District Square Retailers and Other Wharf News

 

While dozens of restaurants have been announced for District Wharf over the past several months, only recently have we been hearing about other types of retail that will be opening in the first phase of development. Today brings news of six more retailers – five of which will be coming to District Square, the area connected to District Pier at 9th Street and Maine Avenue. Joining Politics and Prose will be the following, according to a press release: 

• A Beautiful Closet, a boutique concept founded by former World Bank staff member Pamela Sofola, CPA, will open its first DC location at The Wharf. The 1,045 SF boutique will feature an artfully curated selection of clothing, jewelry, gifts, home décor, fair trade goods, and inspirational items from countries around the world, as well as offer personalized styling consultations. 
• BLINK Optical, the DC-based eyewear company, will open its third DC location in District Square, focusing on handmade eyewear, including prescription glasses and sunglasses, and will introduce exciting, exclusive new products handmade ins the U.S. as well as the new ic! Berlin screwless eyewear and Tarian spring collections at its new 1,149 SF location. Dr. George Flocos will provide eye exams at this location. 
• Blush Med Skincare, the Washington, DC area “health club for your skin,” brings its innovative monthly membership-based skin care concept to District Square. Founded by Dr. Arleen Lamba, Blush Med Skincare merges together skincare and makeup lines with a unique mix of skincare products many of which as exclusive to the market and organic. The 1,500 SF space will be the brand’s third DC area location. 
• Harper Macaw, the local and responsibly-sourced chocolate manufacturer founded in Washington, DC, will open its first store outside of the Northeast DC factory. Harper Macaw’s mission is to provide customers with the ultimate chocolate experience with products that support rainforest restoration and protection. The 831 SF space will sell their full line of chocolate bars and drops. 
• Ligne Roset, the high-end contemporary French furniture manufacturer, with showrooms around the world, is opening its second DC location at The Wharf with a 2,749 SF corner store. Collaborating with established and up-and coming designers, The Wharf location will feature a more edgy selection from the brand’s furniture line as well as long time classics and complementary accessories and lighting. 

In addition, a retailer not located on District Square was announced: 

• Patrick’s Fine Linens & Home Decor, the Alexandria-based lifestyle luxury retail store will open its first Washington, DC location at The Wharf. Patrick's second location is excited to bring upscale home decor brands and quality gifts to the charming 899 square foot store on Water Street facing DC’s southwest waterfront. 

Apparently, there has been a name change for Med Lahou’s (the owner of Station 4) planned Italian restaurant coming to Pearl Street from Marinai Pizzeria to Lupo Marino. These retail announcements follow the feature that Eater published earlier this month about restaurants coming to District Wharf. They include: 

• District Doughnut, which first opened on Barracks Row in Capitol Hill. 
• Kith and Kin, per the Washington Business Journal, will be a 3,500 SF restaurant from Top Chef’s Kwame Onwuachi (who opened Shaw Bijou and then closed within three months) coming to the ground floor of the InterContinental Hotel with “Caribbean flavors, Creole cuisine and African accents.” 
• Whiskey Charlie, a 2,200 SF rooftop bar at the Canopy by Hilton hotel. The name is the call signal WC for the Washington Channel. 

In other Wharf news, a parking garage is now open for patrons who want to visit the Municipal Fish Market. The cost is $2.00 for the first hour with validation. More information about cost and how to access the garage can be found here. 

Renderings courtesy of District Wharf

Wharf Hall to be Called The Anthem

The concert venue formerly known as Wharf Hall, planned by the operator of the 9:30 Club has a new name. According to Billboard, the venue will be called The Anthem and will open on October 12, the same date as the rest of phase one of District Wharf, which relaunched their website. Since the stage and backdrop are movable, seating capacity for The Anthem can vary between 2,500 to 6,000 seats, giving the venue an intimate feel. Aside from the moving stage, concert-goers will be able to see part of the rooftop pool on top of The Anthem since the bottom of the pool will be glass. The $60 million I.M.P. venue will be located at 9th Street and Maine Avenue with an entrance along Wharf Street. 

