I Street Church to be Redeveloped

Bethel Church DC360 at 60 I Street is slated for redevelopment. Cornerstone Development has plans to develop a 186,000 SF residential building on the church property. The site is located across the street from the Randall School site, which will be redeveloped by Lowe Enterprises and Telesis/Rubell into a modern art museum and residential project. 

Waterfront Academy is located on the second floor of Bethel, so as a result of the church redevelopment and the school’s growth, it is searching for a new home and has embarked on a $13 million fundraising campaign. Waterfront Academy is a dual immersion (Spanish and English) Montessori school with emphasis on charity and stewardship in the Catholic tradition. The school wants to stay in the SWDC area, where it’s been since opening in 2014. Before opening at Bethel, Waterfront Academy planned to locate on the 1200 block of South Capitol Street. 

According to a fundraising email sent by the school, the new space will allow Waterfront Academy to serve at least 135 students each year. The school will be modeled after the traditional Spanish colony and will feature a Chapel, Library, Teacher’s Lounge, Administrative Office Suite, Infirmary, Gymnasium, Kitchen, one Nido (Infant) Classroom, two Toddler Classrooms, three Casa (Preschool) Classrooms, two Lower Elementary Classrooms, two Upper Elementary Classrooms, one Middle School Classroom, and an outdoor plaza featuring an Urban Farm, Outdoor Classrooms, and Natural Play Space. 

Bethel Church DC360 is the latest house of worship to face redevelopment in Southwest. St. Augustine’s at 6th and Maine moved into its new space in 2016, adjacent to 525 Water condos that was developed by PN Hoffman. A few blocks east on M Street, St. Matthews’ long journey to a new home is months away from completion as construction continues on its new sanctuary and adjacent Valo apartment building by Trammell Crow. Riverside Baptist Church at 7th Street and Maine Avenue partnered with PN Hoffman to redevelop their site with space for a new sanctuary along Maine Avenue and an apartment building at the corner of 7th and I streets named The Banks. Over at Westminster Church, the congregation is finalizing an agreement with a developer to build a new sanctuary on the 600 block of I Street along with mixed income housing. One house of worship in the neighborhood that didn’t get redeveloped into housing is the Living Hope Church at 1200 1st Street. The building has been converted into Kadampa Meditation Center Washington DC Temple for World Peace and received a new paint job and signage in recent months. Although the old Friendship Baptist Church at Delaware Avenue and H Street was originally planned to be redeveloped as a condominium project, the developer changed course and leased the space to Blind Whino SW Arts Club. Land adjacent to the church building was slated to become a temporary housing facility for homeless families, but those plans were scuttled and the shelter will instead be built on the Unity Clinic site at Delaware Avenue and I Street.

Randall PUD Revisions Submitted

Now that Lowe Enterprises has been brought on as a developer partner in the redevelopment of Randall School on I Street to a mixed-use project, revisions have been made to the previously approved (and recently extended) PUD. One major change to the previous PUD is the removal of an annex building for the museum, which results in a larger courtyard separating the historic Randall School building and the proposed apartments. In addition, the design of the apartment building has been revised to further open up the courtyard – a portion of the wings of the apartment building was pulled away from the historic building. The courtyard will be open during the day and closed at night with gates. 

West view of courtyard

The east and central buildings will contain an approximately 32,000 SF modern art museum. The museum entrance has been shifted to the east building, which will allow the center building to be fully restored. Originally, a restaurant was planned in the east building’s auditorium, but instead this space will contain museum space with larger pieces of art, as well as ancillary retail (café, bookstore, gift shop). A mix of commercial, retail, and non-profit uses are still planned in the west building, but a mezzanine level will be added to increase the amount of usable space. 

Museum entrance moved to east building

Meanwhile, the residential entrance will now be in the center of the apartment building on H Street. The number of units have been reduced from 520 to 489 units. While the number of units have been reduced, the percentage of units set aside as affordable will remain – 20% of the units will be set aside as affordable to households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income. Most of the units will be apartments, but a portion may be built as condos. The parking garage entrance has been moved to the northeast corner and a total of 301 spaces are planned. The ground floor of the apartment building might include retail/service uses and two-level units might be created. Penthouse configuration and trellis placement are also changing slightly. The Bing Thom-designed apartment building has been refined by Beyer Blindle Belle, simplifying the façade to allow balconies and to further distinguish the historic Randall buildings from the new construction.

Former design 

Current design

If approved, abatement of the historic buildings are expected to start in late 2018, then demolition of the non-historic portion, which would likely put the start of construction in 2020. 

