like an on-campus housing solution so that they can stop absorbing the run-over flip cup tournaments.

Georgetown officials maintain that there are no plans to increase enrollment for undergrads, that they already "house 84% of their undergraduate students on campus, which is the highest proportion of on-campus undergraduate housing of any university in the city other than Gallaudet" and that the average age of the students they're talking about enrolling is 28 "and many are married or live alone."

The community maintains that the 16 percent of undergraduates living in their neighborhoods are annoying, and anyway if the University wants to let anyone else come to their school, mature or otherwise, they need to come up with a plan to house the ones doing keg stands on the front lawn.

Washington, DC Real Estate and Development News

Barney Circle: Preserving Hill East

For some residents of Hill "proper," Hill East is the ugly duckling of Capitol Hill.  Its numbered streets have double-digits, its architecture is eclectic. And isn't it near...the river? While many Hill East residents are eager to prove the neighborhood has charm and historic character, others, including long-time residents, are happy to keep the long arm of the preservationists away. Last week, the Historic Preservation Review Board decided to wait a little longer before officially creating the Barney Circle Historic District that would bring the same level of historic protection to real estate that Capitol Hill now enjoys. The Capitol Hill Historic District's eastern boundary is 13th Street SE, with parts of 14th Street included. 

As you venture beyond the confines of the historic area, the boundaries do much to explain the odd mix of new 4-story condos next to the townhouses. The Barney Circle area is bounded by "the houses fronting on Barney Circle on the south, by those on the north side of Potomac Avenue on the north, by those on the west side of Kentucky Avenue on the west and by the Congressional cemetery on the east," according to the HPRB. Once the terminus of the Pennsylvania Avenue Streetcar, the neighborhood was built largely between 1905 and 1929, inhabited mostly by employees at the nearby Navy Yard. The homes were contrived from Henry Wardman's "daylighter" model, which offered a suburban feel with a front yard, front porch and copious daylight inside. The HPRB staff report recommended an approval, noting the neighborhood as a "prime example of an extremely cohesive and intact early twentieth century, working-class, rowhouse neighborhood." The "period of significance" for the ares was determined to be between 1905 and 1941; of the 192 homes in the new district, all but 3 will come under the auspices of the HPRB. The Historic recognition would mean more headaches for the owners of the 189 homes. The Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) quickly points out on its website that being in an historic district means that "if you want to install a fence, make any changes to the porch, garage, or exterior of your building, or even install sculpture in your front yard, you must get a building permit." Though the ANC voted unanimously to approve the nomination, neighbors will take their time to debate the merits of the recognition; HPRB was prepared to approve it last week but has left the door open for a larger area to be included, should the community request it.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Museums on the Mall: Latinos Throw Their Hat in the Ring

Feeling ethnically unrepresented by the nation's newfound homage to ethnicity? One group may have the answer for you: The Latino American Museum Commission (LAMC) hopes to build the National Museum of the American Latino on or near the National Mall, and is in the final stage of figuring out just where it should go.

The new museum is intended to "create a home for the historical artifacts, images, and personal stories documenting over 500 years of American Latino contributions to the United States" and will "serve as an educational tool for the thousands who visit the museum each year, as well as instilling [sic] a sense of pride in the Latino community..." The LAMC was formed by an act of Congress in 2008.

The Museum Commission initially considered and "fully vetted" over 30 sites throughout the Capitol area, narrowing it down to 9 in November 2009, before finally paring it down to 4 sites, all on or near the Mall, as it happens. At yesterday's National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) meeting, the LAMC presented the four finalists. Henry R. Muñoz, the Chair of the LAMC, told the NCPC review team that after canvassing Latinos nationwide "there is a clear preference for a site on the Mall." The NCPC expects to issue its opinion in August, at which point the plans will be sent to Congress. The Commission hopes to find 359,000 s.f. - 310,000 s.f. close to the monumental core for exhibits and 49,000 s.f. located remotely for storage and office space. Though the LAMC recently signed four contracts to kickstart development and planning, Muñoz acknowledged the long process ahead, saying "we'll feel fortunate if that timeline can be shortened to ten years."

In no particular order, the Commission is considering:

1. The Yates Building at 1400 Independence Avenue, SW (pictured right): The administrative portion would fit into the historic Yates building, and a 165,000-s.f. building would be built on the Mall to the north, bisected by Independence Avenue. The museum would offer an entrance on the Mall and would potentially connect underground to the Yates building. The rough designs show the new structure mirroring the height and footprint of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

2. The Whitten Building at 14th & Independence: The LAMC offered up the adjacent parking lot for a new building. This plan also includes building two stories on top of the Whitten building, which the design team likened to the Tate in London. This design would deliver 310,000 s.f., 49,000 s.f. less than the desired amount of space.

3. The Arts and Industries Building (pictured left): The oldest of the Smithsonian buildings offers 99,000 s.f. that would be incorporated as a "public reception area" because it is too narrow for galleries and lacks climate control or proper acoustics for performances. This plan has two options, one in which the Arts and Industries building remains intact with a two-story museum below-grade, the other would use the main building for administrative purposes and as an entrance from the mall, but create a connection to a new annex building.

4. Capitol Site: This proposed site, across from the Botanical Gardens, was envisioned by the McMillan Commission to hold a museum but remains empty. Currently under the control of the Architect of the Capitol, the site would utilize the same footprint as proposed in the McMillan Plan, with an entrance off Pennsylvania Avenue, offering three stories above grade and one below. At 252,000 s.f. it would be the smallest of the proposed buildings.

Fear not, Lithuanians and Somoans, you too may someday have your chance.

Washington DC real estate and development news

Congress Passes $8,000 Credit Extension

Congress has passed the bill to extend the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit, giving purchasers an additional three months to complete purchases for contracts that were ratified by April 30th. The bill now goes before President Obama, who has said he will sign the legislation. Buyers now have until September 30th to settle and qualify for the credit; the National Association of Realtors has said that up to 180,000 buyers would "lose their tax credit through no fault of their own" in a system that had gotten overwhelmed by the flurry of activity spawned by the credit. The bill does not affect homebuyers in Washington DC, who still qualify for the $5,000 tax credit.

Bainbridge Buys Bethesda's Monty, Readies for Construction

A new 17-story mixed-use project may soon grace the skyline of Bethesda now that Bainbridge Companies closed on the Monty site at 4918 St. Elmo Avenue, just blocks from the Bethesda Metro. Bainbridge had been under contract with property owner Robert Hillerson since 2008 and settled just last week. The Monty will bring 200 rental units, including 30 moderately priced dwelling units, 7,200 s.f. of retail and four levels of below-grade parking to a site currently occupied by vacant one- and two-story office and retail buildings. Bainbridge worked with Hillerson and architects SK&I to gain project approval last summer and is in the process of obtaining building permits. Demolition and excavation are said to begin this fall and the entire project should deliver in October 2012.

According to Thomas Keady, President of Development for Bainbridge, the project receive unanimous approval from the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) and will be the first high-rise mixed-use project to be constructed under the Woodmont Sector Plan. Keady said his firm, which has projects along the east coast but is concentrated in Florida, chose the location because of its proximity to the Metro, restaurants and shops, scoring high for walkability.

The design team at SK&I includes Senior Associates Federico Olivera-Sala and Marty Towles. Olivera-Sala said the relatively low-density of the remainder of the block, which is populated by three- and four-story buildings, posed a challenge for the design team in creating a tall but contextual structure. The chosen design features several setbacks and varying levels of volume,"it's very 3-D," said Olivera-Sala. Towles explained that the setbacks are planned in different directions on different levels: the second story setback acknowledges the height of neighboring street-level buildings and offers a courtyard area, a sixth-story setback creates the wings of the building, and the fifteenth-story setback creates a terrace that connects to the party and exercise rooms. The breaks in the facade also effectuate a plan to minimize shadows on the street.

The design calls for a largely brick face in three different colors to emphasize the varying volumes of the building, and includes an 18-20 foot wide cut-through between St. Elmo and Fairmont Avenues, which Towles described as a "good way to energize mid-block. The retail will front three sides, including the new cut-through. Olivera-Sala said the Monty will have windows on all four sides: "the building basically has no back." Towles added "the thing that is exciting...is that the owner put so many amenities up in the air, creating opportunities for great views" as people exercise or party on the 15th floor. The project owners hope to achieve LEED Silver certification; a minimum of LEED certified is required for projects in the area.

Bethesda, MD real estate development news

Gales School RFP's Semi-Announcement

The Fenty administration has reportedly awarded the Gales School RFP to the Central Union Mission. The District has made no official pronouncement on the subject, and would not return repeated calls, but on Friday, Clarence Carter, the Director of the DC Department of Human Services, told Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) that the Department awarded the contract to the Mission.

The Department of Real Estate Services (DRES) issued an RFP in January and twice extended the submission deadline, originally set for February 16th and ultimately enforced March 26th. At the time, a DRES representative told DCMud it had received three applications, though Carter only acknowledged two. The respondents were the Central Union Mission and Ready, Willing & Working Inc. (RWW).

The Mission plans to match the service they now offer on 14th Street, NW, expanding from 135 beds to at least 150 beds for the men's Christian homeless shelter. The Mission will likely add to the rear of the building with a design by Cox Graae and Spack Architects of Georgetown, a build-out that would allow for kitchens and extra classrooms.

The other applicant, a joint venture between RWW, the Doe Fund Inc. and Building Partnerships, proposed to convert the school into a facility providing housing and job training for upwards of 100 homeless and formerly incarcerated men.