Rendering courtesy of District Wharf

L'Enfant Plaza Hotel to Become a Hilton Property

The L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, which was closed in 2014 for extensive renovations after it was purchased by Sanford Hotels Group, will become a Hilton property (h/t to Waterfront Gateway Association). The Hilton Washington DC National Mall hotel is located above the recently renovated east office building and will open in 2018. There will be a total of 367 hotel rooms, including 18 suites and two Presidential Suites. According to the hotel’s website, the following amenities will be available: 

• 21,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space 
• Grand ballroom accommodates up to 800 people 
• Super fast wireless internet in all meeting rooms 
• Complimentary wireless access in all public spaces 
• Complete conference services staff and audio/visual team 
• All guestrooms feature one or two king beds 
• Executive concierge lounge with complimentary continental breakfast each morning and hors d’oeuvres each evening 
• Non-smoking hotel with designated smoking area outside 
• Contemporary full-service restaurant / bar / lounge 
• Full service market and sundry shop Room service 
• Outdoor pool with lounge seating and fire pits 
• Fitness center with professional cardiovascular & aerobic equipment 
• Valet and self-garage parking 

This isn’t the first Hilton hotel planned for L’Enfant Plaza. A Homewood Suites by Hilton was planned to be built at 9th and D streets by JBG, but those plans have been put on hold indefinitely. 

Rendering courtesy of Sanford Hotels Group

Kastles May Return to The Wharf

The Washington Business Journal broke the news last week that the Washington Kastles are in "a continuing dialogue" to return to The Wharf, perhaps for the 2017 season in July as phase one of the massive waterfront redevelopment nears completion. While the WBJ doesn’t give much details about where the stadium would be located (except that it would be on a partially floating pier), it was reported here in March of last year that the planned Transit Pier could be used for that purpose: 

Phillips Flagship occupies roughly where Parcel 2 will be built. An entertainment venue called Wharf Hall with capacity for up to 6,500 patrons, along with a co-generation plant and two mixed income apartment buildings (several with micro units), will replace Phillips Flagship. A Transit Pier will be built nearby to serve water taxis and can accommodate several roles, such as an ice skating rink in the winter and (with the addition of barges along its sides for seating) a stadium for the Washington Kastles, if they choose to return. 

The Kastles played for three seasons at 9th and Water streets before moving to the Smith Center in Foggy Bottom last year to make way for construction of The Wharf. At one point last year, the team was looking to stay in Southwest and play at Waterfront Station on one of the vacant parcels facing M Street; however, the deal fell through. During their tenure at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, the team won three straight Mylan World Team Tennis Championships and broke the record for the most consecutive wins by a U.S. professional sports team with 34 straight wins. The proposed transit pier location is less than a block away from the former stadium footprint.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Wharf Hotel Site Sold

Carr City Centers has closed on a development site at The Wharf – Parcel 3B which is slated for a 278-key Intercontinental Hotel. The site was purchased from master developer Hoffman-Madison Waterfront. Parcel 3B is located at the intersection of Maine Avenue and 9th Street on the Wharf Street side. According to a press release, the hotel will have 17,000 square feet of water-view meeting space, a signature restaurant, spa, rooftop pool and bar. A separate entrance with an elevator will lead to a sky-view lounge on the 12th floor. The hotel will begin construction in the first quarter of 2016 with completion scheduled for the second quarter of 2017. This is one of three hotels that will open in the first phase of The Wharf. Hoffman-Madison Waterfront purchased Parcel 5 from The JBG Companies where an extended stay and lifestyle brand hotel will be built. An Aloft and Element were mentioned previously as the hotel brands that would be coming to Parcel 5, but a formal announcement will be made over the next three months. 

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Update: The WBJ has some additional details about the hotel.  Additional amenities for this "urban resort" include a rooftop infinity pool, a two-story presidential suite on the 11th and 12th floors, and about 5,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.  From the article:

The Wharf Intercontinental Hotel will be the brand's more contemporary version of luxury: clad in glass on two sides, an open-concept, glass-enclosed lobby with a restaurant whose glass outer wall will open up to the sidewalk, creating an interaction between diners and the waterfront...Industrial and maritime touches will be included throughout the hotel, which is being designed by a collaboration between project architect BBGM and Parker-Torres.