Renderings courtesy of Lowe Enterprises

PUD Extensions Sought for Development Parcels

 

In addition to Forest City’s request for an extension of their PUD at Waterfront Station (and potential change in use from office to residential), PN Hoffman is seeking a two-year extension for the NE parcel next to CVS. Last year, PN Hoffman won the development rights for this parcel from DMPED to build a mixed-use project with ground floor retail, a black box theater, and 443 rental apartments. While extensions have been granted for the site before by DMPED, this is the first request from the developer of the project. PN Hoffman is still working on a disposition agreement with the city and intends to start the PUD process for their proposed project next winter. 

Another extension is being sought for the Randall School project, a long-planned development on I Street. Similar to the Waterfront Station project, this extension is being sought by a new developer. Lowe Enterprises recently came to an agreement with Telesis/Rubell to become the primary developer of the project. While the main elements of the project will remain, including a modern art museum, retail, commercial space, and mixed income apartments, some changes are planned. According to the developer, the two-year extension will allow Lowe Enterprises to make modifications to the plan to make the project work financially. If the extension is granted, a building permit would need to be obtained within two years and another year for construction to commence. Abatement of the historic buildings are expected to start in late 2018, then demolition of the non-historic portion, which would likely put the start of construction in 2020. 

Both of these extensions were presented at the April ANC 6D meeting and were supported by the commissioners. On the Waterfront Station site, the commissioners want PN Hoffman to maintain the brick pavers and activate the site prior to construction. At Randall, Lowe Enterprises has agreed to maintain the derelict property and put up signage touting plans for development.

Design Revealed for Ward 6 Temporary Family Housing Facility

Design concepts were unveiled last night at a community meeting to discuss the planned Ward 6 short-term family housing facility to be built at 850 Delaware Avenue. The site is currently occupied by a District-owned building that contains Unity Health Clinic. A new health clinic is planned as part of the new housing facility, located primarily on the lower level of the building with an entrance on I Street. The proposed building, designed by Studio 27 Architecture, will be seven stories tall and will house up to 50 homeless families at one time. On the ground floor of the building, there will be a dining room and kitchen, as well as a computer lab and administrative space. A fenced off play area will be created along Delaware Avenue. Each residential floor will have a common area on the north side of the building with TVs and seating where programming will be administered – these rooms will have views of the Capitol building due to their location along Delaware Avenue. In addition to the larger play area along Delaware Avenue, each floor will contain an outdoor play area. The design of the building maintains the view shed of the Capitol dome along Delaware Avenue by gradually stepping back the façade, creating small green spaces throughout. There will also be a large green roof, which helps the building obtain LEED-Gold certification. 

Back in February, the community was alerted to the fact that the city selected 700 Delaware Avenue (a site adjacent to Blind Whino) as the location of the Ward 6 short-term family housing facility. The Bowser administration wanted to close DC General and place a family homeless shelter in each ward of the city. After some community concerns were raised about the proposed 700 Delaware Avenue site, how it was selected, and the cost to the city for leasing it for the shelter, the DC Council changed the location to the District-owned 850 Delaware Avenue site. An Advisory Team was created to allow a variety of voices from the community to provide input on the plan and design for the project, including the ANC, Council member Charles Allen, and neighbors Greenleaf, Capitol Park IV, and Telesis (developer of the Randall School project). 

The facility's design will be refined over the next few weeks and the city will submit an application with the Board of Zoning Adjustment in January for the project, with the hope of starting construction after approval by November 2017. The Ward 6 facility is anticipated to open by the summer of 2019 when a Good Neighbor Agreement will be drafted. 

Rendering courtesy of Studio 27 Architecture

Signs of Life for Randall School Project?

There was a feature in Washingtonian about the Mera and Donald Rubell, who own the Capitol Skyline Hotel and have teamed up with Telesis to redevelop the former Randall School at First and Half streets into a modern art museum, restaurant, and 500+ multifamily rental apartments in two high-rise buildings. The revised project was approved back in 2014, but nothing has happened at the site. Earlier this year, it was announced at a community meeting that the development team added Lowe Enterprises to the project. In the Washingtonian article, it states “after years of delays, the couple is poised to break ground.” Unfortunately, the project architect Bing Thom (who also designed the remodeled Arena Stage) won’t be able to see the project to fruition since he passed away this week. 

