WASHINGTON, DC | Development News

[202_Cyclist]

NYC-Style Boutique Hotel Planned For Union Market

Urban Turf
Aug. 11, 2015


Image courtesy of Urban Turf.

"A boutique hotel that takes inspiration from some of the trendiest accommodations in New York City is planned for 411 New York Avenue NE.


Image courtesy of Urban Turf.

D.B. Lee Development and Brook Rose Development are partnering with Cultural DC on an 11 story, 178-room hotel adjacent to Union Market that will have a substantial focus on DC’s artistic community..."

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...n_market/10233

[hat]

Thanks folks.

Also, WABA is finalizing its 5 year strategic plan while DDOT makes its decision on vision zero. I have my fingers crossed for something on M street NW as was indicated on the 2005 and 2009 bike plan. Were DDOT to add facilities on M or N NW, it might spark some potential for retail demand. People might be able (or want) to cross New York avenue. Fingers crossed. Thanks again.

[Eightball]

Originally Posted by 202_Cyclist

Here are a couple of photos I took while my girlfriend was shopping on 14th Street this past Sunday.][/I]

nice pics. thanks for the update

[RCDC]

Unwieldy name aside, the Takoma Langley Crossroads Transit Center is a good project in PG County:



The median in the foreground will eventually be a Purple Line platform.

[Busy Bee]

Good to know they've poured a brand new curb for the median that will just be torn out in a few years. I wish there was a way to see a breakdown of all the wasted funds due to poor planning and staging when it comes to infrastructure projects, specifically roadways.

[RCDC]

^It actually looks consistent with the Purple Line plan; the inside lanes will be replaced with tracks, and a canopy and platform will be built in the median. But even if it were removed and replaced, it's only about 100' of work that was done to close a left turn lane. So for a 16 mile project it's pretty minor.

[202_Cyclist]

Lerner Enterprises Plans 13-Story Residential Project Near Nationals Park

Aug. 17, 2015
Urban Turf


Image courtesy of Urban Turf.

"More residential development is on the boards for Navy Yard.

Lerner Enterprises is proposing a 13-story residential development at 1000 South Capitol Street SE that will have between 300 and 360 residential units. The project, filed with the Board of Zoning Adjustment on Monday, will also have 225 parking spaces and sit two blocks north of Nationals Park.

Longtime DC concertgoers will recognize the location as being around the corner from the old Capital Ballroom. No renderings are public yet, but the project will be designed by Shalom Baranes Associates..."

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...avy_yard/10251

[hat]

Proposal by Sursum Corda Cooperative Association to replace the non-profit housing between M and L and 1st NW and North Capitol. They will retain the number (199) of affordable housing units.

[202_Cyclist]

JBG Proposes Residences, Retail, Office Space and Seven-Screen Theater in NoMa

Urban Turf
Aug. 20, 2015


Image courtesy of Urban Turf.

"JBG is back at it again in NoMa.

The Chevy Chase-based firm is proposing a mixed-use property with residential units, office and retail space and a seven-screen movie theater at a site bounded by N Street NE, 1st Street NE, M Street NE and North Capitol Street (map).

The residential portion would have 220 units. There would be just over 366,000 square feet of office space and approximately 30,500 square feet of retail. A movie theater with approximately 1,200 seats would be located on site. Four levels of below-ground parking with a total of 216 spaces will be constructed. The site currently consists of a surface parking lot and two office buildings that will be razed for the new project..."

http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blo...r_in_nom/10270

[hat]

Since it looks like NOMA will be getting a lot more people--as well as a theater!, I hope it follows DDOT will change some of the current roads to improve safety and connectivity. Right now, there is no safe way to cross New York ave.

[IMG][/IMG]

Caveat: I have no formal training in street engineering. But if I could change one place in NOMA, this would be it. A simple change like this would allow for one place on NY ave where people walking and biking can cross. NOMA (or rather Truxton Circle depending on how you look at it) would finally have some connection after years.

[Eightball]

That NY/ FL ave intersection has to be the worst in the city

[hat]

Originally Posted by Eightball

That NY/ FL ave intersection hasn't to be the worst in the city

My sentiments exactly. Perhaps death himself designed it?



(image link)

[202_Cyclist]

How D.C. Water will fit its green palace onto a sewage compound near Nationals Park

By Michael Neibauer
Washington Business Journal
Aug. 20, 2015

"D.C. Water’s proposed 167,180-square-foot headquarters, slated for the banks of the Anacostia River near Nationals Park, has the look of a green palace — a palace built within a largely inaccessible compound, atop and around the two primary untreated sewage hubs in the District.

New renderings released ahead of an upcoming D.C. Zoning Commission public hearing show the estimated $55 million curved headquarters building in the context of its surroundings, and it is certainly impressive. It features a glass and aluminum curtain wall that can be “calibrated to respond to day lighting, views, and energy efficiency,” a rain screen, a green roof and rooftop seating, and an innovative heating and cooling system that makes use of residual heat from sewage.

But lest we forget, the headquarters building will be located on D.C. Water-owned property that contains the Main and O Street Pumping stations, the primary hubs for untreated sewage making its way south to Blue Plains for treatment. And for that reason, the site will remain off limits to the public, as D.C. Water operations have been designated as a Tier 1 National Asset by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency..."


Image courtesy of the Washington Business Journal.


Image courtesy of the Washington Business Journal.

http://www.bizjournals.com/washingto...ce-onto-a.html

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by paytonc

All of those cities have 9-to-5 office zones, as well, just smaller in area because they're taller in height. Since office uses are the lion's share of the DC region's economy, we have more offices than comparably sized cities, and since they're height-limited, they're spread out across a larger area.

Retail, office, and hotel (in that order) are the highest-density land uses, and thus the ones that are best congregated in places with the greatest transportation capacity. Here, because of Metro, that's Downtown DC. When floor space is strictly rationed, it's much better to pack six employees into 1,000 sq. ft. than two residents.

Also, we have two La Defense-style edge cities that almost rival the core's transit connections (Rosslyn and Crystal City), and they're hurting for office tenants. Downtown still has enough of an edge to make it uniquely accessible. Eventually, the new Metro tunnels and through-run commuter rail will begin to even out transit accessibility across the entire central area (including Rosslyn, Crystal City, and Capitol Hill), but that's a long ways off.

I'd argue that we have better "living, mixed use urban zone"s at the edges of our downtown than most other cities. Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, West End, Georgetown, Shaw, and Capitol Hill all have a wonderful mix of offices, residential, and retail, and blend almost imperceptibly into downtown. Many other cities have large "zones of transition," with parking lots separating the office core from the "midtown" neighborhoods.

No. The previous posters point was spot on. As a resident myself, this is exactly why DC's central city is not good enough. It's too quiet and dull and the height limit restrictions means there aren't the residential/retail presence that is required of a world class city. DC can't compete with it's peer capitals for this reason. The neighborhoods around the edges of the downtown area that you describe, while decent, are no substitute for a true bustling downtown lively district with adequate shopping, residential and entertainment functions. Georgetown doesn't give you the feeling of being in a large bustling central city. It's not a substitute. Also, the architecture needs to become more interesting and on par with current trends. You hardly ever see DC in the major international travel magazines for a reason.

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by paytonc

There just isn't the demand for ground-floor retail everywhere in downtown. The ratio of retail space to office space is in the 1:30 - 1:50 range -- and dropping, as America's fundamentally over-retailed. That's fine in Midtown Manhattan, where one floor of retail serves 50 floors of office -- but not possible in DC, where you can only stack 10 floors of office over every shop.

As downtown DC becomes more of a regional retail destination, drawing more than just local office workers, the supportable amount of retail is increasing. Already, increased retail rents are enticing more landlords to redo their ground floors to create larger, more useful retail spaces, especially on F Street and on sites facing CityCenterDC. (Yes, even TechWorld -- ever been to City Tap Room?) There's no need to be wasteful and tear down perfectly serviceable existing buildings. That's like throwing away a computer because you don't like the desktop wallpaper!

For a complete look at what's planned in NoMa, the BID's maps are a good start:
http://www.nomabid.org/maps/
For sites west of North Capitol, see:
http://dcnewcommunities.org/northwes...development-2/

With this attitude, DC will never be a real capital city, on-par with it's global cousins. Your point about keeping existing structures shows that you have little ambition. The current structures downtown are for the most part DULL and not worthy of a capital city trying to become something better and more desired on the world circuit. Drive down K street, I street or H street and tell me with a straight face that it's much better than the old commie East Berlin. The corporate sterile hideousness is enough to make you want to run home to your Virginia/Maryland quiet and leafy suburb. Basically every post war building downtown is dull as cardboard. The whole thing needs to be redeveloped and height limits need to be raised. The idiots who designed the zoning laws for the city had no vision at all.

[dc_denizen]

Some of dc's downtown buildings are crying out for a reclad.

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

Some of dc's downtown buildings are crying out for a reclad.