Wharf Update

Three more cranes have arrived on-site at The Wharf over the past couple of weeks to help with demolishing the existing docks at the Gangplank Marina and the seawall. Gangplank Slipholders Association President Karen Anderson brings word that construction fencing has cut off the lower portion of the seawall promenade between 7th Street and what was formerly Phillips Flagship. The restaurant closed late last month and will reopen in a much smaller takeout format at L’Enfant Plaza this summer. Pier 7 Restaurant at the Channel Inn closed in late March. Meanwhile, Jenny’s Asian Fusion is still open for the time being and the Maine Avenue Fish Market will remain open through the duration of construction. Seventh Street Landing is also a part of the construction zone, so activities that used to take place over there have been moved downchannel to Gangplank Park closer to 6th Street, including Bufus’ King Ribs. 

Water Street

Water Street is now closed to traffic between 7th and 9th Streets while utility relocation work gets started. In addition, parking is no longer allowed along Water Street from 7th Street to the fish market. The street will no longer exist when phase one of The Wharf is completed in late 2017.

Wharf Groundbreaking Next Month

It was announced at this evening's ANC 6D meeting by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront that they intend to hold a groundbreaking ceremony sometime in late March for phase one of The Wharf. Phase one includes parcels 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, and the waterfront park, which goes from west of 9th Street  to 7th Street and then skips to St. Augustine's at 6th and Maine avenues. More information about phase one can be found here. Waterfront establishments including Phillips Flagship and the Channel Inn have been given official notice that they must close by May 10th. The Channel Inn will become the construction office for the builders and the Capital Yacht Club will be moving its operations there until their new building is completed. Jenny's Asian Fusion may also reopen in a smaller space at the Channel Inn. Phillips Flagship will not be relocated to the Channel Inn, but has signed a lease in the neighborhood (presumably at L'Enfant Plaza since it was reported back in July that it was one of the restaurants that may open at phase two of the retail redevelopment). Cantina Marina and the Fish Market will remain open through construction of phase one, although the land side of the fish market will be cleaned up (above-ground utility poles will be relocated, etc.).

An eight-foot fence and signage will arrive at the waterfront over the next couple of weeks. The construction process of phase one will last approximately 42 months with completion expected in late 2017. One of the first things to happen on the site will be the construction of a 50-space parking lot for the Maine Avenue Fish Market, followed by lane closures along portions of Maine Avenue to allow the relocation of utilities from Water Street and the construction of a new northbound turn lane to the fish market. At the same time, the piers at Gangplank Marina will be dismantled. During this summer, more utility work will be done on Maine Avenue, Phillips Flagship will be demolished, and bulkhead demolition will occur. By the end of 2014, all utilities will be moved to Maine Avenue and excavation will begin on the site. Vertical construction will be done by the middle of 2016 with facade work and interiors completed by the fall of 2017.

Information about the construction schedule, including street closures, a FAQ, and other details will be posted on the project's website within the next 48 hours.

Renderings courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Houseboat Shuffle

In another sign that the transformation of the Southwest Waterfront to The Wharf will soon begin, houseboats at the Gangplank Marina have started to be relocated to temporary quarters. For instance, some houseboat owners at F Dock near 7th Street are being shifted south to C Dock. The houseboats are being moved so construction can begin on phase one of The Wharf. During this phase, the Capital Yacht Club will be moved from its current location next to Jenny’s Asian Fusion at 1000 Water Street and rebuilt between 7th and 9th streets. Back in August, Kastles Stadium at The Wharf was dismantled. No financing agreement has been publicly announced yet for the project and therefore no official construction start date has been set.

Kastles Stadium Leaves the Wharf

In a sign that construction may begin at The Wharf sometime before next July, Kastles Stadium at The Wharf has been dismantled. The stadium has been a fixture at 9th and Water streets for the past three seasons and all that's left now are the lights and ticket window. Before the stadium opened in 2011, Hogates/H2O nighclub was located at that corner.  By 2016, the site will become an office building and an Intercontinental Hotel with ground level retail. The office building will front Maine Avenue and the hotel will face the wharf and Washington Channel.

