Envisioning the Visio and Murano

Q and A with Suman Sorg   
by Beth Herman

Seeking to venerate but modernize Washington D.C.'s classic row house archetype, and drawing from the surrounding urban U Street corridor neighborhood, Suman Sorg of Sorg Architects created the 19-unit Visio and Murano, 2109 10th Street NW. Studying historic preservation at Cornell University, though a modernist at heart, Sorg's work is often a confluence of the two, with compatibility a word she uses to define her efforts in the contextual realm. The Visio and Murano has won six awards, including two AIA awards for Architectural Excellence and one for Washington Residential Design. DCMud spoke with Sorg about the project.

DCMud: What was the design impetus behind the Visio and Murano?

Sorg: The idea was to build so-called stick buildings that are not steel or concrete but wood, and to redefine the concept of infill row housing. When we built the Visio, we used mezzanines -- or internal stairs -- in each apartment so you could get extra space and still build a building out of wood frame, though the exterior is brick and glass.We had really tall ceilings -- 11 to 18 feet high -- each one has a double-height living room. We used English basements to create extra square footage at street level.

DCMud: How did the neighborhood's vernacular manifest in the design?

Sorg: We wanted to make these buildings compatible with the adjacent church. There's an alley between the church and Visio and Murano, but they almost form a street line. My idea was to look at what's important in the church, which is a turret, and how to add that kind of verticality to the facade of Visio. I wanted to work with the church's material which is red brick -- traditional Washington. We used that but in a modern application. I was also thinking about the industrial character of the area. You look at the Visio's front stair through bent steel - almost sculpture, and then the windows have steel mullions. The brick is sharply cut; it's not antiqued at all. These are some industrial features in the design.

DCMud: In what ways does the design emulate more doctrinal area architecture?

Sorg: In D.C. we have what's called the traditional bay house which allows you to project into public space by four feet. I was interested in incorporating that concept, but in a modern way. I wanted a modern vocabulary -- one that's Washington's own vocabulary rather than an imported one -- as well as taking advantage of what zoning allowed so we could have maximum square footage inside.

DCMud: Can you elaborate on the concept of imported, or as some have called it borrowed, architecture?

Sorg: I believe we've been importing architecture from Europe since the very beginning, and lately importing architects themselves. Washington's own architecture can develop in its neighborhoods rather than downtown where there's more commission scrutiny. We should look at what's traditional to D.C. and then reinterpret it.

DCMud: There is a prodigious use of glass in these buildings, and they are not towers, so with that how was privacy executed in the Visio and Murano?

Sorg: There's a general trend right now -- a shift from post modern to modern. Because the shift was so quick, people went back to early modernism -- the 20s and 30s. In residential architecture, however, people don't want to live in a glass box. They do want a sense of privacy and warmth.

When there are large amounts of glass in residential architecture, proportion is important. Again people don't want to live in glass boxes, so we broke it into smaller panes. We used zero sightline windows so the ones that do open don't look different from the rest of the glass. We also set the glass back behind balconies for shade. Hardwoods were used in the interior, including wood stairs. We followed LEED Silver requirements and used some natural materials, low-E windows and Energy Star appliances, though did not pursue certification.

DCMud: You work extensively internationally, as well as in D.C. Does the Visio and Murano reflect anything you have done before?

Sorg: I did a similar housing project in Kuwait in 2005. Following the war, the U.S. was given a piece of property by the king on which to build a new embassy. We did the housing in the embassy compound. It's somewhat the same in its proportion and materials, including glass and shading.

I've also been working in historic neighborhoods for a long time. The Visio and Murano are the evolution of townhouses that we did in Georgetown and particularly in Ledroit Park, south of Howard University, where we built 14 brand new infill townhouses. While you couldn't tell them apart from other historic townhouses in the neighborhood, it taught me about proportion and management of materials in these historic buildings. It became a foundation for the Visio and Murano's modern interpretation.

DCMud: Speaking of interpretation, is there a place in the District that calls to you?

Sorg: I like buildings that are unassuming -- beautiful, quiet buildings or spaces where, when you walk or bike around the city, they do not scream for your attention. One of these is the Decatur Terrace Steps and Fountain (sometimes referred to as D.C.'s Spanish Steps) between 22nd Street and Decatur Place. The large trees that surround it make for a perpetually shaded resting spot to listen to the bubbling fountain and enjoy a respite from the busy city.

DC Council Ponders Major Land Disposition

The DC Council hosted a roundtable Wednesday evening to thoughtfully ponder Disposition Approval Resolutions of 5 major developments planned across the city and give residents a chance to air concerns. Officially held to determine whether the city-held land was "surplus" - in lay terms, unneeded and salable - and whether or not selling them would benefit the city and the surrounding community in real terms (jobs, quality of life, etc.). Below is an abbreviated (luckily for you) roundup of the evenings discussions:

1. Minnesota-Benning Phase 2 Redevelopment: As previously reported Donatelli Development and Blue Skye Development won the bid to develop low-income housing and retail space adjacent to the Minnesota Avenue metro station. Panel members described the property as blighted, vacant and underused. Cheryl Cort of the Coalition for Smarter Growth disagreed with statements that the space was underutilized and also argued for a public easement and right of way, requesting that a segment of the property not be developed in case of future transportation demands. Councilmember Kwame Brown (at-large) described development as a way to "bring the city together."

2. New Communities Northwest One: By far the most contentious property of the evening was the site of the former Temple Courts Apartments. Arguments against the land, now used as a parking lot as developers work through the tangles of DC government, included ANC Commissioner Keith Silver's, who submitted a thesis-sized objection, and community members' claims that during Phase1 the developer failed to meet hiring standards requiring that 51% of jobs be given to DC residents. Chris Smith, Jr., Chairman and CEO of William C. Smith & Company, who disclaimed involvement in Phase1, promised to make good on employment promises in Phase2. But some Council members wagged fingers at Smith for having failed to interact directly with local ANCs while assuring community members of Smith's strong standing in the development community. The only change was the decision to build each of 5 buildings in separate phases to improve financing; i.e. former residents will have a long wait until they can return to their new homes.

3. Strand Theatre- It was a big night for Ward 7, with 3 of the 5 projects coming to the ward. The panel, including developers and community members, voiced overwhelming support for the Strand Theatre revitalization and redevelopment project. Council members asked the necessary questions to afford political cover, but there was little contention over the project.

4. Eastern Avenue Property - We previously wrote about ODMPED's call for plans to redevelop properties located at 400-414 Eastern Avenue, NE and the 6100 block of Dix Street NE. The selected plan will offer 56 affordable for sale units - all be 3-bedroom townhouses, something the community supports enthusiastically. Mary Cheeks, a Ward 7 resident, stepped up to opine that "this property has sat vacant for too long...it is time to move forward..." Council members were particularly impressed by the approximately $3.5 million dollar investment that would yield so much housing. Councilman Brown remarked on the millions of dollars being discussed among the projects and remarked over the efficient use of city resources, "I like that," he said. Enough said.

5. Fourth/Sixth and E. Street, S.W.: We reported on the intial appointment of Potomac Investment Properties, City Partners and Adams Investment Group, to redevelop land currently occupied by a fire station and a parking lot. A 9-story building will replace that former fire stationa and house a cafe and work site for DC Central Kitchen, and possibly even a stationery store, wine store and coffee shop. The property is currently planned as a 99-year lease, largely due to the presence of the district's fire station. Council member Tommy Wells (Ward 6), concerned about financing, advised John Holmes of Adams Investment Group that the "stakes are raised" on the project. To paraphrase, "don't screw this up."

Fire Sale of Land in SW

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development issued a Solicitation for Offers yesterday for the development of two District-owned parcels in Southwest. The forgotten quadrant of DC to some (not us), Southwest is just starting to get attention thanks to the development of “Southwest Waterfront” by PN Hoffman. The District seeks “highly-qualified development team with the financial capacity to complete this complex project” and prefers to hire one developer for both sites.

The first parcel, Lot 28 on the western side of Square 494, is 34,000 s.f. and bounded by 6th, School, and E Streets. It is currently the antiquated home of a two-story fire station used by Fire Engine Company 13. The fire station will pose a challenge for developers as a new fire station must be included in proposals, but will save taxpayers the cost of constructing a new station or renovating the old one.

“We can’t have the station go out of service, the developer should come back to us with a plan of how to keep the station open the whole time and build a new one, either on one of the two sites or adjacent to the property if they own land in the area,” said Sean Madigan, Press Officer for the Deputy Mayor.

The city says there is no time like the present to move Company 13 to a newer facility while simultaneously bringing another development to the neighborhood. SW firemen wont be the only civil servants enjoying new digs.

The eastern side of the lot, which is about 40,000 s.f. and the home of the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District Headquarters, is planned for DC’s new 240,000 s.f. Consolidated Forensic Laboratory. According to project manager Senthil Sankaran, MPD will eventually move to another SW location to make room for the laboratory on the vacated site.

The presence of a fire station and forensic laboratory does make the site a little loud (and grim) for a residential project, but the city will consider all offers as long as they include a fire station. Madigan said an office use is most likely, but a hotel or apartment building could be possible if built correctly and with (a lot of) insulation. But if the Ritz Carlton can be next to a fire station in the West End, why not here too?

Community leaders would like to see a community center incorporated in the proposals and the District is requiring that developers designate that at least 35 percent of any contracts go to certified local, small, or disadvantaged businesses and give at least half of the jobs to DC residents.

“Particularly this section of office space is a great opportunity to do some infill work. This project alone won’t transform this office quarter, but a project like this could go a long way to make this a more lively area just south of the mall and could help connect the area to the waterfront activity that is coming. There is no reason not to do this now,” Madigan said.

The second site, Square 495 or Lot 102, stands empty and is used as a parking lot by a local school during the week and a church on the weekend. Smaller than its adjacent site at 19,187 s.f., it is bounded by 4th Street, E Street, and the Southwest/Southeast Freeway. (The building on the left is a privately-owned office building.)

Proposals are due on August 15, 2008, but a pre-offer conference will be held later this month.

Convention Center Marriott Awaits Zoning Approval

Final plans for a new Convention Center Marriott will head before the Washington DC Zoning Commission tonight for a public hearing. Now dubbed the Washington Marriott Marquis, adjacent to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, it is expected to catch little to no flak, as it conforms to the non-residential zoning standard already in place, and has been pushed for by District officials.

Additionally, Marriott is developing the project in unison with the Fenty administration under a handy piece of city legislation entitled the Public Space Utilization Act – which allows the Mayor to "enter into lease(s) with private parties for the rental of the space above or below streets and alleys in the District." That Act, however, leaves final approval of any such lease to the Commission, which will tonight discuss how the plans on hand sync with city regulations concerning building height, off-street parking, and traffic flow – all areas Marriott’s draftsmen appear to have to managed meticulously.

The plans for Marriott’s parcel at Massachusetts Avenue and 9^th Street NW call for construction of a new 1,150 room hotel with a two-level underground garage. Additionally, the AFL building currently on the site will get an extreme makeover into a 42 room “boutique hotel” connected to the main facility at several junctures. The PEPCO power station eyesore on the block will remain (but possibly receive an aesthetic makeover) and an underground tunnel linking the Marriott to the Convention Center’s east end will be constructed. Marriott has taken on Quadrangle Development Corporation to assist in the development process and has enlisted TBS Architects and Cooper Carry Architecture to design the project. Marriott hopes to garner a silver LEED certification for their flagship facility.

It is, however, important to note that tonight’s meeting will not address the project’s second planned component one block to the north, on the opposite side of L Street NW. Sean Madigan of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development told DC Mud in 2007 that Marriott had abandoned plans to build a smaller, secondary hotel wing on that site and had instead chosen to redevelop the AFL building. The development team has yet to present any concrete ideas about what may happen with that parcel.

Tonight’s meeting is being held tonight at the Office of Zoning Hearing Room (441 4^th Street NW, Suite 220) and begins at 6:30 PM. The proceedings are open to the public, so this would be a good chance to get a head start on booking a room for 2012 inauguration.

Washington DC real estate development news

Waterfront Station- Fenty Makes it Official

If no development in DC is official until the Mayor appears for a photo op and a speech, then Waterfront Station became official yesterday.

On the other hand, 1,600 of his employees have been on site since March, when the initial office buildings opened, and have been enjoying the newly opened Safeway. The Safeway closed its old store in March and reopened its "urban concept" store April 16th; the grocery store opening was quickly followed by last month's opening of the newly reconnected 4th Street. The new 4th Street not only creates the new “Main Street” of Waterfront Station, but also a new connecting artery for Southwest.

Two new office buildings flanking 4th Street each now offer 250,000 s.f. of space above the Metro. Development team Forest City Washington, Vornado/Charles E. Smith and Bresler and Reiner, Inc., must have been pleased to have Mayor Fenty on hand, knowing that the DC government has leased 100% of the office space for this phase of the project, a detail that made construction financing a whole lot easier. The building was designed by Shalom Baranes & Associates to achieve LEED certification, though not yet official the green certification is in the works.

To date 88 percent of retail has been leased, with CVS opening in a month and a Z Burger set to open this fall. When Station 4, from owners of Ulah Bistro, opens in the fall it will be the only after-hours restaurant in SW not on the Waterfront.


Washington, DC real estate development news

Braddock Gateway Residential Plan Gets Initial Approval

Alexandria-based Jaguar Development has received preliminary site plan approval for the first phase in its 5-phase Braddock Gateway development, paving the way for a 270-unit, 277,000-s.f. apartment building.

Jaguar managing partner, Eddy Cettina, says that the next step, final site plan approval, will take place within the next 9 months to a year.

Although the entire Braddock Gateway development plan was approved in 2008, its developer laid low through the recession, and approached the City with amendments to Phase I in July. Preliminary approval of these amendments was granted by City Council on September 17th.

Phase I's acre-sized parcel is at the southernmost end of the development property, located 1000 feet from the Braddock Metro station.

Jaguar chose to lead with rental apartments on the site because "[i]t is the closet [building] to the metro, and will cater to renters who want easy transit access."

As a transit oriented development, the first phase will also include the construction (by Jaguar) of a "high capacity" bus/transit stop along First Street, just east of Payne Street, with a covered waiting area and LED touchscreen offering rider info.

Designed by Rust | Orling Architecture, the residential-and-retail building will vary in height from 50' to 150' - from 6 to 15 stories - with the tallest section being the central tower (the focus), which is flanked by "two lower shoulders," the eastern 6-story wing with pool deck, and the western 13-story wing.

During design revisions, the western wing was taken down by two stories in order to further stagger height overall, emphasize the "shoulder" appearance of the building, and better relate the design to that of the entire development, according to the city. The staff report, recommending preliminary approval of Phase I, stated the importance of the design review, "Given the site's strategic location... and the pronounced vertical nature... the 2008 development review process placed considerable importance on the quality of the architecture, as the site truly serves as a gateway into the historic portion of the City."

The first completed building in the development will be surrounded by 14'-wide sidewalks, featuring decorative brick and dotted with trees; pedestrian oriented street frontage will be built along Fayette Street. Open space included in the development will total 14,000 s.f., consisting of a 6,000-s.f. central green on the ground floor and a 8,000-s.f. roof top area. Two levels of underground parking will offer 243 parking spaces, with another 26 spaces located on a surface lot off of Fayette.

As for the rest of the 5-building development, "[w]e are concentrating on phase one right now," said Cettina, although she did confirm that the plan for the entire 7-acre development site has not been changed; the plan is for 770,000 s.f. of new development that includes 630 residential units, 70,000 s.f. of office and 15,000 s.f. of retail.

Patricia Escher, principal planner with the City Dept. of Planning and Zoning, offered that the development a considerable improvement to the site, currently holding two vacant warehouses and a surface parking lot. "The entire five phased development of Braddock Gateway will improve an underutilized portion of the City." The project, to be LEED certified, will also conform to Alexandria's green standards.

Escher added that "the first phase will be providing a combined total of $1.6 million to the City’s affordable housing fund, the neighborhood’s streetscape fund and [include] improvements to a local park."

Alexandria, Virginia real estate development news

A Walk in the Park for DC Development

If all goes according to plan, 2009 should be a banner year for public parks in the District of Columbia. A bevy of publicly accessible park renovations will either begin or complete construction in the coming months.

One of Washington DC's costliest park renovations will be the newly renamed Marvin Gaye Park (formerly Watts Branch Park) in Northeast will be getting a $7.7 million facelift, beginning in February. The 1.6 mile long park – formerly known as a home to reams of garbage, used syringes, abandoned cars and, at one point, a landfill for refuse from the construction of the MCI Center (not to mention the occasional body)– will be redeveloped as the “Rock Creek Park of Northeast.” With one access point located at Division Avenue and Foot Street NE, the intent is to use Marvin Gaye Park as a catalyst for the revitalization of nearby Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue and local landmarks, such as the Strand Theater.










Park benefactor Washington Parks & People will also step up their plans for the park in 2009 by placing increased emphasis on their “Down by the Riverside Campaign” and plans to “expand and replicate the Marvin Gaye Park model for inner-city stream valley parks across the city and beyond.” WPP will work in concert with the District’s Department of Parks and Recreation to organize capital improvements to two important park nodes, and even funding to the DC Water and Sewer Authority for the first phase of sewer repairs. Additionally, the two District agencies will continue to develop the park’s bicycle trial and pedestrian bridges, while rejuvenating the local stream bed - which just happens to be a tributary of the polluted Anacostia River. DPP has also included plans for a new Marvin Gaye Recreation Center in their 2009 budget. That project is scheduled to begin construction no sooner than 2013.

The majority of funds for Phase I of the park’s renovations came from government sources, while a small share were raised through private donors and Mayor Fenty’s Great Streets Initiative. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (ODMPED) are currently seeking a general contractor for the project - bids are due to ODMPED by 2 PM on December 17^th. Construction is scheduled to begin in February. Although ODMPED has yet to formally attach a landscape architect to the project, the University of Virginia School of Architecture has prepared prospective renderings of their vision for a revamped Marvin Gaye Park (pictured).

Meanwhile, over in Northwest's Judiciary Square, the $99 million top-to-bottom renovation of the Old DC Courthouse continues on into 2009. A brief respite from the scaffolding-heavy job is also planned for February as the District of Columbia Courts (DCC) plan to begin construction of new park on the historic building’s southeast corner. Located at the 430 E Street NW, the park is being designed by Beyer Blinder Belle (BBB), the same firm overseeing the courthouse project and that recently completed work on a park on the square's southwestern edge.

"There will be...a fountain in the center of that quadrant. There will also be brick-paved paths that will be diagonally passing through the park and benches for people to rest in that area, primarily around the fountain," says Hany Hassan, Director of BBB's Washington office. "The idea behind the water feature is to compliment the west side with its fountain and existing park."

The primary objective of the western park, according to Hassan, was to conceal the two levels of court parking beneath it; in much the same sense, the eastern park has been designed to occupy the former site of loading docks that have been relocated during the renovation. The end result promises to be a greener, more open, more inviting space for downtown. "In our mind, that's really the benefit that we'll all enjoy when this is completed," says Hassan.

Once work comes to a close, both new public spaces will joined by BBB's new grand 60 by 36 foot entrance pavilion to the building's north side - not to mention other additions to the square, such as the upcoming National Law Enforcement Museum and the recently installed effigy of Fredrick Douglass. DCC is currently seeking general contractors for the project; bids are due to the DCC by 1 PM on December 22^nd.

The projects named above are just a small sampling of the park projects that various District authorities have lined up for the coming year. Large-scale developments like Northwest One, the Pollin Memorial Community Development and the Southwest Waterfront all include a publicly accessible park component, in addition to stand-alone projects like The Park at the Yards, Diamond Teague Park, a new Justice Park and the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.

GW to Add Science Building and Go Solar

George Washington University has another construction project in the works. Thanks to funding from Square 54 and low construction costs from favorable market conditions, the university has approved replacing an 8-story, 1200-space parking garage with an 8-story, 400,000 s.f. science and engineering complex with buried parking. The university also has separate plans to green its residences by adding what it says will be DC's largest single solar power network.

Although the city has not yet approved the science building, GW expects to start the $275m project within a year. The university’s project team includes Philadelphia-based Ballinger Architects, as well as Hickok Cole Architects, Boston Properties as the project manager and Clark Construction for pre-construction services, all of which are working on Square 54. The LEED-Silver designed building will double the space on the GW campus dedicated to science and engineering.

"The board’s decision to build the Science and Engineering Complex marks an important milestone in the development of George Washington into a world-class research university," said GW President Steven Knapp.

The science building, at the corner of 22nd and H streets, NW (see map, above), will feature two levels of below-ground program space, approximately 350 underground parking spaces and a retail venue on the ground floor along Eye Street.

The building is expected to be completed in late 2014 with occupancy expected in early 2015. Project planning has been underway since 2006. GW is using ground lease payments from Square 54 as part of the financing for the new project, and has been working to redistribute the lost parking as part of the Campus Plan, but has yet to release any details about where the 850 lost spaces will go.

At the same time, GW will implement "the largest source of on-site solar power in the District of Columbia," for "thermal" solar power, that is, not photovoltaic cells. The new solar thermal system will heat water for three residence halls, subtracting "about 70 tons of carbon annually," according to the school. The university intends to generate 10 percent of energy from on-campus renewable sources by 2040, and reduce carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2025, and by 80 percent by 2040 when it reaches "carbon neutrality." The remaining carbon emissions will be "mitigated" through the purchase of local offsets, such as planting trees. "This is just one of the very fist steps we are taking" says Michelle Sherrard of GW, of the solar conversion.

Skyline Innovations, a one-year-old Washington D.C.-based solar energy company, will install the solar thermal units on Building JJ, 1959 E Street and Ivory Tower free of charge and sell the hot water the systems produce to the school for a fee tied to the price of natural gas. According to Aaron Block, Director of Market Development for Skyline, the company assures lower energy costs for the user with no start-up costs by guaranteeing a lower-than-market rate for energy, which it finances by retaining the renewable energy credits. That makes Skyline the number one provider of solar energy in DC (it subcontracts installation). GW won't reveal the amount that it saves with its thermal energy conversion.

The system works by converting sunlight to thermal energy via hot water rather than electricity. An array of rooftop panels collect solar energy and convert it to heat. A series of tanks in the basement loop into the rooftop collectors, a heat exchange allows the heat to be converted from the closed-loop system into the public water.

With all the new construction, the GW Hatchet reports that Foggy Bottom residents are angling for a new Metro entrance as the completion of Square 54 adds more users of the single-entrance Metro station.

Washington DC real estate development news

Forest City to Begin Construction of 225 Apartments, Harris Teeter in Southeast

With a building permit to construct the next component of the Yards in hand, Forest City says construction of the Harris Teeter and new apartment building is less than two months away. Permits were issued a month ago, and Forest City's Gary McManus confirms that "[e]xcavation [at Parcel D] will commence within the next 60 days... construction will be underway on that site prior to the end of this year."

Currently, Forest City is focused on phase one (of three) of its 42-acre Yards development in Southeast, D.C. With the first-phase Riverfront Park and Foundry Lofts already completed, and the Boilermaker Shops underway, the developer now turns to construction of Parcel D: a 225-unit apartment with a 50,000-s.f. Harris Teeter, 30,000-s.f. Vida fitness center, and 30,000-s.f. of additional retail space.

Parcel D's site runs along the east side of 4th Street, between Tingey and M Street. The project, under general contractor Skanska, aims for late 2013 completion.

Designed by Shalom Baranes, the site includes two buildings that will appear as having three distinct components: two residential towers (one above the Harris Teeter on 4th Street), and a shorter retail and fitness center building on the southernmost section of the lot (as seen above).

Directly across from Parcel D's retail building is the 2-story Boilermaker Shops (Parcel K) which includes 34,500 s.f. of retail with 12,000 s.f. of office space above, expected to deliver in the fall of 2012.

Rounding out phase one of the development are parcels E and N, both still in the design phase.

Along with Forest City's summer announcement that the Harris Teeter was a done deal at Parcel D, the developer revealed that two concepts - one being an artisan brew pub - will be crafted by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group for the Boilermaker Shops. NRG's concepts will share a roof with Buzz Bakery, Huey's 24/7 Diner, Austin Grill Express, brb (be right burger) and Willie’s Brew & ‘cue by Xavier Cervera, who is also remaking the Hawk 'n' Dove on Capitol Hill, and opening a pizzeria with raw bar in Southeast's Canal Park.

Also nearing completion in Southeast is a one-mile stretch of river-walk trail linking Yards Park and Diamond Teague Park & Piers. According to Ted Skirbunt with the Capitol Riverfront BID, the completion - next month - of this connection will create enhanced public access and enjoyment of the Southeast riverfront.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Carr Properties to Build Glass Box onto Corcoran Art Gallery

The historic Corcoran Gallery of Art is set for a significant addition in the near future, as Carr Properties and architects at SmithGroup have submitted a design concept to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) for feedback. A recommendation will be returned by the HPRB at its next meeting on November 18th. Their recently submitted application reveals that developers are attempting to move forward with a nine-story office addition to the previously expanded northwest corner of the art gallery that was originally designed by Charles Adams Platt in the 1920s.

Although some Corcoran staff may occupy offices in the new building, it will act and operate separately, generating lease revenues that will assist the Gallery in its effort to grow the collection and the College of Art's endowment. While operating separately, the structure is technically intended to be an addition, as original plans have always called for an expansion of the Gallery in this direction; the addition will be connected to the original 1890s building through a stairwell and partly cantilevered over the Clark Wing.

In August, the Corcoran Gallery granted Carr Properties a long term ground lease of the site on which developers will apparently build, own, and operate the new offices. Unless an extension is requested by Carr, if all the required public approvals are not secured prior to December 15th of next year, the lease will automatically terminate. The property's street address is 1700 New York Avenue, NW, fronting New York Avenue to the south and E Street to the north. Rising several stories above the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the top floors of the addition will offer panoramic views of the White House, the National Mall, the Capitol, and the various surrounding monuments. In addition to office space and a basement for storage, the expansion will also increase parking availability at the gallery, with three levels of garage set to sit below the new building.

The recently submitted designs by SmithGroup go in a much different direction from previously submitted plans. Hartman-Cox had received approval from the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) and the Historic Preservation Review Board as far back as 1988, but never followed through on their plans for a 120,000 s.f. addition. Again in 2008, Hartman-Cox resubmitted similar renderings on behalf of the Corcoran Gallery, but HPRB called the firm's aesthetic of choice "clearly historicist, [and] perhaps more in vogue in the 1980s than at present," advising the architects to reconfigure the building's design so to more "clearly reflect its own identity and purpose." Smith heeded this advice with hopes that their starkly modern and minimalist stylistics will be better received by HPRB; but developers know that regardless of the outcome, a long road of applications and meetings and approval decisions lies ahead.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News

St. Matthew's Residential Project Meets Resistance

It was a rough Monday night for CSG Urban Partners and their proposed 11-story, 210-unit residential building on the former site of St. Matthew's church at 222 M street SW, as a large number of neighborhood residents showed up to voice opposition to the project over the course of an occasionally heated four-hour hearing.

The hearing started on a moderate note, as board members from the nearby Carrollsburg Square condominiums voiced qualified support for the project. "This is not the perfect project," said resident Jonathan Beaton, before going on to say that it's "likely better than future projects that will be proposed."

But the testimony took a negative turn from there. One resident said the proposed building "doesn't match the existing development pattern," describing a "wall-like effect from over 200 feet of unbroken frontage along the street." A representative of a senior housing complex at 1241 Delaware Avenue said the new building will block natural light and accessibility for ambulances. Others said that mature trees adjacent to the development will be killed by construction, and that toxic mold could harm some residents. Still other residents complained that the developers had told them they wouldn't be allowed to use the swimming pool in the new building (pond would be good for you, Carl).

Criticism reached a peak when a local doctor said the building would turn the 3rd Street extension into a "darkened alley of high crime," that the loss of views would cause "mental anguish," and that the arbitrary changing of zoning standards represented a "bait and switch" for local property owners. ("Which is punishable by law!")

Fox News correspondent Catherine Herridge, who lives nearby, was one of the sharpest critics of the project. Herridge passed out a packet illustrating the neighborhood's "

severe doubling parking problem," and provided the night's finest unintentional comic relief when she fidgeted and glared and grimaced through the previous testifier's speech with Chaplinesque intensity. (She did everything but take out a huge hammer and bonk him on the head with it.)

On rebuttal, it was revealed that the developers had actually made an unusual concession on the parking issue, promising that no residents of their building would be eligible for residential parking permits. (The plans also call for 150 below-grade parking spaces.) Architect Shalom Baranes defended some aspects of the design, saying the "darkened high crime alley" would actually be well-lit, and have units looking onto it. Josh Dix, representing the developers, pointed out that the previous design had been much denser with much less greenspace. "We've been meeting with the community since 2004," he said. "At this point, does it satisfy everybody? Probably not. But the pros outweigh the cons."

The board didn't vote, instead asking for more information, and putting off a vote until the April 30 session. The tone at the hearing verged at times on contentious, and the mood seemed unencouraging. But Simone Goring Devaney, who's spearheading the project for CSG Urban, was unperturbed when I talked to her the next day. "The zoning board requested more information, and we're going to get them the info they requested," Goring Devaney said. "We're feeling very positive about the project's future."

Goring Devaney added that, if approval comes through as planned, construction should begin in early 2013 and conclude in about eighteen months.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Southwest Federal Center Gets Green Improvements

Federal planners voted today to approve replacement of a swath of pavement in Southwest DC with a landscaped park, converting the area dominated by federal office buildings and minimal streetscaping into something slightly greener and a touch less alienating.

The National Capitol Planning Commission's vote today facilitates the plan to turn a large surface parking lot on C Street into a public park, narrow the street, create a sidwalk, and blend the now ubiquitous security wall more discreetly into the landscaping.  The 5-story Mary E. Switzer building, owned by GSA and host to an alphabet soup of agencies, has already been given an internal nip-tuck, with greener, more modern features, but outside had abandoned any pretense of pedestrian friendly streetscaping in favor of automobile access and security.

Plans for the building directly across from C Street, which also sports a large surface parking lot, are in the works but have not yet been approved.  The block-sized Switzer building was completed in 1940 and has been a government office building since completion, but is on a regular tourist footpath between the Federal Center Southwest Metro station and the Mall.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Wisconsin Giant "Launch Party" this Thursday

Despite a pending legal battle that has tied up the Wisconsin Avenue Giant, developers are moving forward - pretty soon - with their 56,000-s.f. grocery store project that will add additional retail, residential, and office space. Developer Steet-Works has announced a "launch party" for this Thursday to celebrate the impending demolition of the abandoned 1950's era G.C. Murphy Co. store and existing Giant, which will yield to a newly renamed "Cathedral Commons."

Parent company Stop & Shop owns the site bounded by Idaho Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, and Macomb Street and divided by Newark Street, all of which now contains a mostly-abandoned, one-story retail strip and surface parking. Upset with the parking provisions, the threat of increasing density in the area, and even challenging the Commission's authority to make the specific zoning amendment ruling that approved the project, the Wisconsin-Newark Neighbors Coalition (WNNC) had filed a lawsuit to prevent the project, challenging, as they had previously, the Zoning Commission's 2009 approval of the project.

Despite the burst of optimism on the ultimate outcome of the development, the litigation has not yet been resolved, and Street-Works does not plan to begin construction until March of next year. DC officials and President of Giant Food Robin Michel, among others, will gather to announce their commitment to moving forward, ambitiously marking the last days of the 50-year old block that is a deteriorating and out-dated eye-sore. In an official press release Giant promises: "the development will create new jobs and feature neighborhood retail shops, restaurants, a 56,000-square-foot supermarket, townhomes, apartments, engaging open spaces, and an attractive streetscape." Developers insist that the current tenants will relocate into the new retail space upon completion.

When asked what circumstances changed to justify throwing a launch party this week, Sharon Robinson, a consultant for the Giant Team, explained that "this is simply a chance for the company to publicly voice its support for the project, and its commitment to move forward." She added that it will provide the opportunity for Giant officials to elaborate on the details and timeline of the development plans going forward. Councilwoman Mary Cheh is one of the many invested individuals who is happy to hear the news. "I am delighted, as I'm sure residents are," Cheh explained, "that after waiting for many years for this development, that we are finally on the threshold of it actually happening." There is always the worry that the litigation will again prove a hitch in the development's progress, but Cheh has been assured that the legal case of the opposition is not very strong.
In total, the proposed project will contain approximately 136,500 square feet of retail space and 140-150 residential units. After construction begins, developers expect the entire project to be completed within three years. How the project will be phased - likely in two phases - and how developers plan to transition from the old grocery store into the new, remains unsettled. Perhaps those answers will be revealed on Thursday.

Update: The launch party, as predicted by our prescient poster below, has been called off. Giant recently sent out an e-blast saying: "Giant Food wants to give all members of the community an opportunity to join us to launch the new project to redevelop the Wisconsin Avenue Giant and Friendship Shopping Center, which will be known as Cathedral Commons. To honor the High Holy Day, Rosh Hashanah, we will postpone the previously announced launch event." A new date has yet to be set.

Washington DC real estate development news

Industry Insight: Jeff Miller

With the market in a holding pattern and developers in a state of transition, DCMud decided it was time to catch up with someone that has been through the bust-boom cycle of residential development before. We spoke with Jeff Miller, the principal of Prospect Diversified, a veteran of some of the heaviest hitters of local development, JBG, Trammel Crow, and Lowe Enterprises, and a member of the Mt. Vernon Triangle CID. Jeff shared his thoughts on development in the Washington DC area, the regulatory system, and good prospects for future development. 

DCMud: First, tell us about Prospect Diversified.

JM: We are investors in multi-family properties - both value add and ground-up development opportunities. Transactions in that market, however, are sparse. Sellers of property still expect that it’s worth what it was in 2006 during the condo conversion and development boom. Today’s economic and underwriting conditions have eroded values considerably since then, but sellers are having a hard time shaking that historic context. DCMud: Can you detail some of your past firms and projects?

JM: I was with JBG from 2000 to 2005 and with Lowe Enterprises for about a year and a half. Then I joined Trammel Crow from October of 2007 to October of 2008. When I started with JBG they were just starting to focus on residential development in the urban core. They identified six vacant sites, and I'm stressing vacant because there was no displacement of residents required to provide this very significant addition to the housing stock. There were two in the West End/Foggy Bottom, and then 1210 Mass, 13^th and N, 9^th and E which is now a condo called the Artisan, and a site at 6^th and G called the Cosmopolitan. They were all expected to be rental apartments but today only two remains rental – the rest went condo. Many of those deals were done in joint venture with Equity Residential.

DCMud: What's your prediction for how residential development is going to shake out in DC?

JM: On the financing side, many of the larger construction lenders are out of the residential business. Some of the local banks will actually look at these deals, but they’re just not penciling right now because cap rates have risen, rents are flat, and risk capital is demanding higher returns. The condominium development market is dead, so it’s only rental properties that we’re looking at, particularly stabilized buildings in need of repositioning and renovation. We have offers being considered on those kinds of buildings, but, to date, we’ve not closed on anything. We’re looking at areas where there is already a well established and well understood market – partially because the art of financing is the storytelling that goes along with it, these neighborhoods include Columbia Heights, 14^th Street, U Street, and as far east as 9^th Street by Howard University. These are areas that, when the market was growing, you could see residential migration in that direction. Now that the market’s flat, it’s probably where development is going to continue once things improve.

It’s helpful to note that DC has a lot of unusual characteristics - the entitlement process, layered on top of the historic review process, layered on top of a tenants’ rights process. I think having sense of all these elements and knowing the players helps in specializing in the DC market.

DCMud: As a developer, what is your greatest frustration of building within DC's rules?

JM: Mandatory inclusionary zoning is legislation that requires, in many newly constructed buildings, that a portion of the units to be affordable. The City gives the developer some additional density to offset the additional cost for this requirement, but the affordable housing they’re asking for is not really workforce housing. It’s housing for folks at the lower end of the income spectrum and the rents are accordingly low. But sometimes giving a builder more density is not always a plus because he might have to change to a more expensive construction type, and because the city has certain height restrictions, sometimes the envelope in which you’re building can’t actually take more density. Given the huge economic burden of the affordable housing and at the legislated income levels, the extra density rarely provides a dollar for dollar offset for the requirement.

DCMud: But some would say it is worth the trade-off.

JM: Affordable housing is going to be an important goal for any urban municipality. But it needs to be balanced against the unintended consequences. The total number of affordable units the legislation might actually produce is tiny when compared to the existing affordable housing stock in the city. But the impediment to production of market rate housing, due to the legislation’s material impact to a project’s economics, means fewer income tax-paying, urban consumers that DC so desperately needs to remain vital.

Everyone thinks that developers are making money hand over fist and we’re not. We’re making risk-adjusted returns for the capital invested with us, and right now, we can’t even make those returns because of the current economic conditions. That means it’s going to take that much longer for the urban renewal to continue. We’ve done a pretty good job as a real estate business community – on the commercial, retail and residential sides – in taking areas of the city that were underutilized, and without displacing anyone, bringing jobs and residents to these neighborhoods. The Mount Vernon Triangle is just one example.

DCMud: Speaking of the Mount Vernon Triangle, you serve on the board of the area's Community Improvement District. You've worked on some prominent projects in the neighborhood, but what is the CID up to these days and what is the outlook for the MVT?

JM: CityVista is the biggest one that one I’ve worked on – 650 units, 100,000 square feet of retail with a 55,000 square foot Safeway in it. The Safeway is doing very well and, as Chairman of the Mount Vernon Triangle CID…I follow closely what’s going on there. The CID has played a crucial role in helping bring additional services and attention to this area that only a few years back was mostly a series of parking lots. The CID is focused now on providing safety and beautification services to the area, and with the help of several grants we’ve been able to upgrade the landscaping in the Triangle. As more development delivers in the Triangle, the CID will be able to provide a growing set of services.

I was involved in the development of a building for JBG called 555 Mass and, when I moved to Lowe Enterprises, I went to work right around the corner on CityVista, so I’ve been involved with the neigborhood’s revitalization for nearly ten years. CityVista has done remarkably well considering the climate we’re in right now. I understand that the lease up of the rental apartments has been brisk. The condos sold well out of the box in 2006 and then hit the headwinds, but, even so, it’s been the fastest selling project in DC.

DCMud: Of all the three jurisdictions included under the umbrella of the “the metro area,” which one do you think holds the most promise as the market begins to rebound?

JM: I really like Arlington. I can’t think of another well-established and semi-urban place that is as open-minded and thoughtful while also understanding the economic drivers of our business. They’re pro-growth and smart growth. The way they’ve been able to create density around every Metro stop is something that DC hasn’t really gotten its arms around yet. In Arlington, it’s a well-understood entitlement process and you know you’re going to have a guaranteed market…Anything along that Metro line is golden.

But, the District is good because there is no entitlement process if you are building according to the existing zoning. If you have no historic issues to deal with, you can essentially apply for a permit and start building. You don’t have anyone telling you what exterior stone to pick and commenting on architectural details like rooflines and window styles, as is the case in the remaining surrounding jurisdictions. Quality buildings begin with quality design by architects, not community activists, city planners, and elected officials. DCMud: With the market shutting down, there are a lot of developers that are no longer affiliated with a large firm. What's it like going out on your own, and what would you recommend to others? JM: I think our business is in a transition...when I first got into real estate in the early 90’s the majority of the players were smaller, entrepreneurial groups capitalized with third party joint venture partners. It transitioned to fund-based and institutional capital closer in form to investment bank or private equity funds. That transition sucked some of the excitement and entrepreneurial benefit from the development process that drew so many of us to the business in the first place and replaced it with hyper-reporting, organizational charts, and group-think decision-making. Speaking for myself only, I wanted to return to the very basics of our business – identifying opportunities, selling the dream to investors, executing a plan, and harvesting returns. To the extent I am pursuing that goal I feel extremely gratified, but as I said earlier, this is a tough market to start any kind of venture.

Washington DC commercial real estate news

District Announces 4 Hill East Bids

The government of the District of Columbia announced today that four real estate developers have submitted bids to develop the Hill East Waterfront, a 50-acre, District-owned property that surrounds the former DC General Hospital.

Mayor Fenty issued an RFEI for the land on May 14th, announcing it was seeking a developer to create 2,100 market-rate and 900 affordable units with 2,000,000 s.f office space and 67,000 s.f. of retail space - a total of 5 million square feet of development. At the time, the District anticipated a price tag of $1.1 billion for the development, and required bids in by October 31st.

The four teams announced today are:
New Hill East Joint Venture, led by Urban Atlantic. The team includes Vornado/Charles E. Smith; Trammell Crow; Elm Street Development; Blue Skye Development; Brickstone Development; Eagle Vision Ventures; Dynamis Advisors; Sun Edison and Ellis Denning Development.

Hill East Development, led by the Franklin L. Haney Co. The team includes Donatelli Hill East, LLC; Chapman Development; Combined Properties; Banneker Ventures; and Tudor Holdings.

HDG Waterfront Partners, led by Hunt Development and Mosaic Urban Partners. The team includes Abdo Development, the William C. Smith Cos.; EYA Development; and Jair Lynch Development Partners.
East Banc

Hill East is one of three major redevelopment sites that make up the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, an ambitious 20 year plan to turn the Anacostia River banks into a more developed mixed-use neighborhood. At the time of the RFEI, the Mayor predicted that major District-developer planning would start in early 2009, although today's announcement was more cautious, stating only that a developer "could be selected" by early next year. Issuing the RFEI in May, Fenty stated that the District sought a developer that “takes advantage of the opportunities of the river. We want the development to serve as a gateway between Capitol Hill and the Waterfront so people can walk down to the Anacostia River, which is hard to do now."

The Hill East site is intended to be a low-impact, LEED certified, mixed-use development. The project will include residential, retail, and office components and will extend Massachusetts Avenue and other streets within the site to tie the new neighborhood into the existing community; including, apparently, the correctional facility, which will remain. The District government has vowed to better integrate the Hill East project into the surrounding neighborhoods and the District at large, citing its measures to connect the parcel by bike path to the Capitol Riverfront, and by cleaning up the Anacostia River to finally make it a place for (legal) recreation.

The site is bounded by 19th street, Independence Avenue, the Anacostia River, and the Historic Congressional Cemetery. The entire site consists of 67 acres, but development will take place on only 50 of those. The land, also known as Reservation 13, is owned by the General Service Administration, but was given to the District under the 2006 Federal and District of Columbia Government Real Property Act of 2006, a “Transfer Act”. As DCmud reported in April of last year, 12 acres of the property were to be given back to the Federal government for a congressional mail facility.

As the only developer going solo on the project, Eastbanc's strategy seems like a chancy way to approach the DC government's selection process, but Joe Sternlieb, Eastbanc's Vice President for Acquisitions, thinks it gives the company an edge. "We put in an unconventional proposal for a development approach...We're not proposing specific development, but rather an approach for the city to work in partnership with us to redevelop the site. Because of that, it doesn't preclude the city from selecting additional developers." Eastbanc developed the Ritz Carlton residences in the West End and Georgetown, 3303 Water Street in Georgetown, and large scale commercial spaces throughout Georgetown, and is now building 22 West, in DC's West End.

Washington D.C. retail and real estate development news