Most of downtown DC's buildings are dull and awful and I can say this as a resident for more than a decade. There are a few nice older ones and a smattering of interesting modern buildings. A reclad wouldn't help that much, they would still be boring just glassier. They are just boring office buildings with very utilitarian designs for the most part. If the height limits were raised, mixed-use buildings of varying heights and more interesting designs would be possible. More residents would be there to shop and play. Not enough big-city retail in DC even with the new shopping options downtown. Connecticut avenue needed to be the major shopping street downtown, it has the look of a grand European Avenue. It is wasted space. The buildings on it are mostly ugly save a few gems, and there is a lack of retail space available for major stores. F street doesn't seem to be developing into a vibrant shopping street either last time i was there. The stores are very mickey-mouse. It's nothing like a major city shopping street worthy of a capital of a great nation.. DC needed to transform itself into a retail center to attract inner-suburbanites to come in and shop/eat for pleasure on a Saturday afternoon like you see happening in other great well known cities and even in much smaller world capitals. That would have gone far to transform the city into a true destination and a worthy capital of the preeminent superpower. They have failed and they seem to have no real plan to change anything.

[paytonc]

Originally Posted by aquablue

The whole thing needs to be redeveloped and height limits need to be raised. The idiots who designed the zoning laws for the city had no vision at all.

Thanks for sharing your opinions. Have you shared your opinions with OP, NCPC, ZC, CFA, or your council members? I don't necessarily disagree with most of your statements (although I do take umbrage at your ad hominem insults to my ambition or vision); however, I don't think there's any point to writing multiple anonymous online posts whining about how the entire city should be urban-renewed. Nobody's stopping you from spending $60 billion to buy up all of downtown, after which you can reshape it more to your liking.

For the record, I live in the District, I won't drive down K Street because I don't drive, and I have given several quite unpopular public testimonies in front of said commissions. I don't even live in Northwest -- I live in Southwest, which gives me rather more humility about the merits of large-scale urban renewal.

Also, there have been several recladdings just this year around town.

[dc_denizen]

Originally Posted by aquablue

Most of downtown DC's buildings are dull and awful and I can say this as a resident for more than a decade. There are a few nice older ones and a smattering of interesting modern buildings. A reclad wouldn't help that much, they would still be boring just glassier. They are just boring office buildings with very utilitarian designs for the most part. If the height limits were raised, mixed-use buildings of varying heights and more interesting designs would be possible. More residents would be there to shop and play. Not enough big-city retail in DC even with the new shopping options downtown. Connecticut avenue needed to be the major shopping street downtown, it has the look of a grand European Avenue. It is wasted space. The buildings on it are mostly ugly save a few gems, and there is a lack of retail space available for major stores. F street doesn't seem to be developing into a vibrant shopping street either last time i was there. The stores are very mickey-mouse. It's nothing like a major city shopping street worthy of a capital of a great nation.. DC needed to transform itself into a retail center to attract inner-suburbanites to come in and shop/eat for pleasure on a Saturday afternoon like you see happening in other great well known cities and even in much smaller world capitals. That would have gone far to transform the city into a true destination and a worthy capital of the preeminent superpower. They have failed and they seem to have no real plan to change anything.

you're right, it is depressing to come back to DC and see the same knick knack stuff on F street that was there a decade ago. Its the areas surrounding downtown that are unrecognizable, 2-4x more vibrant on average.

residents downtown are, indeed the answer. Crystal city could use the displaced office demand

[aquablue]

Originally Posted by dc_denizen

you're right, it is depressing to come back to DC and see the same knick knack stuff on F street that was there a decade ago. Its the areas surrounding downtown that are unrecognizable, 2-4x more vibrant on average.

residents downtown are, indeed the answer. Crystal city could use the displaced office demand

Yes, a displacement of office workers to such an area (or a new area) and a gradual conversion/redvelopment of downtown DC office buildings to mixed-use would probably be the best outcome if height limits are never to be raised.

I would personally up-zone a limited area of DC for skyscraper office development that lies on brown-fields or other blighted land (areas of NE, SE maybe) that is adequately distant from the monumental core so as to not disturb the grandeur of it. I would think of it as a Canary Wharf/La Defense style development of DC. I think the offices would be better off staying rather than going to Virginia so the district can reap the tax benefits. A cluster of tall buidings never hurt London or Paris' monumental core as they are distant enough to not be intrustive. The same could happen in DC. Again, the offices moving to Rosslyn or Crystal City or such place in Virginia would be a major loss for DC's tax base.

NOMA could have been upzoned to taller towers. Not skyscrapers, but decent 100m towers. I think that was rather short sighted. The height limits being raised in a limited area like NoMA wouldn't be a problem, they are far enough away from the Capitol and the Mall IMO to not cause major issues with destruction of the monumental grandeur.