The Wilson and the Elm - Coming This Fall in Bethesda

If you have traveled anywhere near Bethesda you would not have missed the 3 new towers under construction at 7272 Wisconsin Avenue in the center of Bethesda.  The three towers are part of Carr Properties’ nearly 1 million square foot project of two residential towers (the Elm) and, on its south side, one office tower (the Wilson).  Named for an adjacent street and for Alfred Wilson, who in 1890 opened a general store on the site that became a social hub, Carr hopes its creation will duplicate that success.

Carr, partnering with residential developer Insight Property Group, broke ground in August of 2018 and hopes to complete construction by late October. The three towers share a common podium that will, like Wilson's general store, become a commercial nexus with a new southern entrance to Metro's redline station and the terminus station for the Purple Line.  The Metro station, 120 feet below, was originally built to accommodate a second entrance, and will share an entrance with the Purple Line as well as connection with the Capital Crescent Trail.  The project is hard to miss at 23 stories, nearly 300 feet, well above adjacent Bethesda Row.  Bozzuto, which will manage the buildings, will begin residential leasing in August.

Streetsense / Edit Labs designed the interior of the two apartment buildings, which will be connected by a skybridge with views of the National Cathedral.  According to the developers, the height will permit views as far as Dulles Airport and National Harbor on a good day.  The ground floor will offer up retail space, the only confirmed tenant for which is Tatte Bakery.  Above, several office tenants have inked leases, including Fox 5 and UBS Financial Services. Accommodating the red line Metro entrance, expected to open in 2022, provided developers with additional height and density than would have been otherwise permitted. Lastly, the development team points out the suite of technology to fight airborne viruses, including 100% use of outside air, "a rarity" in the DC office market, but an issue that will no doubt be a central talking point in future office marketing.

Project:  The Wilson and the Elm

Address:  7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD

Developer: Carr Properties 

Architect:  Shalom Baranes

Landscape Architect: OVS

Interior Design:  Streetsense / Edit Lab

Construction:  Clark Construction

Use: 348,000 s.f. of office (1 tower) and residential (2 towers) with 456 units

Expected Completion:  Late 2020 for office and residential portions of the project.

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Washington D.C. commercial real estate news

Skyland Town Center's Phase One

It's been a long slog, but the work is finally building momentum at Skyland Town Center, where construction on the 18-acre site is expected to complete this year and retailers have finally been committing.  Chase Bank and CVS have already signed leases for Phase 1 of the project, which will include 84,000 s.f. of retail and 263 rental apartments when it completes later this summer.  Rappaport has been in discussion with numerous restaurants as well, despite the obvious impediments to restaurant leasing at the moment.  Lidl and Starbucks, also both committed retailers, will get underway later this year, the latter will take the place of the CVS trailer now on site.  A second phase of the project will nearly double the retail (to 136,000) and residential unit numbers (to 513) when that phase begins, though a start date is not yet determined.  A 4-story medical office building will eventually round out the final development, though a start date is not yet set.

The contentious project is one for the history books.  Initiated by the National Capitol Revitalization Corporation (since dissolved) in 2002 to bring development to a decaying and retail-starved area in southeast DC, developers had visions of urban renewal and improved retail opportunities. Developers, primarily WC Smith and Rappaport, began to assemble and acquire the land, but the existing retailers and landowners weren't convinced the project had legs, and many chose not to sell or abandon their businesses to an uncertain future.  Enter the District government, which chose to acquire the remaining properties via eminent domain, i.e. a constitutional prerogative that permits the government to seize private property for "public" use.  Developers dangled Target as a future tenant, which fell through, but with the District government on its team the recalcitrant owners were defeated, and by 2011 Mayor Vincent Gray predicted construction was "imminent."

That was not to be.  Planners needed an anchor, and eventually signed Walmart, but in 2016, with no construction yet underway, Walmart withdrew from its commitment to anchor the site, as well as another site in Ward 8, and the search was on to find a replacement. The project broke ground in February of 2018, and in May of 2019, Rappaport announced that German grocer Lidl had signed on for almost 30,000 s.f.  The other leases soon followed, including one of the only drive-through Starbucks in the region.  Until the completion of phase 2 a large portion of the site will remain a construction lot, but for now, the neighborhood is one step closer to having the grocery options, sit-down restaurants and conveniences of neighborhoods west of the river that have so long bedeviled the residents in the project's vicinity.

Project:  Skyland Town Center

Address:  Intersection of Good Hope Road and Alabama Avenue, SE 

Developer:  Rappaport, WC Smith, District of Columbia

Architect:  Torti Gallas

Interior Design:  Carlyn & Co.

Construction:  WCS Construction

Use:  480 apartments, 134,000 s.f. of first floor retail

Expected Completion: Phase 1:  Fall 2020.   Phase 2:  TBD

Washington D.C. retail and real estate development news

Beckert's Park on Capitol Hill - Coming This Summer

Redeveloping the aging, low density Safeway at the eastern end of Capitol Hill and ridding the neighborhood of a vast expanse of parking lot was inevitable.  But it took purchasing the land from Safeway's parent company and agreement to lease new space to Safeway to make the concept reality, and since purchasing the land in 2016, developer Foulger Pratt has been at work on the details.  Later this summer, the Silver Spring-based developer will open the 325 rental apartments and celebrate the new 60,000 s.f. Safeway.   The building will feature a "luxury pool" among its amenities, and 8000 s.f. of "neighborhood retail" on a site that housed an amusement park and beer garden in the 19th century.  Sadly, the beer garden will not be brought back, but those that remember the former Safeway will no doubt be pleased with its next generation replacement.

Project:  Beckert's Park

Address:  415 14th Street, SE, Washington DC

Developer: Foulger Pratt

Architect:  BKV Group

General Contractor:  Foulger Pratt Contracting

Use:  60,000 s.f. Safeway, 325 rental apartments,

Expected Completion:  Summer 2020

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Washington D.C retail and real estate development news

Edens' Union Market Apartment Nears Completion

Construction is nearing completion at 1300 4th Street, NE, a project that has now been named the Ledger.  The residential building, designed by Shalom Baranes and developed by Edens, marks the next project to complete in the Union Market neighborhood - one of 5 projects actively under construction within 3 blocks, including Market Terminal with its 4 residential buildings and the Signal House office building.  The Ledger will deliver 134 rental apartments 2 blocks from Eden's food hall, Edens and co-developer Great Gulf of Canada are on track for completion in September.  On the ground floor, 11,000 s.f. of retail, including a small co-working space, will round out the building. 

Union Market Under Construction                        

The building takes the place of the formerly empty lot next to Masseria, and will be managed by Gables Residential.

Project:  Ledger

Address:  1300 4th St, NE, Washington DC

Developer: Edens, Great Gulf

Architect:  Shalom Baranes

Construction:  Davis Construction

Use: 134 rental apartments

Expected Completion: September 2020

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Washington D.C. retail and real estate development news