Work Underway at River Point

Construction fencing is up and interior demolition is underway at the former coast guard headquarters building at 2100 2nd Street in Buzzard Point (h/t to reader Bill). Once complete in 2020, River Point will contain 470+ rental apartment units and over 60,000 SF of ground floor retail on all sides of the building, with restaurants facing the Anacostia River. In a May interview with Bisnow, Akridge’s Chip Akridge stated they have a letter of intent with a drugstore and are in final negotiations with a fitness tenant that will open a fitness facility. The developer is also targeting a food hall. A Capital Bikeshare station is planned for the SW corner of the site along the 2nd Street cycle track.

Akridge also stated during the Bisnow interview that the first phase of its adjacent, 7-acre 100 V Street development may get underway early next year. The first phase will be on the southeast corner of the site, which will be called First and V and will contain approximately 250 rental apartment units. 

Another big residential conversion may soon get underway nearby. Michael Neibauer from the Washington Business Journal tweeted this week that Douglas Development has secured a permit to start work on its conversion of 1900 Half Street to a mixed-use development with 419 rental apartment units and 15,600 SF of ground floor retail. 

1900 Half Street

Renderings courtesy of 2100 2nd Street, SW LLC and Antunovich Associates

Peninsula 88 Groundbreaking

According to the Capitol Riverfront BID, a ceremonial groundbreaking for Peninsula 88 condos in Buzzard Point was held late last month. The condo project site from Capital City Real Estate is located adjacent to the shuttered Buzzard Point Marina at 88 V Street. There will be a total of 110 units with a mix of 1BR, 1BR/den, 2BR and penthouse units. Prices will range from $500,000 to $2.5 million. 

This is the first residential building to start construction in Buzzard Point south of Q Street. Other proposed projects include Riverpoint, the redevelopment of the former Coast Guard headquarters located to the west of Peninsula 88; 1900 Half Street, a former office building that will be converted to a 462-unit apartment project; 1800 Half Street, the site of warehouses and Ziegfield’s/Secrets that will be redeveloped as an approximately 300-unit apartment project. In addition, the vacant “Parcel B” adjacent to Audi Field may one day contain a residential component. Akridge’s 100 V Street parcel may also include residential (if Amazon H2Q doesn’t locate there). 

Even though a groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 26, actual construction has still not started. Sales at Peninsula 88 are expected to begin in 2018 with delivery in about two years.

Renderings courtesy of Eric Colbert & Associates

River Point Plans Fleshed Out

Several months after it was announced that the former Coast Guard headquarters building was purchased and the buyers were planning to re-purpose the building as a mixed-use residential and retail project called River Point, plans have been submitted by the development team to the Zoning Commission for approval under the Capitol Gateway Overlay District. The project is located between the James Creek and Buzzard Point marinas at 2100 2nd Street in Buzzard Point, about two blocks south of Audi Field. 

According to the submission, the monolithic exterior will be broken up with the addition of cut-outs along the V Street, 1st Street and Anacostia riverfront sides of the building. A series of courtyards will be located on the third floor, including seating areas, a yoga deck, fire pit, movie screen, lawn, kitchen and dining room. The rooftop will include a pool and pool terrace. Residential entrances will be on 1st and 2nd streets. There will be a total of 485 rental apartment units with a mix of studio, junior one bedroom, one bedroom, and two bedroom units, both with and without dens (it appears the condominium component has been removed). Due to its location adjacent to the Anacostia River, the ground floor and adjacent streets will be raised above the 100-year flood plain. 

About 70,400 SF of ground floor retail is planned on all sides of the building. Restaurants will generally be located on the riverfront side of the building while neighborhood-serving retail will be located on V Street. Outdoor seating would be accommodated on the riverfront and 1st Street sides of the building. Some of the retail uses that are being targeted include restaurants, café, pharmacy and a grocery store. 

The Anacostia Riverwalk will run along the south side of the building, connecting to Buzzard Point Park to the east and the 2nd Street Cycle Track to the west. A boardwalk, programmable barges, fixed piers, a shell deck, public art, and a floating garden are planned for the area to the south of the riverfront trail. 

The building will aim for LEED-Silver certification and is expected to get underway later this year.

Renderings courtesy of 2100 2nd Street, SW LLC

Condo Developer Purchases Buzzard Point Sites

A new condominium project may be developed one block north of the new D.C. United stadium. Two sales closed back in early October at the corner of 1st and Q streets in Buzzard Point, which may foretell a redevelopment of these sites into a condominium building. The larger of these sites is 1546 – 1550 1st Street, a commercial building currently occupied by Lucky Kabob and Shulman Liquor. According to DC land sale records, the lot size is 6,138 SF and the sale price is $2.8 million. Just to the north of Lucky Kabob is 1542 1st Street, which was approved by the Zoning Commission earlier this year to be developed into Stadium Lofts (rendered above), an eight-unit rental apartment building by TMASSHLDG LLC. This lot is 3,000 SF and the sale price is $1,830,000. (The High Road Primary & Middle School building next to 1542 1st Street is also for sale, but I have not found a land sale record for that site.) 

The buyer of both of these lots is an affiliate of DBT Development Group, a Capitol Hill-based company that specializes in condominium development. Their most recent project was the Maryland Condominiums near the H Street NE corridor. They recently purchased a site not too far away on L Street SE in Near SE/Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard and plans to build condominiums there in 2017. 

The 1st and Q streets site would be the second condominium building planned for Buzzard Point. Capital City Real Estate is planning to build Peninsula 88 next to the shuttered Buzzard Point Marina at 1st and V streets and ANC 6D is scheduled to vote on proposed changes to the PUD for this site at this evening's January's monthly meeting.