An earlier rendering of the planned Intercontinental Hotel from Transit Pier.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman Madison Waterfront

A Couple Quick Items: Southwest Neighborhood Night at Nats Park, Wharf Micro Units

The Washington Nationals will have their annual Southwest Neighborhood Night when they play the Milwaukee Brewers on July 2 (which happens to be my birthday) at Nationals Park. Local community members will be honored during the game. Discounted tickets are available in certain sections for area residents. Use the coupon code SOUTHWEST when purchasing tickets.

 

Another article about the micro units that are planned for some of the rental apartment units at parcel 2 in The Wharf, this time in Urban Turf. Parcel 2 is the large apartment building with the Wharf Center venue on the bottom levels at 9th Street and Maine Avenue. According to the article, about 17% of the units will be small studio units between 330 and 380 square feet. From the article:

At The Wharf, built-ins will fill up one entire wall, from the doorway to the window. Shelves for books, an armoire for clothing, a sleek kitchen and a Murphy bed that turns into a couch and shelf at night allow residents to make better use of the available floor space..Rather than swinging doors, the Wharf units will have a sliding barn door. The bathroom will have natural light coming through a translucent glass wall near the shower.

 Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Small Area Plan to Move Forward, KIPP Plan Stalls

The Mayor announced last week that the Small Area Plan process will move forward for Southwest, which in effect stalls KIPP DC's plans for the Randall Recreation Center site at South Capitol and I streets. Several neighborhood and civic organizations called on the Mayor to keep the SAP process moving forward after KIPP DC began maneuvering to build a new school and recreation center at the site, which has been contentious to say the least. KIPP DC's ambitious timeline called for a new school to open in time for the 2014-15 school year; however, the Small Area Plan will take about a year to complete. The plan boundaries are South Capitol Street to the east, 9th and Water streets to the west, the Southwest Freeway to the north and P Street to the south, which includes several District-owned parcels. The area highlighted in red on the map above shows the primary focus area, where most of the new development opportunity sites and primary urban design issues are located. The areas highlighted in blue are the secondary study area where neighborhood conservation, neighborhood connectivity, and sustainability are the primary focus.

Kick-off occurs this month and the plan will be developed over the next nine months with a series of public meetings. Final draft recommendations will be made by March 2014 along with a draft plan for public comment. By April 2014, the Mayor will transmit the plan to the DC Council for approval. Once completed, the Small Area Plan will guide land use and provide a neighborhood development framework to enhance pedestrian access, improve street connectivity and transportation options, integrate community amenities, and better serve residents.

Map courtesy of the Office of Planning

L'Enfant Plaza Construction

 

Some changes have occurred inside and outside L’Enfant Plaza over the past few weeks. First off, Sandella’s Flatbread Cafe has opened in the food court area. Meanwhile, the area where the pyramid skylight is located has been sealed off as a part of phase two of the renovation project. Construction has begun on the new glass atrium that will be built on the plaza, which by 2014 will be the new entryway to the retail area of L’Enfant Plaza facing 10th Street. SmithGroup has designed the new atrium and retail center. More shops and restaurants are slated to open next year. Back in 2011, JBG was hoping to bring a fitness center and child care facility to the second phase, and talks with grocers to open a small store were not successful. Some sit-down restaurants are envisioned for the second food court and they hope to "push the envelope" with having some of the stores stay open later and on weekends. No word yet on when the Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel will begin construction at 9th & D streets.
 

The new glass atrium will be complete next year.

 Rendering courtesy of SmithGroup JJR

Rock & Roll Marathon Road Closures Tomorrow

The Southwest community will see 4,500 full marathon runners between 8:45am – 11:45am coming out of the 9th Street tunnel onto Maine Avenue, down 6th Street, onto Water Street, into the Anacostia Trail out onto P Street, down 2nd Street, left onto V Street, north on 1st Street, right on Potomac Avenue, and a turnaround on South Capitol Street (Southbound lanes only) and outbound over the Frederick Douglass Bridge.  For all additional details on the event and street closures, please visit the website: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/usa/event-details.

Federal Triangle South?

