Thursday, July 17, 2008

Graham Calls for Investigation of ADUs

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Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward One) asked yesterday for an investigation of illegal renting of affordable housing in at least two condominiums in Ward One. Graham believes both the Rhapsody Condominium at 2120 Vermont Avenue, NW and the Tivoli Townhomes Condominium at 1340 Monroe Street, NW are illegally renting lower priced units.

"I call on the Department of Housing and Community Development to investigate. I am concerned that evidence given to me suggest fraud. This is a very serious charge and requires a thorough investigation by the Mayor and the Council," Graham said.

Wilson Reynolds, Director of Constituent Services for Graham said this exploitation of affordable housing is an abuse of pre-delivery agreements between the District and developers. "The standardization and enforcement for affordable housing has not been what it needs to be. We have constituents that are telling us that they are finding affordable units being advertised at market rate. We have people taking advantage of something for which an awful lot of work was done and concessions were made. This has deep implications because the city has given things in return to allow developers to reach extra floor area ratios or other variances in exchange for creating units that were supposed to be affordable," Reynolds added.

Reynolds said the purpose of the investigation is to find out who is at fault; Graham is not specifically pointing fingers at the developers or the unit owners. Reynolds said it will be a multi-step process and will include the Department of Housing and Community Development, that has a history of dealing with affordable housing. Other involved agencies will likely include the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor, the Office of Zoning, and Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

Under DC law, those who buy affordable units cannot rent it for five years. The District government offers developers additional square footage and other such incentives in return for affordable units.

"The idea is they're supposed to live in it for five years. There are variations, you may be able to rent it or sell it, you have the right of ownership, but because of the ADU covenant, there may be qualifiers in it. One example is that after five years, you can rent it but to someone who doesn't exceed the income level that you had when you purchased it," Reynolds said.

"Affordable housing is precious in our city, and we must do all we can to preserve it," Graham said.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Smithsonian Seeking Museum Architect

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Five years after Congress established it, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the newest and 19th Smithsonian Institution Museum, is looking for an architect. The RFQ, issued last Wednesday, calls for a team that has experience working with government agencies and private industries, can design the building within a thirty-six month calendar, and who will "infuse" their vision with "an appreciation of African American History and Culture".

"We also look forward to working with a firm whose member share our respect for the National Mall and are excited about creating a signature, green building that will be worthy of its site, the Smithsonian and the richness of African American culture," said founding director of the museum, Lonnie Bunch.

Submissions are due by September 19, 2008 with selection scheduled for spring 2009. The Smithsonian has already reached out to members of the National Organization of Minority Architects, the American Institute of Architects, and other organizations to design the "symbolic" five-acre site between the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The RFQ says, "Minority, small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business....and Service Disabled Veteran owned firms are strongly encouraged to apply."

The development timetable for the 350,000 s.f. museum calls for groundbreaking in 2012 with completion in 2015.

Washington, D.C. real estate development news

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

District Approves SW Waterfront Bonds

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developers PN Hoffman and Struever Brothers, Eccles & Rouse chosen to develop the Wharf in southwest Washington DCThe District Council today approved a financing project for the 23-acre Southwest Waterfront, providing $198 million in bonds for the waterfront project, a bill that Mayor Adrian Fenty is expected to sign. Under terms of the bill passed unanimously by the the DC Council, the District will issue revenue bonds supported by tax increment financing (TIF), payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), and special assessments, for improvements that will begin after developers PN Hoffman and Struever Brothers, Eccles & Rouse finish the private portions of the redevelopment. The Southwest Waterfront Bond Financing Act of 2008 authorizes the Mayor to issue revenue bonds to fund site improvements, with $148m allocated specifically for "development costs" of the project. The remaining $50m is allocated to pay for financing costs incurred by the District. Any funds received in excess of $198 million will be transferred to the District's General Fund. 

According to the development team, the waterfront project is projected to generate more than $40m in annual tax revenues, with $13.3m contributed to the general fund annually after payment of the debt service.Basilica Lofts - condos for sale in northeast Washington DC The land, when fully developed in 2017, is expected to support 2.4 million square feet of development, including 770 residential units, 700,000 s.f . of office space, nearly half a million s.f. of hotel space within three hotels, and 280,000 s.f. of retail. The more public amenities are expected to include new parks, four new piers, a half-mile promenade and bike trail, and renovation of the existing fish market.

Washington DC retail and real estate development news

Monday, July 14, 2008

Branching Out in Prince George's County

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Bringing apartments to 19.37 acres near the Branch Avenue Metro Station, Archstone-Smith received approval last month from the Prince George's County Planning Department for Town Center at Camp Springs. Located on the east and west sides of Capital Gateway Drive and Auth Way, Archstone will create 801 rental apartments with 65,359 s.f. of retail in an effort to bring young professionals to the now under-developed section of Prince George's County.

What is their goal? "Humans," said Archstone-Smith Senior Vice President, Rob Seldin. "There's a lot to it. We're trying to take what is now a disaggregated series of different uses and put them together and use our project as a mechanism to create a community."

Seldin said the majority of Archstone apartment residents are between the ages of 25 and 36 and have at least a bachelor's degree. "We have about 85,000 units with 240,000 residents throughout the US. If Archstone was a city, it would be the wealthiest, most highly educated city in the US. We are very focused and targeted on expanding our brand within that demographic segment of the population."

