Metropole to Start Sales

Metropolis Development will begin taking appointments today for the Metropole, its 90-unit condominium being built at 15th and P Streets across from the Logan Whole Foods. The first phase of sales was stopped in April 2005 after the developer sold a third of the units, and will resume when the newly remodeled sales center opens next Friday. Initial sales will be by appointment only. 

Metropolis has hired HGTV design star Cecconi Simone for interior design of the building and sales center; the latter will feature a fully equipped model unit. This will be the first regional project for Toronto-based Cecconi Simone, which has a large international portfolio of boutique hotel renovations and condominium design. This will be the fifth local project for DC-based Metropolis, which recently completed Cooper Lewis condos less than a block away. The Metropole will offer both public and private parking as well as a variety of retail, including VIDA Fitness and Bang Salon. Residents will be offered "hotel-style" concierge service when the project completes late this year. Marketing and sales by Ken Johnson of DCRE.

Washington DC real estate news

Big Plans for Andrews Air Force Base in PG County

If plans drawn up by the Andrews Business and Community Alliance come to fruition, 7 million sf of new development might soon surround Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County. This move is seen as a way to retain and build upon the $1.2 billion in annual economic benefit the base – which is also planning to expand - brings the county (similar to what has already been done at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County). While base relocations will bring about 600 new military positions to the base, the amount of work generated and possibility of future increases has the county ready to devise this master plan. The Andrews Business and Community Alliance envisions creating over 5 million sf of office space (focused on defense and technology), 2 million sf of retail, and over 15,000 residential units to surround the base, which encompasses the land bordered by Route 4, Branch Avenue, Old Alexandria Ferry Road and Allentown Road. The Alliance is also looking at a possible extension of Metro's Green Line to Andrews. This project would join nearby development such as a planned $1.4 billion residential and retail complex along Route 4, and a number of residential projects in Camp Springs, just north of the base at the Branch Avenue Metro stop.

Application Submitted for New "Auburn Avenue" Residential Project in Bethesda

The massive development of new residential space in Bethesda continues, though as opposed to the last few we detailed in the new downtown Bethesda, this one is back on the northwest edge of the old "Woodmont Triangle" area. An application for project review has been submitted to the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission by the Auburn Medical Building Assoc. to develop a mixed-use building on one acre at the southwest corner of the intersection of Auburn and Norfolk Avenues (toward the quieter end of Norfolk Avenue). The project would consist of 60 residential units, 18,700 sf of office space, and 10,800 sf of retail. We are working to learn more details regarding this project (and will report when found), not the least because this is also the site of Cornucopia, one of our favorite Italian food shops. Developing....

Elm Street Receives Zoning OK for "Dr. Dremo’s" Mixed-Use Project

If you are parched and in need of a cold microbrew pint, now is the time to head over to Dr. Dremo’s TapHouse at 2000 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon, as the last drink will be served in about a year, if all goes according to Elm Street Development’s plan for this stretch of prime Arlington real estate. On February 26, after two years of rumblings, Elm Street received rezoning approval to demolish this stretch of buildings containing Dr. Dremo’s and Taco Bell to make way for a seven-story,141-residential unit complex (pictured is an older rendering - we are working on finding an updated one), with 35,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 243 underground parking spaces. The developer is undecided whether they will be condos or apartments at this point. To better fit in with the scale of this block, which steeply inclines as it goes West, the structure will gradually build upward from two stories to seven stories. Elm Street will also incorporate several "green" building techniques to increase its ability to filter storm water. Construction is expected to start in early 2008 and be completed in 2010. Architecture will be by WDG. Once done, Elm Street’s project will join the 153-unit condo structure by Holladay Corp. at 1800 Wilson Boulevard, and Monument Realty's 306-unit Odyssey directly across Clarendon Boulevard.

