WASHINGTON, DC | Development News

[202_Cyclist]

Originally Posted by Onn

The Founding Fathers are rolling over in their graves right now.

What an ignorant thing to say. Some comparison is useful. Britain has 62M people and the population of the London metro area is 14M. France has 65M and the population of the Paris metro region is about 13M. The United States, on the other hand, has 310M and has 5.6M. Compared with the capitals of other developed countries, Washington is pretty small as a percent of the country's total population.

There are also many other industries in the DC region besides government. I read somewhere that Northern Virginia has more high-tech jobs than Silicon Valley. The DC-area is home to the corporate headquarters of Marriott, Hilton, Capital One, the Discover Channel, National Georgraphic, as well as many other businesses.

DC is also one of the largest tourist destinations in the United States. Additionally, universities are the largest private employer in the District, itself.

[Onn]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

What an ignorant thing to say. Some comparison is useful. Britain has 62M people and the population of the London metro area is 14M. France has 65M and the population of the Paris metro region is about 13M. The United States, on the other hand, has 310M and has 5.6M. Compared with the capitals of other developed countries, Washington is pretty small as a percent of the country's total population.

There are also many other industries in the DC region besides government. I read somewhere that Northern Virginia has more high-tech jobs than Silicon Valley. The DC-area is home to the corporate headquarters of Marriott, Hilton, Capital One, the Discover Channel, National Georgraphic, as well as many other businesses.

DC is also one of the largest tourist destinations in the United States. Additionally, universities are the largest private employer in the District, itself.

Expect I don't think the Founding Fathers ever wanted the city to be all that. They wanted it to be the most modest of cities. Much of the stuff going on in DC today is anything but modest.

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by Onn

Expect I don't think the Founding Fathers ever wanted the city to be all that. They wanted it to be the most modest of cities.

What you think hardly matters, because it's wrong. L'Enfant platted a city as large as London. His plan encompassed 20,272 lots; the median American household in 1790 had five persons, so even 7,000 houses would have been plenty sufficient to house the largest city in America.

Washington himself stood to profit immensely from a growing capital, not only through his (well, mostly the Custises') extensive local landholdings but through his investments in the Patowmack Canal project. Many other Federalists certainly seemed to believe in a bigger, more activist central government than many in today's GOP. I'm not typically one to make historically determinist arguments, but I think we can all safely say that the Jefferson/Jackson anti-Federalists eventually lost the economic and cultural arguments against large metropolitan areas.

Just over 1/10 of jobs in the Washington metropolitan area are for the federal government. The region has the highest share of computer/math occupations among major metros (20% higher than San Jose), more college students per capita than any other major metro, the 5th largest bioscience cluster in the US, topped the Inc. 500 list of fast-growing/mid-sized corporate headquarters for the past 15 years, and soon will edge out metro Los Angeles (which is more than twice as populous) as having the second largest population of postgraduate educated adults in the country.

This region is not some parasite feeding off the nation. The Federalist founding fathers knew that a strong capital and a strong federal government would help build the wealth, power, and strength of the entire nation.

Much of the stuff going on in DC today is anything but modest.

Huh? I've never heard anyone call DC's boring bland boxes too showy before. Rome or Dubai before the fall, this ain't. Heck, just midtown Manhattan has infinitely more architectural ostentation under construction right now, and its principal industry is arguably even more parasitic than government.

As for CityCenter, this is a development 20+ years in the making. Yes, it's several buildings, but even taken together they'd fit into any ONE of the towers under construction at the World Trade Center site.

[Onn]

Originally Posted by paytonc

What you think hardly matters, because it's wrong. L'Enfant platted a city as large as London. His plan encompassed 20,272 lots; the median American household in 1790 had five persons, so even 7,000 houses would have been plenty sufficient to house the largest city in America.

I hate to use wikipedia, but umm yeah...

President George Washington appointed L'Enfant in 1791 to design the new capital city (later named the City of Washington) under the supervision of three Commissioners, whom Washington had appointed to oversee the planning and development of the federal territory that would later become the District of Columbia.[13] Thomas Jefferson, who worked alongside President Washington in overseeing the plans for the capital, sent L'Enfant a letter outlining his task, which was to provide a drawing of suitable sites for the federal city and the public buildings. Though Jefferson had modest ideas for the Capital, L'Enfant saw the task as far more grandiose, believing he was not only locating the capital, but also devising the city plan and designing the buildings.[14

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Charles_L'Enfant

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by Onn

Expect I don't think the Founding Fathers ever wanted the city to be all that. They wanted it to be the most modest of cities. Much of the stuff going on in DC today is anything but modest.

I have to disagree as the Founding Fathers all had very different ideas about what government should be. I really doubt any of them would have a problem with the US prospering. DC as a city has a lot to offer and I am glad that it is experiencing a high level of growth. I do not see why you would have a problem with a privately funded development of market rate space just because it is located in the nation's capital. Seems somewhat strange to me.

[Urbana]

Originally Posted by Onn

I hate to use wikipedia, but umm yeah...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Charles_L'Enfant

Seriously?
Jefferson had modest ideas about everything. His grand Utopian vision was for every American to own a farm, and, to the day he died, he resisted the notion that industrialism would be America's future. So you have provided one example of a founding father wanting a more modest capital, you seem to need more to actually substantiate your claim. Additionally, even if you are able to find more examples of this, who cares? Who cares what the wealthy elite of the 18th century thought about urban planning? before the industrial revolution no less!

[dlg569]

I think Jefferson was the same guy who thought it was okay to own slaves, and who thought only white, male, landowners should have the right to vote. So, really, what Jefferson, or any of the rich, landed gentry of 18th century United States thought, is completely not relevant.

Originally Posted by Onn

I hate to use wikipedia, but umm yeah...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Charles_L'Enfant

[paytonc]

Jefferson =! Founding Fathers, just like I do not speak for all of SSP. Jefferson famously distrusted cities: "I view great cities as pestilential to the morals, the health and the liberties of man." His agrarian ideals, like a great many of his ideals, surely had noble aims but made little sense even in their context.

[202_Cyclist]

240-Unit H Street Apartment Building to Start Construction in 2013


A photo of the rendering of Jair Lynch’s project. (Image courtesy of Urban Turf)

September 6, 2012
By Shilpi Paul
Urban Turf

"On Wednesday night, developers stopped by ANC 6C’s Planning, Zoning and Environment committee meeting to brief them on a couple big plans for the 600 block of H Street NE (map).

Kevin Roberts, representing developer Jair Lynch, presented new plans for the south side of the block. The company acquired a series of properties spanning from 601 to 645 H Street NE for $51.1 million last year. Currently, two five-story brick buildings sandwich a one-story former grocery store along this stretch..."

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...n_in_2013/5990

[202_Cyclist]

Report: In D.C. Area, Developers Flock to ‘Walkable Urban’

By Eliot Brown
Wall Street Journal
September 5, 2012

"The Washington, D.C. area has been the dominant region in the U.S. for new development during the post-recession years, as builders have rushed to put up apartments and even office buildings.

New research explains what these developers have been seeking in both the city and its suburbs: dense and walkable locations, typically served by mass transit and plentiful retail.

In a report slated for release today, Christopher Leinberger, a professor of urban real estate at George Washington University and the president of the smart growth industry group Locus, takes a look at so-called “walkable urban places” in the area, from Washington neighborhoods to suburban centers like Crystal City and Silver Spring..."

http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/20...alkable-urban/

[202_Cyclist]

The U Street corridor is now officially gentrified-- a Trader Joe's will be opening here.

Trader Joe’s on the way to U Street area and Harris Teeter could follow


Trader Joe's on 25th Street in the Foggy Bottom/West End neighborhood. (Image courtesy of the Washington Post).

By Jonathan O'Connell
September 9, 2012
Washington Post

"Developers are quickly building new apartments in the District’s U Street neighborhood, and now grocery stores are following.

Executives at the JBG Cos., one of the region’s largest real estate developers, said they plan to open a Trader Joe’s grocery store in an apartment building under construction on 14th Street NW, just south of U Street next year.

A few blocks northeast of that project, JBG and its retail arm, JBG Rosenfeld, have lined up a commitment from another grocer, Harris Teeter, but it will require winning the rights to some city-owned property on Sherman Avenue..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...b91_story.html

[giantSwan]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

There are also many other industries in the DC region besides government. I read somewhere that Northern Virginia has more high-tech jobs than Silicon Valley. The DC-area is home to the corporate headquarters of Marriott, Hilton, Capital One, the Discover Channel, National Georgraphic, as well as many other businesses.

Most of DC's tech jobs are directly related to government. Government IT consulting, etc. Even though they are "private" and "tech" they are 100% government. DC's private sector in general is just a masquerade for government. It's all federal funding. I don't disagree that this is slowly starting to change. But, DC is still very government run, private or federal.

[turigamot]

Originally Posted by giantSwan

Most of DC's tech jobs are directly related to government. Government IT consulting, etc. Even though they are "private" and "tech" they are 100% government. DC's private sector in general is just a masquerade for government. It's all federal funding. I don't disagree that this is slowly starting to change. But, DC is still very government run, private or federal.

No.

[202_Cyclist]

Urban Turf notes three separate developments proposed for New Portland (i.e. Columbia Heights) that will create a combined 56 new condo units.

Numerous New Residential Projects Planned for Columbia Heights and Pleasant Plains
http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo..._pleasant/6020

[202_Cyclist]

The JD Land blog notes that a 325-unit condo development is planned for the parking lot right next to the Foundry Lofts and directly in front of the Boilermaker shops. This area has had a tremendous amount of activity this past year. Almost directly across the street, condos and a Harris Teeter market are also under construction and the restaurants and retail in the Lumber Shed is under construction as well.

This looks like a very attractive building, especially for DC but 250-300 parking spaces is too many for an area that is two or three blocks from the metro station.

Another Residential Building on the Boards at the Yards (Updated)




Images courtesy of JD Land.

http://www.jdland.com/dc/index.cfm/3...he-Yards-(Upd/

[turigamot]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

The JD Land blog notes that a 325-unit condo development is planned for the parking lot right next to the Foundry Lofts and directly in front of the Boilermaker shops. This area has had a tremendous amount of activity this past year. Almost directly across the street, condos and a Harris Teeter market are also under construction and the restaurants and retail in the Lumber Shed is under construction as well.

This looks like a very attractive building, especially for DC but 250-300 parking spaces is too many for an area that is two or three blocks from the metro station.

Another Residential Building on the Boards at the Yards (Updated)




Images courtesy of JD Land.

http://www.jdland.com/dc/index.cfm/3...he-Yards-(Upd/

I'm with you on the parking lots. Too much. Also, that building looks pretty damn nice. Matches the character that is starting to appear in that area: industrial mixed with the present.

[202_Cyclist]

We went to the H Street festival (fantastic event) this past weekend and there is a tremendous amount of development along or near the H Street cooridor. This looks like a nice development but 440 parking spaces are too many for building that is right on the streetcar route and is located in a very walkable neighborhood.

Major development planned for 600 block of H Street NE

Washington Business Journal
By Michael Neibauer
September 19, 2012


A rendering of Insight Property Group's mixed-use project planned for the 600 block of H Street NE. (Image courtesy of the Washington Business Journal)


"The H Street NE boom continues, as a plan to redevelop a key block of the surging corridor into a 490,000-square-foot mixed use project has hit the D.C. Zoning Commission.

With the H Street/Benning Road streetcar line scheduled to launch in 2013, the development community is lining up to meet anticipated demand for housing and retail.

This latest proposal was long expected. McLean-based Insight Property Group LLC, a principal in USA WDC H Street LLC, has been scooping up property between the 600 and 700 blocks of H Street for some time, including the Murry’s building at 616 H and the H Street Self Storage site (it’s under contract)..."

[202_Cyclist]

District weighs proposals for renovating MLK Library while preserving historic status


Image courtesy of the Washington Post.

By Philip Kennicott
September 19, 2012
Washington Post

"By carving a large “donut hole” into the center of the existing Martin Luther King Memorial Library, the building could be an exemplary 21st-century main library space, full of light, open to multiple uses, easy to navigate and worthy of “a great city.”

Meeting on Wednesday night in special session in the main atrium of the rigorously modernist building — which is a study in right angles, rational layout and long vistas — the library’s board heard proposals for how to renovate the dilapidated steel-and-glass icon. Ideas included adding two more floors to the existing four, renting space to other tenants, converting below-ground levels to commercial parking and adding a cafe space under its stern, classically inspired loggia..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...738_story.html

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

This looks like a very attractive building, especially for DC but 250-300 parking spaces is too many for an area that is two or three blocks from the metro station.

Bear in mind that it also includes replacement parking for the surface lot that the 170 Foundry Lofts apartments currently use.

Personally, that big wiggly glass appendage looks off -- it should relate in some way to what's underneath it. It also looks like a missed opportunity for some more creative massing for the entire block: taller in some places, with more open spaces within the overall envelope.

[202_Cyclist]

Huge news today! The General Service Administration issued a Notice of Intent to redevelop much of the area around L'Enfant Plaza. Many of the buildings in this area are from the 1950s-60s urban renewal and are cold, brutalist buildings that are hostile to any vibrant street life. L'Enfant Plaza is served by four metro lines, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), and many bus routes. This should be one of the most vibrant areas of DC and yet it is one of the most sterile.

Many of the buildings are very inefficent uses of land and have large footprints and are very energy-inefficient as well.

Notice of Intent (Redevelop-GSA SW Office Space)

"The General Services Administration (GSA) hereby announces its intent to issue a Request for Information (RFI) for interested parties to address the long term needs of multiple GSA Federal Customers located in the L'Enfant Plaza area in Southwest, District of Columbia, referred to in this announcement as "Federal Triangle South". GSA seeks to leverage the value of its real property assets to provide more efficient facilities for Federal Customers and potentially create the catalyst for a revitalization of this area of Southwest Washington.

PURPOSE
Federal Triangle South represents one of the largest clusters of federal office buildings in the Metropolitan Washington DC area, and is generally bounded by Independence Ave to the North, 6th Street to the East, Maryland Avenue and portions of D Street to the South and 12th Street to the West. The area being evaluated is shown below, and currently provides office space for the Department of Energy (DOE), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and General Services Administration (GSA). The Federal buildings include: Cotton Annex, DOE Forrestal Complex, FAA Orville and Wilbur Wright Buildings and GSA's Regional Office Building."

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportun...=core&_cview=0

The National Capital Planning Commission has a good website providing more details about the Southwest Ecodistrict proposal: http://www.ncpc.gov/swecodistrict


Image courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission.