WASHINGTON, DC | Development News - Page 56

chris08876 · #**1101** Posted **Mar 10, 2015, 3:20 PM**

Georgetown Gondola Study Could Be Underway in 2015

Quote:

One of the more ambitious transportation projects announced in DC over the last 18 months is the plan to connect Georgetown and Rosslyn via an aerial gondola. However, before that plan gets moving, the Georgetown Business Improvement District (BID) needs to figure out how a formal feasibility study of the gondola will be financed.

“The requests for modest funding and participation from both Arlington County and the DC government are pending,” BID CEO Joe Sternlieb wrote to UrbanTurf this week. “The government transitions have put new folks in place on both sides of the river and we anticipate that they may take some time with the gondola issue as there are many important issues on their plates that require immediate attention before this does.”

As of last November, the feasibility study had raised 65 percent of the necessary funding from private donors. Sternlieb stated that he is “very optimistic” that the study will be underway this year.

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http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...d_of_year/9612

202_Cyclist · #**1102** Posted **Mar 12, 2015, 10:01 PM**

My girlfriend took these two photos today of the Lofts at Capitol Quarter development at 7th and L Street, SE. This development takes up nearly the entire block and hopefully more residents living in the immeidate area will improve the public safety of lower 8th Street, which seems to have a lot of loitering and drug dealing.

202_Cyclist · #**1103** Posted **Mar 13, 2015, 5:03 PM**

100-Foot, 25-Unit Project Proposed for U Street

March 13, 2015
By Lark Turner
Urban Turf

Image courtesy of Urban Turf.

“The Goldstar Group, working with Bonstra|Haresign Architects, is proposing a 100-foot, 25-unit building near the intersection of 14th and U Street.

The narrow structure at 1355-1357 U Street NW (map) would be set back 34 feet from the historic rowhomes below it. The site is about a block west of the U Street Metro.

“This is where you want density,” a representative of the project told the U Street Neighborhood Association while presenting the project on Thursday night. “You’re right on top of the Metro…”

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo..._u_street/9641

paytonc · #**1104** Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 2:45 PM**

Construction at the Wharf, Sunday 15 March:

Cranes at the Wharf by Payton Chung, on Flickr

The cranes at the right are building the District Pier. A new, higher bulkhead (seawall) is well underway at center.

At left, it appears that sheeting and excavation for the underground parking is almost complete on the inland (Maine Avenue) side. Is that bright blue structure the beginnings of a tower crane?! (Edit: no, it's a pile driver.)

202_Cyclist · #**1105** Posted **Mar 16, 2015, 3:07 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by paytonc

Construction at the Wharf, Sunday 15 March:

Cranes at the Wharf by Payton Chung, on Flickr

The cranes at the right are building the District Pier. A new, higher bulkhead (seawall) is well underway at center.

At left, it appears that sheeting and excavation for the underground parking is almost complete on the inland (Maine Avenue) side. Is that bright blue structure the beginnings of a tower crane?!

Very good and thank you for posting the photo but what is the status of King Ribs? I am going to take a fact-finding trip there this Thurs. or Fri.

paytonc · #**1106** Posted **Mar 18, 2015, 1:11 AM**

I haven't seen anything different about the King Ribs shack. Have you tried calling them? (202) 577-3670. Cantina's back, though.

paytonc · #**1107** Posted **Mar 21, 2015, 6:18 AM**

A 15-story building proposed for a site next to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (just past where the 14th Street Bridge passes the Jefferson Memorial) will have to get shorter, says the federal government's taste police.

"the Commission members found that the proposed height—approximately forty feet above any nearby buildings—would be incongruous with the buildings that define the public spaces along the city's monumental core... For this prominent gateway site, they recommended lowering the height significantly—from two to four stories—to reduce the mass of the proposed building in order to be compatible with the context and avoid an inappropriate intrusion on the skyline... the design issue is not about the articulation of the top of the building, but rather that the central bulk of the building mass should be reduced in height."

http://www.cfa.gov/records-research/...arch/sl-15-074

202_Cyclist · #**1108** Posted **Mar 21, 2015, 12:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by paytonc

A 15-story building proposed for a site next to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (just past where the 14th Street Bridge passes the Jefferson Memorial) will have to get shorter, says the federal government's taste police.

"the Commission members found that the proposed height—approximately forty feet above any nearby buildings—would be incongruous with the buildings that define the public spaces along the city's monumental core... For this prominent gateway site, they recommended lowering the height significantly—from two to four stories—to reduce the mass of the proposed building in order to be compatible with the context and avoid an inappropriate intrusion on the skyline... the design issue is not about the articulation of the top of the building, but rather that the central bulk of the building mass should be reduced in height."

http://www.cfa.gov/records-research/...arch/sl-15-074

Thank you for the update on this. I am going to email Rep. Norton and ask her if she can work with her colleagues to introduce legislation to amend the Shipstead-Luce Act that empowers the Commission on Fine Arts, asking that the Commission also consider the impacts on housing affordability and the fiscal impact to the District of Columbia of the Commission's decisions.

202_Cyclist · #**1109** Posted **Mar 21, 2015, 12:58 PM**

26 Units Proposed for the Georgetown Domino’s

Urban Turf
By Lark Turner
Mar. 20, 2015

“A proposed development not far from the bustling Georgetown intersection of Wisconsin and M Streets NW is ruffling feathers in the neighborhood.

The site spanning 3255-3259 Prospect Street NW currently consists of a rowhouse, a Domino’s and an empty lot. A proposal for the space, which was floated before ANC 2E and the Old Georgetown Board (OGB) by Morrison Architects and is backed by The Elliott LLC, includes 26 condominium units. The Georgetown Madelon, the contemporary building directly to the east of the site at 3251 Prospect Street NW, appears to be affiliated with the project. An owner email on documents filed with the OGB directs to “Elliott@GeorgetownMadelon.com.”

The proposal incorporates a historic townhouse into the design. A plan for the site that proposed six units didn’t make it through the ANC and Old Georgetown Board vetting process in 2006…”

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...n_dominos/9651

202_Cyclist · #**1110** Posted **Mar 21, 2015, 1:05 PM**

Roadside deal to rebuild Frager's Hardware collapses

By Michael Neibauer
Washington Business Journal
March 19, 2015

"A touted partnership between Roadside Development and Frager's Hardware to rebuild the fire-ravaged Capitol Hill retailer, while adding a residential component to the project, has fallen apart.

In a statement, Roadside said it "regrets that after months of due diligence and negotiations, they were unable to finalize an agreement for the purchase of the Frager's Hardware Store site."

"Roadside proposed to purchase the site and have Frager's return under a long-term lease, which would enable Frager's to bring back the store's hardware, paint, garden center, and equipment rental operations to its original location as part of a mixed-use project," per the statement. "The two parties were unable to come to an agreement on issues related to the existing conditions of the site prior to the expiration of the contract…"

http://www.bizjournals.com/washingto...-hardware.html

202_Cyclist · #**1111** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 7:41 PM**

Grand Central Terminal architect selected for Union Station expansion

By Jonathan O'Connell
April 7, 2015
Washington Post

“The architectural firm behind the remake of New York’s Grand Central Terminal will lead the effort to plan a $10 billion proposed expansion of Union Station, a project that could triple passenger capacity at the station.

Beyer Blinder Belle, with offices in New York and Washington, oversaw design, master planning and the revitalization of Grand Central, turning the 1913 Beaux Arts-style train station into a more modern, accessible and efficient rail hub. The firm has done similar work rehabilitating historic buildings in Washington including for Smithsonian museums.

Real estate magnate Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump also hired Beyer Blinder Belle for their transformation of the Old Post Office Pavilion into a luxury hotel…”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/d...pital_business

202_Cyclist · #**1112** Posted **Apr 7, 2015, 7:57 PM**

205-Unit Development Proposed for Self-Storage Warehouse in DC

"A view of the proposed restoration of the west facade of the warehouse."
(Image courtesy of Urban Turf)

By Lark Turner
Urban Turf
Apr. 7, 2015

“Foulger-Pratt Development and Torti Gallas Urban are planning to convert a NoMa warehouse into a mixed-use residential and retail building with an 11-story addition, according to documents recently filed with the Historic Preservation Office.

The property at 301 N Street NE, bordering NoMa and Union Market, is currently in use by Capital Self-Storage. Though the warehouse on the site is not a historic landmark, the submission indicates that an application to have the building designated as a landmark will soon be filed…”

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...e_in_noma/9734

202_Cyclist · #**1113** Posted **Apr 8, 2015, 9:34 PM**

59-Unit, Mixed-Use Condo Building Proposed for Site of Shaw Church

April 8, 2015
By Lark Turner
Urban Turf

Image courtesy of Urban Turf.

"More condos are headed to Shaw.

The Warrenton Group and Four Points are planning to build a 59-unit residential project with 6,000 square feet of retail at 810 O Street NW. The units will be mostly flats, with some two-story townhouse-style layouts mixed in. The two-story units would have dramatic double-height windows. The developers presented the details of the project to ANC 6E on Tuesday night. The Commission approved the design and concept for the proposal, which will head before the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) in May. Esocoff and Associates designed the building..."

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...aw_church/9738

chris08876 · #**1114** Posted **Apr 13, 2015, 10:45 PM**

Blagden Alley micro-units by SB-Urban win final approval

Quote:

SB-Urban has gained final design approval for its Blagden Alley micro-unit project.

In partnership with Rooney Properties, SB-Urban is planning a no-parking, two-building project at 90 and 91 Blagden Alley, with 121 furnished, compact units for young professionals. The Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) gave the proposal the green light on Thursday, UrbanTurf reported.

The design by architect Hickok Cole went before the HPRB last summer and was well-received, except for one feature — a pedestrian walkway crossing the alley, linking the development’s “main” apartment building to the amenities building. Hickok Cole altered the bridge concept to include a glass roof, and the HPRB approved the new version, with some minor changes.

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http://news.buzzbuzzhome.com/2015/03...-approval.html

202_Cyclist · #**1115** Posted **Apr 15, 2015, 3:30 PM**

Union Station in Washington Has a Grand Development Plan

By Eugene L. Meyer
NY Times
Apr. 14, 2015

Image courtesy of the NY Times.

Image courtesy of the NY Times.

“WASHINGTON — This city’s venerable Union Station, which opened with much fanfare in 1908, was never about the federal union but about the union of two railroads whose separate terminals had formerly occupied valuable space blocks apart, even encroaching on the National Mall.

But, over time, the monumental Beaux-Arts building and its rail yards that united railroads divided the city it served, its 20 north-south tracks bisecting neighborhoods rather than linking them. Now, under an ambitious plan, the air rights over the tracks are to be developed with three million square feet encompassing 1.5 million square feet of office space, 1,300 residential units, 100,000 square feet of retail space, more than 500 hotel rooms, and parks and plazas.

The 14-acre project is to be called Burnham Place, after the Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, who designed the station. The new platform atop the tracks will extend a renovated and reconfigured station that will adjoin the mixed-use project…”

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/re...=politics&_r=1

202_Cyclist · #**1116** Posted **Apr 15, 2015, 3:37 PM**

150 Affordable Housing Units Planned for Deanwood

By Lark Turner
Urban Turf
Apr. 14, 2015

Image courtesy of Urban Turf.

“150 new units are coming to Deanwood, the neighborhood northeast of Benning Road between Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue and the Maryland line.

The affordable housing plan for Deanwood Hills at 5201 Hayes Street NE, a property owned by the DC government, would include a 150-unit building with studios and 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-bedroom units. Torti Gallas Urban is the architect on the project…”

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo..._deanwood/9766

Eightball · #**1117** Posted **Apr 15, 2015, 7:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

[

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo..._deanwood/9766

I like it. Goes well with that neighborhood I think and still nice sized density and design.

photoLith · #**1118** Posted **Apr 15, 2015, 8:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

Union Station in Washington Has a Grand Development Plan

By Eugene L. Meyer
NY Times
Apr. 14, 2015

Image courtesy of the NY Times.

Holy hell, is that really happening? That will be quite the ambitious project. Thats pretty bad ass too that the trains will be arriving above the mall. I dont think theres anything like that in America.

chris08876 · #**1119** Posted **Apr 16, 2015, 7:16 PM**

Developer Plans to Replace Museum Square With 825 Apartments and Condos

Quote:

The Museum Square Apartments have been the subject of two lawsuits and three D.C. Council bills.

Two lawsuits, several legislative interventions, and a whole lot of drama later, the low-income residents of the Museum Square Apartments in Mount Vernon Triangle still don't know if they'll be able to stay in their homes. But if they don't, now we have a better sense of what would replace those homes.

The Section 8 property's owner, the Williamsburg, Va.-based Bush Companies, informed the building's tenants last summer that the property would be demolished unless they ponied up $250 million to buy it under the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. That led to a prolonged (and still unresolved) legal dispute over whether the $250 million price tag constituted a "bona fide offer of sale," as required by law, with residents and some members of the D.C. Council calling it exorbitant and arbitrary.

Bush justified the price by describing what would take Museum Square's place if it were demolished. In a series of emails I obtained last fall through the Freedom of Information Act, prolific landlord attorney Richard Luchs argued to the Department of Housing and Community Development that the building would fetch a price of $250 million "if it is developed as [Bush] intends, into a combination of 800 condominium and apartment units." Luchs stated that with 800 units, the price per unit wouldn't be $828,000, but a much more reasonable $312,500.

Now, UrbanTurf reports that Bush has honed its plans. The developer aims to build 825 units in two buildings on the site: a 14-story building on K Street NW with 450 apartments and a 13-story building on L Street NW with 375 condos. The plans also call for 17,000 square feet of retail space and a four-story parking garage. Construction, the company tells UrbanTurf, would begin next year and conclude in 2018.

Of course, those are ambitious targets for a project ensnared in more legal and legislative controversy than possibly any other housing proposal in recent years. Residents of Museum Square and their backers on the Council won't allow the new buildings to replace the existing one without a fight.

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http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/b...ts-and-condos/

RCDC · #**1120** Posted **Apr 16, 2015, 8:34 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by photoLith

Holy hell, is that really happening? That will be quite the ambitious project. Thats pretty bad ass too that the trains will be arriving above the mall. I dont think theres anything like that in America.

Another image here.

The tracks split a little ways north of the station; the NW branch doesn't have electric lines, and tracks south don't have electric lines either, so it seems only Amtrak electric locomotives to/from the NE would be using this part. I doubt diesel locomotives would be coming in here, so those trains will probably stay underground.