Well that was fast.  Only a couple of months after finalizing the Southwest Ecodistrict Draft Plan, the General Services Administration issued a "Notice of Intent" to issue a Request for Information over the next 90 days for five properties the agency controls in the area, including its Regional Office Building at 7th & D Street.  The other properties include the Department of Energy's Forrestal Complex, the Cotton Annex, and two buildings occupied by the FAA.  The properties roughly create a triangle shape, bounded by Independence Avenue to the north, 12th Street to the west, and Maryland Avenue, parts of 9th Street, D Street, and 7th Street to the south.  In fact, the parcels are referred to as Federal Triangle South in the Notice of Intent. The RFI seeks to do the following:

• Gather market input on meeting Federal facility space needs
• Identify potential redevelopment and transaction structures
• Achieve best value to the Government, promote fair and transparent competition and discover the most beneficial technical and financial solution

 

This move by the GSA can potentially lead to the transformation of a large area adjacent to the National Mall into a lively, mixed-use environment.  However, with a name like Federal Triangle South, that doesn't exactly give off a "mixed use" vibe, given the way the original Federal Triangle looks right now.  Personally, I prefer the "Independence Quarter" moniker used in the SW Ecodistrict Draft Plan for the area.

A Few Quick Items: DC United Stadium Buzz, Bible Museum Coming to SW, Constitution Center Sale Pending, Equity Stake at L’Enfant Plaza for Sale, Veterans Memorial Financed

 - There was an article last week in Sporting News that gave an update on the prospects for DC United’s push for a new stadium.  The new ownership group is starting to have conversations with the city to get them on board with funding infrastructure improvements and assembling land for a soccer stadium. Buzzard Point remains the likely site in the District for the new stadium, although DC United is also in talks with Baltimore officials to possibly relocate to that city. The Buzzard Point site is only a few blocks southwest of Nationals Park and the two facilities would be linked together by Potomac Avenue.

- Vornado is selling two office buildings it owns near the Federal Center SW Metro and one of them – The Washington Design Center at 300 D Street – will most likely be the new home of a bible museum, according to the Washington Business Journal (subscribers only).  From the article:

An affiliate of The Museum of the Bible, a nonprofit organization, has a contract to buy the design center to display its multimillion-dollar collection of sacred texts, artifacts and other items known as the Green Collection, according to sources familiar with the deal…It could take four or five years to open the museum because a large portion of the items to be displayed are now part of a traveling exhibition and will not be available for display immediately.

- Constitution Center, the massive 1.4 million SF office building on top of the L’Enfant Plaza Metro that went up for sale last year is close to finding a buyer. According to citybizlist, MetLife is nearing a deal to purchase the building for somewhere in the vicinity of $750 million.

- According to an article in Capital Business, an equity stake in L’Enfant Plaza is up for sale by JBG, the owner of most of the complex. The equity stake for sale is only for the existing office buildings, not the improvements underway and planned. Those improvements include a new Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel planned for the southeast corner of 9th & D Street, an expansion of the existing retail center, as well as an office building planned on the southeast side of the complex. Eventually, another office building is planned for the plaza area.

- The proposed American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial has received over $6 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Public Lands Highway Discretionary Program according to the BeyondDC blog. The 2.4-acre memorial is planned for the triangle formed by Washington Avenue, 2nd Street, and C Street. Back in 2010, the National Capital Planning Commission approved the design of the memorial, but infrastructure funding was still needed. With funding now in place, construction will begin next year with dedication planned in early 2014.

Rendering courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission

SW Ecodistrict Draft Released

The National Capital Planning Commission released the SW Ecodistrict Draft Plan last week.  The plan proposes to transform a 15-block predominantly federal precinct located just south of the National Mall into a highly sustainable, walkable neighborhood that connects the Mall and the Southwest Waterfront, and becomes a showcase of sustainable urban development and the site for new nationally significant memorials, museums, and events.  The proposed SW Ecodistrict comprises almost 110-acres bounded by Independence Avenue, Maine Avenue, 12th Street, and 4th Street.  I've written about the process on several occasions, so I won't go into much detail here about what the plan contains, but following are some highlights:


The plan suggests to re-create and connect streets throughout the Ecodistrict, including Maryland Avenue, Virginia Avenue, and 9th Street.  New pedestrian connections will also be created throughout.


The draft plan proposes four focus areas that would transform the area:

• Independence Quarter: A mixed-use community anchored by a new U.S. Department of Energy headquarters. The Forrestal Headquarters would be redeveloped with uses including residential, hotel, museums, and office.
• Maryland Avenue: A restored urban boulevard centered on a re-imagined park and an expanded L’Enfant Station intermodal center.  The DC Department of Planning released a draft plan for the Maryland Avenue corridor that was approved by the DC Council earlier this year.

An expanded L'Enfant commuter rail station.

• 10th Street and Banneker Park: An inviting civic corridor connecting the National Mall to the SW Waterfront, highlighted by Banneker Park—a nationally significant cultural destination. The demolition of the Forrestal complex would open views along 10th Street to the Smithsonian Castle.

Rendering of the 10th Street corridor.

A redesigned Banneker Park.

• Southwest Freeway: A collection of private mixed-use development and solar panels built on air rights over the SW Freeway. A deck over I-395 would stretch from 12th Street to 9th Street while solar panels would be installed from 9th Street to east of 7th Street.

Aerial view of the SW Ecodistrict.

The public comment period on the draft plan will last until September 10.  If you want to learn more about the draft plan, there will be a public meeting tomorrow from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at 1100 4th Street, second floor.

Renderings courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission

Refurbished Tennis Courts

I wasn't able to make this event since my family was in town last weekend. Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells joined Southwest residents and representatives from the Washington Kastles and the US Tennis Association (USTA) in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for three refurbished Jefferson Field tennis courts at 9th & G Street on Saturday, June 16th.  The tennis courts were restored to usage by a grant from the USTA and American Express.    

The Kastles begin their second season on the Southwest Waterfront next month.  Their first home match will be on Thursday, July 12th against the New York Sportimes. The last home match will be on July 24th, which was supposed to be headlined by Venus Williams, but her match was rescheduled to July 16th since she will most likely be participating in the Olympics.  Check here for the full schedule.

Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival

The annual Southwest Waterfront Fireworks Festival is only three days away and preparations are underway along the waterfront for the day-long event. Above is a map of the venues involved with the festival, which stretches along Water Street for three blocks from 6th Street to 9th Street. I wrote about the events planned at the festival last week, but below is some additional information:

Several food trucks will be on hand at Kastles Stadium, including Fojol Brothers, Red Hook Lobster Pound, TaKorean, DC Slices, Cap Mac, Sidewalk Sweetsations, Goode's Mobile Kitchen, and Tasty Kabob. Lincoln is a sponsor of the food truck area at the stadium and will be giving out a four-pack of $5 coupons for use exclusively at the food trucks for anyone who test drives a Lincoln. The food truck area will be open from 1pm - 8:30pm. 

The latest weather forecast for Saturday is sunny and 66 degrees, a huge improvement over the craptastic start to last year's festival, when a hail storm and windy conditions suppressed crowds.  about 20,000 people are expected this year.

A Few Quick Items: Wharf Center Design, St. Matthew’s PUD, Hirshhorn Multimedia

- The Washington Examiner has some details about The Wharf Center, a 5,000-seat concert hall planned for Phase I of development at The Wharf.  It will be designed by The Rockwell Group, the same designer as LA’s Kodak Theatre (home of the Academy Awards) and would be DC’s second largest concert hall after the Verizon Center.  It would compete with DAR Constitution Hall and Wolftrap’s Filene Center for shows.  From the article:

"We will have a high-quality, marquee venue here, [there's] nothing else like it in the Washington region," said [Monty] Hoffman, whose company is co-developing the $2 billion project with Madison Marquette. "It's going to be unabashedly a rock music hall."

It was reported last month that the developers were in negotiations with the 9:30 Club to operate the venue.  The Wharf Center will be a 135,000 SF multipurpose entertainment and cultural venue on Parcel 2, located near the Maine Avenue Fish Market at 9th Street and Maine Avenue. Wrapped around it will be 494 mixed income apartment units in two towers (292 units in the east tower and 202 units in the west tower), and 39,000 SF of ground floor retail.  In addition, there will be a Combined Heating and Power Facility (CHP).  Construction is planned to begin in the first quarter of 2013, pending approval of the Stage 2 PUD application.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

- DCMud covered the second half of the Zoning Commission hearing that occurred this past Monday for the St. Matthew’s PUD.  The article focused primarily on the two individuals that testified against the development planned for Delaware Avenue and M Street (never mind there were over a dozen people who testified in support of it that evening).  Check out the video from the meeting.

Rendering courtesy of Shalom Baranes Architects

- As reported in The Washington Post, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is gearing up for a public art display called “SONG 1” by Doug Aitken that will project images on the exterior of the cylindrical museum starting today, from sunset until midnight, and will last through May 13.  From the article:

The continuous visual loop will fracture images, swirl, swoop and transform the already famous building into a 360-degree panorama that viewers can experience any number of ways: at a fixed point watching it all unfold, walking around the building to see what’s occurring at other vantage points; driving by what may seem like a moving two-story billboard on the Mall or from a distance, where it may look like a Vegas spaceship that’s landed on the august expanse of monuments, museums and grass.

The loop will last 45 minutes and will be accompanied by several versions of the song “I Only Have Eyes for You." I Tweeted last week that I saw the Hirshhorn lit up (I guess it was a test run) but didn’t know at the time why.  Check out the Post's photo gallery for much better quality photos than the one I took with my camera phone that night. 

L'Enfant Plaza 2.0

L’Enfant Plaza’s retail center transformation continues moving forward, which began back in 2009. The retail center, two office buildings, and a hotel at the massive complex are owned by The JBG Companies and the renovated retail center was designed by SmithGroup. Now open at the food court: Potbelly Sandwich Works, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Starbucks, Crumbs Bake Shop, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Au Bon Pain, Frozen Yogurt Indulgence, Gourmet Too, Mina’s Boutique, Nash’s Mens Wear, 4-U, Hallmark Cards, Gateway Newsstand, Jay Jewelers, a sports injury rehab center, and a post office. A few other retailers are still scheduled to open over the next few months, including Five Guys and Mamma Ilardo’s.  Several of the restaurants are open beyond 5pm during the work week and are also open on Saturday. 

Hallmark Cards is one of the retailers who moved from the old retail promenade to the renovated center. 

Construction on Phase II is underway and demolition will soon begin on the western portion of the existing retail center with completion scheduled for the third quarter of 2013. Many retailers have expressed interest in coming to Phase II of the retail center, according to Matt Ginivan of JBG, who attended the International Council of Shopping Centers conference last week at National Harbor. Some of the targeted retailers at Phase II include sit down restaurants, as well as a fitness center and child care facility.

Rendering of the atrium interior planned for Phase II

A couple of weeks ago, the Commission of Fine Arts approved designs for the grand glass atrium entryway planned for the plaza in Phase II; however, ZGF (Zimmer Gunsul Frasca) needs to go back to the drawing table on the planned office building on Frontage Road since the commission requested a number of changes to those preliminary designs. 

Rendering of atrium exterior on the plaza.

Meanwhile, renovations are also underway on the east office tower, which includes the addition of glass to the lobby area to give it some “pop” and compliments the glass atrium planned for the plaza. The hotel above the east office building was recently renovated and construction on a new extended-stay Homewood Suites hotel will get underway at 9th and D Street this summer. The addition of windows at the food court, as well as the new atrium and office lobby improvements in the east tower will add more light throughout the complex. Eventually, an office building is planned for the plaza itself, but those plans are still preliminary.  

Glass additions to the east office building lobby are visible in the background.

Even though L’Enfant Plaza is geographically close to the residential area of Southwest, access to the complex by foot is daunting. In the intermediate and long-term, there are plans to make improvements. The developer is looking to eventually improve pedestrian connections from the south with the construction of the proposed Frontage Road office building.  As a part of the Southwest Ecodistrict initiative, there are plans to remake 10th Street into a pedestrian-friendly street that will better connect L’Enfant Plaza to The Wharf development and the rest of Southwest. In addition, the DC Office of Planning has been working on the Maryland Avenue Draft Plan in conjunction with the Southwest Ecodistrict which calls for a new south entrance to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station.

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroup