Friday, June 17, 2011
GW Construction Begins: High-Minded Inside, Visible From the Outside
Labels: Ballinger Architects, Foggy Bottom, George Washington University
The parking garage was shut for good on May 20th, having waited until spring finals were completed on May 15th, when coeds cleared out for the summer. Demolition of the two garages, along with Building K, will take place throughout the summer – from July to September – followed by excavation, sheeting, shoring and foundation work to be staged in phases for the next year and a half. Two years of above-grade construction on the 400,000-square-foot, 8-story structure will busy the site throughout 2013 and 2014, before building occupancy can take place, if all goes well, in January of 2015.
By that time the $275m building, in keeping with GW's goal of densifying the campus, will feature 6 underground floors (2 for program space and 4 for parking, offering 370 spaces) and 50 percent more engineering and science space, as well as significant retail space, in keeping with GW's vision to make the area more retail friendly.
The green aspects, designing by Philly-based Ballinger Architects, have already been touted: the LEED silver project will become “the largest source of on-site solar power in the District of Columbia.” The interior lay-out proposes to encourage collaboration by intermingling schools of thought – mixing five Science and Engineering departments with four from the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences— currently spread across more than a dozen buildings on campus, and also varying levels of academic achievement: freshmen, PhDs, post-docs and faculty will rub elbows.
Metro riders are less apt to get excited about the idea of rubbing elbows in transport, while getting in and out of the one-entrance Metro station on the same block. Worries have been expressed in the past regarding the net loss of 880 parking spots, compounded by the newly completed Square 54 project – a.k.a The Avenue – on Washington Circle. The Avenue includes over 1,000 parking spots, but adds 335 rental units, 440,000 s.f. of office space, and over 80,000 s.f. of retail space, including a supermarket, one block away.
A call for a second Foggy Bottom Metro access went out by a few area residents in October of last year, and the 2007 Foggy Bottom Campus Plan requires that GW leave the area on the corner of 22nd and I St vacant, potentially for a future entrance.
Don’t look for an entrance there soon; WMATA published a study – “Foggy Bottom-GWU Station Second Entrance Demand Analysis” – in 2007 which concluded that the current one-entrance configuration of the Metro at Foggy Bottom was sufficient to handle the projected 15-percent increase in ridership through 2030. Steven Taubenkibel, WMATA Public Information Officer, used this study as supporting evidence when he confirmed that there were no plans currently in the works to add a second entrance.
Additional parking options on campus currently include space at South Hall now, and in mid-2012 an underground parking facility on the 2000 block of G Street. In the meantime, GW has raised the idea of “temporary offsite parking for GW staff at a discounted rate at the Kennedy Center, with shuttle service offered to and from [campus].”
The $275 million project – the biggest ever on GW’s campus – has been in the works since 2006 and was unanimously approved by the GW Board of Trustees in October of 2010. A significant amount of funds for the project are expected to come back in the form of revenue from Square 54/The Avenue lease payments from Boston Properties; the bulk of tenants will occupy their space this summer.
The design will feature a high bay area dedicated to high-impact, large-scale experimentation that will be cloaked to outsiders only by glass; the wonders of science and engineering will be on display to 23rd Street passersby. The high bay area will have direct access to a loading dock and a crane will be on hand to heft up to 20 tons around the facility. In addition to the high bay space, four additional research facilities will be incorporated into the SEC.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
14th Street Revs Up Development
Labels: 14th Street, Bonstra Haresign Architects, Ellisdale Construction
The condo project also now has a name - the Aston - with a stated starting price of "in the $300's." Sequar purchased the land for $3.8m in November of 2009, with a goal of a beginning construction this time last year. But with financing more difficult than expected, the site in the middle of the 14th Street corridor has remained vacant since, pending adequate financial backing. Utopia has been in the works for several years, but had also stalled due to financing issues, and is now scheduled for a late 2011 groundbreaking.
Bonstra | Haresign designed the Aston, Ellisdale is managing construction. The project is estimated to take 14 to 16 months build out. The 14th Street corridor has no shortage of projects in the pipeline, with District Condos underway, and PN Hoffman's condo project now in the planning stages, for nearly 300 condos combined. Restaurants are queuing up to serve the expected population surge, with Matchbox planning their next store at 14th and T Streets, Steven Starr considering taking the old Italian Shirt Laundry building (though no contract has yet been signed), and a new burger venue slated for 14th at U Street.
Washington D.C. Real Estate development news
Monday, June 13, 2011
Your Next Place...
