Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

This fantastic 1921 Colonial was extensively renovated just three years ago, making it the best of both worlds. Looks super old on the outside, but is fresh and new on the inside, sort of like my grandmother when she had her late-life crisis. (But much more dignified. After all, there's no chance this house will suggestively sing karaoke to Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" in the community room of her nursing home during one of your visits, during which you later see a copy of "The Illustrated Kama Sutra" displayed prominently on a bedside table. True story!!)

Aaaaaanyway. This massive house has it all; the great room with peaked skylights, the everything-you-could-ask-for-and-more kitchen with acres of cabinet space and that wraparound wall o' windows, a light-flooded main level with an open floor plan. In keeping with the running theme of a-plenty, the bedrooms upstairs are all extravagantly roomy, and the master suite even has his and her baths. Did you know that relationships in which each person has their own bathroom last twice as long as relationships in which the two people share? Okay, admittedly I just made that up and yet - we all know it's true.

And as spectacular as the house is, the outside is even better. The lot is just under half an acre, with a rolling terrace and gardens that double as privacy screens. Of course, there's also a large, in-ground pool. Everybody loves a pool. A house with a pool is like a really tall man - whatever other shortcomings they may have, in the end everyone loves them. My friend who's six foot six could go to the bar in a trashbag poncho and women would still flock to him. Not that I'm bitter. (I'm bitter.)

3102 Ellicott St. NW
4 Bedrooms, 4.5 Baths
$2,895,000

Residential Building Proposed for Former St. Matthew's Site In SW

A proposed 11-story, 210-unit residential building from developer CSG Urban Partners, on the former site of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church at 222 M Street SW, is headed to the zoning board later this month, over the objections of some neighborhood residents.

The applicant, TC/CSG St. Matthew's LLC, proposes an L-shaped building, varying in height from 110 to 35 feet, that would include a small church sanctuary on the northeast corner of the 50,000 square foot lot, one of several projects locally to take unused church space. Included in the plans are about 151 below-grade parking spaces, and of the approximately 210 projected units, ten percent would be provided for moderate income households (51% to 80% AMI). The application also details a plan for allocating much of the ground floor and basement space as a publicly-accessible community center run by St. Matthew's. A description of the proposed design lists "tiered and modulated use of one or two-story bay, projections or loggias articulated with metal frames, glazed areas and metal clad panel," which are all elements found in nearby buildings.
"It's going to match the character of the neighborhood," confirms Dan Stuver, of Shalom Baranes Architects. "A lot of metal, a lot of glass, a lot of screens. It's going to fit in with the surrounding buildings, most of which date from the Sixties and Seventies."

Oh, so it's going to be retro?

"No, no," says Stuver. "I'm from the Sixties and Seventies too, and I'm not retro. It's going to be very modern. At least, a style we call modern."

The site is well situated at a block from the Waterfront metro station and on the route for the proposed M Street streetcar. In addition, plans call for the inclusion of electric car charging stations, extensive bike parking, car sharing spaces, and anticipates a LEED Silver Certification.
However, some residents have objected to the project; a Change.org petition characterizes the project as "out of character with the very fabric that is SW," and that it's variously too big, not set back enough, doesn't include green space, blocks views from nearby residential buildings and "is a 1000 lb sack of potatoes trying to fit in a 5 lb sack." Many of these concerns seem to have been addressed - developers have already agreed to an additional 2' setback from M Street, and are including a large courtyard (though of unspecified size) in the front and rear of the building - though the matter of blocked views could be problematic.

The zoning hearing is tentatively scheduled for Monday, March 26.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Tysons Developer Begins Route 50 Apartment Project

Tysons-based Insight Property Group has started construction on a 67-unit "luxury apartment" building in Arlington near the Courthouse Metro station. While this will be the first completed development for the Insight team, it claims to have more than 1000 units "in the development pipeline."

Grayson Flats will be a 4-story ("luxury") building on a 1.67-acre site at 1200 North Rolfe Street, near Ft. Myer, which Insight acquired in 2010, demolishing the post-war apartment building that existed on the site.
Lessard Design and Preston Partnership collaborated for the design, with apartments "larger than typical Ballston/Rosslyn offerings." And forget old school, the building will feature the absolute latest in amenities package - think bocce, Wi-Fi, billiards, cyber cafe, bike storage and an electric car charging station. Such amenities may soon be coming even closer to your own neighborhood, as Insight is planning to dot the area with similar apartments:

"Insight development projects include two buildings scheduled to break ground later this year: one in downtown Silver Spring, MD and one near the Huntington Metro station in Alexandria, VA. Two more projects -- another development in Arlington and one on H Street, NE in Washington, D.C. -- will follow shortly thereafter."

Clark Builders Group is the general contractor, Buvermo Investments of Bethesda is the equity partner in the $25 million development. Construction began on the project last year and is expected to be complete by this fall.

Arlington, VA real estate development news

Today in Pictures - Flats at Atlas District

Clark Realty Capital, which broke ground on the first phase of Arboretum Place in October of 2010, is getting close to delivering its project at 1600 Maryland Avenue, NE. The first phase of construction, "The Flats at Atlas District," will yield 257 apartments when the dust settles this summer. Originally expected to initiate construction back in 2009, the project idled but a HUD loan put air beneath the developer's wings in a submarket that has seen little development of this kind. The project was designed by Niles Bolton, with interior design by RD Jones, with construction by Clark. Completion is expected "this summer." Initial leasing, which began last Thursday, is going well, according to Tracey Thomm of Clark Realty Capital, with "higher leasing volume than expected" on the 24 units just released. The Clark project sits on 5 acres, only 3 of which have been used for the Flats, leaving another 2 on which the developer will likely add another 200 units or so in the next phase, beginning pre-development this year. The developer notes that the Flats is the product of several years worth of design work that "respects the history of the neighborhood." Thomm says that "we made alot of changes based of community feedback that has substantially improved the design," something she hopes will be apparent to the community now that the project is open to the public.
Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

Reading about this gem before the open house, the blurb said it was a "magazine quality" rowhome, and boy was that accurate. With its just-perfect details (the moldings, the exquisitely stained floors, those fairy-tale-ish under-staircase closets) and totally unique furnishings, I felt a distinct "through the looking glass" sensation as I toured the place, almost like I'd stepped into the pages of one of those glossy interior design magazines my ex-girlfriend's mother would always pretend to leaf through in an effort to convince everyone she was, in fact, human. (Nobody was fooled.)

There's a streamlined, well-lit living room (with fireplace), dining area, and the kitchen has beautiful pale gray marble counter tops, Subzero and Viking appliances, and one of a kind custom cabinets. (I don't care how many late-night infomercials you fall for, you will never be able to buy enough crap to fill all these cabinets.) The adjacent sitting room opens, via a pair of french doors, onto a large stone-paved wraparound patio, probably one of the finest outdoor spaces I've seen in this part of the city. It's large and open and simple and private and immensely appealing, aesthetically and otherwise. I like greenspace as much as the next guy, but it can often be more trouble than it's worth. (Take it from someone who weedwhacked his ankle almost down to the bone last summer.)

The master bedroom is a sprawling, luxurious affair, with a cozy window nook and a fireplace. And the master bath, with its very deep soaking tub and glass-enclosed shower, is as nice as the bathrooms in a five-star hotel in Vegas, but without invisible traces of prostitute vomit on every surface. (What, you know it's true.)

1618 Corcoran Street NW
4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths
$1,799,000

Lowe Enterprises to Convert Wheaton Office Building to Residential High-Rise

Continuing Wheaton's rapid transformation from a withering suburb to a residential development hotspot, California-based Lowe Enterprises submitted a sketch plan to Montgomery County planners at the end of January that would transform the 5-story Computer Building at 11411 Georgia Avenue in Wheaton from a modest five-story office building into a 14-story residential high-rise.

The site, which Lowe purchased last fall for just over $8.2 million, is nestled between the Archstone Wheaton Station Apartments and the Metro Point Apartments, and across Reedie from the already approved 17-story Safeway/residential project from Patriot Realty. Two blocks down, Washington Property Co. is building 221 units on the former site of the First Baptist Church of Wheaton. Up a block is the Wheaton Metro station, whose bus bays are to be converted by B.F. Saul into an office complex. B.F. Saul is also consulting with the county about converting Wheaton Triangle, right across Georgia, into a massive mixed-use development that would bring nearly a million square feet of office space, retail, a hotel, and a public plaza to the area.

Interestingly, developers plan to build onto the existing building 11411 Georgia, rather than demolish and start from scratch.

"The building has very good bones," says Mark Rivers, Senior Vice President at Lowe Enterprises, by way of explanation. "The concrete structure can easily support the additional floors. It would just be a waste of time, money, and landfill space to tear it down and rebuild. Also, this building is narrow for an office building - about 60 feet wide. Residential buildings are generally narrower than office buildings, so that was a nice bit of luck."

The sketch plan application promises to "substantially transform the building aesthetic through comprehensive facade changes," listing balconies, vertical bays, and a "strong vertical element" at the northwest corner of the building, to lend it a "distinguishable identity." Developers intend to convert the building from glazed brick and boxy to "a contemporary slender tower clad in composite panels, glass and masonry." The Bonstra Haresign-designed tower will include up to 200 studios and one-bedroom dwellings, as well as 60-plus parking spaces on-site (though zoning doesn't require any).

Developers haven't yet decided if they'll include retail space on the ground floor, though they have plenty of time to decide, as construction is targeted for the beginning of next year. Though another residential tower in the area might seem excessive, developers, following a familiar blueprint, are confident that the expanding housing market in Wheaton will organically lead to an increase in demand for retail. Since county planners adopted the new, updated Wheaton Sector Plan in 2010, which aimed to revitalize the moribund area, development in Wheaton has revved up to high gear, even leading local uberdeveloper Leonard Greenberg to compare the area to Adams Morgan.

Wheaton, Maryland real estate development news

Fairgrounds at Nationals Stadium

With Washington Nationals opening day one month away, and Forest City's Yards project rounding third in delivering a retail pavilion to the Anacostia waterfront, one local team is getting ready to deliver the first large, integrated shopping district adjacent to the ballpark. A local arts group is working to deliver a pop-up retail experience on the block just north of the ballpark, on a now-vacant site owned by Akridge along the footpath between the Metro station and ballpark entrance. Underway is a self-contained, open-air retail and entertainment destination that will animate the baseball stadium's gateway with an imaginative mix of food, entertainment and shopping. Organizers will test a concept that has won accolades in New York and London - turning refurbished shipping containers into instant designer storefronts, creating an open marketplace that is part foodie festival and farmer's market, part entertainment venue and beer garden, and part shopping district. Playing off the success of London's BOXPARK Shoreditch and Brooklyn's DeKalb Market, the project will utilize the ultimate green idea - recycling - by turning salvaged shipping containers into architecturally imaginative shops. Promoters are signing up regional retailers for the seasonal market that will coincide with baseball season, and plan to open with a "preview party" on March 30th. Vendors are expected to be attracted to the instant retail site with some of the city's heaviest, if sporadic, foot traffic, while visitors to the ballpark - and the area's increasing residential population - get a timely market in place of a vacant lot that will last until the site is developed. Brooklyn's DeKalb Market (pictured above, courtesy Inhabitat) opened last year to much acclaim from the local community and has achieved cult status as a regional urban infill amenity. Boxcars-as-architecture has premiered in other cities, but the Half Street Fairgrounds is the first U.S. version as a pop-up shopping destination. The site is being created by Akridge, Bo Blair of Georgetown Events, which operated The Bullpen on the site, and Mike Berman of Diverse Markets Management, which operates the Flea Market at Eastern Market and the Downtown Holiday Market at Penn Quarter, and designed by Christy Schlesinger of Schlesinger Architects. The team expects to program some of the site full-time, with special events and heightened programming on game days. "We really appreciate being invited by Fairgrounds entrepreneur Bo Blair to participate in this exciting venture," Berman said, calling it an opportunity for "incubating creative businesses for this new neighborhood and for the city." Capitol Riverfront BID Director Michael Stevens noted that the neighborhood will have "9 to 10 restaurants open in the next 11 months," calling the chance for immediate retail a "cool, edgy concept" that will "brand the neighborhood, and give ballpark patrons another option." The BID will partner with the Fairgrounds to provide a Wednesday noon-time concert series beginning in May. Retail leasing is being handled by DCRE Real Estate.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Sky House Kicks Off in Southwest

As the re-remoderization of Southwest Washington D.C. continues, this time without a Soviet flare, Urban Atlantic Development and JBG have started work on the transformation of Sky House I & II, the concrete layers of the old EPA government building on 1150 4th Street, and across the street at 1151 4th Street. With Wiencek & Associates Architects & Planners on board for the exterior and RD Jones + Associates for the interiors, the project will deliver some 530 units to the Southwest Waterfront area in late 2013 or early 2014.
The development team is keen on delivering an environmentally sustainable, LEED certified, twin building project. This project is another step continued revitalization of housing in the Southwest quadrant. With a mix of studio, one & two bedroom units, with the average unit size only 675 s.f. The two buildings will have different ownership structures, but both will have 20% of the units set aside for affordable housing. With the two tallest buildings in Southwest, developers are touting the unique views ("Sky") available from the rooftop deck and pool. The Sky projects complete the area around Waterfront Station - at least until the surface parking lots are addressed - with the office complex having completed in 2009, Safeway having reopened in the spring of 2010, and Waterfront Towers having converted to condos in 2009.

There will be a "groundbreaking" ceremony with Mayor Vincent Gray in attendance today at 9:30am.
Washington D.C. real estate development news

Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

This fully-renovated Colonial is extremely charming - large rooms with a great open-ish floor plan that leads you naturally from space to space. The different color-schemed rooms really won me over, and the house is so deceptively big inside that halfway through I got all confused. ("That can't be another room up ahead, it's got to be a mirror. But if it's a mirror, shouldn't I be able to see my reflection in it? Am I a vampire?!")

There's a ton of closet space, a pantry, a beautiful sitting room, and three working fireplaces. There's also a large built-in shoe closet (much better than your present system, i.e. piles), and a fantastic massive patio out back, surrounded by a tiered stone garden. Not massive like "you could get a grill AND a table out there," massive like "you could stage a celebrity wedding back there."

The crown jewel of the house, the master bedroom suite is maybe the most masterful bedroom suite I've ever encountered. The bedroom is very fine, yes, and the working fireplace definitely takes it to the "next level" (I imagine squabbling with my girlfriend over who gets to work the remote and then just flinging it into a roaring fire), but the thing that tipped the balance was the bathroom. Aside from being very fine, it has heated floors! This legitimately blew my mind. I didn't even know this was a thing. (Do I sound like a yokel right now? Are you all laughing at me? I don't even care.) I'd crank these babies up full blast year round, even in the summertime. When you've got heated floors, why not flaunt them? (Words to live by, if you ask me.)

5009 Hawthorne Place NW
5 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths
$1,125,000