Rendering courtesy of Bing Thom Architects

Family Homeless Shelter Planned for Square 643

Mayor Bowser announced this morning the location of eight community-based short-term family housing locations (family homeless shelters), one for each Ward of the city. These eight facilities will replace DC General, which is the current family homeless shelter and is scheduled for closure. Ward 6’s proposed location is on land adjacent to Blind Whino SW Arts Club at 700 Delaware Avenue. The proposed facility will house up to 50 families at a time in a seven-story building and may open by May 2018. According to the Mayor's office, the facility will offer the following:

• Private rooms for families
• Parking
• Playground & recreation space (Randall Field is located next door so if these amenities are included in the building, they would be redundant)
• Computer lab for residents
• Ongoing support services & programming for families

Former proposal for Square 643

Back in 2003 Steve Tanner, the owner of 700 Delaware Avenue (Square 643), planned to transform the old Friendship Baptist Church building into office space and build condominiums on the adjacent land. The project received PUD approval over a decade ago, but was delayed several times due to inaction on the redevelopment of Randall Junior High School across the street (coincidentally, a homeless shelter used to be located at Randall, but closed in anticipation of its redevelopment as a museum/residential project). Eventually, the developer came to an agreement with Blind Whino to convert the church into the non-profit Blind Whino SW Arts Club and a mural was painted on the building's exterior. The club opened in 2013, but the residential portion of the original development was not built. Other temporary uses for the site included batting cages for a youth baseball league and a community garden.  

With the proposed facility, the site's redevelopment would finally be complete; however, before construction can begin, the city will need to file a new PUD since the previous one for the site has expired. The DC Council will also need to approve all eight proposed sites. A community meeting to discuss the community-based short-term family housing proposal will be held on Thursday evening at 6:30pm at Friendship Baptist Church, located at 900 Delaware Avenue. 

Renderings courtesy of DC Government and Steve Tanner

Randall Park Renovations Finally Getting Underway

Construction fencing and equipment have appeared this week around Randall Park adjacent to Randall Recreation Center on I Street, which means the start of long-awaited improvements to the park should be imminent. Randall Park is one of the playgrounds slated for improvements as a part of the PlayDC initiative. The project has been delayed for over a year, first due to a proposal to build a charter high school on the site, then funding issues. Eventually, over $1 million was secured to fund the renovations.

Originally, the scope of improvements was to be more comprehensive, including: new playground equipment for all ages, renovation of the existing basketball/tennis courts, removal of asphalt and brick walls and installation of a new splash park and seating areas in the plaza area fronting I Street, a skate park, walking path, adult exercise equipment, drinking fountains, picnic & game tables, security lighting, fencing, landscaping and gates. There was an objection by the developers of the adjacent Randall School project to the placement of the skate park, which would have been located next to the eastern portion of their site. Subsequently, the Department of General Services determined that there was not enough funding to do all of the renovations in one phase, so the skate and splash parks, walking path, and adult exercise equipment will not be completed during this phase. The asphalt plaza fronting I Street will still be removed, but for now it will become a grassy area.

In addition to the park improvements, $250,000 has been set aside in the FY 2015 budget to renovate the historic recreation center building, due to the Community Benefits Agreement included in the DC United soccer stadium legislation passed by the DC Council last week. Programming will also be extended for Randall, which was set to lose funding at the end of FY 2015. Park improvements should be completed by next spring.

Rendering courtesy of DPR

Former SEU Campus to Become Actors' Housing

An article in Broadway World offers some details on the plan to develop the former Southeastern University campus at 6th and I streets into actor and apprentice housing for the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC). The campus was under contract back in October from The Graduate School USA. STC will be partnering with real estate developer Erkiletian Real Estate on the project. From the article:

The Company plans to transform the property into a residence for actor and apprentice housing, rehearsal and performance space, storage for costume and set equipment, education classrooms, and the STC administrative headquarters...In addition to a full public benefits and amenities package to be delivered in conjunction with the redevelopment, [Managing Director Chris] Jennings hopes the new location will foster partnerships with local community organizations and the STC Education department's programming. With the addition of more rehearsal studios and performance spaces, Southwest community members will be able to take advantage of the new location's resources at a reduced rate.

The campus has been vacant since The Graduate School USA absorbed SEU and the university lost its accreditation in 2009. The development will be located two blocks north of Arena Stage and adds another arts component to the 6th and I street corridors, which already has Arena Stage, weekly jazz and blues performances at Westminster, arts programming at Randall Recreation Center, and a planned modern art museum at the former Randall Junior High School.

Update: A Housing Complex article states that the planned residential units will include both market-rate and artists' housing.

2013 in Review

Since 2013 has come to a close, let’s take a brief look back at the major events that shaped the year in Southwest and what is in store for 2014. 

The Wharf 

Arguably the largest development project in Southwest took a major step forward in 2013 when the Zoning Commission approved the Stage 2 Planned Unit Development (PUD) application for phase one of the Wharf. While ground breaking was supposed to occur by the end of 2013, the timeline has slipped to 2014 since a financing agreement has not been made public yet. Meanwhile, the houseboats at the Gangplank Marina were moved this fall to make way for construction and businesses along the waterfront were given notice to vacate within five months. 

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Apartment Wave Hits Southwest 

Leasing began in April at Camden South Capitol, the first new rental apartment building to open in Southwest in decades. So far, more than half of the units at the 276-unit building have been leased; however, the ground floor retail space at South Capitol and O streets is still vacant. Camden hopes to attract a restaurant to the space, located across the street from Nationals Park. 

In addition, leasing was supposed to begin on December 2 at the East tower of Sky House, the adaptive reuse of the former EPA towers at Waterfront Station, but it was delayed by a month to January 2. There are a total of 266 units at the East tower, located at 1150 4th Street, with 20% set aside as affordable housing for residents earning up to 50% of Area Median Income. A second 264-unit tower will open in spring 2014 at 1151 4th Street. 

Waterfront Station 

Aside from Sky House, other activity is underway at Waterfront Station. The last retailer to open along 4th Street was Z-Burger back in 2012. Since then, it was learned in May that the two vacant storefronts on the northern end of 1101 4th Street have been leased by restaurateur Atul Bhola to open Masala Art, an Indian restaurant. This would be the second Masala Art restaurant – the other restaurant is located in Tenleytown. Building permits are stuck on the windows and visible work on the tenant build-out began in November. It is rumored that the restaurant will open in June 2014. This leaves two vacant retail spaces at Waterfront Station – one each at 1100 and 1101 4th Street. 

Meanwhile, planning is underway for a residential building by Forest City and Vornado on the vacant northwest parcel next to the future Masala Art. A PUD was filed in late 2012 and the project went through the zoning approval process in 2013, with PUD approval received in September. The 360-unit building will have all market-rate units and approximately 5,300 square feet of ground floor retail space. There will be 12 two-level townhouse units with private entrances on Makemie Place and along a private drive to be built to the north of the project. Construction may begin sometime in 2014. 

Rendering courtesy of Waterfront 1001 4th Street, LLC

Town Center East 

In June, HPRB designated both multifamily buildings at Town Center East and the grounds as historic. The buildings, located on 3rd Street between K Street and M Street, were designed by I.M. Pei and built in 1960-61. The owners at Waterfront Tower, along with the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, applied for historic designation in response to a PUD submitted by The Bernstein Companies to build two large multifamily buildings on the parking lots of the existing Pei buildings and a smaller building on the courtyard separating the two existing buildings. After the HPRB designation, the Bernstein Companies altered their plans and among several things, removed a small building that was to be built along 3rd Street. After reviewing the changes, the ANC reversed their prior disapproval with the PUD and offered conditional support in September.

Rendering courtesy of Maurice Walters Architect, PC

Randall 

 

A contentious proposal to build a charter high school for KIPP DC kept the future of the Randall Recreation Center site at South Capitol and I streets in limbo. Back in the fall of 2012, the District government announced that Randall would be one of 32 playgrounds across the city that it would improve during the 2013 fiscal year. In addition, the plaza area facing I Street would be upgraded with a skate park and fountains. The project was put on hold while the KIPP proposal was being vetted, but ultimately, the city decided against the KIPP proposal. It’s unknown at this point when the playground and plaza area will be improved, but presumably it will happen sometime in 2014. Meanwhile, some limited programming was implemented over the summer at the recreation center, which has been underfunded and underutilized for years. More robust programming is now underway, which started this week. 

Next door to the pool and recreation center, Telesis/Rubell have been advancing their plans for the Randall Junior High School site. According to the revised PUD, a non-profit contemporary art museum from the collection of the Rubell family will be located in the original 1906 center building - the first floor of the museum will be used as a community cultural space that is open to the public, with an art gallery featuring local artists, 100-seat auditorium, library, bookstore, café, and meeting space. The upper two levels will house the museum exhibits. Other arts-related uses will be located in the west wing – perhaps a culinary incubator. A destination restaurant with outdoor seating will be in the east wing (both wings were built in 1927). Behind the center building, a new three-story addition will house additional exhibition space for the art museum. Two 12-story towers with 550 residential units will wrap behind the historic buildings and courtyard. The courtyard will be open to the public and six commercial spaces may be created on the ground level facing the courtyard containing artist studios. Twenty percent of the residential units will be set aside as affordable to households earning up to 80% of AMI. The ANC gave qualified support for the PUD and the Historic Preservation Review Board approved the project in November, while the Zoning Commission generally showed support for the project at the hearing in December. The PUD is likely to receive approval during the first half of 2014 with construction on the first phase (including the historic buildings and at least one of the residential buildings) either in late 2014 or 2015. 

Rendering courtesy of  Bing Thom Architects

Randall Neighbor Day 2013 is Tomorrow

If you stayed in town for the Thanksgiving holiday or are back in town early, take advantage of the annual Randall Neighbor Day, which takes place tomorrow at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. All residents of Southwest and Near SE (Zip codes 20024 and 20003) get free admission to the Corcoran - normal admission is $10. This community benefit was negotiated with the ANC back when the Corcoran was planning to move its College of Art + Design to the Randall School site. Those plans fell through and now the Telesis/Rubell team is seeking PUD approval for a new modern art museum, a restaurant, commercial space, and 550 residential units; however, Randall Neighbor Day remains. Current exhibitions at the Corcoran include Alex Prager: Face in the Crowd and Mia Feuer: An Unkindness. The Corcoran is located at 500 17th Street, NW and is open tomorrow from 10am to 5pm.

Randall School Project Moving Forward

At Monday’s ANC 6D meeting, the commissioners unanimously gave qualified support to the latest plans for the Randall School site redevelopment at Half and I streets. A few outstanding items still need to be spelled out, including a community benefits package and a construction management plan. Also this week, the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) gave unanimous approval to the planned unit development. A contemporary art museum will be located in the original 1906 center building - the first floor of the museum will be used as a community cultural space that’s open to the public, with a library, café, an art gallery featuring local artists, auditorium, and meeting space. Other arts-related uses will be located in the west wing – perhaps a culinary school. A restaurant with outdoor seating will be in the east wing (both wings were built in 1927). Behind the center building, a new three-story addition will house additional exhibition space for the art museum.  Two 12-story towers with 550 residential units will wrap behind the historic buildings and courtyard. 

Some changes were made to the plans from the original PUD submission that were recommended by the HPRB. For instance, curved windows were added to the residential addition, as well as more balconies and transparent bridges between the wings of the residential buildings. In addition, a glass façade has been added that will connect the historic central building to the 3-story museum addition so the back of the historic building will be visible. In the front of the building, the balustrade will be restored and the retaining wall will be replaced with a historically appropriate curb. The sidewalk will slope downwards toward the entrance to the central building while the sidewalk will slope upwards to the other two I Street buildings.

The Telesis/Rubell team will meet with the Zoning Commission on December 2nd.  At the ANC meeting, Marilyn Melkonian from Telesis stated that once the development team gets approval from the Zoning Commission, that construction may begin in 2014. The first phase includes the historic buildings, museum addition, and one of the residential buildings.

Rendering courtesy of Bayer, Blinder, Belle

Revised PUD for Randall School Submitted

At long last, a revised PUD application for the Randall School site at 65 I Street was filed on May 31 with the Zoning Commission. The Telesis/Rubell team has had the shuttered school under contract from the Corcoran since 2010 and since then has been working on plans for the site. With the help of Bing Thom Architects, the team has come forth with a plan to preserve the three existing historic buildings along I Street for use as a contemporary art museum and other arts uses, as well as a restaurant. Other newer additions will be removed. 

The original Randall Junior High School building, built in 1906.

The museum will be located in the original 1906 center building; other arts-related uses will be located in the west wing; and a restaurant with outdoor seating will be in the east wing (both wings were built in 1927). Behind the center building, a new four-story addition will house additional exhibition space for the art museum.  The new addition will have exterior walls that will allow images and video to be displayed that will be visible from a large courtyard open to the public. Two 12-story towers with 550 residential units will wrap behind the historic buildings and courtyard. 

Video can be projected on the side of the museum facing the courtyard

 Following is a description of the design of the residential buildings from the PUD application:

The new twelve-story residential building will be set behind the historic Randall School. It is comprised of nine distinct blocks that are stacked around the west, north and east sides of the site and behind the historic school structures to the south. These forms enclose a publicly accessible courtyard and run parallel to H Street, the former Half Street and former First Street, thereby physically defining these streets in the neighborhood. Gaps between these building blocks emphasize their proportions and recall the slab building forms common in the Southwest neighborhood. The lower six levels of the new south west and south east building elements are cut at an angle leading into the center of the site in deference to the historic buildings. It is at these points that the entrances to the residential "towers" will be located just behind the historic buildings to the east and west. Six levels above these entries at the south side of the courtyard are two building wings that span from the perimeter of the building to columns on either side of the new museum structure. Ground floor units facing 1st Street, H Street and the courtyard will have individual entrances and private outdoor spaces along the street or at the interior courtyard. The site and public space in front of the historic buildings on I Street will be modified to make the historic buildings accessible and to provide opportunities for street side café seating. The massing concept, which evolved through a series of meetings with District agencies and the staff of the Historic Preservation Office, places a majority of the project’s density away from the historic building toward the rear of the site. The sensitive massing of the new construction allows the historic Randall School to continue to appear as a separate building along I Street, and maintain the character of the existing streetscape.

Individual entrances for units on the ground level from the street.

The building materials used for the residential buildings are primarily metal panels and glass arranged in an irregular format to contrast with the structured facades of the historic buildings. The main entrances will be located on the southwest and southeast corners of the buildings. Some sustainability elements include rain-water harvesting, urban forestry best-practices, and green roofs. Each residential building will have a rooftop pool and separate amenity space on the ground level. Parking for 200 vehicles will be below grade and six surface spaces along the right-away of 1st Street. Access to the parking garage and loading will be off of H Street.

H Street facade of the residential buildings.

 

An extensive public benefits package is proposed for the project, which includes:

• A new contemporary museum of art.
• An annual art exhibit at the museum featuring art from ANC 6D residents, including at least one public school student.
• Each year designate a neighborhood visual arts project in ANC 6D and provide resources needed to make the project a reality.
• Organize, sponsor, and provide resources for an annual outdoor Arts Festival in ANC 6D that’s free and open to the public.
• Offer free admission to the museum to all residents of ANC 6D (with proper ID).
• Establish a program of recruiting museum volunteers from ANC 6D.
• Pay five annual memberships in the Corcoran Gallery of Art for DC public school teachers.
• Provide at least five annual full scholarships to ANC 6D residents to participate in the Camp Creativity program sponsored by the Corcoran Gallery of Art or the Corcoran College of Art & Design.
• Twenty percent of the gross floor area dedicated to residential will be set aside for households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).
• Historic preservation of the three buildings along I Street.
• First Source Employment Agreement using District residents for at least 51% of the jobs created by the project.
• Use of Certified Business Enterprise (CBEs) when possible.

Southeast corner view of the project along I Street.

The project is phased so the museum, other arts uses, retail, and the east residential building will be done first. The west residential building can be built in a later phase. The Telesis/Rubell team will have to come before ANC 6D for their support before meeting with the Zoning Commission later this year.


Renderings courtesy of Bing Thom Architects

Revised Randall School Plans

It has been reported both in Urban Turf and The Washington Post that plans have been updated for the Randall Junior High School site on I Street, to be designed by Bing Thom Architects (the same firm that redesigned Arena Stage). From the Post article:

[Bing Thom] also released a more detailed plan for the complex’s reuse, which includes museum space, residential units and two culinary wings that might be devoted to a restaurant and cooking school. A large auditorium wing could become a dining room. The most innovative idea in the mix would be “culinary incubators,” small pop-up style restaurants run for discrete periods of time by top young chefs.

There will be approximately 440,000 square feet of residential space arranged in an accessible courtyard behind the historic buildings in a mix of townhouses and apartment buildings. The planned development of the Randall School site by the Telesis/Rubell team is located next door to Randall Recreation Center. KIPP DC may be awarded the right to build a charter high school and rebuild a new recreation center for the community at that site through an agreement with the city; however, the Telesis/Rubell team feels that a charter school is incompatible with their plans for a mixed use complex next door.

Telesis/Rubell is supposed to come before ANC 6D at the March meeting to give an update on their plans and hope to go through the zoning process later this year. That was their same plan of action last year after meeting with the ANC, but the project has been delayed, so (borrowing a catch phrase from my blogger neighbor to the east) we shall see… 

Rendering courtesy of Bing Thom Architects

What Will Happen to Randall Recreation Center?

 

For several years, Randall Recreation Center at South Capitol and I streets has been underutilized. Next door to the recreation center are a community pool, tennis & basketball courts, ball fields, a playground, and a forlorn plaza area. While the ball fields, pool and sports courts are heavily used, the recreation center is currently devoid of programming. There have been efforts by local organizations, such as the Near SE/SW Community Benefits Coordinating Council (CBCC) and SWNA, to get financing and bring some programming to the recreation center. Funding has been secured by the Gray administration’s “Play DC” initiative to build a new playground and renovate the plaza area to make the entrance to the recreation facility more inviting and user-friendly, with construction to occur later this year. 

DPR's renovation plan for the Randall site, developed after community meetings in 2012.

Meanwhile, the Department of Parks and Recreation is supposed to release a Request for Proposals (RFP) to select a non-profit provider of services to Randall Recreation Center. Related to the upcoming RFP, KIPP DC proposes to build a new, LEED-certified charter high school designed by StudiosArchitecture on the site of the current recreation center along South Capitol Street that will accommodate 650 students. There would be space on the ground level for a facility run by Georgetown University Medicine. In addition, KIPP DC would refurbish the existing Randall pool and ball fields, move the basketball courts to the northwest corner of the site, and build a brand new community center and pool house adjacent to the pool. KIPP DC has an ambitious schedule and plans to deliver the new school by the summer of 2014.

A birds-eye view of the proposed KIPP DC campus and new recreation center.

However, KIPP’s plans are incompatible with those of the developers of the former Randall Junior High School site next door. Telesis/Rubell (the Rubell family also owns the Capitol Skyline Hotel across the street from the rec. center) bought the former school from the Corcoran and plans to bring a contemporary art museum and restaurants to the historic buildings as well as build 400,000 square feet of apartments and townhouses. Telesis’ Marilyn Melkonian has pledged to find financing to renovate the existing recreation center. In addition, the Randall Recreation Center could be designated as a historic landmark as one of the few remainders of buildings that existed prior to Urban Renewal, which could complicate KIPP DC’s plans.

An earlier concept for the Randall School site.

At the same time that this is all happening, the Office of Planning is preparing to embark on a Small Area Plan for Southwest at the behest of Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells. There is a large amount of public land in SW, including the Randall Recreation Center site, and typically, a Small Area Plan provides residents, land owners, developers, city officials and District agencies with a framework and recommendations to guide future development in the study area. The Small Area Plan will take about eight months to complete, but by-right development can still move forward while the plan is underway. ANC 6D voted to support the creation of the Small Area Plan and stipulated that no decisions be made on the Randall Recreation Center site until the Small Area Plan is completed. SWNA supports the measure as well. The CBCC also supports the creation of the Small Area Plan, as long as is doesn’t preclude continuing negotiations with KIPP DC, Telesis/Rubell, or any other interested parties in the Randall Recreation Center site.

Randall Recreation Center.

Each of the plans for Randall has their pluses and minuses. KIPP DC would build a brand-new community center, but what about the increased traffic from 650 students and faculty coming to the site each school day? Is a brand new community center and refurbished fields worth bringing a new school into the community where only students from KIPP DC’s elementary and middle schools would be able to attend? Would Telesis/Rubell still move forward with their plans next door if the charter school is built? Telesis has pledged to find financing to help renovate the existing recreation center, but is it guaranteed that financing would be found? How long would it take to get sufficient financing under either scenario to fund programming? There are a lot of questions yet to be answered.

Rendering courtesy of Studios Architecture

Randall Neighbor Day at the Corcoran

Today is the annual Randall Neighbor Day at the Corcoran Gallery of Art where residents of Southwest and Near Southeast get free admission to the art museum with an ID. As a part of the original PUD agreement for the Randall School project, one of the community benefits was free admission for residents at the museum one day a year, hence Randall Neighbor Day.  The normal cost of admission is $10.  Current exhibitions include Taryn Simon: A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters I-XVIII, Enoc Perez: Utopia, and Ivan Sigal: White Road. Check here for more information about the exhibits on display.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located at 500 17th Street, NW and will be open today from 10am - 5pm.

Randall School Developers Seek Extension

At last Monday's ANC 6D meeting, Marilyn Melkonian from Telesis came before the commissioners to request their support in extending the PUD for the Randall School project at Half and I Streets.  The Telesis/Rubell team have yet to submit their own PUD for the project, so the extension is for the original plans when the site was owned by the Corcoran and Monument Realty. The Telesis/Rubell team agreed to purchase the site from the Corcoran in 2010, but the sale closed only a few months ago. Telesis is putting together the programming, financing, and design of the project and hopes to start construction in 2013 with completion in 2015-16. While the project is still in the design phase, some particulars were revealed during the presentation. Below is a massing study done on the project by Bing Thom Architects that was presented at the meeting.  

The model shows the three heritage buildings that will remain along with two residential buildings with a total of approximately 400 units that will rise up to 110 feet behind. Of the 400 units, 20% will be set aside as affordable housing for households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). A boutique hotel was also planned previously, but it was determined that it was not financially feasible, so the residential component was increased. It's envisioned that the modern art museum that will house the Rubell Family Collection/Contemporary Arts Foundation will be located within the heritage buildings. In addition, a restaurant may be placed in the easternmost heritage building. A new mid-block east-west street will be created behind the heritage buildings to remove some traffic off of I Street, but deliveries will primarily occur on H Street. With the removal of the newer wings of the Randall School, the back of the heritage buildings will be exposed and the development team is still contemplating whether to build townhouse units alongside the rear of the heritage buildings or retail spaces. A courtyard will be created behind the central heritage building that will be open to the public.  Ms. Melkonian said she hopes the entire project will be built in one phase starting in 2013, but the residential buildings could be done in two phases.  While the residential buildings are currently planned as apartments, it's possible that one of the buildings could be done as condos if built in phases and depending on market conditions. Regardless of when the residential buildings are completed, the modern art museum will be done in the first phase.

