District's Northeast Neighborhood Library to Get Facelift

The District's Northeast Neighborhood Library, the fourth-oldest library in the city, is getting a $10 million makeover.

The D.C. Public Library announced it had selected Baltimore-based Whiting-Turner Construction, builder of Rockville Town Square and RBK Construction, with BELL Architects and Vines Architecture, as the design/build team for its Georgian-style Capitol Hill facility.

The library, at 330 7th Street NE, first opened in 1932. It will get its original woodwork restored, as well as new plumbing and lighting, along with more space for meetings, and a new elevator and restrooms. Existing furnishings and fixtures will be rehabbed as well.

Design plans will take six months, and the project, which will shoot for a LEED Silver Certification once complete, is expected to begin in fall 2012 and will take about a year to finish, the D.C. Public Library said.

(photo courtesy DC Public Library)

Washington D.C. real estate development news

As Streetcar Construction Lifts, J Street Companies Unveils H Street Restaurant

Now that the District has finished street-scaping along H Street NE, including laying tracks for eventual streetcar service, expect more announcements of restaurant and retail openings and re-openings, deals and closings as construction equipment thankfully disappears.

One of those is J Street Companies announcement that Boundary Road restaurant at 414 H Street NE is open for business. The 4,000 s.f. two-story bistro, owned by Karlos Leopold and Brad Walker, was a former barber shop, and now offers 75 seats, including a 20-seat bar along the part of H Street corridor that likes to call itself "Atlas District West" nearest Union Station.

Atlanta-based woodworker, Steve Evans used 150 year-old reclaimed wood beams to help set off exposed brick walls. A Corehaus chandelier from District artist James Kern, sprung literally from a bedspring mattress, hangs in the two-story high atrium.

Boundary Road opens just at the moment when the block wakes up from a two-year plus construction and parking nightmare known as Great Streets.

While many current retail owners complained about the impact of the Great Streets streetscaping improvements and streetcar tracks were having on their business, it turned out to be a perfect time for remodeling of vacant space, including the owners of Boundary Road.

"It was purely coincidental, but it turned out to be good timing," said Anastasia Kharchenko, J Street's vice president for retail leasing, who said the streetcar plans made a difference in where to locate. "The trolley car service was always part of our decision," she said. "Finding a charming street with life on it was key and the streetcar will create a neighborhood and connect neighborhoods." The struggle of H Street to emerge from the ruins of the 1968 riots, which devastated the historically-black neighborhood, is well-known and well-covered, especially when it comes to the familiar District fault lines of race and class.

But in the past decade, once then-Mayor Anthony Williams announced in 2003 a massive plan to redevelop the avenue, key parts of H Street have finally turned a corner. Steuart Investment broke ground last July on its 286,000 s.f. mixed-use project at 3rd and H, which will include a 42, 000 s.f. Giant and 1,500 s.f. of retail.

Still, Boundary Road, along with the other projects, does little to improve H Street's center where unlike the thriving Arts District at 13th and H NE, near the Atlas Theatre, and nearer in, where Boundary Road and the Giant will be, the middle of H Street still lacks development.

J Street's Kharchenko said that may soon change as soon as the District's long-awaited streetcars finally start running in 2013 and Steuart's 360 H Street 215 unit, mixed-use complex completes, forming one retail-centric zone at the western end of H Street and another surrounding the Atlas Theatre along the east end.

The District recently unveiled a study that argued that its $1.5 billion streetcar investment plan would increase District property values by $8 billion over 10 years, including those in the H Street corridor. "(H Street) is a lot like a mall, with two anchors at either end now," Kharchenko said. "Some parts of H Street have turned the corner, others have not. But when you spend millions of dollars on the transportation infrastructure, it's bound to have results, and that will help the rest of the pockets fill in."

Washington D.C. real estate redevelopment news.

Today in Pictures - CityMarket at O

The CityMarket at O, Shaw's latest mega project, got underway last September with the closure and demolition of the Giant supermarket, which will be replaced with a new, larger Giant in 2 years time. The new 71,000-s.f. Giant will be the first completed aspect of the project, followed by a 182-key Cambria Suites hotel, 150 condominiums and 635 apartments (84 set aside as affordable senior housing) as well as restoration of the O Street Market, one of the 5 original brick markets built in Washington D.C. The project is headed by Roadside Development, with design by Shalom Baranes and construction by Clark.









Washington D.C. real estate development news. Photos by Rey Lopez.

Montgomery County and RST Development Open Galaxy Apartments In Silver Spring

While Silver Spring has seen a renaissance when it comes to the improvement of the downtown, with splashy new condos and best-in-brand retail, it was never going to become another Bethesda, given the eastern-side of Montgomery County's distinctly working class roots.

Still, for the most part, the redevelop- ment that has consumed much of downtown Silver Spring over the past decade meant flashy condos and apartments for 20-something and 30-somethings who walked to work, iPod in hand, to the Discovery Channel or NOAA, or took the Metro to jobs in the District. Those condos were often paired next to legacy apartment complexes for more working-class families with far fewer amenities.

Now a new apartment complex is trying to bridge that divide. This week the Galaxy Apartments at 8025 13th Street in Silver Spring opened, offering 195 units. The mid-rise, five-story building (though note the 6-story rendering) designed by A.R. Meyers & Associates and built by Clark Realty Builders has all the amenities expected by the downtown hipster class, like a swanky Vegas-style lounge created by Hartman Design Group with a bar and leather-wrapped pool table, along with state-of-the art fitness center with floor-to-ceiling windows more befitting a Hollywood spa.

The difference this time is that there will be 82 affordable units. For singles with incomes between $33,000 and $45,000 a year, a 628 s.f. one bedroom apartment with a den will go for $1,120. That compares with the market rate of $1,770 for a similarly fitted apartment in the same building.

There are similar income restrictions for larger units, up to five residents with a maximum combined income of $69,660. The affordable units have already sold out, said Karen Widmeyer, a spokeswoman on behalf of Hercules Real Estate, the management firm for the apartments.

The site was a previously a surface parking lot owned by the Montgomery County Parking Lot District, and has been in the planning stages since 2005, going through several iterations - initially with 328 units and 700 parking spaces, shrinking in size while adding significantly to its subsidized housing component. The public parking, as well as the county-owned garage, have been integrated into the unit, now with 368 spaces.

Developers are seeking to distinguish the latest affordable housing offering from the many other high-rise apartments within walking distance of the Silver Spring Metro, pointing out the Galaxy's condo-like finishes, including granite countertops, custom cabinetry, ceramic flooring, stainless steel appliances and full-size washers and dryers. "All the units have the same amenities," said Eric Burka of Streetsense, the Bethesda-based design firm which markets the Galaxy. "It's the same if its market-rate or affordable."

The Galaxy was a partnership between Montgomery County and the developer, RST Development. The financing included a tax-exempt bond mortgage of $38.5 million, provided from the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission, along with a $5 million loan from the County's Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

The Galaxy will soon be joined by another mid-rise rental unit, Priderock Capital Partners' $30 million Heritage development on Georgia Avenue (rendering above) which will offer 210 rental units on 1.8 acres starting in December, currently under construction by KBR's Building Group. The Preston Partnership is the architect of record.

The Orion Condominiums are also are being constructed next to the Galaxy on 13th Street, and the 46-unit building will begin delivery this summer.

Maryland real estate development news

Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

I like townhouses. Is this a controversial thing to say? I don't know. I said this to my girlfriend, who was with me on this day of openhousing, and she gave me the same look she gives me when we discuss fine dining and I bring up the taco pizza from my midwestern hometown. (Yes, this exists; yes, it features Cool Ranch Doritos as a topping; yes, I'm ashamed to admit it would be my last meal if I ever found myself on death row.)

Okay, maybe I don't like all townhouses, anymore than I like all novelty pizzas. (I'd rather eat my shoe than a slice of ham-n-pineapple.) But this townhouse, I love. And what's not to love? Heart of pine floors, custom Waterworks bathrooms, beautiful, spacious kitchen. It even has a home theater – not like the usual home theater, which is just a family room with a television in front of a sofa and maybe a few tinny speakers, but an actual matte movie screen and projector. It's just like a movie theater experience, only better, because there aren't any strangers packed in on all sides. The last time I went to a movie, the man behind me either took his shoes off or opened a family-size jar of tartar sauce he'd smuggled in – I was afraid to turn around and see which one.