I have a real soft spot for neighborhoods that are "next." I moved into Shaw when it was "next" but now that it's “now,” I'm itching to get out. Coffee shops and yoga studios leave me cold inside, but show me a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place with a trash bag duct-taped over a broken window and a bodega with a hand-lettered sign, and I'm right at home. (The one across from my house in Shaw used to have the best one ever; after getting robbed by a ski-masked man, a magic-markered sign appeared in the front door reading: NO ONE IN SKI-MASKED ALOWED IN STORE THANK YOU!!)
Of course, aside from ambiance, one of the other advantages of places that are “next” are that you can find beautiful houses at prices that are downright sane. This is definitely one of those places. Located in Petworth, and with three bedrooms and 3.5 baths spread over three levels, an open floor plan, hardwood floors, a beautiful spacious kitchen with granite counters and stainless steel appliances, a deck and garage parking, you'll be shocked when you see the price. I thought it was a typo at first! The place has “old bones” as they say, but after the extensive remodel it feels sleek and contemporary – though still wholesomely traditional. Just a tremendously appealing place. It even has a porch and a yard, and the basement is completely finished and ready for use as a family room/man cave. Only a stone's throw from Georgia Avenue, which in my opinion is the most picaresque and grittiest strip in the city. It's like a cross between Marrakesh and the "Bad" music video.
533 Buchanan St. NW
Washington, DC
3 Bdrms, 3.5 Baths
$499,000
Sunday, June 12, 2011
High Anxiety - Dispelled by Design
Friday, June 10, 2011
Union Station North, New Zone to Accommodate Billion-Dollar Burnham Place Project
Labels: Akridge, Office of Planning, Shalom Baranes, Union Station, Zoning Commission
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Palisades Development, Under New Ownership, Digs in
Labels: Athena Group, Duball, Lessard Group, palisades, Stanley Martin, Willco Residential
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
What Would Ike Like?
Labels: Eisenhower Memorial, Frank Gehry, Southwest
For a memorial that has been estimated to cost U.S. taxpayers between $90 and $110 million, guest-of-honor and Ike's grandaughter Susan Eisenhower was apt to end her address by saying, "I'm not at all surprised that this group has decided to step up to the plate and start a debate, who could do anything but say this is the American way?"
The counterdesign competition was launched in direct opposition to current Frank Gehry designs for the memorial to honor the 34th president and five-star general. Gehry was selected by the GSA to design a memorial on the approved site adjacent to the National Mall, contained in a boxed area between 6th and 7th Streets SW, Independence Avenue and the U.S. Dept. of Education, and falls over a three-pronged section of Maryland Avenue SW.
Ms. Eisenhower acknowledged the challenge of making any design truly "timeless," yet mused over the success of the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument as being "perhaps because they don't say too much."
Below are the first place, second place and third place (tie) winners, followed by the Commission Commendation and the Committee Commendation, and finally the Frank Gehry design currently awaiting NCPC approval.
Miller New Director of Real Estate Development for the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
Miller founded Prospect Diversified in 2009 - a multi-family-property investment company - upon his exit from Trammel Crow, in October 2008. Prior to working with Trammel Crow, Miller spent a year and a half with Lowe Enterprises, after a five-year stint with JBG, from 2000 to 2005.
Miller first forayed into real estate in the early '90s, when, as he says, "the majority of the players were smaller, entrepreneurial groups capitalized with third party joint venture partners" before the industry "transitioned to fund-based and institutional capital, closer in form to investment bank or private equity funds."
He too went big - JBG, Lowe, Trammel Crow - from 2000 to 2008 and worked on a number of significant residential projects in the DC area before the market collapse.
For the last few years Miller has been focused on both his return to start-up, real estate enterprise, and the development of the Mount Vernon Triangle area as chairman of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District, a private nonprofit.
Washington D.C. Real Estate development news
Monday, June 06, 2011
Opposing Designs to Gehry's Eisenhower Memorial Unveiled Tonight
Just south of the Mall, the site was approved by the National Capital Planning Commission in 2006, and Gehry was selected as the architect shortly thereafter; Gehry has submitted three designs to the NCPC for review and approval, which is currently underway.
The counter-designs that will be unveiled tonight are an attempt by co-hosts NCAS and ICA&A to generate a thoughtful discussion "about the meaning, inspiration and dignity of designs that are suitable to commemorate a distinguished president." Special guest, and Ike's granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower will be speaking at the event.
The competition sought alternatives from "classical architects and artists" and the judges are expected to "choose the design that best exemplifies the ideals of a meaningful, timeless memorial that is appropriate classical vision of Washington, DC."
