DC's Development Pipeline

Ever since the Fenty administration took over development of the District's publicly-owned property, merging agencies and placing them under his direct supervision, it seems development of blighted blocks has been given a new urgency, even compared to that of the Williams administration - itself a great improvement over its predecessor. But despite weekly announcements from the Mayor and the Office of Planning and Economic Development, many of the projects still have to proceed through the District's infamously thick bureaucracy. But if China can cleanse its murky atmosphere in a few short months, there is cause for optimism that change is in the air here in Washington. DCMud has prepared a rundown of the largest projects now underway, properties in need of developers, and solicitations to look for in the future.

The projects listed below are still being refined. The numbers and square footage assigned to each are conceptual and are subject to change.

Projects With Developers

Southwest Waterfront by Hoffman Streuver will offer 539 market-rate units and 231 affordable units. The $1.5 billion project will also include 350 hotel rooms, 700,000 s.f. of office space and 280,000 s.f. of retail space. On July 15th, the DC Council approved a $198 million TIF/PILOT package to finance park and infrastructure improvements. Groundbreaking is not expected any time soon, with construction lasting at least 6 years.

Waterfront, the erroneously named project at 401 M Street, SW, will deliver 800 market-rate and 200 affordable residential units as well as 1.3 million s.f. of office space and 110,00 s.f. of retail space. Mayor Fenty joined SW Waterfront Associates (Forest City Wasington, Charles E. Smith Vornado) in November to demolish the former Waterside Mall. The $800 million project will sit atop the Waterfront -SEU Metro station.

Clark Realty was selected in February as Master Developer for Poplar Point on the east side of the Anacostia. The number of residential and hotel units they will deliver has not yet been determined, however 30% of all residential units will be affordable. The District and the National Park Services held a public scoping meeting last month for the Environmental Impact Statement of the $2.5 billion project.

Center Leg Freeway on Massachusetts Ave, NW between 2nd and 3rd Streets is being developed by Louis Dreyfus Properties into 100 market- rate and 50 affordable residential units. The $1.1. billion project will cap the exposed section of I-395, and include 2,100,000 s.f. office space and 67,000 s.f. retail space.

The McMillan Sand Filtration Site on North Capital Street and Michigan Avenue will be developed into 820 market-rate units, 351 affordable units, and a 100-room hotel by EYA. The $1 billion project will also deliver 700,000 s.f. of office space and $110,000 s.f. of retail space. The project has long been worked over, but don't make plans for moving in any time soon.

In May the District reached a deal with Hines Archstone to develop a 400-room "high-end" hotel and 100,000 s.f. of additional retail space on "Parcel B", a 53,000 s.f. plot of land that is part of the larger CityCenter DC, the development taking up residence on the old convention center site. The entire $850 million project downtown will deliver 539 market-rate units, 135 affordable units, 476,000 s.f. of office space, and 266,000 s.f. of retail space.

On June 26th, Marriot International, Cooper Carry Architects and EHT Traceries presented plans for the Convention Center Headquarters Hotel to the Historic Preservation Review Board. Located on the Corner of 9th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW, the $550 million project will deliver 1125 hotel rooms and 25,00 s.f. of retail space. Having been scaled back from its original 1400 bed facility, the project is well past its early schedule, of construction in 2007.

O Street Market at 7th Street and Georgia Avenue will be transformed into a mixed-use development that will include 550 market-rate and 80 affordable residential units by Roadside Development. The $329 million development will replace a current Giant supermarket with a new 71,000 s.f. store and include a 200 unit hotel and 87,000 s.f. of retail space. The District reached an agreement with the developer late last month to kickstart financing. Of the dozens of projects promising to revitalize the Shaw neighborhood, this may be the first large project to actually get underway.

Skyland Shopping Center on Good Hope Road at Naylor and Alabama Avenue, SE will be developed by Rappaport Companies and William C. Smith Companies into a $261 million development with 155 market-rate units and 66 affordable units as well as 230,000 s.f. of retail space. When? Even an estimate will be fine.

City Vista, which began sales in late 2005, will bring 441 condos with 138 affordable residential units to, as well as a separate apartment building, to 5th and K Streets, NW. The project will also include 130,000 s.f. of retail space and will cost $191 million. The first condominium building completed last October, the remaining condominium and the apartment building are nearly ready for occupancy.

Early this year, Fenty signed a Land Disposition Agreement with Broadcast Center One Partners LLC, (Ellis Development and Four Points, LLC) that will bring African-American-owned Radio One to the district. The $144 million Broadcast Center One at 7th and S Streets, NW will be a mixed-use project with 135 market-rate and 45 affordable residential units as well as 96,000 s.f. of office space and 22,000 s.f. of retail space. According to Fenty's office, "the deal also sets in motion the $22 million redevelopment of the Howard Theater, a long-shuttered landmark that was the hub of black Broadway." If it gets built; the timeline remains uncertain.

Mt. Carmel (Parcel 51B) on 3rd Street, NW between K and H Streets is being developed by MQW LLC (Quadrangle and the Wilkes Companies) into $130 million mixed-use project with 267 market-rate units, 67 affordable units and 90,000 s.f. office space.

Forest City Washington is responsible for the $120 million O Street SE Redevelopment by the SE Federal Center. It will deliver 354 market-rate units, 89 affordable units and 47,000 s.f. of retail space.

The Village at Dakota Crossing in Fort Lincoln by Ft. Lincoln New Town Corporation will include 327 market-rate and 30 affordable units. It will cost $110 million.

Mid City Urban and A&R Development will bring 216 market-rate and 54 affordable residential units as well as 70,000 s.f. of retail space to the area around the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station with their $105 million Rhode Island Station project. First attempted as a condo project, developers have bowed to the market and substituted apartment buildings - at least in theory, as the project has yet to break ground.

The $100 million Shops at Dakota Crossing on New York and South Dakota Avenue, NE will be developed by Ft. Lincoln New Town Corporation into 29,000 s.f. of office space and 461,000 s.f. of retail space.

Lowe Enterprises and Jack Sophie Development have long had intentions to develop Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue, NE (Triangle Parcel) into 208 market-rate units, 52 affordable units and 23,223 s.f. of retail to the tune of $75 million. The fate of the project is uncertain, as higher construction costs, shrinking condo prices, and more conservative lending practices - especially in low-income neighborhoods, make such projects harder to justify.

Park Place on Georgia Avenue in Petworth will be developed by Donatelli Development into 161 market-rate units, 32 affordable units and 16,000 s.f of retail space and will cost $60 million. Purchased by Donatelli, along with partners Gragg & Associates, Canyon Capital Realty Advisors and Earvin 'Magic' Johnson, will be one of the few developers delivering new condos in 2009.

In February, the District made a Term Sheet with Parcel 42 Partners to develop 95 affordable housing units and 8,000 s.f. of retail space on Parcel 42, in Shaw at 7th and Rhode Island Avenue, NW for $28 million.

In December 2007, the District selected William C. Smtih Companies and the Jair Lynch Companies to develop the $700 million Northwest One New Community that will deliver 1,600 units of housing on former NCRC parcels as well as adjacent DC-controlled and private properties in Ward 6. Located between North Capitol Street, New York Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, and K Street, the site is in an area that has "long been plagued by high crime and poverty", but is surrounded by the up-and-coming NoMa and Mt.Vernon Triangle neighborhoods. The development team, which also includes Banneker Ventures and CPDC (affordable housing provider), will create apartments, townhouses, and condos for all income levels as well as over 40,000 s.f. of retail and 220,000 s.f. of office space. The development will also offer a 21,000 s.f. clinic.

And further down the road...

The District issued a solicitation in early June for Parcel 69 at 4th, 6th, and E Streets, SW. The $130 million development will be an office and hotel project along the Southwest freeway. Proposals are due by September 15th.

In May, Fenty issued an RFEI for the Hill East Waterfront on Capitol Hill East. The District seeks 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. The District anticipates a price tag of $1.1 billion for the development of the 50 acres surrounding the former DC General Hospital. Proposals are due by October 31st.

Proposals were due June 3rd for Minnesota and Benning Road, NE Phase II. The $107 million development will include 60 market rate, 392 affordable units and 40,000 s.f. of retail. No developer has been selected.

It is high time the District announced developer for Fifth and I Street, NW. After proposals were submitted in March, the District widdled the teams down to the final four including BG, Buccini/Pollin, Potomac Investment Properties, and a group comprised of Holland Development, Donohoe Development, Spectrum Management, and Harris Development. The winning team, whenever they are announced, will create somewhere around 170 market-rate units, 30 affordable units, 100 hotel rooms and 50,000 s.f. of retail space.

Upcoming Solicitations

The District would like to see 1,469 market-rate and 440 affordable units in Lincoln Heights in Ward 7 at an estimated cost of $576 million.

Barry Farm/Park Chester/Wade Road in Ward 8 will likely include 110 market and 330 affordable housing units and will cost around $550 million. The project is an effort to revitalize low-income properties in the historic Anacostia area.

The issuance of the Park Morton solicitation at Park Road and Georgia Avenue, NW is "imminent" according to the Mayor's office and will cost $136 million with 499 market-rate and 150 affordable units. Axis

Industry Insight: Neil Albert on DC Development

He may not get microphone time at every press conference or a pair of scissors at every ribbon cutting, but Neil Albert, Washington DC's Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, keeps busy as the man behind the curtain for development in DC. Despite a schedule kept full by the 10,000 new affordable housing units he has been charged with creating in his first four years, Albert made time to sit with DCMud to discuss the latest RFPs, affordable housing, and why he thinks DC can shed its monumental, federal skin and become an full-fledged international city. 

You went from working with the previous Mayor as Deputy Mayor for Children and Families to the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. How did you get into development? 

Albert: I started in finance and headed a nonprofit in New York. I was interested in parlaying that expertise into development on a small scale. I had the opportunity to really get into development when I was Parks director; a large part of what I did was real estate development. We built a number of recreational facilities in the city, including the first LEED-certified facility in DC. I then became Deputy Mayor of Children Youth and Families because that portfolio was one of the ones that needed a little shaking up and focus and energy. The former mayor asked me to do it and I did it for a year. Then I went into the private sector and started a nonprofit working with DC schools in professional development and bricks and mortar actually building new schools. I’ve always had a real estate finance focus throughout my career. When the mayor-elect asked me to join his administration in this role, I thought it was a great opportunity to put what I’ve been doing together. What I do is not just about financial real estate development, but there is a human component to what we do. A major part is the New Communities portfolio, the human capital – HOPE VI-type developments. We’ll be removing a lot of traditional government subsidized housing to create more mixed income housing. Part of that is changing psyche, the mindsets; preparing them to be able to write a red check, go to work every day like everybody else.

Speaking of subsidized housing, the bar for the amount of subsidized housing private developers must provide is being raised from 20-30 percent. On what basis was that decision made? 

Albert: That decision was made before us. When the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation was dissolved, the Council adopted legislation that required the affordable housing component - that’s the majority of what my office works on. By default, it has become standard here. 

How does that play into some of the other new developments the city has issued RFPs for - in which the city asked for 30 percent but is not doing the workforce housing? It’s like the city is focusing on lower income development. 

Albert: The mayor made a real commitment to affordable housing when he was elected and we are committed to building over 10,000 units in the first four years at different AMI levels, so all RFPs have the 30 percent requirement and our language is pretty general because we want to make sure that we achieve affordable housing levels without paying unnecessarily for it. And so what drives affordable housing in mixed-income developments is having market-rate housing that can actually subsidize lower income housing without having to come to the District government for subsidies. We want true diversity in housing. Whether it’s Hill East, Poplar Point, 5th and I, including the affordable component is necessary to have the correct mix. 

These are perhaps not the best times for condo builders. How does that play into the marketability of a project during difficult times? Albert: I don’t know if it makes it more difficult. From our experience, in the last few years, the development community has embraced not necessarily the 30-30-30 mix, but at least the 30 percent affordable component. City Vista is an example, and I think that’s kind of what’s driving that project being sold. It came on line at a time when the condo markets were going in the wrong direction, so having twenty percent of the units as affordable provided some stability. The market on the affordable level was much greater than the market than on market-rate level. The results and feedback from the development community have been positive. Yes, people like to make as much profit as possible, but we have to balance their need for the highest return with the broader city policy and goals for providing affordable housing. 

You referenced City Vista and other projects that have an affordable housing element. Some developers have told us that they are having some difficulty finding qualified people and actually bringing them to the table, that this makes their job more difficult. Have you ever studied that?

Albert: I would say they need to try a little harder. We can do a better job as a government, having a central repository database, which we are working on. I know the city Council actually passed legislation that will require a sort of central registry for those interested in taking advantage of affordable housing projects. In some cases it’s about us doing a better job preparing applicants; it’s a huge education process that needs to go into preparing people for home ownership. You can’t just get up one day and decide to be a home owner. When you buy a condo, pay the fees, have to abide by the rules of the condo board or association - you have to have a down payment, some sort of reserve in case the AC breaks and it’s not the condo association’s responsibility - we can do a better job of preparing those in that income category to take advantage of these opportunities. In that case, yes, people have gone to the table and not closed. 

Where did the 10,000 unit figure come from? 

Albert: The 10,000 number came out of a housing task force in the Williams administration, and then-Councilmember Fenty introduced legislation that set up this Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force and they made a recommendation that the city needed to build 55,000 new units of housing over the next ten years to deal with the population increase, special needs housing, etc. And then they broke down some sub categories – 19,000 affordable, and for those affordable units, there were some smaller ranges that included special needs 2,500 units, etc. We wanted to make sure that we could achieve that in a ten year period, so we set a goal of 10,000 in first four years, so with about 2,500 a year we are well on our way to at least funding those projects. We’re not only calling for them, we are providing funding for them through the housing production trust fund and some of the other housing sources available. I am confident that we’re going to make that. 

In terms of your position, you have a huge hand in what happens in terms of development, and development seems very high on Fenty’s list given his appearances at development press conferences. How do you want DC to be perceived from a national standpoint, what are your development goals? 

Albert: We want to truly make a diverse city here, but my opinion is that we have the great opportunity of positioning this city as a great international city on par with Paris and London and Amsterdam. People talk about great cities and I see DC as one of those. We are not on the cusp of that yet, we have a little ways to go, but I think we’ve got the major elements coming together. We have a vibrant downtown, people want to be here, and every vacant office building is being gobbled up by big lobbying firms or law firms or national organizations that need to be near the seat of power. We’ve started to pay attention to our retail. We can now shop in DC, when I came here eight or nine years ago, you couldn’t do that. Now there are good restaurant choices, you have really great options springing up and also good entertainment options. The Washington Post did an article about how DC is no longer a daytime town, it’s becoming a nighttime destination, so you don’t just leave the office canyons and go home to the suburbs, you go to night clubs and restaurants in the central business district. 

What I think will put us on par with some of the mature cities that make a statement both locally and internationally is having kind of the right balance between cultural amenities, which we have a lot of in our museums, but also local cultural amenities like the Spy Museum and Madam Tussaud’s; cultural amenities not just downtown, but also in other neighborhoods. We have lots of theaters and shopping destinations, so that when tourists come, they are not just sleeping in hotels and visiting the Mall, but also getting into the neighborhoods and discovering them. So what I would like us to be known for is raising the bar to be a city on par with a lot of the other international cities. And right now, we kind of lay in the shadow of great U.S. cities, but we are still holding our own. 

How do you see your specific role and interaction with the private development community and with residents of the city - how do you mix the two? 

Albert: I see myself as convener of private sector and the natural community residents who sometimes have needs that complement each other and sometimes oppose each other. In many cases, my role is just to be the arbitrator. Getting the services from the private sector that the residents need, whether it is incentives or bringing offices to neighborhoods so people don’t have to jump into a car to get to work, but can hop one metro stop to another. I really see my role as a convener or facilitator of those communities. I am really concerned about the amount of new jobs we create in the District, I’m happy to say that even while the rest of country is going through a downturn, we are still seeing job growth in DC. Traditionally, you look at the government as the creator of jobs. In the District they still are, but the service industry is also creating new jobs in entertainment, restaurants, retail and the federal government is doing its role by positioning government agencies in the District – the DOT by the ballpark or the ATF building at New York Avenue. They put us in partnership with each other to keep the economy going. Our job is bringing the balance between the haves and the have-nots in DC, so we have the big law and lobby firms and the non-profits and the associations who are squeezed by real estate taxes right now, but that add to the flavor of DC. Instead of them having to relocate to suburbia, we step in and try to provide incentives to keep them here. We are trying to keep a vibrant balance of community within the city. The city has issued a number of development RFPs. When will we see some selections? Albert: 5th and I will be announced soon, and Minnesota- Benning, we are so excited about that project, but we won’t make a selection until August. The developers up for that are City Interest who owns the East River Shopping Center and Parkside, Donatelli Development, and Marshall Heights Community Development Organization which is partnering with Rick Walker who did the Home Depot and Brentwood Shopping Center by the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station. They are all competing for the 600,000 s.f. of developable space. 

And Tenleytown? 

Albert: Tenley is still outstanding; we’ll hopefully have a decision soon. 

Can we ask about MIZ (Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning, requiring most developers to build subsidized units)? Councilmember Graham has been vocal about moving it forward… 

Albert: Yes, the mayor is committed to MIZ, but he wants to do it in a way that doesn’t slow or stop the development of mixed-income housing. My job is to do it right. We are getting comments from a wide cross section of the city including the private sector, affordable housing providers, and advocates. We issued administrative regulations two months ago for comments. We are going to take those comments and reissue a draft of the regulations and put it out for final vetting and hopefully make a decision in the next sixty to ninety days. I also believe that the housing development community will embrace it because I think we’ll do it in a responsible way that’s non-punitive. Then, we’ve been looking across the country to see how this has worked. It’s a mixed bag but it’s going to happen. 

 Finally, developers have told us that they struggle with the amount of information that has to be provided with a PUD and with the amount of time it takes to get approval for projects in DC. What is your response to that? 

Albert: I totally agree. We are working on it; the Office of Planning will be sending suggestions about how to streamline the process in the entire District. The PUD shouldn’t take 18 months anywhere in the world, not to mention the DC area.

DC Announces New Convention Center Site Agreement

Mayor Adrian Fenty announced plans today for one of the last remaining parcels of land on the site of the old convention center. Under a new agreement, the city will allow development of a 400-room "high-end" hotel and 100,000 s.f. of additional retail space on the 53,000 s.f. plot of land now known simply as "Parcel B". This portion of the site had previously been reserved for construction of a library, but the District had not made any final decisions on the facility and did not want to further delay what is being designed as a "new city center."

(Dcmud's information on "Parcel B" is too new to have renderings - the rendering shown is of the southern parcel.)

Standing in a corner of the current Convention Center, overlooking the site of the old one, Fenty said the District reached a deal with developers Hines Archstone to lease the site for 99 years. The District had previously cemented a deal with Hines Archstone for the southern half of the site - a project estimated at $850 million that will add 350,000 s.f. of retail space, over 670 apartment and condominiums with at least 134 affordable units, and 465,000 s.f. of office space between New York Avenue, 11th, H, and 9th Streets NW.

“The one thing the District is missing that so many other large cities have is a bustling area where people come after work to shop or eat or to hang out, a city center.” Fenty said. In addition to the office, retail, and residential space, the project will include an additional 1.5 acres of public open space. There will be a park in the northwest corner as well as a central plaza between the residential buildings on the corner of 9^th and H streets.

The “B parcel", bound by New York, 9th, and what will be 10th Street, was originally considered as a potential site for a museum or library in order to attract more families. Today, however, Fenty said that while the District is still “working aggressively” with the Library Board, there is a significant amount of programming under the current plan to attract DC residents to the site."

As the master developer, Hines Archstone had the first right of refusal to lease the B parcel from the District if the city chose not to locate a library on the site.

“This area is surrounded by museums; the Newseum just opened a few blocks away, the Portrait Gallery, the Spy Museum…we want this place to provide a social atmosphere outside their homes where residents can come and sit without having to sit at a café or pay to eat or drink,” Fenty said.

Kingdon Gould III acquired a parcel on the Northeast corner of the site - the last site to reveal development plans - in a land swap that the city conducted to facilitate construction of the Marriott next to the new Convention Center. The Parking Management, Inc. president has his own plan for the site, but it must be "consistent with the entire site's master plan."

While retailers have not yet been announced, the developer has committed to devoting thirty percent of retail space to merchants with six or fewer stores in the United States, but will focus on a wide range of grocery stores, restaurants, fashion stores, and entertainment or performance venues. There are also plans for one larger retailer like Nordstroms or Macy’s; Fenty and the development teams will be meeting with companies in the coming weeks, but a final announcement is not likely for about six months.

The project will generate 3,000 development-related jobs and 2,500 direct permanent jobs. It will also generate a projected $32 million a year in annual direct tax revenues. According to developers, the District will receive more than $200 million in consideration for the land as part of the land lease including a minimum of $28.5 million in lease payments, $55 million to provide affordable housing on site, and $48 million in payments for new infrastructure. Two new streets, I and 10th, will be constructed through the site.

When asked about the likelihood of delivering the project in a timely manner given the not-so-exuberant state of the economy, Councilmember Jack Evans, D-Ward 2, said the District has not been affected by the economy and that this project’s success would be no different than that of other D.C. projects like the Nationals Stadium.

“The Southwest waterfront looks pretty good. Poplar Point is off in the distance, but Clark, the main developer hasn’t had problems getting the money they need. There is such a strong interest in the development of the District that as long as that interest remains, these projects will stay on schedule,” Evans said.

The first phase of the project, which includes the office, apartments, and condominiums, will begin in the second quarter of 2009, while the entire project will be completed by the end of 2011.

Evans added that this summer the city is planning to set up a large screen in the parking lot on-site to continually broadcast the Olympic Games. He said the city’s goal is to use the backdrop of the Chinatown arch to attract families and residents to the area.

“This is the most exciting property on the East Coast,” he said.

District Announces Developer Submissions for Mt. Vernon

The District announced Tuesday that its solicitation to develop a vacant half-acre site at Fifth and Eye streets (I Street, to purists), NW, in Mt. Vernon Triangle, grabbed the attention of seven developers. Deputy Mayor Neil O. Albert announced the names of the development teams that responded to the January Request for Proposal; bids were due March 7.

The District received proposals from Buccini/Pollin Group; Clark Realty Capital (which recently won the Poplar Point bid); Donohoe Development Co and Holland Development Group; JBG Cos.; MVT Associates, LLC; NDC-Jarvis; and Potomac Investment Properties, Inc.

"This is really one of the last sites left in the Mount Vernon Triangle," Albert said, speaking of the lot that will almost certainly have competition nearby, as several developments have been announced in the immediate vicinity. "This neighborhood has basically sprung up overnight and this site presents a great opportunity to add some dynamic uses to better serve the existing community and the new mix of office, retail and housing." The site will have the advantage of high visibility on Massachusetts Avenue, making it a dream at least for the marketers.

Proposals for the site include high-end retail such as hotels, restaurants, cafes, fitness clubs, spas and live entertainment venues. Some also included a residential aspect with apartments and condominiums (didn't they get the word that no one would finance condos?), which would include 30% affordable housing, according to the District's rules. Each plan featured underground parking with 100-plus spaces.

NDC-Jarvis proposed building a luxury boutique hotel connected to upscale condominiums (see rendering below), with the pair sharing concierge services and amenities. Proposed retail included a small home furnishings store, an upscale restaurant to serve the hotel and neighborhood. A small jazz performance venue would also be on the site.

"I think we are very invested in this neighborhood," said Adrian Washington, Principal with NDC, and former Anacostia Waterfront Commission frontman, whose current company has performed a number of apartment renovations and conversions throughout DC. "I think our proposal would be a great addition to neighborhood. It's the type of development that is not in the neighborhood right now. It is a boutique, high-end, architecturally distinctive project. And the restaurant would be a great addition to the neighborhood."

Robert Holland of Holland Development Group, co-developer with Donohoe Development Co., said their design would include a Shalom Baranes-designed hotel. "As far as I know, many of the developers were proposing hotel/apartments, a mixed-use development, with some local neighborhood retail," Holland said. "Our difference is that we have identified a Spanish hotel chain to go in there, along with a 10,000-s.f. restaurant jazz venue. It's a London-based established jazz club, not a big commercial destination jazz club, but more local, with very excellent food. It should be a great a compliment to the neighborhood."

Mount Vernon Triangle spans 15 blocks over 30 acres, and already includes more than four million square feet of development, such as CityVista, which is well into the back nine of its 441-unit condo project next door.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development will study the proposals over the next few weeks and will schedule a public meeting for the community to hear presentations from each of the development teams.

Washington DC real estate development news

Clark Wins Poplar Point

Mayor Fenty announced this morning that Clark Realty Capital was chosen as the developer for Poplar Point - 110 acres of undeveloped land with a full mile of Anacostia waterfront, sitting just across from the new baseball stadium. Development of Poplar Point is the key to the District's $10 billion, with a "b", Anacostia Waterfront Initiative.


The District began the process with a solicitation last August, bids were due by last November. According to the District, it sought development teams based "on their vision, qualifications, financial capacity, and commitment to community engagement." The District and Clark still have an uphill battle to get the land secured; it is still owned by the federal government and transfer depends on a suitable environmental impact study. The final plan will include a 70-acre park, a "hub for businesses" and an assortment of mixed used development in an area the District has called "underused and isolated." Clark's plan included a bridge over I-295 to make the park accessible to pedestrians from Anacostia.

Clark Realty is based in Arlington, Virginia, and offers a broad range of real estate development, management and financing services. Mayor Fenty called the project "the largest economic development project the District has ever embarked on and we are making investment where it is needed most - East of the River."

DC Bureaucrat Seeks Rich, Ambitious, Type-A Developer for LTR

Hard working DC bureaucrat, ISO experienced, rich masochistic-type for long term relationship.
The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for Poplar Point, the mostly vacant site along the eastern banks of the Anacostia River in Ward 8. DC's purpose in issuing the RFEI is to "identify highly qualified developers who have the creative vision, demonstrated experience and organizational and financial capability and capacity to plan, construct and potentially operate a world-class mixed-use development and waterfront park."

Developers whose only experience includes conversions of 4-unit apartment buildings into condos need not apply - Poplar Point is expected to become a residential, commercial, cultural, and recreational development - 130 acres in all - with one mile of Waterfront, one of the key sites in the District’s $10 billion Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, with the potential for a soccer stadium, and sitting directly across from the new baseball stadium to boot.

Despite its location just across the river from the new stadium and a short drive to the Capitol Building, with views of the downtown skyline and monuments, Poplar Point is "an underutilized and isolated" collection of federal facilities, according to the District. The District’s vision for the redevelopment is embodied in the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan and includes "high-quality development, an emphasis on urban waterfront life, a commitment to environmental stewardship and the preservation of community character that fully engages local residents, community groups and other stakeholders..." Interested suitors should have thick skin too, as if working with the aforementioned groups won't get contentious enough, neighbors have already protested the "upscale" nature of the project, contending that hotels, conference centers and stadiums will not provide services they need, or will be able to afford.

The Anacostia Waterfront Initiative eventually proposes new parks, trails, housing, retail, office space and cultural amenities over the next 20 years, connecting residents of nearby Barry Farm, Hillsdale, Fairlawn and Historic Anacostia to the river.

Responses to this RFEI are due by October 19, 2007 at 12 pm. The District expects to select a development partner before the end of the year.

Poplar Point Plan Meets Resident Resistance

On Saturday, the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. (AWC) and DC government officials finally unveiled at a public hearing in Anacostia the long-awaited plans for a mixed-use project on 110 acres along the Anacostia River that would include a new soccer stadium for DC United, but the plan as it currently stands is meeting some resistance from area residents. The Poplar Point plans call for 2,000 housing units, a 27,000-seat stadium, a hotel and conference center, and a 70-acre park. Residents and neighborhood activists quickly voiced concern over the upscale nature of the project, which might preclude them from enjoying the development, if not price them out of the area. Also, the hotel, conference center, and stadium were not services they need or would use, and there was no guarantee regarding job creation for the community. The AWC will continue to hold public hearings through the Spring (when the US Department of Interior will complete transfer of this land to DC) in hopes of addressing these concerns and altering the project accordingly.

AWC Presents Poplar Point Proposals

Last week, the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. (AWC) officially presented at a public meeting the first proposals submitted for the development of Poplar Point, 110 acres located across the river from the Washington Navy Yard at the eastern foot of the South Capitol Street bridge in Southeast DC. This land will be transferred by the Federal government to DC as part of legislation passed on November 16th. The proposals, drafted by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, presented two visions for the land. The first shows retail, office, and residential development in three clusters (near Good Hope Road SE to the east, W Street SE in the middle, and Howard Road SE to the west), with a new soccer stadium (and parking) for DC United and a 500-room hotel and conference center near the W Street development. 

The second proposal shows all the retail, office and residential development, but leaves out the soccer stadium and hotel. New roads are also to be built to link these three clusters. The residential component calls for between 1,400 and 2,300 units, with 30% priced below market rate. Almost half of the transferred land will be preserved as public park land and green space and trails along the Anacostia River. These proposals, which are open for public comment, will not be finalized for a number of months.

District of Columbia real estate development news

Congress Grants Approval to Federal Land Transfer to DC

The gears of legislative process grind forward, and fans of soccer and baseball (and development!) should feel some joy. On November 16, the US Senate approved legislation (the House ok’d it earlier this month) that will transfer dozens of Federal land lots located in the District to the DC government, including title to 100-acre Poplar Point (pictured) across the Anacostia, considered to be the site for DC United’s new soccer stadium and additional development, and smaller properties along Potomac Avenue that will make up part of the new Nationals baseball stadium complex. Also included in the transfer are 66 acres around the old DC General Hospital at Massachusetts Avenue and 19th Street SE that are targeted for a new major development featuring housing, retail, and parks. Besides gaining this land for economic development, it will also bring in needed tax revenue, as the Feds didn’t pay property tax on the lots.

Anacostia Waterfront Corp. Reveals Poplar Point Plans

The Anacostia Waterfront Corp. (AWC) is keeping itself quite busy these days, first with selecting a development team to work on its $800 million redevelopment of the Southwest waterfront along the Washington Channel, and now announcing at a recent community hearing its preliminary plans for its 110-acre Poplar Point project, located across the river from the Washington Navy Yard at the eastern foot of the South Capitol Street bridge in Southeast DC. The AWC expects the federal government to transfer this land to it in November. In addition to the site possibly hosting a new DC United soccer stadium and a hotel, initial plans also call for townhouses and mixed-income rental developments to be built, along with new retail and parks. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP has been assigned the task of creating a design for Poplar Point.

RFK Redevelopment Gets a Hearing

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) held a forum last week on the potential redevelopment of the RFK stadium site. The stadium, which sits on a 190-acre site owned by the federal government, is likely to be nearly obsolete with the Nationals relocating to Southeast and D.C. United potentially moving to Poplar Point in Anacostia. With the National Mall filling up like a cheap yard sale, proposed uses include set-asides for future commemorations, as well as park space, commercial and residential development. The DC government retains jurisdiction over the site only for use as a stadium, so redevelopment would require federal cooperation - no word yet on whether a new stadium would be named after the current Attorney General.