Friday's semi-announcement caught many observers by surprise, including Councilmember Tommy Wells, who had asked Carter for an update during a hearing. Wells commented that "the proposal by RWW is still something that is needed by the city..." Carter indicated his agency hopes to find space for RWW on the campus of St. Elizabeths.

When asked for additional details on the award and a timeline for construction, Charles Allen, the spokesperson for Tommy Wells, replied in an email, "The Friday hearing was the first we had heard about it...we are working to follow-up and get more information." Sources familiar with the Mission's project were equally surprised and eager to learn more about the award. Several calls and emails to the District Government for additional details were not returned.

The Mission's bumpy past with the Gales School boils down to concerns over government subsidies going to religious organizations. The America Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit claiming an Establishment Clause violation - i.e. separation of church and state - because a previous agreement reportedly would have netted $12 million for the Mission (including the property value), which requires homeless men to participate in religious services in return for room, board and counseling services. In a previous conversation, David Treadwell, Executive Director of the Central Union Mission, said, "I can't speak for the ACLU, but I believe the concern was more the $7 million than the property exchange" in the previous RFP; this year's RFP did not include a monetary exchange.

In March, Arthur Spitzer, Legal Director of the ACLU, said his organization has no problem with religious organizations running social services. The problem is when those services are only offered in exchange for "hellfire and brimstone" proselytizing services. Ultimately, Spitzer said, he "hopes they have made this into a fair process" and if it is, and if the Mission wins, then "perhaps that will be OK."

Addendum: In the wake of this report, the District made their announcement official with this announcement.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Vacant Properties on the Chopping Block Wednesday

Tomorrow, DC's Department of Housing and Community Development will shed itself of 18 vacant, government-owned properties at a public auction. The single-family townhouses, multi-family buildings and vacant lots cover neighborhoods in almost every Ward, but take note: not everyone is welcome to bid. Buyers can include only prospective home owners that will occupy the property, non-profits and Certified Business Enterprises (CBE) registered with the District. Buyers must bring a $15,000 deposit to participate in the bidding.

There may be deals in waiting (for the buyer, not for the District taxpayer), given the restrictive qualifications on purchasers. Buyers looking to get in on the Shaw transition can bid on 1713 New Jersey Avenue, NW (pictured), which tax records show sold for just under $300,000 in 2005. Neighboring properties have sold for as much as $750,000 in recent years. A lot at 805 7th Street, NE, near H Street, zoned for residential use, could command some interest given the District Council's recent approval of overhead wires for the future streetcar. Though a buyer could snag a bargain, the buy-in and then the required 10 percent deposit within three days time could be a bit of a deterrent for the do-it-yourself buyer.

The District auctions the properties in the hopes of returning them to the tax roll, creating additional revenue and removing blight. The vacant properties were acquired through negotiated friendly sale, eminent domain, donation, and tax sale foreclosure when owners were "unwilling or unable to maintain their properties." The auction, run by Alex Cooper Auctioneers, will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center tomorrow beginning "promptly" at 2 PM.

Washington, DC real estate development news

Douglas Buys Time for Waffles

Last night, Douglas Development's plans for the former Waffle Shop at 1000 F Street received a time extension, saving his "Up Against the Wall, LLC" from an expired zoning approval. Along with architect Shalom Baranes, Douglas received approval in April 2008 to relocate the historic eatery now just two blocks from Metro Center, and in its place construct a large office building. Since that time the art deco 1950s Waffle Shop closed and recently reopened as a tourist's delight, filled with "I heart DC" shirts and Obama memorabilia plates.

Douglas's planned 11-story building would bring 91,000 s.f. office space with 6,000 s.f. of ground-floor retail to an L-shaped amalgamation of lots. Plans also include the renovation and relocation of the two-story Waffle Shop now on the site - reassembled on another site. HPRB had initially granted Douglas's request to destroy the eatery, despite the dearth of retail downtown and the vacant storefronts downtown at the time, but later reneged on that offer thanks to community outcry. The developer committed to moving the shop to a new location intact within five years of the approval; two years, down three to go, an alternate location has yet to be publicly announced.

During their 2008 testimony at the Zoning Commission, the project team said it had been pursuing a project at the location for nearly nine years, finally convincing the property owner to sell in 2005 and closed in 2006. Douglas development's Paul Millstein described the importance of F Street and its continued renaissance to the firm, "we have a passion for F Street...this building represents much more than just a building to us."

Architect Shalom Baranes explained that his design was emphasizes the "verticality" of 10th and F Streets. The facade is planned to feature two surfaces - a "masonry curtain wall" and a "transparent, more prismatic form" to articulate the volume of the building. The property contained two historically contributing buildings, the Waffle Shop and 1000 F Street, which will be the corner structure of the development. The extension expires May 16, 2012.

Washington, DC real estate development news