In contrast to the Gehry design, the competition called for a design that would be "in harmony with the vision of the L'Enfant Plan and the McMillan Plan" and a sculptural representation recognizable as Dwight D. Eisenhower and "appropriately calibrated to the gravity of the memorial."
Right now the gravity of the memorial as designed by Gehry is public contention, yet, designs generated by the competition will be done in classical tastes - not everybody's cup of tea. The designs, and the direction of the District, are all up for debate.
D.C. Real Estate development news
Live Chat with NCPC on the Federal Imprint in DC
Where are Virginia's Green Apartments?
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Standing Tall in Arlington
Labels: AHC Inc., Arlington, Bonstra Haresign Architects
By Beth Herman
Loosely translated from the Greek, Macedonian means "tall one." Though the eponymous 36-unit apartment building in Arlington, Va., 2229 Shirlington Road, may be only four stories high, it clearly stands tall among its residential peers as the first new construction multifamily affordable housing development in the city to achieve EarthCraft certification. EarthCraft is the standard by which the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) evaluates energy efficiency.
“The county had undertaken a big redevelopment process for this community, developing a new planning tool called the Nauck Village Center Action Plan (in 2004),” said John Welsh, AHC director of its multifamily division. Constructing the nearby 94-unit Shelton in 2007, winner of two AIA/DC awards and one Arlington County Design Award, Welsh and colleagues soon entered into a dialogue with the church about the church-owned parcel that would eventually become the Macedonian.
Offering development expertise and acquiring funding in the form of $3.9 million in VHDA tax-exempt bonds, $2.7 million in tax credit equity, $550,000 in deferred development fees, a county cash flow note of nearly $3.5 million, and TCAP funding of about $2.4 million, AHC teamed with Bonstra Haresign Architects and Bozzuto Construction to create a multi-use structure that also designates 2,000 s.f. of commercial space for shops and the church-affiliated CDC, and acts as an incubator for several area start-up businesses.According to Thomas Wallinga, AHC construction manager and former architect with Bonstra Haresign, while energy efficient lighting and appliances were standard on the path to EarthCraft certification, additional unit sealing to prevent energy leakage was high on the construction agenda, as were low-emissivity double-pane windows and low-flow fixtures.
A floor for more
“We wanted something that looks better and is more durable in terms of tenant changeovers,” Wallinga said, citing the use of Amtico flooring. A vinyl product that is “heavy duty” but aesthetically imitates fine wood, the 4x36-ft. strips resemble a warm cherry floor, the results achieved by photographing wood and transferring to the vinyl printing process for a plank look. While bedrooms are carpeted, kitchens, living rooms and hallways utilize Amtico, with any damage easily rectified and expense mitigated by replacing just a single strip, when necessary.
“The building is also smoke-free—you can’t even smoke on the balconies” which is what the church wanted in its pursuit of a healthier environment, Welsh explained. “And by cutting the use of carpeting by 50 or 70 percent, we’re cutting down on allergens for a better breathing environment, not to mention decreasing maintenance costs and landfill impact by having to rip it out when someone moves out.
Five designated ADA units have requisite roll-under kitchen and bathroom cabinets and roll-in showers, with audio-visual adaptation if a tenant is hearing or visually-impaired, but all other units are partially adaptable if necessary. Noting 529 people had made inquiry about the building, Welsh said 64 applications had been received to date and about a dozen residents have moved in.
photographs courtesy of Anice Hoachlander and Thomas Wallinga
Friday, June 03, 2011
Adams Morgan 1950s-era Auto Dealership Back on the Market
Labels: Adams Morgan, Bonstra Haresign Architects
At 2329 Champlain Street NW, there is a 30,000+ sf building that at first glance appears to have been built out of river rocks. Brick-and-cement in actuality, the structure was built in 1957 to house an auto dealership, and later became the Brass Knob warehouse, until 2004.
Adjacent to the lofty warehouse space, at 2335 Champlain Street NW, is a compact, 100-year-old brick building, and former site of the Georgetown Plating Polishing & Repair Co.
First sited for redevelopment in 2005, a plan to turn the combined properties into a 22-unit multi-family residence was approved in May 2006, but crashed around '07/'08. Involved parties are now back on their feet, for the most part.
Gourley & Gourley LLC was the lender in '05, and is now the owner, and selling.