The ANC voted to support the PUD extension 6-1 after agreeing to rescind their prior disapproval 5-1-1 when no one from the Telesis team came to the February ANC meeting. Next, the Telesis/Rubell team will meet with the Zoning Commission on March 21 to seek the PUD extension.

A Couple Quick Items: Big Hole in the Ground, Randall Neighbor Day at Corcoran

- Across the street from Nationals Park along South Capitol Street, there is a deep hole in the ground hidden behind a chain link fence. The hole will soon become a foundation for Camden South Capitol, the first new Southwest apartment building in decades. Camden Property Trust is developing the apartment building, which will have 276 units and is located at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Streets. WDG is designing the project, with amenities including a rooftop pool and deck, as well as ground floor retail. Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013.

- This year's Randall Neighbor Day at the Corcoran Gallery of Art will take place on December 10. On that day, all ANC 6D residents (those living in ZIP codes 20024 and 20003) can visit the Corcoran for free.  The annual event came about due to the community benefits package the ANC negotiated with the Corcoran in 2007 when they planned to redevelop Randall School at Half & I Street as a college and apartment complex. When the Telesis/Rubell team took over the project in 2010, the subsidy was maintained. In addition, once the new museum planned for Randall School opens, it will be free every day for ANC 6D residents. Special exhibitions at the Corcoran include 30 Americans, which showcases works by many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades. This exhibition is from the collection of Don and Mera Rubell. Other exhibitions include Hank Willis Thomas: Strange Fruit and Gordon Parks: Photographs from the Collection. The Corcoran will be open on December 10 from 10am - 5pm.    

Historic District for Southwest?

Housing Complex wrote a piece last week about historic districts in DC and pondered whether Southwest would be next on the list of neighborhoods to seek designation. Contrary to the HC piece, there are rumblings from within the neighborhood to create a historic district. Typically, buildings need to be at least 50 years old to be considered and there are already a few older properties in Southwest that are on the National Register of Historical Places. Those located south of the Southwest Freeway include Friendship Baptist Church, Thomas Law House, National War College, Randall Jr. High School, Syphax School, James C. Dent House, and the Titanic Memorial. However, the majority of buildings in Southwest are just now turning 50.



Wheat Row was built in the 18th century.



The Thomas Law House was built in 1784.



Capitol Park Apartments at 800 4th Street (now Potomac Place Tower), designed by Chloethiel Woodard Smith and built in 1959, was the first residential tower built as a result of urban renewal and was designated by the DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) as historic in 2003 in an attempt by residents to block development of its parking lots and garden into apartments (eventually condos). The HUD headquarters at 7th & E Street just north of the freeway was more recently designated by the HPRB as well as the James C. Dent House (built in 1906). ANC 6D supported the designation of Tiber Island Coops and Condos on the south side of 4th & M Streets as historic at their July meeting (the Thomas Law House, which is a part of Tiber Island, has already been deemed historic). Besides the collection of mid-century modern architecture that dominates Southwest, there are other pockets of buildings pre-dating urban renewal that haven’t been designated, such as the row houses along the 1200-block of Half Street and Carrollsburg Place.

River Park features a high-rise apartment building and barrel vaulted townhomes made with aluminum.

A historic district designation would bring more scrutiny to building additions or new construction within the proposed district. New buildings would most likely need to conform to the standards of structures within the district and it would be more difficult to demolish existing buildings. However, it may spur the restoration of buildings in the neighborhood that are starting to show their age and increase property values. Design adaptation is already happening, to an extent, with newer projects in the neighborhood. For example, the office buildings at Waterfront Station, designed by Shalom Baranes, use terra cotta on their façades, a material that has been used for the shade screens at Capitol Park apartments. In addition, the design of the new St. Matthew’s apartment building on M Street & Delaware Avenue, also designed by Baranes, uses building and landscape design elements from nearby residential buildings. These two building designs borrow from mid-century mod, but have been brought closer to the street and incorporates a mix of uses (in the case of Waterfront Station).

Should the Southwest Waterfront join the ranks of other DC neighborhoods, such as Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Shaw, and Georgetown and be designated as a historic district? Vote in the poll at the upper left corner of the page and/or leave a comment. Also, are there specific buildings in Southwest that deserve historic designation (#1 on my list would be Jefferson Middle School)?

Note: For those who are interested in learning more about modern architecture in Southwest, the DC Preservation League will be holding a neighborhood tour on October 22, starting at 10am. Register here.