No Late Fees for DC's New Public Libraries

Over the course of the next year, District of Columbia Public Libraries (DCPL) will be bringing a slew of projects – including new up-to-date facilities and renovations – to neighborhoods throughout the city. Their intent? To improve conditions in low-income areas, bring the concept of the library into the 21^st century and, by extension, those that they serve along with it.

First on the block is the Washington Highlands Neighborhood Library at 115 Atlantic Street SW. The present facility will be razed next year to make way for a new structure that will feature a public meeting room, study areas, a computer lab, and separate reading areas for children, teens and adults. Budgeted between $14 and $16 million, the 20,000 square foot library is expected to commence construction in the fourth quarter of 2009. International architects Adjaye Associates are designing the new facility with Wiencek and Associates serving in an associate role. In a surprising twist for a library, the city will also be aiming for a LEED silver certification. An interim library will be installed to serve the community during construction.

The Washington Highlands project has been paired up with the construction of a new Francis A. Gregory Neighborhood Library. In essence, the two projects could be viewed as “twins” - both projects share the same architect, budget, LEED certification and plan to go to ground in the fourth quarter of 2009. Located at 3660 Alabama Avenue SE, the library will also include the requisite meeting rooms, children's areas, administrative offices and computer labs.

And while none of the new amenities outlined above may seem vastly different from those that preceded them, DCPL’s Public Information Officer, George Williams told DCMud exactly how and why these are structures are intended to serve their specific locales:

The Washington Highlands and Francis A. Gregory neighborhood libraries were chosen to continue the Library’s efforts to improve facilities east of the Anacostia River. The condition of the existing buildings limited their ability to provide 21^st Century state-of-the-art library service. For example, the need for dedicated space for things like card catalogs and computer labs is gone due to advances in technology improving the way we access information. The new buildings will have flexible space which allows for the Library to implement a variety of activities throughout the building without being limited by space dedicated for a specific purpose. As library use changes in the future, the new buildings will allow the Library to meet the needs of the community.

Williams also pledged that the local community “will play an integral role” in development of the new libraries. The architects for both projects were selected by a committee comprised of select DCPL staff, an independent architect, and community members handpicked by Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry and Ward 7 Councilwoman Yvette Alexander. Additionally, the services and programs to be offered by both facilities have been outlined using feedback from a series of “Hopes and Dreams” community meetings that occurred earlier this year. Local ANC boards have also been encouraged to submit their thoughts on the matter. The architects behind the projects plan to hold public meetings regarding plans for the libraries as soon as next month.

Both the Washington Highlands and Francis A. Gregory projects are currently in the early design stages and no renderings are available at this time.

Meanwhile, Northwest is also getting two newly-updated libraries – one in Mount Pleasant, the other in Petworth.

With the first phase of renovations complete, the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Library at 1600 Lamont Street NW will soon undergo significant interior renovations. Utilizing designs by the CORE Group and HMA2 Architects, the new facility will retain many of the library’s historic flourishes, while maximizing the amount of space available – for a total of 21,288 total square feet. Beyond sheer size, new improvements will include a new “common, accessible entrance for all residents,” an enhanced children’s section and updated, state-of-the-art infrastructure. The renovations are expected to be completed next year.

The Petworth Library at 4200 Kansas Avenue NW is also scheduled to receive an upgrade, beginning in January 2009. The plans on hand call for mostly superficial renovations – a facelift for the exterior, window and door restoration, roof repairs and new masonry. DCPL is currently accepting bids from contractors interested in the project, which are due no later than November 17^th.

These four new additions join the previously announced Watha T. Daniel/Shaw, Anacostia, Benning and Tenley-Friendship Neighborhood Library (more on that coming very soon) projects, which are currently at various stages of development.

UPDATE: DCPL will be holding a "community gathering" on December 16th to showcase designs for both the Highlands and Gregory projects. Architect David Adjaye will be in attendance. A location and time are forthcoming.

Still No Goal for Poplar Point Stadium

With several District-sponsored projects in Southeast announced in recent months, just what 's been happening with the biggest of them all - the Poplar Point Soccer Complex? Michael Durso, Project Manager at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (ODMPED), spoke to DCMud about the status of the long-awaited project. "There is nothing happening right now and no bid has been issued," he said.

Nevertheless, he assured DCMud that the release of any bid for the 27,000 seat, $150 million (before cost overruns) stadium would be preceded by a very public announcement from ODMPED when and if one is issued.

This much, however, is certain: while projects across the river on the Southeast Waterfront continue to pile up, Poplar Point appears to have been left in the proverbial lurch (one only has to look as far the District’s barren Poplar Point website for evidence). Of course, given the less than desirable performance of Nationals Stadium and DC United’s 2008 drop in attendance, it stands to reason that the City isn’t jumping at the chance to fund another stadium that – at best – would only be three-fourths full. Of course, old man economy isn't making it easy for new (and expensive) development these days either.

Nonetheless, ODMPED appears to still be testing the troubled waters that surround the project. After obtaining a Congressional edict that transferred the land to District control, the Deputy Mayor's office has courted developers and participated in community meetings that discussed the stadium’s potential environmental impact. However, the city remains intensely interest in Ward 8 these days, as evidenced by the redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths campus - a deal that also boasts the lucrative relocation of a massive amount of federal infrastructure.

Adding another layer of red tape to the matter is the fact that outspoken Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry has said he'll approve no plans for the Point that don't include a stadium. This could very well be a contributing factor to the Council's failure to reschedule a hearing on the stadium following their summer recess. In other words, if the stadium can't move forward, neither can Poplar Point.

While we wait (and wait), all would-be hooligans would do well to check the nifty, HKS-designed renderings for the proposed complex that come to us courtesy of the official website of Major League Soccer.

Alexandria to Beef Up Potomac Yard

A committee convened by City Manager James K. Hartmann is sponsoring a public meeting tomorrow concerning the further redevelopment of the Potomac Yard segment of Alexandria. Redevelopment is currently being considered for three portions of the area, Landbays I and J and Landbay G (see map, at right), with other projects interspersed throughout the sprawling 24-acre stretch of land just west of the river for which it was named.

The Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group (PYPAG) envisions Landbays I & J as the future home of 679 units of housing, 275,000 square feet of office space and 25,000 square feet of retail. A proposal penned by Potomac Yard Development (PYD) - which seeks “227 townhouse and urban loft units with neighborhood parks interspersed” - is currently under review and will go before the Alexandria Planning Commission and City Council by spring 2009. PYD had initially petitioned for 330 units on the site.

Landbay G is under the control of developer MRP Realty, which has proposed 414 residential units in two multi-family buildings, 800,000 square feet of office space, 80,000 square feet of retail, and 625 hotel rooms “in two hotel buildings” (possibly a Hyatt) on the 13-acre parcel. That makes for a total 9 new buildings for the site, ranging in height from 52 to 110 feet, plus an open town plaza. A decision on MRP’s proposal is also expected in early 2009.

These dual redevelopment efforts have been coupled with several smaller, more centrally located projects that are either currently underway or well into the planning stages. Potomac Greens, which is 85% complete, will feature 227 residential units surrounded by preserved wetlands. The Greens is also under consideration as the site of a future Metro stop.

Another PYD project in the area, the Potomac Yard Fire Station is also well into the build-out phase of its $7 million redevelopment. Once completed, it will feature 60 units of affordable housing above a brand-new fire station, 168,000 square feet of office space and 91,000 feet of open recreational space.

Plans on hand also call for the easternmost portion of Potomac Yard, Landbay K, to be reconfigured into a public park that will feature "70% passive recreation" (open lawns and plazas) and "30% active recreation" (basketball and tennis courts, trails, playgrounds, etc.). A dog park and pedestrian bridge will round out the pedestrian-friendly flourishes at other points in the development.

The Planning Commission's “work session on Potomac Yard applications” is being held this coming Thursday, November 6^th at 6 PM within City Hall’s Council Chambers. Seeing as Planning Commission Chair Eric Wagner also heads up the PYPAG, this should be excellent forum for interested residents to voice questions. A separate, aesthetically-related review board, the Potomac Yard Design Advisory Committee, is holding another public forum on Wednesday, November 12^th at 7:30 PM in City Hall’s Sister Cities Conference Room.

Then There Were Three at Howard Town Center

It may be slightly less exciting than the McCain-Obama matchup (only slightly), but the contenders for the on-again, off-again Howard Town Center project have now been narrowed to just three: Archstone-Smith, Armada Hoffler and CastleRock Partners. A Howard University representative yesterday confirmed that two other bidders associated with the $30 million project - Monument Realty and the Trammell Crow Company - have been ruled out by the University as potential developers.

This marks Trammell Crow's second loss of the HTC project. When the HTC was first proposed in 2003, the development company walked away with a $56 million contract - only to watch it fall through when the Duke Plan, a new zoning overlay for the area, was introduced, and some have suggested that Trammell Crow may still have an actionable claim against the university.

Development on the 2.2 acre parcel is said to include a 300-unit apartment complex, parking and 70,000 square feet of retail, which must include a grocer under the terms of the RFP. The Howard Town Center project will be built at the current site of several Howard-owned properties at 2100 Georgia Avenue that have fallen into disuse. A recent Howard acquisition at Georgia and W Street, the Bond Bread Building, is also to be utilized in the redevelopment efforts. Howard acquired the building from the District of Columbia this spring in a land swap long opposed by the tenants of Bond Bread, which had sued the city over their rights to the building. Howard issued an RFP for the project (again) last May. Group Goetz Architects will be designing the project for the winning developer, a design that is strongly encouraged to be LEED certified.

Howard’s Communications Department would not discuss a date for the selection of a development team, but construction is planned to begin in August 2009.

Washington DC commercial real estate news

District Announces 4 Hill East Bids

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Washington D.C. retail and real estate development news

DCMud Reviews the Capitol Visitor Center

Last week, DCMud became the first media outlet in the world to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the new US Capitol Visitor Center (take that, Matt Lauer). The Visitor Center is scheduled to open to the public on December 2nd, the product of an 8-year, $600m, 580,000-s.f. construction project. Conceived originally as a tourist-friendly entryway that happily banished the surface parking lots and delivered the eastern lawn of the Capitol closer to the status quo ante of Frederick Law Olmsted's design, the Visitor Center now serves as the only public ingress to an increasingly restricted, post-9/11 Capitol.

Described by its detractors as a "monument to waste", and its defenders as better, cheaper and more justified than DC's new ballpark (with an expected 40 year life-span, at that), the project will be open to media scrutiny starting next month.

At 580,00 square feet, the RTKL-designed Visitor Center is nearly three-quarters the size of the newly expanded Capitol. Of that, 210,000 square feet will be accessible to the public; the rest is dedicated to private meeting space for the House and Senate. In all, it represents the 9th addition to our nation’s most recognizable building and the single largest incremental building project since the structure was (arguably) declared complete in 1863, after the Statue of Freedom was added to the Capitol dome.

Stretching from the eastern edge of Capitol steps to 1st Street, the street-level roof of the three-story Visitor Center will serve as the main pedestrian common, replacing the congressional parking lot. The landscape has now been transformed into a plaza that recalls Paris’ Louvre Museum with two raised skylights surrounded by long, shallow reflecting pools, providing both an architectural feature and strikingly bold views of the Capitol dome from within. At the rear, in view of the Supreme Court and Jefferson Building, the misting fountains from the site’s previous incarnation have been retained and will be turned on once again for the first time since the 1976 Bicentennial. The original, ornately designed parking lot lampposts have been preserved, albeit with a fresh coat of paint and in a slightly new configuration.

After a trip down a grand outdoor staircase and across the new visitor’s reception green – which features historic, recently transplanted Capitol trees - visitors will be ushered into the Center itself. Painstakingly designed to be architecturally true to the old Capitol, down to the flawed marble that mimics the original material, and statuary that once sat under the dome, the entry hall is impressively grand for a structure invisible from the street. While it may lack the architectural awe of the original Capitol, the grandeur of the dome, or the detailed beauty of the original frescoed ceilings, it is the Center's ability to move masses of people on a continuous basis that prevailed as the Center's design theme. Unlike the older portion of the Capitol, designed to stupefy the People with a building worthy of its ambitious and newly codified experiment in government, every feature within the Visitor Center is composed and synchronized to give 2500 sightseers per hour the full Capitol experience without venturing above ground, and shortening the epic wait time that tourists sometimes encounter.

As a start, eight magnetometers replace the one that tens of thousands passed through yearly. Once inside, visitors are free to explore at their own pace or queue for a “timed visitor’s pass” to secure a guided tour.

The first view of the Visitor Center is Emancipation Hall, a grand entry meant to showcase the diversity of America’s leadership. Populated by state icon statuary such as Hawaii’s King Kamehameha, North Dakota’s Sacagawea, Montana’s Jeannette Rankin (the first female member of Congress), and Utah’s Philo T. Farnsworth (the bane of most parents as inventor of the cathode ray tube). The Hall is clad in pink Tennessee granite and intended as an alternate space for presidential inaugurations in case of inclement weather. It is from within the Hall that aforementioned skylights offer up inspiring views of the Capitol’s dome - a view sure to be emblazoned upon post cards in the gift store.

Standing front and center in Emancipation Hall is the original scale model of the Statue of Freedom, the byproduct of which now perches on the Capitol dome. The model was moved from a storage space in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, where it had been mothballed, to become the appropriate centerpiece of Emancipation Hall - having been casted by a slave that went on to win his freedom.








The first stop off Emancipation Hall is the Orientation Theater, premiering a 13 minute film entitled “Out of One, Many,” (as in e pluribus unum, as on the seal of the United States, we remind our less civic-minded readers) directed by documentarian Donna Lawrence. The film is a visual timeline of landmark legislation passed in Congress, cast across a 34-foot Imax-like screen, with sound effects that reverberate through the 250-seat theater.

The Visitor Center experience ends in the Wall of Aspirations - a state of the art museum divided into sections, each dedicated to one of the underlying principles of the founding political philosophy - virtues such as Unity, Freedom, Exploration - each with its own section and relevant historic documentation. Documents such as Abraham Lincoln’s original notes for the Emancipation Proclamation will rotate in and out of the museum as the themes themselves change. Other attractions within the museum include a 1:20 scale recreation of the Capitol dome, interactive displays and “virtual theater” recreations of the House and Senate, with live feeds of each chamber.

And what would a trip to DC’s tourist attractions be without pricey museum food? The Visitor Center also sports a 530-seat restaurant that will highlight different types of American cuisine, rotating among state and regional cuisines.

The project initially broke ground in June of 2000. Following the events of September 11th, the original $265 million budget ballooned to $621 million – a sum that went in part toward a variety of cutting edge security features to be employed throughout. Most will be unnoticed by the visitor, while some security upgrades - such as moving the truck delivery bays underground - will offer aesthetic improvement. Delivery trucks will now enter through a subterranean tunnel that curves around the norther perimeter of the Capitol, freeing the outdoor space from the vehicular traffic and pavement that has marred the Capitol grounds for decades. The Visitor Center will be open to the press later this month, and open to the public in December. Metropole

The Clarksburg Quagmire

If you don't know where Clarksburg is now, you can say you heard of it here first. Next week, the Montgomery County Planning Board (MCPB) will undertake a two session review of plans for, and potential approval of, the Clarksburg Town Center (CTC) that would see 1,213 units of housing dropped 35 miles northwest of the District.

The CTC is described by its developer, Newland Communities, as "a New American Classic Town" - one that was essentially dropped wholesale into a rural community when Phase I was undertaken in 2001 and brought approximately 1400 new residents to the area. Phase II, however, is a different animal. And despite the body blows to the real estate market and the general tanking of the "suburban town center" concept, the developer plans to see it through.

Aside from rental and homeownership housing, the linchpin of new development on the 270-acre parcel will be the retail hub. It will feature shopping, dining, a pharmacy, a grocery store (initially planned to be a Giant, but Newland has since parted ways with the retail developer behind the deal, Regency Centers) and the requisite parking – all amenities which are currently lacking in CTC’s present state. Extra perks also include the construction of a new public library, an outdoor amphitheater, a new 1,200 square foot recreation center, and, lastly - for that small town touch - a memorial in tribute to the town’s founding family, the Clarksburgs. Designs are being handled by Torti Gallas and Partners.

Over the past five years, Newland, the Clarksburg Town Center Advisory Committee (CTCAC) and the MCPB have found themselves locked in a long and tedious stalemate – one that seems on the verge of breaking with next week’s decision.

While plans for the development stretch back 13 years, Newland stepped up in 2003 when it purchased the completed Phase I project from original developer, Terrabrook – after the initial Phase II plans had received the go-ahead from the County. Come summer 2004, CTCAC brought apprehensions about setback and height regulations before the Board, which subsequently held a string of violation hearings that stretched on for more than a year.

Eventually, the Office of Legislative Oversight was called in to review the case and identify exactly what was causing the protracted delays – and wound up faulting the MCPB itself in a surprising twist. According to their report, the Board had “sent confusing and mixed messages to the community, and failed to carry out a timely, thorough fact-based investigation.” Moreover, even the Montgomery County system was partially to blame as the CTC project was “subject to a regulatory process that lacked predictability and reliability” and “underlying ambiguities in the County’s laws.” The end result of the findings was a landmark for the Montgomery County regulatory system – since 2005, the County Council has had much stricter oversight of MCPB activities.

With that debacle finally settled, a final set of plans comes before the Board on November 6^th and Newland is betting its chips on this hearing. Just weeks ago, Newland sent current CTC residents postcard mailers expressing the need for their support if the project is to get approval.

And it appears that it will. County staff have already conditionally approved the plan, and while the developer has yet to make a total figure for the cost of the development public, County Executive Isiah "Ike" Leggett has recommended a $15.5 million allotment of county funds that would go towards improvement of the local infrastructure and construction of the library. Bozzuto, Craftstar, Miller & Smith, NVHomes, and Porten Homes have already been selected as builders for the massive undertaking.

L is for Lease

More office development has arrived in the corridors of power (aka the Downtown Business Improvement District). DRI Development has brought an 11-story, 170,000 square foot building to 1331 L Street NW, only five blocks from the White House. While the building primarily serves as the new headquarters of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the SmithGroup-designed, glass-faced project also has 11,000 square feet of retail space on the block for would-be tenants.

The project is energy-efficient all the way - from the LEED gold certification (a rarity for District office space) to the "hybrid vehicle preference" parking spaces. The glass facade ostensibly admits the maximum possible amount of natural light and saves on energy costs. (Although admittedly, five high speed elevators don't sound like too “green” of a luxury). The facility’s amenities include a ground-floor fitness center, a landscaped rear court, a private rooftop terrace and "a crystalline glass tower element" over the building’s primary entrance.

Once the building was completed last spring, it sold to MBA - who now occupy only a third (approximately 68,000 square feet) of their latest acquisition. The rest -both retail and office – are being brokered by Transwestern, the parent company of DRI. A Transwestern retail leasing agent, Alex Walker, says “a restaurant and possibly a café” are planned for the site, but a timeline for such developments is still up in air. With the market still in what is best described as “rough shape,” this could be opportunity to snatch up space in a prime downtown parcel that still has that new development smell. That is, if you don’t mind sharing an office with the same guys who milk you for mortgage payments every month. High speed or not, that could be an awkward elevator ride.

The Yards Parks Itself on the Anacostia

A new twist in Forest City's development plans for The Yards was revealed today as Mayor Fenty announced the addition of a $42 million dollar riverfront park - that's $42 million for a park - to the sprawling 5.5 million square feet of redevelopment already underway in the surrounding area.

"This is the project that will project the District of Columbia forward from the standpoint of renovating, modernizing, accentuating, bringing to life, and restoring this great neighborhood adjacent to the Anacostia River," said Fenty from inside the vacant warehouse that will soon house the Yards' Boilermaker Shops.

Simply dubbed The Park at the Yards, the 5.5 acre park is being designed by New York-based landscape architects M. Paul Friedberg and Partners and was touted by Ward 6 City Councilman, Tommy Wells, as the new “front porch” for the Southeast Waterfront.  If that is indeed the case, the park seems to be more country club terrace than whittling stoop - the plans currently on-hand call for “well-landscaped ‘outdoor rooms’ with seating areas,” “a riverfront courtyard” that will feature retail and dining on three sides, “a water feature” in tribute to the Washington Canal, “a great lawn” that could potentially host live entertainment and “a scenic esplanade” that will connect foot traffic to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. Forest City is also in talks to bring a marina to the site.  The Mayor equated the park to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and Chicago’s Millennium Park, as a draw for local residents and tourists alike “for generations to come.”

“It’s a great amenity for the city.   It’s welcoming to families. It’s welcoming to children.  It will be welcoming not just our residents, but to everyone in Ward 6 and throughout the District who come,” said Deborah Ratner Salzberg, President of Forest City Washington.  "It will be a true world-class location…to eat, play and just to relax and have fun.”

The Park represents a unique facet of development at the Yards, in more than one regard.  First and foremost, it is the product of a public-private partnership between Forest City and the District, which teamed-up to secure the federally-owned parcel from the General Services Administration (the terms of that deal were not disclosed).

Secondly, it was financed through a Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) initiative, described by the Mayor’s office as “the District…selling a bond against future taxes…generated by the surrounding development."  Ahh, the 'generations to come' will be the ones paying for it. Thirdly, after Forest City completes construction, all maintenance and programming of the park will be turned over to the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District (BID). The BID’s Executive Director, Michael Stevens, characterized their involvement as including everything from planting flowers to plowing snow.

Construction is planned to begin this January, the developer hopes to have the park open in time for the Nationals’ 2010 opener.  The Park at the Yards is the second such space planned for the immediate waterfront area (the other being Diamond Teague Park to the west) and the capstone to Forest City’s plans for 2,800 condos/apartments, 1.8 million square feet of office space and 400,000 square feet of retail at the Yards. “This is going to be one of the greatest places in America to live,” said Councilman Wells.

Washington DC retail and commercial real estate news

Law Enforcement Goes Underground in Judiciary Square

Judiciary Square will soon become a tourist mecca - once the new National Law Enforcement Museum is built on (or, rather, under) the 400 block of E Street, NW. Okay, it may not be the new go-to spot for tourists, but construction is expected to get underway nonetheless in the first quarter of 2009.