In February of this year, Gourley & Gourley, along with counsel Holland & Knight, and with conceptual drawings by Bill Bonstra of Bonstra│Haresign Architects, approached the Board of Zoning Adjustments with the request to bump up the 2006 design of 22 units to 31. The BZA approved the change in March.
The approved 31-unit design now needs a developer, and finding one rests with Robert Meehling of CB Richard Ellis. Meehling seems confident. Blaming time and circumstance for killing the first go at developing the adaptive reuse project, Meehling said he believes the area has a solid market for units pegged at $550 to $600 psf.
The current, but still evolving, design will preserve the existing façade, and add two levels of high-ceiling units. According to Bonstra, the design will incorporate "raised bedrooms" on the first two floors, while playing with a glassier, full-window concept above, and will overall honor the "neighborhood aesthetic." The auto dealership/warehouse portion was built with 1.5' thick walls, which will be preserved, but the use of the smaller brick structure is yet to be determined.
D.C. Real Estate development news
Next at Bat: Camden South Breaks Ground
Labels: Camden Properties, Capitol Riverfront, Donohoe Construction, Southwest, Stadium, WDG Architecture
Pictured: Mark Bucci (Camden), Screech (Nats Mascot), Bob Wilson (Donohoe), Neil Stablow (Donohoe), Greg McCarthy (Nats)
The project, named for developer Camden Property Trust, will rise out of a previously vacant site, nearly the size of the Nats’ outfield. It’s been duly noted that a structure named “Camden” might be more appropriate in Baltimore, a (Nats fans’) stone’s throw from Camden Yards.
The 276-unit building, designed by WDG Architecture, will rise over 10 ten stories and feature a rooftop pool, a courtyard, “high finishes and upscale residences”, three levels of underground parking, and will sport a grey-brick exterior of contrasting textures and colors: smooth vs. rough, and light vs. dark.
These aforementioned features create a view of the buildings, but a view from the building may be even more impressive, according to Sean Stadler at WDG Architecture: one, there may be a view up to the Capitol to the north and the Anacostia River to the south, at least for upper-floor dwellers; and two, the rooftop deck will offer a view into the ballpark, transforming the pool into cheap seats at game time. Reminder: binoculars not waterproof.
According to Susan Goldstein at Donohoe, Camden South is the first multi-family project to get off (or in) the ground in the area for 3 and a half years, and “the Capitol Riverfront BID is working to incorporate this site into the BID.” Also of note yesterday, a win for the Nationals who squeaked by the Phillies for a 2-1 victory.
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Southwest Federal Center Gets Green Improvements
Federal planners voted today to approve replacement of a swath of pavement in Southwest DC with a landscaped park, converting the area dominated by federal office buildings and minimal streetscaping into something slightly greener and a touch less alienating.
The National Capitol Planning Commission's vote today facilitates the plan to turn a large surface parking lot on C Street into a public park, narrow the street, create a sidwalk, and blend the now ubiquitous security wall more discreetly into the landscaping. The 5-story Mary E. Switzer building, owned by GSA and host to an alphabet soup of agencies, has already been given an internal nip-tuck, with greener, more modern features, but outside had abandoned any pretense of pedestrian friendly streetscaping in favor of automobile access and security.
Plans for the building directly across from C Street, which also sports a large surface parking lot, are in the works but have not yet been approved. The block-sized Switzer building was completed in 1940 and has been a government office building since completion, but is on a regular tourist footpath between the Federal Center Southwest Metro station and the Mall.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
Your Next Place...
By Franklin Schneider
I can't be the only one who goes to the museum and thinks, “if you cleared out all these thousand-year-old clay pots and paintings of men in powdered wigs, this room would make a great home theater!” And you know what? I was right! This luxury condo is located in the Landmark Lofts, a restoration of the former DC Children's Museum, and yes, the epic proportions of a museum do indeed translate to a living space.
There's a massive living room with exposed brick, that opens onto a private terrace. A large kitchen with breakfast bar is just off the living room, and there's an expansive den with a dizzying photomural of nearby Union Station. The master bathroom is as big as the shower area at my gym, except it's luxurious, made of marble, and there isn't that one guy in the corner urinating onto his own feet. (He claims it cures athlete's foot but we all know he's just a pervert.)
But as always, its really the details that make a place, and this unit has it all. An integrated iPod dock and condo-wide Bose soundsystem, laundry, two parking spaces, and a huge walk-in closet that you'll never ever fill, even if you won the lottery and went shopping every single day like Kanye West. Also, there's a wine cellar! Yes, a wine cellar! I'm not a wine person, so I'd probably just use it for, like, shoe storage, but still. That's not the point.