While the Camp Springs project is still in the planning stage, according to the detailed site plan, it will be completed in three phases. Phase one will deliver 416 units, a 7,000 s.f. private club house, and a pool. Phase two will follow suit with similar amenities and 385 units. Phase three will be the retail space. The project will offer over 1,500 parking spaces for residents and shoppers at completion.

Seldin said the town center may even bring more jobs to PG County and that one of the things that drew the developer to the site was its proximity to not only Branch Avenue, but also Andrew's Air Force Base with 22,000 employees and the Suitland Federal Center with 9,500 employees.


"You have a very high concentration of reasonably highly compensated and educated employees working there, and no great place for them to choose to live. For us, this was an opportunity to give these people a chance to live where they work. It's difficult to create housing anywhere, in PG County, it is typically very difficult to have housing approved, so really, what's been happening is these highly educated, highly skilled, highly compensated workers have been systematically disenfranchised, so they go to Arlington, because they welcome them. Arlington knows that these people are great residents, everything good flows from an influx of successful young people. That was our market concept for what we think we would like the Branch Avenue are to expand into," said Seldin.

"If we can begin to recast this location as where this demographic can live, it will help foster entrepreneurial opportunities because office space is inexpensive there," he added.

The developer will finish its purchase of the now-vacant land from a private owner after the project receives all necessary approvals. Seldin said Archstone-Smith hopes to break ground in fall 2009. The Preston Partnership, LLC is the architectural team through entitlement; their portfolio includes the Alexan Dunn Loring in Falls Church and the Ketlands in Gaithersburg.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Four Mile Run

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Draft design guidelines are now available for the physical and aesthetic features of the Four Mile Run Corridor, a 2.3 mile path that connects Alexandria and Arlington County and runs from Shirlington to the confluence with the Potomac River.

The design guidelines address channel stabilization and restoration, restoration planting, storm water management, public spaces, recreation facilities, and architectural features.

The public spaces include a network of trails including the existing commuter trail along the northern bank, a more winding community trail on the south side of the channel, and more narrow informal trails for hiking, jogging, and walking within the corridor.

To avoid biffs, the trails, which will all meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, will use green, recycled, porous materials for a smooth surface, and will have edges that promote drainage to avoid slips caused by flooding. And for all the avid gutter bunnies, out there, the Commuter trail will be twelve feet wide to allow for high-volume, high-speed, two-way bicycle traffic.

According to the design guidelines, "The commuter and community trails are the threads that weave together the natural landscapes, public spaces and built features. Like the stream itself, they are continuous elements meandering through diverse and changing environment."

In 2005, Alexandria and Arlington County adopted a Master plan for the Corridor because, "although the corridor is relatively well-served by parks and open space, there remains a need for additional recreational facilities and greater continuity to connect recreational facilities as part of a cohesive open space network." The plan also calls for promenades, public plazas, public art, and the restoration of current and creation of new sports facilities.

Four Mile Run is a nine-mile stream that flows adjacent to neighborhoods, commercial districts, and industrial facilities alike that have been subjected to repeated flooding since the 40's. In the 1970's, the cities partnered with the US Army Corps of Engineers to build a flood-control channel in the lower portion of the Run. No floods have occurred since its construction, but the channel is still in need of restoration; the trails are part of this effort.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

LCOR Wins Tenley/Janney Site

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Mayor Adrian Fenty announced this morning that the District will partner with LCOR for the development of the 3.6 acre Tenley Library/ Janney Elementary School site on Wisconsin Avenue.

The announcement, made nine months after the RFP's issuance, came as a surprise to those used to long-outstanding District RFPs; the decision surprised even the developer. "We didn't find out until 6:30 last night," said Timothy Smith, Senior Vice President of LCOR. "We were told to expect some word, but I had given up and gone home, so we were as surprised as everyone else...We are excited to be designated, we are awaiting paperwork from the District and will be working not only with the Office of Economic Development finalize plans, but also all of the stake holders in the neighborhood," Smith said.

This type of educational/residential mixed-use project is not new to the developer, who is responsible for the 47,000 s.f. James F. Oyster Elementary School and 211-unit Henry Adams House apartments in Woodley Park, in fact, Smith said LCOR prides itself in taking on such innovative, unique projects.

"I think our work on the Oyster School was one of the things that had to do with their decision to go with us. The current building is set back from Wisconsin Avenue and it will be a mixed-use project. One of the things we proposed was instead of a free standing structure, the library will be in the first two floors of the apartment building," Smith said.
Community involvement will be key to the development of this site, as it has been the subject of controversy between past developers and the community for years. But despite the site's conflict-ridden history, the developer said he just wants to get going.

"We are trying to make sure we work with the library to make sure their plan works within the building. We have done a lot of different kinds of developments, so this is right down our alley. We know that complex multiple use projects involve us working with community. Here we think we have the big picture, but we will still be working with the community," said Smith

LCOR's proposal included 174 rental apartment units and while specific details have not yet been announced, the development will likely achieve LEED certification and, in keeping with the Fenty Administration's affordable housing goals, offer workforce housing. Smith said more detailed information will be available in the coming weeks.

The District issued the RFP for the site last fall; three development teams responded and were evaluated based on "vision, financial capacity and past performance."

"We've got a real opportunity to leverage this site to help pay for the cost of improving Janney Elementary, enhance the existing open space and add both market-rate and workforce housing - all atop a Metro Station," Fenty said.

The projects puts to bed a contentious process that began with Roadside Development proposing to build what is now LCOR's mandate, a plan that was stymied when activists demanded an open bidding process. The District then mishandled the RFP, changing its terms after the response date passed, forbidding integration of the library within a residential building.

