While George Soros is enjoying "a very good crisis," he is not alone. As work proceeds on 46 custom homes in the Palisades, at least some new home buyers are paying nearly $2m for a development of custom-built, embassy-sized homes in Northwest Washington DC. The Phillips Park development - overseen by international businessmen William Pryor and Felipe Paraud - will be delivering 46 "estate homes" with sprawling 9,000 to 17,000 square foot lots near the intersection of Foxhall Road and W Street, NW over the course of the next year.
Monday, March 30, 2009
McMansions II: Palisades
While George Soros is enjoying "a very good crisis," he is not alone. As work proceeds on 46 custom homes in the Palisades, at least some new home buyers are paying nearly $2m for a development of custom-built, embassy-sized homes in Northwest Washington DC. The Phillips Park development - overseen by international businessmen William Pryor and Felipe Paraud - will be delivering 46 "estate homes" with sprawling 9,000 to 17,000 square foot lots near the intersection of Foxhall Road and W Street, NW over the course of the next year.
McMansion Watch: Chevy Chase
Properties 1 & 2: 3823 Bradley Lane
Two single family homes will soon be situated on these dual 17,000 square foot development lots, which formerly hosted the now-demolished Nigerian ambassador's residence.
Developer: Sandy Spring Classic Homes
Architect: GTM Architects
Builder: Sandy Spring Builders, LLC
3810 Club Drive
Formerly home to a split-level rambler that has increasingly become the target of developers, this parcel has been reborn as a goldenrod...chateau? Or English manor, we're not sure.
Developer: Mitchell & Company
Architect: Mitchell & Company
Builder: Mitchell & Company
Wrapping up construction next month, this garage-centric home sits on a 7,000 foot lot a block over from Chevy Chase's only (and tre exclusive) shopping center on Brookville Road. The convenience will only run you $2,199,000.
Developer: McNamara Bros., Inc.
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts
Builder: McNamara Bros., Inc.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
UIP Moves in on Historic Connecticut Ave Space
Labels: Bonstra Haresign Architects, Cleveland Park, new apartments, renovation, UIP Development
Located at 2911 Newark Street, NW, the Macklin will receive a thorough 21st century upgrade, courtesy of Bonstra Haresign Architects. The development team is completely overhauling the building’s aging heating and cooling units, plumbing system, baths and kitchens – the latter of which UPI boasts will include “all-new wood cabinetry, granite or stone countertops, under-cabinet lighting, stainless steel finish appliances including mounted microwaves and dishwashers, and new tiles.”
Additionally, the Macklin’s floorplan also includes the 11,000 square feet of retail space directly below the building at 3400-3412 Connecticut Avenue, NW, which now houses the new UIP offices after their relocation from Arlington.
The Macklin renovation is ambitious if only because it seeks to improve upon the original designs of Mihran Mesrobia – the architect behind such DC landmarks as the St. Regis and the Hay-Adams Hotels, as well as the one-time chief designer for iconic, early 20th century developer, Harry Wardman.
Nonetheless, UIP succeeded where others had failed in mid-2008 when they acquired the formerly rent-controlled Cleveland Park building for $9.5 million. Earlier, in 2006, the Macklin had been the subject of a failed attempt at redevelopment by the Hastings Development Corporation, which sought to more than double the amount of units on site and install a parking garage beneath the property. Faced with the resident and community opposition, the proposal never made it beyond the planning stages.
According UIP’s Steve Schwat, the renovation is currently scheduled to wrap up in October. UIP’s own in-house general contractor, Urban CM, is overseeing construction.
The Macklin is the third such historic renovation currently that UIP currently has underway in the District. The others can be found at 1921 Kalorama Road, NW and 1706 T Street, NW, both in Adams Morgan.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
DCMud Voted Best Real Estate / Development Blog by CityPaper
The Washington City Paper today voted DCMud the best real estate / development blog in the DC area in its annual "Best Of" edition. Thanks to the City Paper for its insight on DC, and for voting us the top real estate site. Congratulations to DCMetrocentric for getting the nod for runner-up.