GWU Squaring Away Old Hospital Site

The DC Zoning Commission has asked George Washington University (GWU) to revise the height of the buildings proposed for the development of Square 54, a mixed-use development at the former GW Hospital site. GWU is working with Boston Properties and (Virginia-based) KSI Services to re-develop the university-owned property, a 2.6-acre parcel on the Southeast corner of Washington Circle, into a multi-tower town center featuring approximately 336 residential units. 84,000 s.f. of retail space will front I St., and 454,000 s.f. office space will overlook Washington Circle. Designed by Connecticut-based Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, LLP and Boston and San-Francisco-based Sasaki & Associates, the project, with a predicted completion date of 2011, will also include an open space courtyard with pedestrian walkway, and landscaped plaza for outside dining that will have gates at I Street and 23rd St.

The office space fronting Washington Circle will include a 67-foot span of windows that curve along the circle, while the residential portion will be non-university housing that will feature “luxury” rental apartments along I and 22nd streets, a portion of which will be affordable housing. While the retailers will not be decided until the project is permitted, the commercial portion is intended to line I Street with cafes, stores, restaurants, and a supermarket. There will be a 60-foot setback from the street to make room for L.A.-style outside dining, window-shopping, and increased sidewalk space. In order to develop this commercial space, the Office of Planning required that GW demonstrate the ability to accommodate its future academic and housing space needs. According to Tracy Schario, the Director of Media Relations at GW, the university met this requirement with a 20-year campus redevelopment plan within the current campus boundaries.

According Schario, GW was asked to submit another filing to address the height of the Square 54 project along 22nd St. and expects the Zoning Commission to take proposed action on the application at an upcoming meeting. If approved, the National Capitol Planning Commission will review the Planned Unit Development from a federal perspective, evaluating the project’s impact on federal areas. It will then be sent back to the zoning commission for final approval.

The development of the property, which has been vacant since 2003, has been a matter of contention between the Foggy Bottom Association and what the Washington Post dubbed “The University that Ate Foggy Bottom”. The development-phobic neighbors have protested the project several times, including arguments at recent zoning meetings against the project’s proposed density. Schario said that while there is some opposition from the neighborhood, the project, which sits one block from the Metro, could be a win-win situation for the area. “This will be the gateway to Foggy Bottom, it supports smart growth and is a transit-oriented development. Look at Gallery Place and Penn Quarter to see the benefits it (a development like this) can bring to the community.”

Approval Expected for Centex Symphony Park Project in Bethesda

After years of discussion, it appears that Centex Corp.’s plan to build Symphony Park in North Bethesda next to Strathmore Hall might soon move forward, with the Montgomery County Planning Board scheduled to hold a hearing on this proposal on March 15. Centex’s development, which was scaled back from its original plan, would now put 112 townhouses (with 17 being moderately priced units) on 9 acres at the southeast corner of the intersection of Strathmore Avenue and Rockville Pike in North Bethesda (the site of the former American Speech-Language and Hearing Association building). In addition, Centex has donated another 9 acres to public use for outdoor film festivals and shows at Strathmore Hall. As part of this project, sidewalks along Rockville Pike will be widened, and green space will be emphasized throughout the development. Approval of this proposal is expected, and construction could begin as soon as this year.

Donatelli Development Opens New Downtown Sales Office

Donatelli Development and Domus Realty are set to officially open their new sales center on U Street this week. The new "state-of-the-art" sales center, designed by Georgetown-based architect Hickok Cole, will showcase Donatelli's projects at Columbia Heights and Petworth: Kenyon Square (pictured), Highland Park and Park Place. The sales center will feature scale models of the various buildings as well as a model kitchen and bath. Donatelli Development's projects were the anchor for the redevelopment of Columbia Heights, with the three residential projects currently underway at 14th and Irving. The company is now shifting its focus to the Georgia Avenue corridor, starting with the construction of Park Place , a 150-unit condominium built over the northern entrance to the Petworth Metro. The new sales center is located at 1301 U Street in the first floor of the Ellington, an apartment project completed by Donatelli in 2004.

Falkland North Project Details, Images Revealed

Following months of speculation, Home Properties finally released new details and images on February 22 at a Silver Spring Regional Center meeting of its planned redevelopment of the northern portion of the Falkland Chase apartments, the historic apartment community built in 1937 on 22 acres in downtown Silver Spring along 16th Street and East-West Highway. The Falkland North complex, to be located on the 9-acre northeast corner of East-West Highway at 16th Street, will be a mixed-use development containing 1,020 residential units and three levels of underground parking. There will also be 62,000 sf of retail and commercial space, with a Harris Teeter grocery store expected as one of the retail tenants. Monthly rents are expected to be $1,500 for a studio up to $2,200 for a two-bedroom unit – ambitious rates for Silver Spring. The project will contain interconnected towers (the tallest being 15 stories) in a semi-circle around a 1.5-acres courtyard featuring a pond and waterfall. Architecture is by Grimm & Parker, which has the new images of this project on its website. Construction is not expected to begin until close to 2010, assuming all approvals fall into place.

Columbia Village Project to Break Ground This Summer

The on-site demolition has already started, and Fairfield Residential is making plans to start construction on its $85 million residential project at 5400 S. Columbia Pike in Arlington this Summer. Columbia Village will replace an old office and retail building, and will be a 10-story, 235-unit apartment building, with 7,000 sf of retail on the ground floor. In addition, the proposed $150 million streetcar system that is planned for a five-mile stretch along Columbia Pike between Pentagon City and Skyline in Fairfax is expected to have a stop in front of Columbia Village. Delivery of this apartment building is expected by Summer 2009.

Sales Begin at Keystone Condos

Sales officially begin this weekend at Keystone Condominiums, a renovated condominium at 3956 Pennsylvania Ave in Hillcrest. Nicol Development began renovating the former apartment building a year ago, and will feature granite counters, stainless steel appliances, hardwoods, and private storage spaces in each unit. Condos in the building will be 2 and 3-bedrooms priced from the upper $100k's to the mid $200k’s, with completion scheduled for April 2007. The Hillcrest neighborhood, called DC’s best kept secret by the Washingtonian, is a mixture of Colonial, Tudor, and Cape Cod-style houses. Minutes away from Fort Dupont Park, it is a few blocks from the Maryland line and thirteen minutes from Union Station. Sales will initially be by appointment-only. Marketing and sales by DCRE.

Washington DC retail and real estate news

Washington Gateway Project Images, Details

One of the more exciting proposed projects to hit the New York Avenue NE corridor the past year is MRP Realty’s Washington Gateway project, a $350 million development to be located in the NoMa section of Washington, just above the New York Avenue metro station at the southeast corner of New York and Florida Avenues NE, now the location of an abandoned lot and gas station (which will be going out of business in March). And MRP Realty has now provided us exclusive images and information about this anticipated project. Earlier this month, the DC Zoning Commission granted Final Action approval to MRP Realty’s plan for this 1 million-sf, mixed-use project, which will feature two office towers (600,000 sf of office space total), plus a T-shaped structure, with one side containing a 180-room hotel and the other side a 250-unit residential tower (with 8% reserved for affordable housing). 

MRP will also reconfigure, widen, and upgrade the walking areas along New York and Florida Avenues to enhance pedestrian access and safety, and also include new plantings and furnishings. In addition, sidewalk cafes and shops are planned for these thoroughfares. The project will also provide a direct connection to the metro through the Metropolitan Branch Trail via a three-story atrium. There will also be a public central plaza with cobblestones, benches, and a fountain, and will feature bicycle racks and a bicycle pump station. The architect for the office towers will be Gensler, with SK&I handing the residential and hotel tower. Land and streetscaping will be designed by Occulus. MRP expects to break ground in early 2008, with completion scheduled for early 2010. See the Washington Gateway site plan and more images of the project.  MRP Realty was created in 2005 by former Trammel Crow executives, and is quickly rising in the Washington metro developer scene, with over 2.25 million sf under development and another 3 million sf of development in the pipeline. Speaking with dcmud, Jonathan Lischke, MRP Vice President, stated that “[w]e are very excited about the project as Washington Gateway combines elegant and sophisticated urban architecture with sustainable design and smart growth. The buildings will be a combination of glass, metal, and pre-cast; incorporate green elements; and encourage pedestrian and bicycle use through proximity to metro and the Metropolitan Branch Trail. As one of the tallest projects in the District, Washington Gateway will not only have views of the Capitol Building but it will also be highly visible as a gateway to NoMa and downtown DC.”

Washington DC commercial real estate news

Second Chance Granted to First Baptist Church

The Arlington County Board first approved the “Views at Clarendon” on October 23, 2004. Two years, a project-halting technicality, and a $200,000 lawsuit later, the County board again approved the mixed-use church and multi-family residential building in a 4-1 vote. The meeting was just one more chapter of the ongoing saga over the First Baptist Church of Clarendon.

As DCMud reported at the beginning of this month, residents of the surrounding Lyon Village neighborhood filed a lawsuit in November to reverse the zoning approval of the project, objecting to the 10-story, 116 rental-unit structure that will keep the current church’s 107-foot steeple in tact and include daycare and moderately priced housing. The County Circuit Court judge ruled in 2005 against the neighbors, but the decision was reversed in 2006 when the Virginia Supreme Court determined that the board acted against their own Zoning Ordinance 27A and thus, invalidated the earlier zoning approval. After changing this technicality, the plan was resubmitted for approval.

Over 200 neighbors, community figures, and board members attended the February 24th meeting, 126 of whom signed up to speak. According to Mary Curtius, the Arlington County Media Relations Manager, the attendance was evenly divided between supporters and opponents. Curtius added that the county’s main interest in the project is the affordable housing and day care, “what is so unusual about it (the project) is that there are so few opportunities in Arlington for affordable housing and daycare within walking distance of the metro. The two together is almost impossible to find.” At the meeting, board member Jay Fisette shared the same sentiments, “If not here, where?” he asked.

Those opposed to the project threatened a second lawsuit, the first of which was paid for by the neighbors. Barring any further legal action, the Views at Clarendon Corporation, Inc., the non-profit that was formed for the project, will begin developing the county’s largest childcare facility and new affordable housing units. While the site plan has been approved, permits for the 1201 N. Highland Street development have yet to be obtained. The church began the process back in 2003 when it hired the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) to guide it on affordable housing.

Watergate Hotel's Conversion to Co-Op Off?

In 2004, Monument Realty bought the infamous Watergate Hotel, located at 2650 Virginia Avenue, NW, with hopes of converting this historic landmark into an upscale, 96-unit co-op. But while sales started one year ago, there is now word that the developer is reconsidering this plan, and – seeing the demand for luxury hotels skyrocket – is now exploring the possibility of keeping the Watergate Hotel … well, a hotel (though one renovated into a five-star destination). The original co-op plan called for architect firm Hickok Warner Cole to redesign the hotel into co-op units starting at $850,000 for a one bedroom (and penthouse units beginning at $4.5 million), with the building hosting a spa, health club, private theater, and a roof top terrace overlooking the Potomac River. Monument is expected to reach a final decision by the end of April on the direction it will take on this project.

Washington DC real estate development news

DC Zoning Approves Abdo’s Newly Named "Arbor Place" New York Avenue Project

Abdo Development’s massive plan to develop 17 acres of auto lots and underutilized space at the intersection of New York Avenue, Bladensburg Road, and Montana Avenue NE took a significant step forward in mid-February, when the DC Zoning Commission gave its stamp of approval to the company’s $1.1 billion residential mixed-use planned unit development proposal.

Abdo (with partner Broadway Management), envisions building at new town center called "Arbor Place" (so named after the nearby National Arboretum), which will include eight 11-story residential towers (some possibly with rooftop swimming pools) containing approximately 3,600 residential units (mainly condos, with some rentals possible), plus 130,000 sf of retail facing new York Avenue, a grocery store, and the 42,000-sf "Arbor Club" health club/day car center open to public membership - all surrounding a three-acre park. Pricing is expected to be in the $450 to $475 per sf range, with about eight percent of the housing reserved as affordable housing. Abdo is currently working with WMATA to get a bus stop at the development, but will also provide a shuttle to the nearby Rhode Island metro station.

The developer plans to finish acquiring all the land by June 2007, with demolition starting in mid-2008. If all goes on schedule, the residential buildings will be ready for occupancy in late 2010.

Note: We know, we know - you all want pictures and designs. As soon as we get our hands on some, we will be sure to put them up!

Sales Begin at Jefferson Condos

Sales officially begin this weekend at The Jefferson, a new condominium converted from a historic 39-unit apartment building at Jefferson and 9th Streets in Petworth. BHI International began renovating the site in 2005, and will feature private rooftop terraces and ground-level patios with many of the units. Condos will range in size from a studio to 3-bedrooms with terrace, priced from $225,000 for a studio, with one-bedroom units starting at $285,000, and completion scheduled for May 2007. The Petworth neighborhood, historically populated by single-family homes, has recently seen an influx of developers attracted by the relative abundance of under-utilized lots and attention the District has been lavishing on Georgia Avenue, which it intends to redevelop into a commercial corridor with higher-density mixed-use projects. Petworth was given a shot in the arm last Fall when Donatelli Development began construction on Park Place, its mixed-use project above the Petworth Metro.

Changes Coming to Mount Rainier

Driving east along Rhode Island Avenue from DC toward the District line into Prince George’s County, you pass a stretch of empty buildings and lots as you cross Eastern Avenue. This 3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue was once part of the vital downtown of Mount Rainier, a charming neighborhood formed around an old rail and streetcar depot, but one still waiting for more of the revitalization that has been spreading across the Washington metro area. But plans are now being discussed to bring such change. This week, the Mount Rainier City Council heard a presentation by representatives of Landmark Developers Inc. focusing on this block as well as a large empty building on the 3100 block. One possibility is a mixed-use residential, retail, and arts-oriented development, with a parking structure to support it. The centerpiece would be a three or four-story condominium that would focus on attracting artists as residents, with the first floor being retail space for the community. Such a development would complement (and be similar to) the already-built Mount Rainier Artist Lofts at 3311 Rhode Island Avenue (pictured), an artist work-live structure (44 rental units with retail on the ground) completed in 2005 as part of the Mount Rainier, Brentwood, and Hyattsville "Gateway Arts District" project. In any event, given its location on the DC border and eclectic, small-town feel, Mount Rainier appears ready for its moment in the spotlight.

Two New Hotels to Join Development of New York Avenue NE

Once described many years ago by a local alternative paper as "The Devil's Bowling Alley" for its long stretch of dilapidated auto lots and boarded-up buildings, things are beginning to look up for New York Avenue NE. The latest news is that the joint venture of Rocks Engineering Co. and SharCon Hotel Management & Development Co. is moving forward on its development of side-by-side hotels next to the National Arboretum at the southeast intersection of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road in the Ivy City neighborhood. The hotels will both be five-story structures, with one being a 126-room Fairfield Inn & Suites and the other a 125-unit Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites. The hotels take the place of the old, now-demolished Travelodge Hotel (pictured, officially at 1917 Bladensburg Rd NE). Both hotels are expected to be ready for occupancy in early 2008.

The developers are banking on not only the 80,000 vehicles that pass the intersection each day, but also the other major developments planned for New York Avenue NE. The projects (as have been reported in past dcmud postings) include: Abdo Development's $1 billion mixed-use "Gateway" redevelopment project of 17 acres on the north side of the Bladensburg intersection into almost 4,000 residential units, green space, and a grocery (delivery after 2009); MRP Realty’s "Washington Gateway" project, a $350 million, 150-room hotel and 250-unit residential tower development to be located along New York and Florida Avenues NE (2010 occupancy); and New Town Development LLC’s $1 billion redevelopment of the 24-acre Florida Avenue Market, located between New York and Florida Avenues NE, into 1,700 residential units and 330,000 sf of retail, restaurant, and merchandising space.

Old Post Office Due for Redevelopment

The General Service Administration and the Office of Management and Budget have begun evaluating redevelopment options for the lower levels of the famed Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue. After an enthusiastic response to the GSA’s Request for Information in 2005, the two federal agencies began discussing the next steps for the 375-unit building. Federal Triangle’s Old Post Office was the largest government building and the first steel-framed building in the capital when initially built as the headquarters of the Post Office Department- an attempt to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood. Now, 100 years later, based on government and developers’ interest in the project, the building will either become a government office building, or the GSA will submit a Request for Qualifications and Proposals to gather ideas for making the Post Office a multi-use project.

Complete demolition is not a threat as it was after WWII, but under the National Historic Preservation Act the government space can be leased to private tenants, providing endless possible uses for the building. In the 80’s, the GSA tried to take advantage of this by creating retail space on the first two floors, a project that has since proved financially unsuccessful. Congress suggested that the use of the lower level space not be predetermined, but rather this redevelopment project to be used as an opportunity for developers to submit unique ideas for the building – with the stipulation that any changes made to the inside of the building during redevelopment be reversible. The decision to issue a Request for Qualifications and Proposals is still pending with no deadline, it may be a while before this historical building receives a modern internal revamp.

New Friendship Heights Commercial, Residential Center Gets Underway

Demolition has now begun on Wisconsin Place, a mixed-use, 1.1 million s.f. project at the corner of Wisconsin and Western Avenues in Chevy Chase. Wrecking crews began a very visible demolition in January of the Hecht’s department store, while the foundation is currently being poured on the 480,000 s.f. residential tower, which is expected to come out of the ground in April. The nine-building, four-architect project, developed by a partnership of New England Development Company, Archstone-Smith, and Boston Properties, will be completed by 2009, and include 423 residential units, 305,000 s.f. of office space, retail space, and a 20,000 s.f. community center.

While there are a number of prospective vendors for the town center, Whole Foods Market and Bloomingdales are the only confirmed companies at this time. The trapezoidal Wisconsin Place will front four different streets; specialty retail and office space will overlook Wisconsin Avenue and the Metro Station, while Bloomingdales and other retail space will be located at the corner of Friendship Boulevard and Western Avenue. Connected to the community center, the residential tower will encircle a courtyard, with exterior units facing the new Whole Foods Market on Willard Avenue and a one-acre park at the corner of Willard Avenue and Friendship Boulevard.

Construction on the eight-acre property began two years ago with the construction of the Bloomingdales’ parking garage on which the store will eventually sit. Hecht’s Department store remained open until late last year, a condition of NEDC’s acquisition of the property from Hecht’s parent company, May Department Store Co., but has now been closed for demolition. Bloomingdales, expected to open in September, will take Hecht’s place as the plaza’s department store. The "Residences at Wisconsin Place", developed by Archstone-Smith and designed by Bethesda-based SK&I Architects will include 423 "luxury" rental studio apartments. According to Darryl South, Vice President of Development at Archstone, the residences will feature a high percentage of glass including living rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. Initial occupancy of these one, two, and three bedroom apartments, starting at $1700 a month, will begin in June 2008.

Washington DC real estate development news

Bethesda Church Site To Add Residential Units

If you look closely while driving west on Old Georgetown Road in Bethesda, just as you pass Glenbrook Road you will notice a small cardboard sign in front of the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church at 8011 Old Georgetown Road announcing the possible future of new residential units just outside the downtown core of restaurants and rising condos. It appears that Bozzuto Development and the church have submitted an application with Montgomery County to change the zoning at the site from single-family to multifamily use, which would pave the way for them to build 107 new residential units, as well as make improvements to the church. A hearing on this application is scheduled for June 1, 2007, with the Montgomery County Office of Zoning and Administrative Hearings. If all approvals are met, construction is expected to begin by mid-2008 at the earliest, with completion two years after that. More details will be provided as they are learned....