"Not many people know this, but LCOR has been in Washington for thirty-two years. We were really under the radar until we did the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Headquarters project," said Smith. Not anymore. LCOR recently completed the first residential building in the company's North Bethesda Town Center project, its 32-acre project at the White Flint Metro station.

Convention Center Marriott Tiptoes Forward

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In an inconclusive show-and-tell session before the Historic Preservation Review Board on June 26th, Marriott International, Cooper Carry Architects, and EHT Traceries presented plans for the long-anticipated convention center hotel. During the informational presentation, the development team presented plans for a 1,100 plus room hotel at the corner of 9th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW, across from the Washington Convention Center.

The hotel, which will likely achieve LEED Silver Certification for its use of glass and brick, will take up the majority of the block, save the PEPCO power plant that supplies the White House with electricity, and the American Federation of Labor headquarters, a historic building that will remain. The hotel is intended to bring jobs and revenue to the city through traditionally high hotel taxes while serving Convention Center guests.

Norm Jenkins, Senior Vice President with Marriott International said the project was essential to the success of the existing Convention Center which has yet to meet city performance expectations.

"This is a great hotel site, but it's a tight hotel site, and we need to get 1100 plus rooms on the site in order to satisfy the needs of the Convention Center...the city sunk $850 million into this Convention Center several years ago and that project will never be optimized until you have this headquarter hotel," Jenkins said.

Laura Hughes of EHT Traceries raised the issue of the historic American Federation of Labor building on site and explained the history of the building, which was designed in 1915 and designated as historic in the 70's. State Historic Preservation Officer David Maloney cited the building as one of his staff's main points of interest in the project.

"I think the staff does not have any major concerns at all with what's been proposed. I think it's appropriate to expect that the facades of the historic building would be restored to their historic appearance, which I think it anticipated. The treatment of the public space in front of the building is also important...The other thing that's important about the historic building is integrating it with the hotel in a natural way...It's a small building relative to the size of the new hotel, so it's somewhat of a design problem to make it look as if it fits in a continuous streetscape..." Maloney said.

He added that the staff was concerned with how the design relates to the city and Massachusetts Avenue, the over 130 foot height of the project, the building being secondary to the Convention Center and the treatment of public space along Massachusetts Avenue.

"Mass Avenue, as you know, is one of the city's important L'Enfant boulevards. It is historically a residential boulevard really with green space in the front yards. And this building, because of its nature, has very difficult servicing requirements. But their staff, as well as the department of Transportation, have pushed the hotel folks to try their hardest to make sure that there is a sense of continuous green space maintained along Mass Avenue," Maloney said.

While the meeting concluded with accolades from staff members, the board still had questions about the building's width, appearance, and name.

"My last point, slightly in the jocular vein, is why do we use all of these aristocratic French revolutionary terms like marquis and Monaco? Wouldn't it be nice to have a democracy? I mean I'm not saying you name it The Log Splitter, but I mean, maybe the President..., said Chairman Terch Boasberg, to general laughter. The developer will return in the coming months for concept review and permitting.

Steven Siegel from the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development noted the urgency of the project and said the Mayor asks about its status each week. "He asks how the projects going. And every time I tell him the date of delivery, he says that's not soon enough. So we're all working very hard to make sure that this process moves forward smoothly. And, you know, it's obviously important to the success of the Convention Center to make sure that this hotel is delivered as quickly as possible and as soon as possible," he said.

The project is on the HPRB's July "List of Cases Filed for Consideration." A final agenda for the July 24th meeting will be available on July 18th. The Atlanta-based architects are also responsible for Bethesda Row and the National Gateway Hotel Complex in Arlington County.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Centex's Symphony in MC

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After years of discussion and revision, Centex's Symphony Park project in Montgomery County may have reached its coda. Named for its proximity to the nearby Strathmore Music Center, Symphony Park, which will offer 112 one-family, attached townhouses, will go before the Montgomery County Planning Board tomorrow with recommended approval from the Development Review Division.

The new development will reserve half of its 18.61 acres for open green space, including a pond and overflow space for the music center. Centex received preliminary approval in March of last year, but has since undergone revisions to improve its aesthetic value and pedestrian accessibility.

"It is an intersection of two properties and it's of great interest. It's a high profile property, especially since Montgomery County owns the land next to it. The Strathmore Music Center next door has a festival each year on the land that we would own, so we ended up giving them five acres. It was negotiations like that that took a while. We spent a lot of time figuring out how to make this land work best for the county," said Keith Tunell, Director of Community Development in Maryland for Centex.








The developer does not yet own the land at the intersection of Rockville Pike and Strathmore Avenue, but will purchase it from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association if the project receives final approval. The site is currently occupied by the ASHA office building that the developer will eventually raze to make room for the new development.

Near both the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station and the Rock Creek Hiker-Biker Trail, the project will offer 373 parking spaces and two types of townhouses, one traditional and the other with internal courtyards. The developer said the project's setting is ideal given its surrounding amenities.

"It is certainly for fans of the arts, it's a very commuter-friendly property. There is the Metro right on the other side, we are also keeping a lot of it green and a park-like setting between us and Strathmore. It's a harmonious connection and great property for quality homes," Tunell said.

Tunell said that if the project is approved, the team will submit a certified site plan in the next few months, raze the building in the winter, and begin construction next summer.

NCPC's Strategic Plan

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Nothing moves forward in Washington without two things - official approval and monetary support. Urban development is no exception to the rule, which is why each year the National Capitol Planning Commission (NCPC) puts together a strategic development plan for the coming six years that looks at the federal building pipeline and indicates which projects have the most potential, are consistent with NCPC policy, and warrant further consideration. This year's report for FYs 2009-2014 is now available for public review and feedback.

While the recommendations made are not necessarily an indication of how the NCPC will vote on a given project, the yearly evaluation helps guide the planning process for the Capital region and examines both the positive and negative effects of future federal developments. The recommendations made during this process are then forwarded to the Office of Management and Budget for consideration in the President's annual budget.

This year's Federal Capital Improvements Program includes 195 proposed projects, the estimated cost for which is over $8.5 billion. While submissions are subject to change, NCPC ranked the current projects in four categories based on their conformity with "established planning policies"; the categories are "Recommended and Strongly Endorsed", "Recommended", "Projects Requiring Additional Planning Coordination", and "Recommended for Future Programming." Here is how some of the big-name projects ranked:

The Armed Forces Retirement Home Master Plan was ranked as a "Project Requiring Additional Planning Coordination" because of "outstanding development issues and pending completion of a master plan." Unlike most projects that go before the NCPC, funding for this project is provided by a trust fund supported by the residents living at the home, military fines levied against troops, and active-duty soldiers. The DC Master Plan, which has a proposed budget of $200,000 for FYs 2009-2014, involves the development of 107 acres and 6.14 million s.f. of residential, hotel, retail, and Assisted Living space. It is intended to generate revenue to help with the annual operating deficit at the AFRH. The AFRH is working with the NCPC to address issues with traffic, historic preservation, and open space.

The 1.3 million s.f. Department of the Interior Building at 19th and C Streets, NW, will require $85,000,000 in FYs 2009-2014 for major building system updates including fire safety, HVAC, interior architectural features, and relocations of walls. The project, which was "Recommended and Strongly Endorsed", will also include the restoration of historically significant spaces. The project has been in the FYIP since the 1992-1996 program.

The E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse at 333 Constitution Avenue, NW, will undergo renovations similar to the DOI building, but will require $176,000,000. The renovations for the 634,297 s.f. building were also ranked as "Recommended and Strongly Endorsed."

The National Museum of African American History and Culture was established within the Smithsonian Institution in December of 2003 by President Bush to provide a new collection and study of African American historical and cultural material. The Smithsonian Institution is requesting $250,000,000 for the programming, design, and construction of the new museum that will break ground in 2012. This funding is just half of the $500,000,000 necessary; the remaining half will be privately funded. The project, located on the corner of 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, first appeared in the NCPC plan for FYs 2006-2011. According to the NCPC FCIP, "Coordination will continue to be needed to address the many complex issues at this site," thus, it was ranked as a "Project Requiring Additional Planning Coordination." According to the Smithsonian Institute, an architect will not be selected until 2009 and drawings will not be available until 2011. Under the current timeline, the museum will deliver in December 2015.

The proposed National Museum of Natural History Revitalization will cost $151,500,000 during FYs 2009-2014, and will continue the ongoing Major Capital Revitalization of the building. Renovations at the 10th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, site were ranked as "Recommended" and will include the restoration of antiquated plumbing, temperature control, and electric systems, the creation of a handicapped-accessible entrance from the National Mall, and the abatement and encapsulation of asbestos and lead. The project first appeared in the 2003-2008 report and has received $177,070,000 in prior funding.

Renovations on the Smithsonian Castle were "Recommended" and will cost $170,000,000 from 2009-2014. The project will include the restoration of interior spaces, replacement of mechanical and electrical systems, and the creation of handicapped accessible features. Work will be done to the facade of the 149,000 s.f. Romanesque Castle and on the overall building to bring it up to current building and fire codes. The building, which is also a National Historic Landmark, currently hosts 200 members of the Smithsonian staff and 1.6 million visitors per year.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

It's Konterra Country

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What to do with 2200 acres next to the interstate? Build a city. At least that's what developers are doing with Konterra, a joint venture between Gould Property Company and Forest City Washington, which earned approval to develop 488 of those acres, a phase called the Konterra Town Center East project, just one part of their massive mixed-use development that will include residential neighborhoods, business campuses, and two town centers, and lots of retail. The approved town center will deliver 4,500 residential units including condos, apartments, and town homes, 1.5 million s.f. of "fashion" retail, 3.8 million s.f. of Class-A office space, 600 hotel rooms, and green space.

The titanic development, designed by several architects, including California-based Altoon + Porter Architects, is intended to bring "upscale dining" and retail to northern Prince George' County, create 12,000 jobs in the area, and generate revenue for a "civic framework" in the new community including a police force and fire department.

The developer, owner of the land since the 1980's, submitted plans for the Town Center East last August after meeting with the community and county to design a sustainable mixed-use project. The gargantuan development will replace what is now vacant space, once a gravel and sand mine, situated along I-95 at the intersection of the nascent Inter-County Connector, just north of the beltway.

The business component of the soon-to-be Konterra city in PG now offers fourteen buildings and over 500,000 s.f. of office space, while 500 acres of existing residential space is divided among three neighborhoods: The Wilshire Estates, Fairland Park Community, and The Villages at Wellington. Project spokesperson Julie Chase said the town center will bring together the existing business campuses and residential neighborhoods in the surrounding area.

"The town center is the core. The goal of this development is to bring smart growth and high-end retail to an under served and deserving area. When we say smart growth, it's about retail offerings and services and the opportunity to live and work in same area. There will be transportation within the community, but the project is also about having everything accessible and walkable," Chase said.