Industry Insight: Adrian G. Washington of the Neighborhood Development Company
Labels: Affordable Housing, Columbia Heights, Georgia Avenue, interview, Neighborhood Development Company, Park Morton
More Money for Macedonia
Labels: Affordable Housing, AHC Inc., Arlington, Bonstra Haresign Architects, new apartments
NDP, which is a partnership between the Church, the Bonder and Amanda Johnson Community Development Corporation and AHC Inc., previously sought another $2.86 million low-interest loan and $40,000 County grant from the Board in January - both of which were summarily approved. NDP has secured $14 million in financing for the project, nearly $6 million of which is drawn from County funds. Part of the Macedonia's funding package will come in the form of 4% tax credits and tax-exempt bond financing via the Virginia Housing Development Authority, which the development team had been vigorously pursuing since last summer.
Located on three neighboring parcels at 2219, 2229 and 2237 Shirlington Road in the Virginia suburb of Nauck, the Bonstra Haresign-designed Macedonia will host the aforementioned 36-unit affordable in addition to two sections of commercial office space and a “small business incubator.” AHC Inc.’s Project Manager, Curtis Adams, told DCmud last December that the development team plans to begin construction in the late spring of 2009.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Canal Park Gets New Architect, Timeline
Labels: Ballpark, Capitol Riverfront, OLIN, Parks, Southeast
Unfortunately for green space aficionados, this means the project’s managers at the Canal Park Development Association (CPDA) will be throwing out the park designs previously approved by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) in 2006 and starting back at square one - a process that will involve re-submitting plans anew to that very same body.
"We should be done with the schematic design in about 12 weeks. Then we’ll start interacting with Commission of Fine Arts and NCPC at that point,” said Chris VanArsdale, Director of the CPDA. “We won’t be done with the [final] design for 10 months, 12 months. So when the design is sufficiently complete, we’ll bid it out.”
According the Riverfront BID and VanArsdale, the site will be begin to be cleared in early June with construction planned in early 2010. Newly announced amenities planned for the Southeast redevelopment initiative include “a new pavilion, a cafe and a possible summertime fountain and wintertime ice skating rink.” The CPDA is currently in negotiations with the BID about possible operators for those park components. Funds for the project are being drawn from $13 million in City Council appropriations, as well as private donations.
One of the key features of the park that will remain intact, despite the change of design teams, is its goal of accruing “zero net energy.” According to the BID, OLIN will be exploring green features like stormwater management systems and “solar panels on lightpoles and possibly neighboring buildings” to make the project as low impact as possible. Michael Stevens, Executive Director of the Capitol Riverfront BID told DCmud last year that "Canal Park will be a model of environmental sustainability, it will catch storm water runoff from surrounding blocks, capture, filter, recycle, and reuse the water on sight. We are hoping to capture it on the rooftops of other buildings as well. A lot of that was planned before ballpark."
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
New Columbia Heights Destination Open by Fall
Monday, March 23, 2009
Future Uncertain for Silver Spring Transit Mixed-Use
Labels: foulger-pratt, Silver Spring, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects
“There are three towers that will be built around the Transit Center, someday…but we’re not exactly sure what the towers are going to be. At one point, it was a hotel, an office building and apartments, then hotel, office building, condos. But at this point, we know one of them will be a hotel and that’s all I can say because we don’t know yet,” said Steve Sowash, Director of Preconstruction and Estimation for Foulger Pratt. “Right now, we’re not even projecting a start date on it.”
Though Foulger-Pratt, also serving as general contractor on the Transit Center proper, were once thought to be planning to dovetail their start on the private portion of development with the projected late 2009 completion of the center, that plan appears to have fallen by the wayside. In a refrain all too familiar to area developers these days, Foulger-Pratt is laying the delay at the feet of Old Man Economy.
“[An early 2010 start] is too optimistic…[Our schedule] is contingent on the market in general.“ said Sowash. “Nothing’s even been submitted [to the Planning Board]. We responded to an RFP several years ago for three towers around the Transit Center. It was something that the County had awarded us the right to do, but, then again, it’s all market driven.”