There's a beautiful living room (with fireplace), a cute wooden deck in back, and the master bedroom suite is a full-blown suite, with a generous living/lounge area, and prodigious closets. The master bath has twin vanities and – my new favorite thing – a skylight over the bathtub. It just looked so luxurious, the prospect of bathing in this intense rectangle of sunlight. Of course, my bathtub at home is next to a “wall” made of black plastic duct-taped over crumbling plaster, so pretty much anything seems luxurious next to that.

4025 Mansion Drive NW
3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths
$1,499,000

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome, Now Eat. Firehouse-Inspired Sixth Engine Bistro Opens in Mt. Vernon

Old firehouses just seem to lend themselves to classic-looking bar-and-grill type bistros once the last shift has run the last call. And the new Sixth Engine at 438 Massachusetts Avenue near the Mount Vernon Triangle, which just opened this week, is no exception.

The restaurant, owned and operated by Gavin Coleman, Jeremy Carman, Paul Holder, Paul Madrid and Tim Walsh, who also run the Dubliner Irish pub, just down the street, as well as Glover Park's Town Hall, opened in 2005 -- is a smart reuse of the Metropolitan Hook & Ladder Company building, built in 1855 and used by the D.C. Fire Department until 1974. It is the oldest firehouse in the District, and a handful of its era, most built by Leon Emile Dessez (1858-1919) still survive, with some on active duty with DCFD.

"This building presented us with a wonderful opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind restaurant environment, though not without its share of challenges," said Kathryn Bram, Director of Projects for Bethesda-based Streetsense, the marketing and design firm behind Sixth Engine. BuilderGuru Contracting Inc., served as general contractor.

"The firehouse is surrounded by the new 400 Mass condo development, but has its own walls and structure," she said. "We had to solve numerous issues in regard to egress, deliveries, life safety, structural integrity, venting and more." Jenkins Baer Associates of Baltimore also contributed to the interior design.

(Courtesy: DCFire.Com)

The 3,900 s.f. restaurant has two floors, and includes the original "MHL" shield outside the front double doors, as well as a refurbished brass pole.

Douglas Jemal of Douglas Development purchased the firehouse from the city in 2005, recognizing its potential. The Sixth Engine crew leased the space from Jemal beginning in March 2011. The first floor holds a bar and main dining area while the second floor holds the kitchen and a private dining room.

Sixth Engine isn't the only adaptive reuse of local firehouses in the Washington Metro area. Fire

Station 1 Restaurant and Bar in Silver Spring, owned by retired fire captain Jeremy Gruber opened in 2010 in the old Silver Spring Volunteer Fire Department Station 1 House on Georgia Ave. Several other old firehouses in the District have been redeveloped or under consideration, including Firehouse 10 at 1341 Maryland Ave NE. and at Engine Co. 12 at 1626 North Capitol St, the latter of which has seen several restaurant deals emerge in the past few years but fall through.

Washington D.C. real estate development news.

Union Station Shopping Concourse Gets a Facelift

While plans for improving access at Union Station's Main Hall advance, as do earthquake repairs and enhancements outside at Columbus Circle, managers of the retail spaces inside are also making some tweaks to the shopping and train concourse.

Jones Lang LaSalle, which manages the all the interior and exterior retail spaces for

Union Station -- is in the middle of a modest renovation along the easternmost concourse.

It will include new, brighter and more dramatic signage for retail tenants along the passenger concourse, as well as a new walkway to improve pedestrian traffic flow to the easternmost end of Union Station, which is home to a well-trafficked McDonalds but little else.

The renovated retail spaces will include what Jones Lang LaSalle calls "extensive use of glass to provide more visibility to other areas."

Already some changes have come to the passenger concourse. The post office and liquor store on the westernmost end have been moved, with the liquor store, popular among MARC riders, who are allowed to drink on trains -- moving downstairs to the food court.

In its place is Pret a Manger, which despite its French name is actually British. The chain, which has more than 30 locations in Manhattan, is following in the footsteps of other well-known New York-centric retail chains and now has five stores open in the District.

Lakewood, Colorado-based EinsteinNoah Restaurant Group, which owns Einstein Brothers Bagels and Noah's Bagels, and already has several stores in the Washington D.C. metro area, plans a store in the eastern part of the concourse. It will replace car rental counters that have been moved upstairs. Jones Lang LaSalle says the improvements to the concourse will be completed by late April.

Your Next Place

By Franklin Schneider

It's often hard to live up to a name. Pabst Blue Ribbon, for example, makes it sound like there's something exemplary about it, but in actuality it tastes like the contents of a colostomy bag (I still drink it though.) Foxhall Crescent seems like it might be another example of this – could anything be as sophisticated and classy as the name 'Foxhall Crescent'?

Turns out the answer is yes. And this house personifies everything that comes to mind when you hear the name “Foxhall Crescent” - elegance, luxury, classic design, and other things I can't afford. The foyer has marble floors, and the living room is one of the largest I've seen, with several glass doors that look out onto the superlative garden (more on the garden later). There's also a huge kitchen with acres of counterspace, and an awesome sunroom with a curved wall of nothing but windows. The chandeliered formal dining room is fit to host royalty, and there's a one-of-a-kind library, with rich elegant woodwork, a fireplace, and tons of built-in shelves. (Foxhall Crescent!) I'm pretty sure my IQ went up twenty points just from standing in close proximity to so many books, sort of how like standing close to an Xbox 360 makes me continuously say “hurrrrrrr” under my breath.

There are three massive bedrooms (my favorite one had a huge closet, the doors of which were mounted with floor-to-ceiling mirrors, like a Paris hotel room in an Eighties thriller), a two car garage, and yes, the terraced garden. Impeccably landscaped, the huge stone patio is surrounded by a wall of greenery so dense that you could totally forget you were in the middle of the city. I was legitimately surprised when the cops showed up and asked who was discharging firearms. I told them it must have been the agent and then got the hell out of there.

4534 Foxhall Crescent NW
3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths
$1,299,000

Columbus Circle Upgrade Takes Shape

Columbus Circle, the front yard of Union Station, is finally getting a much-needed rehabilitation thanks to the District Department of Transportation, Union Station Redevelopment Corp. and the National Park Service.

The problems with the current arrangement of Columbus Circle, built in 1912, four years after Union Station was completed, are well known.

Pedestrians alighting from Union Station and its accompanying Metro stop, supposedly the grand entrance to the District, are met with ugly Jersey barriers placed after 9-11, forced to walk across the crumbling fountains, brickwork, pavers and impromptu dirt paths where the grass has gone untended, then cross several lanes of traffic consisting of taxicabs, tour buses and the occasional D.C. Duck.

Navigating around Columbus Circle on Massachusetts Ave. was no picnic either for motorists. Bone-shaking potholes along the Circle made a cab ride from Union Station an often-unpleasant introduction to tourists visiting the nation's Capital.

Worse, pedestrians, mostly well-dressed young Capitol Hill staffers, would often emerge from the chin-high hedgerows at the edge of the Circle and dart across Mass. Ave seemingly at random. At night it was even worse, as battered and rusting Washington Globe streetlights cast long shadows across the Circle, making the traverse from Capitol Hill to Union Station a sketchy encounter at best.

The key to Columbus Circle's restoration is rerouting of traffic, with the removal of a central service lane that cuts the Columbus plaza and fountain off from Massachusetts Ave. The service lane will be filled in with brick and pavers, and pedestrian access widened in certain spots and narrowed in others, encouraging walkers to stay off the grass and not take shortcuts. The new Columbus Circle will eliminate the bottleneck at the east end as cabs and passenger cars merged from the hairpin turn of the service lane onto Mass Ave. Now there will be simply a conventional four way intersection on the west end. Drivers on Mass. Ave, which is increasingly becoming a high-speed artery with 20,000 cars traveling on it a day in both directions, will be able to take advantage of wider lanes as well.

The shrubs at the edge of Columbus Plaza will be removed, and pedestrian islands along the north and south sides of Massachusetts Ave. will be widened. Lighting along Mass. Ave, First Street NE and Columbus Plaza will also be improved, including new lighting for the fountains and flag posts. The National Park Service will also repair the often-dormant Columbus Fountain and its smaller twin sisters at either end of the Plaza with new piping and pumps.

Finally, a new line of security bollards guarding the entrance to Union Station will replace the temporary Jersey barriers.

The rehab by Parsons Transportation Group (which performed the architecture and engineering for Union Station's bike station) and Capitol Paving is more than seven years in the making. But like restoration to Union Station itself, with a hodgepodge of agencies, including Amtrak, Metro, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission all claiming turf, the process was painfully slow. The initial plans came together in 2004 but work only started last September and won't be complete until February 2013 at a cost of $7.8 million.

Washington D.C. real estate development news