The project website describes the town center as a new neighborhood in itself. "A leisurely walk or a convenient bus trip to the heart of Town Center places you amongst tree-lined, pedestrian friendly streets with outdoor cafes, high-end boutiques and exciting entertainment options."

The developer hopes to break ground on this phase in late 2009 with delivery planned for 2012, but the team still has two more hearings with the county. The first is for the preliminary plan of subdivision on July 24th, and the second is for the detailed sight plan that has been submitted, but is awaiting a meeting date.

The second town center, which will also host a mix of retail, commercial, and residential space, will be 253 acres and is still in the planning phases. Altoon + Porter, the one confirmed architect on the project, also has offices in Shanghai and Amsterdam and focuses on hospitality, institution, university, and mixed-use developments.

Washington DC real estate development news

Monday, July 07, 2008

DOES Seeks Approval For New Digs

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DC's Department of Employment Services will go before the National Capitol Planning Commission Thursday for approval of their new five-story, mixed-use headquarters on the site adjacent to the Minnesota-Benning Metro Station. Part two of the larger Minnesota Benning Government Center development, the Deverouax & Purnell-designed 225,000 s.f. headquarters will bring 500 jobs, over 7,000 s.f. of retail space, and a four-story parking garage to the 9.2-acre site.

The government's goal in relocating the headquarters to the Benning-Minnesota Metro area was to make DOES' services more accessible to its clients while improving the developing neighborhood. According to Bill Rice, Spokesman for DC's Office of Property Management, "The new headquarters for the DC Department of Employment Services will make DOES services more centrally accessible for District residents and promote economic development in the Benning Road-Minnesota Avenue, NE, area east of the Anacostia in downtown Ward 7. It will bring new employees to the area, thereby promoting economic development and serving as a catalyst for the revitalization of downtown Ward 7."

The HQ project will not be alone by the Metro, however; Ward 7 and the Benning neighborhood have received quite a bit of development attention lately. In March, the District issued a solicitation for bidders for a five acre site adjacent to both the Metro and the DOES site; Parkside Residential LLC's senior and affordable housing project and Abe Pollin and the DC Housing Authority's 150-unit development are also in the works.

Part of the Government Centers Initiative that places civic buildings in less-developed neighborhoods, the job creating, development-promoting HQ project will complete its wholesome image by pursuing Silver LEED Certification. Located at the Northwest Corner of Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road, NE, the development will be funded by the sale of 500 C Street NW to the Newseum and general obligation bonds. It will replace current bus shelters and Metro parking and widen Minnesota Avenue.

If the final site and building plans secure NCPC approval, Rice said the District will begin the permit process with groundbreaking in September, he added that the government will not partner with another developer.

Phase three of this development thrill ride is currently on hold, but will eventually be a new office building for the Department of Homeland Security and will include 125,000 s.f. of office and retail space. Phase one was a parking garage.

The DC-based architects specialize in designing buildings for agencies and corporations and are responsible for the MCI Arena, the Convention Center, and the Pepco Headquarters.

Washington DC commercial real estate news

Thursday, July 03, 2008

West End's Newest Condos

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Washington DC commercial real estate, retail leasingWashington DC's West End neighborhood has two more condominiums to call its own. The neighborhood that had until the past few years been the DMZ between Georgetown and Dupont, home to emergency vehicles, gas stations, and crumbling embassies, has nearly completed its neoresidential transformation. After two years of construction, Eastbanc Development's 22 West has begun moving residents into the building. One block away, the Tiverton Apartment building is now undergoing renovation to convert the historic apartments into a condominium. The Tiverton, at 1121 24th Street, was purchased by Keener-Squire in early 2008, which removed theWashington DC commercial property, West End Flats, Eastbanc, Tiverton Apartments, Keener Squire, Shalom Baranes tenants to make way for a full renovation and conversion into the West End Flats. Sales by Coldwell Banker Residential are expected to begin in September. 

Sale of the building touched off a firestorm last fall when Georgetown-based Eastbanc proposed a comprehensive development package that included the Tiverton. Under the proposal, Eastbanc would have purchased three parcels for market rate, including the Tiverton and adjacent West End Library site, and would have provided the District with a new fire station, library and Special Operations Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, all of which demeaningly outdated. The DC Council approved the real estate sale last July but, waking up the next morning and realizing what it had done, was suddenly revolted at the non-competitiveness of the agreement, and on October 2nd, with neighborhood activists protesting to have more input in the District's sale of land, unanimously passed a motion to reconsider the sale. The Council then passed a second motion proposed by Councilmember Jack Evans to table the property disposition, which effectively ended discussions on the deal. The 22 West, Eastbanc, West End, Washington DC, new condosCouncil initially approved the development plans "in the belief that [the Council] was protecting the rights of the Tiverton tenants," said Evans at the time, but in the end the entire council buckled, and eventually sold the Tiverton separately, sacrificing development of the library, fire station and police station. The West End is surrounded by tony condos like the Columbia Residences, which converted the old Columbia Women's Hospital, and Ritz Carlton, also by Eastbanc. The Tiverton is expected to be ready in early 2009. 22 West, designed by Shalom Baranes with a zinc exterior, is selling its 95 condos from the upper $700k's.

Washington DC retail and real estate news

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Industry Insight: Architect Phil Esocoff

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Phil Esocoff DC architect GenslerResponsible for the design of Capitol Hill's Senate Square, the ballpark area's Onyx, the Whitman, and the Historic Greyhound Station at 1100 New York Avenue, NW, Phil Esocoff, Principal of Esocoff and Associates, is as creative in person as his buildings are in presentation. With an office full of architects quietly scheming and tracing the next building, about which everyone will have something to say, Phil Esocoff agreed to talk about urban design, bricks, and which buildings he would invite to dinner. 