Architects Zimmer Gunsul and Fransca remain attached to the project and Foulger will once again serve as general contractor if and when the developer gets shovels in the ground. In the meantime, the Transit Center is still on schedule to wrap up construction later this year. Montgomery County’s Division of Building Design and Construction is expected to provide an update on project during the first week of April.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Adams Morgan Renovation Yields New Apartments
Labels: Adams Morgan, Bonstra Haresign Architects, Ellis Denning, new apartments
Starting next month, Ellis Denning Construction and Development will begin a $2 million renovation of Urban Investment Partners' (UIP) six-story rental apartment building at 1921 Kalorama Road, NW. Kunal Shah, Purchasing Manager/Estimator at Ellis Denning tells DCmud that the each of the building's 59 units will be receiving a top-to-bottom facelift with new kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, finishes and paint jobs (now lead-free!).
Ellis will be overseeing the selective demolition of certain internal portions of the aging building, from which they're planning to carve three new apartments out of the current 60,000-square foot plan.
In addition to Ellis, UIP has also taken on Bonstra Haresign Architects to design both the renovations and new construction. Given the structurally sensitive nature of the planned procedures, Shah declined to comment on a timeline for the project, but did note that only thirteen of the building's 60+ residents will be permitted to remain in the building once work begins.
The very same team of Ellis and Bonstra is currently at work on another nearby apartment complex at 2525 Ontario Road, NW, while Ellis has also paired with Hickock Cole Architects for a similar project at The Ritz at 1631 Euclid Street, NW. Both of those developments are owned by affordable housing provider Jubilee Housing, Inc.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Secy. Napolitano Offers Thoughts on St. Elizabeths
This project [will receive] $650 million and it will equate to 33,000 jobs in this area, $1.2 billion immediate stimulus to the local economy and if you look at this area of the District you’d understand that this will be very beneficial to the overall quality of life in this area of this District.Unfortunately, CNN has yet to post video of the interview, which also included a tour of St. Elizabeths landmarks, including future staff offices, including Napolitano’s, and the former cell of poet, and one-time inmate, Ezra Pound. In the meantime, a full transcript is available here.
Montgomery Mall Expansion Set for Summer
At present, the expansion is set to include a new 70,000 square foot multiplex movie theater, an overhauled 20,000 square foot food court, a “fashion wing” devoted to high-end apparel and two new five-story parking garages.
According to the Australia-based Westfield (who also happens to be one of the largest retail property holders on the planet), the “$19 million redevelopment will result in May Company [Macy’s] expanding and remodeling its existing store through the acquisition of the top level of the JC Penny department store. The lower level of the JC Penny store will be utilized to create 5,900 square meters of mall space, including an Old Navy store.” Once completed, the mall is expected to grow to roughly 1.8 million square feet.
The mall’s epically frustrating parking lots, which lure some 11 million visitors to the Montgomery County fortress-like shopping destination each year, will also go under the knife for a transit-friendly makeover. Along with a relocated Sears Auto Center, a new “six-bay bus transit center” will be constructed along the mall’s rear, giving the heavily traversed junction of Democracy Boulevard and Old Georgetown Road a new commuter destination (and for local high schools students to smoke between trips to Sbarro.)
Construction is currently planned to occur in three phases, with the transit center and fashion wing slated to go up first. Whiting Turner will be serving as general contractor.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
GMU Courts Commerce in Fairfax
Labels: Balfour Beatty Construction, Fairfax, Gensler Architects
One of the Virginia commonwealth’s largest public educational institutions, George Mason University, will be getting in on a little private commerce this coming May, when it officially breaks ground on its new $30 million hotel and conference center: the George Mason Inn.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Alexandria "Gateway" to Start in '09
Labels: Alexandria, Architects Collaborative, new apartments
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
DC's Palisades Demolition Clears Way for Single Family Homes
Encore Development and engineers Dewberry and Davis are currently on site at 4800 U Street, NW, where they are parlaying the former site of a single-family Palisades home into eight development lots. Encore purchased the property, which stands only a block from MacArthur Boulevard, in 2007 and subsequently razed the home at the site soon thereafter.
“We actually bought a 3.2 acre parcel there and sold half of it to the St. Patrick’s School. We retained the other half for ourselves,” said Encore principal Steve Kay. According to him, though Encore has already received numerous inquiries from other development teams looking to acquire the property, the roughly 9,000 square foot lots will most likely be sold ala carte to would-be owners once work ends sometime in “the May to June timeframe.”
As Encore’s interest in the site will feature no new construction, the developer needed little clearance to proceed with their subdivision. “It’s a matter-of-right project and all of the lots have frontage on either 48th or U Streets…We did meet with ANC, but there was no approval process,” said Kay. “But there will be 8 houses there, as soon I release the lots for sale.”
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tenley-Janney Loses Apartments, Gains Consensus
Labels: Fenty, Forrester Construction, Freelon Group, Janney, Library, Neil Albert, Tenleytown, Wisconsin Avenue
In a surprise announcement from Mayor Adrian Fenty at Janney Elementary this afternoon, the ongoing battle between the Tenleytown community and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development over the mixed-use redevelopment of the Tenley-Friendship Library seems to have drawn to a close. The District announced today that it has split with developer LCOR Inc., which had previously been awarded rights to construct the library at the site, along with 174 rental apartments, by the Fenty administration this past July.
The District’s relationship with LCOR, however, went suspiciously unmentioned by Fenty or his staff during the duration of the press conference - an especially conspicuous omission, given that Deputy Mayor Neil Albert had previously reaffirmed his office's commitment to moving forward with the LCOR-led redevelopment as recently as January. Off-the-record sources from inside the District government confirmed that the change of direction at the Janney site had little to do the contentious war of words between the Tenleytown community’s reps on the DC City Council and ODMPED, but that instead, LCOR has been forced to the sidelines due the company’s inability to secure financing in the troubled credit market. For the District’s part, they’re leaving the door to mixed-use development open for the near future.
“There is the possibility that after the library is built, sometime in the future, there may be additional mixed-use on that site,” said Fenty, to a mixed reaction of both applause and boos – an illustration of just how divisive the residential component of the school/library redevelopment had become, even among Janney staff and parents.
With LCOR out of the picture (for now) and no residential units stacked atop of it, the library over the metro station will top out at a simple two stories and measure in at 22,000 square feet, based on designs by the Freelon Group. Forrester Construction has signed on as general contractor and the building will seek a LEED silver certification.
Whether today's deal is a bow to market forces or just public relations peacemaking (or both), ODMPED didn’t end the goodwill there; the schedule for construction of the new library and concurrent renovations to Janney Elementary, it was announced, has been significantly accelerated. Fenty pledged that the new library will be open by the end of 2010, while renovations to Janney, once scheduled to begin in 2014, “could begin as soon as December.” Both Fenty and Allen Y. Lew, Executive Director of Office of Public Education Facilities Modernization, agreed that an architect for the renovation will be selected by June; other details, including whether the school will remain open during construction, had yet to be confirmed. According to Lew, the renovation could take as little as thirteen months.
Coast Guard First to Deploy at St. Elizabeths
Bidders on the design-build contract will be expected to meet “high performance green building design criteria” and to include provisions for a 990-space parking garage. Also of note, though the Coast Guard facility has been bundled together with the federally-owned West Campus, part of it will actually be erected on a northwestern piece of the DC-owned East Campus – a compromise resulting from the 1987 land transfer that the ceded the East Campus to District control. At present, the Office of Planning is proceeding independently with their plans for 2 million square feet of private sector, mixed-use development south of the Coast Guard site.
Funds for the new HQ will be drawn from the $346 million allotted to the GSA specifically for the St. Elizabeths redevelopment by Congress in the Fiscal Year 2009 federal budget. GSA spokesman Mike McGill told DCmud last month that “In terms of putting people in place on campus, the Coast Guard is going to be the first tenant. We anticipate that to be far enough along for them to begin moving in 2013.” GSA is currently projecting a April 2010 start for the Coast Guard project.