If all goes according to plan - in this case, the National Capital Framework Plan - the 90,000 square foot underground museum would extend under E Street and be accessible by two above-grade entry pavilions separated by a 100-foot wide shared plaza. Currently the site of a parking lot between District of Columbia Court Building C and United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Services, the plaza would make Judiciary Square a new draw for tourists - and give deadbeats something to do while waiting for their turn in the docket - and serve as a “natural extension” of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, already located in the square.

The placement of the museum next to the memorial that inspired it is no coincidence. The genesis of the project came in 2000, when Congress and President Bill Clinton enacted a measure calling for the establishment of such a museum. Fundraising endeavors were then passed off to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) in their roles as de facto developer, which got to work clearing the project with the seemingly endless list of local and federal authorities with overlapping jurisdictional interests.

Eight years and a million feet of red tape later, the museum will finally begin construction in 2009. Utilizing designs by Davis Buckley Architects and Planners, the museum will sport exhibition rooms, a gift shop, a theater and an underground atrium with skylights that peek into the plaza above. The mission of the museum will be to be lead visitors on a journey from “the first days of the night watch in the 1600’s” up to today’s high-tech era of CSI-styled detective work. Using exhibits designed by Christopher Chadbourne and Associates, the museum will highlight “historical artifacts, manuscripts, books, oral histories and other information that chronicle the development of America's civil society.” Or it might be like the aborted City Museum, a multi-dollar downtown museum that resulted in too few tourists too make it financially viable.

Then again, maybe not. Marcello Muzzatti, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and President of the Fraternal Order of Police of Washington, DC (DC-FOP), testified before the City Council this week regarding the project and has no doubts about its potential. "[Ward 2 Councilman] Jack Evans is really in favor of it because he knows it's a whole marketing strategy for downtown," said Muzzatti. "You've got the Spy Museum, the [Koshland] Science Museum, the Newseum - all that area, in the past 10 years, has just exploded. It is going to bring more visitors into Washington, DC and our museum, you have to understand, is completely unique."


The project has finally been approved by all the agencies with a finger in the development pie (District of Columbia Office of Planning, National Parks Service, US Commission of Fine Arts, etc.). All that now remains is to begin spending the $80 or so million that has been donated by prominent benefactors such as Panasonic, DuPont and Motorola (in exchange for product placement within the museum, of course), and police organizations such as the DC-FOP and the MPD (who recently organized a 5K run that raised $10,000 for the project). Fundraising is still very much underway and the NCPC is currently working with the adjacent courts to develop a perimeter security plan that is satisfactory to all. Clark Construction will serve as the general contractor once the project goes to ground.

For those who care, the oldest of the Judiciary Square buildings is the Old Courthouse, designed by architect George Hadfield, and originally intended to be the District's city hall. The courthouse was built in stages from 1820 and 1849. Maybe when it’s complete, they can slap the museum on tour including the Navy Memorial, the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Building Museum and explore the unmined history of the rest of the Village People. Okay, maybe not, but think about it.

Wizards Owner Bringing Magic Back to NE Housing Project

John Stranix, formerly of Clark Construction and now of Stranix Associates, is spearheading an effort - via the Pollin Memorial Development, LLC - to bring a 125-unit development to the ever-expanding Minnesota Avenue corridor in northeast Washington.

Named for the family of Washington Wizards owner, Verizon Center visionary, and generous District benefactor - Abe Pollin - the $18 million Pollin Memorial Community Development would transform a 450,000 square foot chunk of Ward 7 into "91 row dwellings, eight three-unit apartment buildings and five flats, amounting to a total of 125 residential units" - for a total of 193,688 square feet of new development. This would be the second such memorial public housing development in the District - Pollin previously opened Southeast's Linda Pollin Memorial Housing project in 1967.

Bounded by Hayes, Barnes, and Grant Streets, NE and Anacostia Avenue, the new Pollin complex would replace the 49-year-old Parkside Additions public housing project on the site with 83 homeownership units and 42 “rental replacement public housing units” – affordable housing targeting renters at or below 30% of the area media income. While the current Parkside project is described by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) as “functionally obsolete,” the new affordable units would be reserved as a “one-for- one replacement” for current tenants.

The redevelopment of housing would be complemented by new internal streets and a new “intimately-scaled” neighborhood park that would fall at the end of what is now Cassell Place, NE. This would include a new playground and landscaped area with trees and benches – all of which would front on the row houses, in order to allow for easy child supervision.

The site is a composite of property belonging to 3 distinct entities – the District of Columbia, the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA), and the National Parks Service (NPS). The developer courted the approval of all of those landowners back in 2006 and received approval for the project from NCPC last year.

Despite the multitude of parties with stakes in the site - current residents not least among them - the District posits that redevelopment is in the best interests of all involved including those of the greater Minnesota-Benning corridor. "Regarding the [area's] comprehensive plan, the development will further some of its major themes," said Matt Jesick, Development Review Specialist of the DC Office of Planning, in session before the District of Columbia Zoning Commission. "It will replace an older public housing development with newer affordable housing. It will compliment existing and proposed development in the neighborhood. It will preserve approximately 43 percent of the site as an undeveloped natural area and it will promote enhanced public safety and provide for diversity in the community." Enterprise Community Partners, who are financing part of the Wheeler Terrace public housing redevelopment in Southeast, have also issued a statement in support of the project.

Using designs by Torti Gallas & Partners, the project aims to begin construction in August 2009.

Coming Soon to a Howard Theatre Near You: Development

By this time next year, the old Howard Theatre should be well on its way to recapturing some its lost magic. Ellis Development Group and Martinez & Johnson Architecture have been charged with restoring the historic theater to its original purpose - albeit with a few modern twists. The building will retain its original size and basic interior configuration as the 98-year-old music hall is restored to one of Washington DC's premier live entertainment venues. This is Ellis' second planned project for 7^th & T Streets NW - they have also been selected for the colossal Broadcast Center One project on the same block.

The update will consist of what the developer describes as "three overlapping components." The first of these will include the reintegration of a "medium-sized" stage into main audience chamber, which aims to accommodate 500-600 concertgoers. The backstage area, or "Stage House" as they say in the biz, is to be outfitted with all of the state-of-the-art, modern amenities found in any venue worth its weight in Victrolas: theatrical rigging, motorized winches, soundproofing and the rest. A new level will be added 25 feet above the stage, in order to accommodate administrative offices.

Another phase of the historic revamp will include the addition of a new upscale restaurant, meant to accommodate up to 300 customers at any one time. Cuisine at the waiter-serviced eatery and bar is being described as “upscale,” with more details to be hammered out as the project approaches its targeted 2010 completion – and 100th birthday. A 1,200 square foot kitchen will round out the area.

However, the component of the most immediate significance to the local Shaw community is the “education area” – a pair of class-cum-rehearsal rooms directly underneath the stage. In keeping with the developer’s pledge to “enrich, educate and enlighten,” the space will be available to the local artistic causes.

And what would a DC landmark be without tchotchkes for sale? Rounding out the theatre’s redevelopment is a 600-s.f. museum and gift shop that will presumably detail the musical hall’s rich history as a host for acts like Duke Ellington, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Redd Foxx; faces you will now find on a coffee cup or mousepad, we suppose.

"We have 60% of the cost solved and we need to raise the rest to try and retire the debt, and/or raise as much we can to begin construction," said Chip Ellis of Ellis Development. The not-for-profit associated with the developer, Howard Theatre Restoration, Inc., will continue to accept donations until the project is complete.

According to Ellis, the $25 million worth of renovation procedures are expected to commence in Auguest 2009. Whiting-Turner will serve as the general contractor on the project.

New Condo Opens in Columbia Heights

A new condominium will open its doors this weekend when the Cityscape on Belmont condominium in Columbia Heights opens to the public today. Bethesda-based Bogdan Builders started construction on the 28-unit building in September of last year, and expects settlements before the end of the year. Located at 1330 Belmont Street, NW, the building will feature ceiling heights from 10'8 to 15'4, traditional interiors, and limited outdoor parking, with prices to start at $384,900. The wood frame construction features an exterior skin of brick on the facade, and while it's not "another architectural masterpiece!" - the predictably hyperbolic realtor-speak of the sales team - it does sit on the hill in Columbia Heights, giving it views of the city from the rear. Half the new condos will be on one level, the other half on two, a few with private roof decks, and each with exposure on the north and south facades. Cityscape on Belmont, known until now as Belmont Vista, was designed by Zahn Design. Bogdan purchased the land four years ago in a deal struck nearby at the MacDonald's at 14th & U (ew.) Bogdan's newest project joins a chorus of adjacent developments in what adds up to a busy construction site, all now under construction, including Level2's View14 (170 residential units), the Solea (59 units), and the Nehemiah Center, which has just begun demolition, to be eventually replaced by a large apartment building, all within feet of the entrance of Cityscape. Bogdan's self-proclaimed style is "suburban style" in the city, having previously built sprawling houses in Potomac; recent examples of their urban handiwork are available at Logan Station, the Villaggio, and the Ivy at Harvard.

Washington DC retail and construction news

Sky-Low Prices in Randle Highlands

Just days after the District went public with a proposal for the redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths Hospital campus, PERS Development, LLC is opening the doors on the Sky DC condo development - "apartment homes" in Southeast's Randle Highlands neighborhood. It's a move they hope will dovetail with the Department of Homeland Security's proposed move to the area and draw "more working class individuals...towards this part of the District."

The $4 million development at 1620 29^th Street SE got its Sky DC moniker from the so-called "million dollar view" available from the rooftop deck. Totaling 17,000 square feet, PERS is offering amenities like built-in iPod docks, bamboo floors and temperature controlled wine coolers to court "new homeowners and young professionals" – a cause reflected in the relatively low $200,000 price points for the condos. The project was designed by Bethesda based architects, Easta Inc.

This is PERS’ fourth project in the District and the developer plans on branding it just as they have the others – with “a signature waterfall in the front exterior”. Furthermore, the developer describes itself as the “Carmax of Condo Buying” - due to their “no haggle, lower than market prices” – a point you can debate in person when they hold their second open house this Sunday.

Post your comment about this project below.

St. Elizabeths Plan Envisions Massive Redevelopment

The District announced a new plan today to kickstart redevelopment of the old St. Elizabeths mental institution in Ward 8. If approved by the District Counsel, the series of projects will beef up one of DC's poorest neighborhoods with nearly 3 million square feet of mixed-use development. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Office of Planning Director Harriet Tregoning were on hand today to announce the release of the St. Elizabeths East Redevelopment Framework Plan, which recommends transforming the hospital’s eastern, District-owned flank into five neighborhoods, "each with their own character," and pushes for the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) proposed relocation to federally-controlled St. Elizabeths West. The government transferred ownership of the eastern portion to the District in 1987, while retaining the western campus for its own use.

The Plan is sprawling in its scope – the size of the District-owned eastern half alone measures in at 173 acres. Together, construction on the two campuses - separated only by Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE - would be second only to the revitalization efforts underway on the Southeast Waterfront in terms of size and scope.

“I think what we have proposed…will not only benefit the people who live in Ward 8 and east of the river, but, just as importantly, the entire city,” said Fenty.

Redevelopment at St. Elizabeths East would create up to 2 million square feet of new mixed-use projects and 750,000 s.f. of renovated historic space. The proposed neighborhoods (pictured, below) are being broken down into the North Campus, Maple Campus, Town Square, CT Village and Metro Station; each would feature a distinct blend of commercial, retail and/or residential space, in addition to “civic and community” areas. The northern portion of the site has been reserved for DHS office space and parking – a move made to sweeten the deal for the Feds, no doubt (more on that in a bit). Meanwhile, the historic St. Elizabeths Hospital, its new 435,000-square foot secondary building and John Howard Cemetery on the grounds would be retained.

The Plan also includes provisos for a cohesive link to the two local Metro stations and MLK corridor, where the City is betting on seeing an influx of retailer and developer interest.

On the western campus, DHS’ proposed relocation would include the construction of new, secure headquarters meant to accommodate roughly 14,000 government employees. If and when the project moves forward, it would mark the first time the federal government has ever crossed the Anacostia River, according to Congresswoman Norton. DHS currently lacks a consolidated headquarters, with offices at different locations throughout the city.

The impact of such large workforce on the environment, Metro capability and local traffic is still being evaluated, while the inclusion of the site in the proposed southeast street car system is still a possibility.

The District will submit the Plan to the City Council next month with a decision to follow in December. A Request for Proposals regarding the DHS parking lots and offices is planned for December as well, the District hopes to break ground on that phase of the project in the first half of 2009. Norton described development as moving along an “unusually fast track.”

The Plan is the product of more than 5 years of parallel development by the General Services Administration (GSA) and the District. According to Norton, it's has been included in the Bush administration's budget for three straight years, but has only been able to move forward, ironically enough, since the Democrats came to power in Congress. The challenge now lies in convincing that same body that moving DHS to another, federally-owned piece of property in Southeast would be beneficial and, most importantly, cheap. It would appear that the future of both East and West hinges on a decision by the federal government; if DHS settles on another location or Congress blocks the site, it could be a deal breaker for both halves of St. Elizabeths.

“There will be great potential here if we continue to do it right. The city and the government will work closely together, as we have on projects in the past,” said Norton.

A budget for the project is forthcoming, and Norton will be holding a town hall meeting tonight from 5:30 - 7:30 PM at the UPO /Petey Greene Community Service Center (2907 MLK Jr. Ave SE) to disclose more details and listen to questions from the public. Another community meeting will be held at St. Elizabeths on October 28^th.