When did you become interested in architecture? 
Esocoff: When I was in 5th grade there was a photograph of the Guggenheim in my weekly reader and I made my parents take me to see the building, that’s when I decided I wanted to be an architect. 

What do you think urban architecture should achieve? 
Esocoff: I think the term would be genus loci, the idea of it being rooted in the place and time and the culture of the place. It’s what makes the world interesting. If you’re traveling to a place, you don’t want to find the place you left, you want to find something new. And it’s great to have architecture grow out of that. It could be climate, craft, and traditions. Certainly in history architecture has been based on the materials that have been available, whether its wood and you have wooden architecture or stone and stone architecture. So when you go back and think of history you find that brick came from local clay and depending on what materials you have for fuel, that changes the color or outcome of the brick. So unbeknownst to a lot of people today, our regional architecture has always been very much affected by what was available at the time. Whether it’s a sod house on the plains or log cabin somewhere. It’s like we don’t realize milk doesn’t come from a bottle, it comes from a cow. 

So how would you describe your style? 
Esocoff: It’s not a style, it’s probably more like an aesthetic that comes from looking for some discovery of what the purpose of the building is, what’s the technology used to build, and what’s going to make it last a long time. I like buildings that will get better over time like good wines. There is a quote that says, “Finishing ends construction, then weathering constructs the finishes.” And so it's that softening that limestone or brick gets as it collects residue. 

Are there buildings in DC that come to mind when you think of structures getting better over time? Esocoff: Federal Triangle looks better now than it probably did when it was brand new. That concept is also something I have in mind for my Canterbury project.

What’s been your favorite project that you’ve designed?
Esocoff: I would say that my longtime favorite is the one I did at 2401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW before I started this firm. There are flags on top and little brackets that hold the canopies that are donkeys and elephants. You couldn't do that anywhere else. It is so perfect for where it is. 

What is your favorite building in DC? 
Esocoff: (Laughs) thats a hard question. For interior, it's hard to beat the Library of Congress. My favorite building is 518 C Street, NE. It's a small office building that Amy (Weinstein, also his wife) did in Stanton Park. 

What are some of the projects that you have coming up? 
Esocoff: We have several and they are all exciting, really the ones nearing completion are the Dumont at 4th and Mass, that’s 401 and 425 Mass Avenue and there is also the Onyx by the ballpark. Still being designed is Marina View in Southwest. That’s exciting because we are renovating I.M. Pei buildings from 1962, and in some cases following original design drawings that were somewhat badly engineered, so we are trying to bring it a little closer to what the original design intent was, but also use double glazing for energy reasons. The exciting part is we've hired the original landscape architecture firm to come back and redo the garden between the two buildings and update it in light of contemporary understandings of good urban designs. There is an author – Oscar Newman who wrote Defensible Space. And he said there should be a clear definition of ownership and responsibility for space. Public space especially, helps give some quality to the urban realm, so people aren’t in this kind of ambiguous relationship with it. So in this case, we're opening up a place that will be open to the public during the day with established east-west routes through the site that are clearly inviting to the public. They will be able to go east-west through this superblock that was established so they can get through to the Metro. We are trying to re-establish the pedestrian circulation that used to flow through here. So while the street isn’t being re-opened, people can traverse the site on attractive circulation paths. 

Do you tend to prefer historical projects like that one, or ground-up design? 
Esocoff: Almost all of my projects are ground up, we haven’t done too many actual renovations. We did one at the Chilean Embassy on Mass Ave, where we put things back in order that had been changed. You wouldn’t call it a real restoration but we mitigated some renovations of the past so that if in the future they want to do a full blown renovation, they can. We tried to do a respectful renovation The Pei buildings are really going to set a standard for contemporary design and how you renovate a building from the 1960s, that's not even 50 years old. That project went through an informal process with the HPRB to almost set a standard for how buildings in that area of the city are renovated - what would be the philosophical approach to dealing with the buildings and the spaces there in a way that kept the baby but threw out the bath water. One of the things with the 60's is they threw out baby and bath water, so if you want to learn from history, you have to take a more circumspect view of what our
predecessors did and not just throw it out wholesale which is what they did in a way. They erased the street grid as though the street grid that had worked for 200 years was somehow a mistake. There was no mistake in the layout of the street grid. There was no need to have done that. It was a misguided idea of super block planning and wholesale destruction of historic fabric that we wouldn’t do today. In a way, if we went in there and started tearing down old buildings, we wouldn’t have learned anything from what they did, because some of these buildings have character – they are historic artifacts for good or ill and if somehow they can be retained and adaptively reused in a respectful way for what qualities they do have, that’s actually better than just doing the same thing they did.

What is your view of the architect's role in the PUD process? 
Esocoff: Well we look at the zoning and look at the description of the site. We look at what the surrounding context is, in other words - what would be the best front door for the project - is it on a boulevard, what should the address be. Whats the best way to present the building? It's funny that we've slipped into this idea that planning is a restriction on peoples' rights to plan economically. Somehow people have forgotten that planning can add value to land by setting up rules that people can use then to plan accordingly. It is the opposite of Tyson's Corner where everyone could do what they wanted, but the net value there is probably less than if you took the same square footage starting in the center of Farragut Square and worked your way out. If you applied DC's plan to Tyson's Corner, you might have more real estate value. So what do we do? We look at the context and we look at very basic things like where the front door is, where the parking entrance should be and where the loading dock will be. Those things have to be dealt with very early on. That stuff sounds very prosaic but its really the foundation of it. It no more prosaic than saying, "Here are the boundaries of the site, plan within them". So you look at that and then I guess what we developed was kind of a philosophical attitude about what good urban architecture is in the context of the District's plan. The District is interesting as a plan because it has very wide streets and its streets are so wide that in other cities you could almost put a park in the middle of the street. So it is really incumbent upon the people building here to build to the property line for a good portion of the facade and define public space by project initiative. In some ways its very much a description of the underlying premise for our political system or our political culture – people are free to do what they want, but if they live up to certain civic responsibilities, we are all the better for it. You will then get a sense of an urban space that is a linear park that runs for miles. If you think about some of the streets in the city, they are about 150 to 160 feet wide. Essentially, you have space that is wider than a football field that runs for miles and it’s ironic that citizens or lots of people in district will sometime object to buildings because they say they will use up too much space. 

We have a lot of undefined, two dimensional areas. I would say that one of our problems is that if you really look at all of our spaces, they aren't developed nearly as well and don't have the texture and usability as any number of spaces in Paris, for example. It is also unfortunate that not everyone thinks you should have to take care of your part of the public realm just as a voluntary exercise. In the BIDs, it's different, but you'll see sometimes the area between the curb and sidewalk that is barren or full of broken glass and dirt and no one feels that they have to take care of that. The BIDs have done a lot though. I would also say that it's unfortunate that more thought isn't given to the facades of buildings. Each developer should think of how their project affects the view from the building across the street. Not just in a brochure, but in terms of selling office space and looking across at non-public elevation. I can't help but think that a lot of real estate value is incinerated. If you're stuck with an office on an alley looking at bland facades and boring window patterns, and that space could be courts from the center of the block that are quiet and attractive and secondary exposures, and not just the back of a building. (Laughs) It's almost like each developer should pay the developer on the other side. You don’t get to see your own, you see the one across the street and you don’t get money for that office space.

How do height restrictions affect your work? 
Esocoff: I like to think of heights in the District as a schedule of heights and based on what I said about defining public space, they have to do with what the original planners thought the right height would be for the width of the streets to create a boulevard. The analogy I think of is the big room upstairs in the Renwick Gallery where pictures are hung three or four pictures high. And out streets are small galleries and you look up into windows and see different slices of lights. The windows are like picture frames. Its like you are in this public room and the walls are the facades, and if everyone builds a certain amount, it will be a nice picture gallery. I think the restrictions are a good thing. It means you’ve got this kind of nice coherence. because unlike other cities, in DC its a little bit like you took a waffle iron and poured in a batter called "highest and best use" and slammed the lid down and it squeezed out. Washington from the air seems to have this grid and diagonal boulevard system that looks like a waffle pattern. It's very satisfying that now, 200 years later, you cant stand on Dupont Circle and look down clearly defined streets. The Constitution allows people to pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but in buildings, you don’t see a lot of that. To fully express the underlying value of society, each building should be self expressive. You've been given this freedom to go up to a certain elevation and the fact that some buildings sit there mutely is kind of disappointing. People do a lot of excruciatingly boring things and say if that if they could have gone higher, it would have been more exciting and I don't believe that. I like buildings like Gaudi's buidings – no one looks at them and says, "too bad they aren’t sky scrapers." But people go down streets in DC and think its a problem that there is a height limit. To paraphrase Shakespeare, "the problem, dear Brutus, is not in our height limit, but in ourselves." What I like is that you can take time to lovingly design each inch of the façade. Its not like there are six stories out of view; people get to see it all. People get to see what your doing. People see every square inch and that’s fun to work on. If a city is an expression of our culture, you have to be able to say what you think about that. 

What are some of the other architecture firms that you admire? 
Esocoff: My favorite architect from the District is Amy Weinstein, although I guess the disclaimer is, she's my wife (laughs). She is now starting up again as the Weinstein Studio within Esocoff and Associates, and she has a project on Capitol Hill, the Eastern Market Metro Plaza, its an urban design scheme that she is going to make sing. We are also collaborating in a way on the Wardman West for JBG in Woodley Park, just west of Wardman Park Tower. I think it will set a new standard for DC buildings. Some of the architects I like are Mark McInturff, Bob Kearney, and certainly Shalom's (Shalom Baranes) work is consistently excellent as is Bonstra Haresign's. They do tight brickwork that I really like. I could go on and on about brick, but what I like about their work, is the nice sculptural clarity. I don’t think our predecessors wanted us to keep doing the same thing. Just being different for the sake of being different and not building on the past is not much of an accomplishment. 

Who are some past architects that have inspired you? 
Esocoff: There are a lot – I think Louis Kahn, he used a lot of brick too, he taught at Penn when I was there. There was always this underlying meaning in what he was doing. 

It seems like you have a thing for brick. Phil Esocoff Dumont Washington DC architect
Esocoff: Well its Kahn and it's something you can work with – what else can you make buildings out of? There is stone like we did for 1100 New York Ave (NW). But I guess it's because a lot of projects I have worked on have been in neighborhoods and in budget levels where brick seemed like the right material. There is a lot of expressive value in it. I think you have a role in the world, you're not alone and its nice there there is material that you can use to provide some meaningful work for other people. I think we have some great craftsman in the world and if we also have great drawings, I believe that they will always rise to the task and build a new design. That is based on my experience in my last thirty years in DC. We believe they will do a great job, and they always do. All these people have a heart and soul and want to do something meaningful. 

How would you change the development process for the better? 
Esocoff: I think there needs to be more of a sense of self respect. I think a lot of people don’t take this seriously. I think every site I work on is the most important in the world, and each developer should think that too, because the communities that developments are in think that. There needs to be better public discussion among community groups and government. That has taken a dramatic turn thanks to Mayor Williams. Since his administration there has been a renaissance in the Office of Planning, but I think there still needs to be more public discussion about what makes DC special. There isn’t a lot of discussion of what architecture goes with that plan. When I look at buildings I think about having a party and each building coming to it. You look at the building and think, "would you want that building to come to dinner?" If it looks uptight, you say, "no", or if it looks like it chews with its mouth open, that's probably my building (laughs), but if it looks like it has a story to tell, then you want to learn more about it.

Washington DC commercial real estate news

Adams Morgan Church Resurrected as Hotel

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Handel Architects, Adams Morgan, Washington DC real estate, Beztak Companies, Friedman Capital, HPRB, hotel development
On Wednesday, Beztak Companies and DC-based Friedman Capital presented plans for their conversion of the First Church of Christ Scientist, in the center of Adams Morgan, into a 150-room "boutique hotel." The concept submitted involves the construction of a hotel within and behind the church at 1770 Euclid Street, NW. Under plans submitted to DC's Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), the century-old church will be designated as a landmark site, undergo major restoration, and connect to a larger, seventy to ninety foot structure that will replace the current City Paper building. 

The 180,000 s.f. boutique hotel at the intersection of Euclid Street and Columbia Road, NW, will be partnering with Ian SchragerHandel Architects, Adams Morgan, Washington DC real estate, Beztak Companies, Friedman Capital, HPRB, First Church of Christ, the developer responsible for New York's Studio 54 and Gramercy Park Hotel, and credited by some with creating the "boutique hotel" genre. Handel Architects, Adams Morgan retail, Washington DC real estate, Beztak Companies, Friedman Capital, HPRB, First Church of Christ,Not aiming for your average conventioneer, the developer plans to convert the main sanctuary into a grand ballroom with a 500-guest capacity, and the mezzanine section for an elevated bar overlooking the ballroom. The two areas will be separated by a glass curtain that can be alternatively transparent or reflective. 

Designed by New York-based Handel Architects, the project, in keeping with the boutique theme, will host large, up-scale, "exclusive" events. Your average guest will not get to climb the front steps - those will be reserved for special galas and events, thank you very much. "One of the most important aspects of the sanctuary space is volume and preserving the structure of the space," said Brian Friedman of Friedman Capital. Connecting the church to the new structure has presented a logistical challenge in preserving its historic integrity. At the behest of HPRB, the developers will expand two existing windows in the church's former nursery to act as a connector, minimizing damage to the facade. HPRB also recommended increasing the space between the buildings, currently planned around twenty feet. 

No doubt the developer is mindful of the fate of Il Palazzo, the old Italian Embassy nearly next door, which had been sanctioned by DC Zoning for conversion into a condominium, but was later 'landmarked' by HPRB, effectively shutting down the project after sales had already begun. Until recently, the site had been marked for a 69-unit condominium, initially to be developed First Management Group of Chevy Chase, but later revised their plans in favor of a hotel. "I want to note that we tried very hard to come up with a type of business that could go in there to preserve a church that is 100 years old. We needed a business where, 100 years later, you could still see that church. A hotel was the only thing we could come up with to make that happen. We started with condos but we think this development brings better progress," Friedman said. He added that the project would offer 4,000 s.f. of community space for meetings and events. "We are very proud that there will be community space, to give you an idea, the penthouse or condo units are half the size of the community space," he said, referring to the ten condo units destined for the penthouse level. 

But while developers project an urbanizing, avant-garde creation that will invigorate the neighborhood, neighborhood organizations are predictably wary, especially about the height - this being Washington DC. "I think that in the spirit and concept of project we are fully behind it. I think that some commissioners are hesitant to put full support behind until we see full elevation and full plans," said Bryan Weaver of ANC 1C Peter Lyden of the Reed-Cooke Neighborhood Association was less credulous. "We've not seen any definitive drawings with height, density, or views, so we really haven't had any solid detail to make a decision. We do have comments that were received...one from long time resident reads, 'In my view, this height simply goes beyond heights of the neighborhood...the height should fit the character, not change it.' We welcome the idea, but it has to fit the zoning of the area," Lyden said. To which the developer replies that the building will be hidden behind the church and will not overtake it. 

To alleviate traffic on Champlain Street, the developer plans to follow the example of the Georgetown Ritz and incorporate the parking driveway into the site. Friedman and his team will submit a PUD and return to the HPRB in October; until then, the board recommended moving the pool, which will be surrounded by the hotel and next to a spa and bar, rather than on the roof, to muffle the noise of festive guests that might disturb the late-night hordes on 18th Street. The developer wanted the pool on the roof but neighbors were concerned about noise; the board recommended moving the pool up a few stories in order to put rooms under it. The board also recommended studying the building at the street level to "avoid an overly commercial look for an addition to a masonry church building in what is a largely residential area of the city." In fact the building would be the lone hotel in the Adams Morgan and Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods. This will be first foray into hotel production and several other single and multi-family projects across the country. The new church-hotel does not yet have a name or an established construction timeline.

Washington DC commercial property news
 

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