Stadium Lofts rendering courtesy of TMASSHLDG LLC

Design Changes for Peninsula 88 Condos

Developers filed with the Zoning Commission last month a request to review and approve a “Modification of Significance” for the planned condo project at 1st and V streets on Buzzard Point, formerly known as Marina Place condos. Since Capital City Real Estate purchased the land for this project, located just north of the shuttered Buzzard Point Marina, plans changed for the design of the building and the condominium project is now called Peninsula 88. The previous design resulted in pie-shaped units, creating awkward floor plans that would be difficult to furnish. In addition, there were fewer two bedroom units and the 1 bedroom units were larger. 

The revised design will incorporate 97 condo units in an eight-story building with the flexibility to have between 75 and 110 units. This includes five 2-story “rowhouse” units along V Street with direct access from the street. Ground floor units will have terraces and the upper floors will have balconies. Some units on the top floor will have private rooftop decks. A communal rooftop deck also will be available for residents with a fire pit, outdoor grill, dining table, and various seating including chaise lounges, dining chairs, and benches. 

Unit sizes range between 1,300 and 1,500 SF. The project is designed by Eric Colbert & Associates and will seek LEED-Silver certification. Some of the green features include an extensive green roof and bio-retention tree pits. Building materials, include precast concrete wall panels, aluminum vertical fins, and glass railings on the balconies. There will also be 1,800 SF of retail along 1st Street. Parking will be provided in a garage with 70 spaces (an additional 44 “vault” spaces will be provided if approved by the Zoning Commission since they would be located in public space) and 38 bike parking spaces. 

Previous design of Marina Place

A hearing is scheduled in February to review the proposed design changes and construction is expected to begin later in 2017. On a related note, a meeting will be held by the National Park Service on December 13 where design concepts will be revealed for the adjacent Buzzard Point Marina site. The meeting will take place at the SW Branch Library (901 Wesley Place) King-Greenleaf Recreation Center (201 N Street) from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. Following the meeting there will be a 30-day comment period, which will close on January 12. Comments and feedback can be sent via http://parkplanning.nps.gov/BuzzardPointParkDCP or mailed to: 

Tammy Stidham 

National Park Service National Capital Region 

ATTN: Buzzard Point Park Development Concept Plan 

1100 Ohio Drive SW 

Washington, DC 20242 

Renderings courtesy of Eric Colbert & Associates

Buzzard Point Update

Over the weekend, the District transferred control of the D.C. United stadium site in Buzzard Point to the team, according to The Washington Post. The District was responsible for assembling the land, razing the existing buildings, and utilities upgrades. A revised PUD application was released over the summer and the team will be facing the Zoning Commission in November. If the stadium plan receives approval, construction can begin in early 2017. As a result, the scheduled opening of the new stadium has now slipped a few months to at least June 2018. The team will likely have to plan an extended road trip in the first part of the 2018 MLS season before they can play their first match in their new home since they intend to leave RFK at the end of the 2017 season. 

Meanwhile, construction continues at the new Pepco Waterfront substation, with the steel frame of the south side of the building now up. Road closures around the construction sites of the stadium and the substation are now in effect, limiting access to the area. The substation is scheduled to be completed in 2017. 

Akridge has revived their marketing for 100 V Street, the seven-acre site they own just south of the stadium site (the site was originally nine acres – two acres were taken by eminent domain for the stadium project). 100 V Street is now planned as a 2.4-million SF mixed-use development (it previously was planned as an ideal location for a federal tenant pre-soccer stadium). The site is just north of the former Coast Guard headquarters building, which will be redeveloped by a team of developers including Akridge to a mixed-use project called Riverpoint with rental apartments, condos, and retail. 

The new owner of the site to the east of the Riverpoint project has renamed the proposed condominium Peninsula 88. A press release was sent last month stating the new name and that plans were submitted to the Zoning Commission (the plans are not yet available online). Even though the architect remains the same as what it was under the previous owner, the design has been changed. Part of the site is currently being used as a flower farm, which was featured in The Southwester. Construction on the condo project is expected to start in 2017.

Renderings courtesy of D.C. United and Akridge

Historic Designation Sought for Buzzard Point Power Plant

An application was filed by the DC Preservation League to give historic designation to the decommissioned Buzzard Point Power Plant, an art moderne structure built in 1933 at Half and V streets. The old water intake plant (now the Matthew Henson Conservation Corps building) is also included in the designation application. SWNA submitted an historic designation application for the power plant in 2013, but decided to withdraw it. Ideas for repurposing the power plant building have included an art gallery a la Tate Modern in London or an entertainment facility like Power Plant Live! in Baltimore. 

Interest in Buzzard Point has increased significantly over the past few months once it was certain a new stadium would be built there for D.C. United and the Office of Planning released their Buzzard Point Vision Framework Plan. Recent announcements include: 

• Marina Place condos site sold 
• Stadium District Lofts 
• Residential at Ziegfeld’s/Secrets 
• Transpoint Building redevelopment 
• 1900 Half Street residential 

In addition, Pepco is building a new substation just north of the stadium footprint at 2nd and R streets. Many of these sites were mentioned as potential development opportunities in a post I wrote back in 2013. We’ll see if any others on the 2013 list will come to fruition soon…

Pepco to Increase Name Recognition in Buzzard Point

In addition to a new substation, Pepco is planning to place its name on a few other pieces of real estate in Buzzard Point. According to the Washington Business Journal, the utility company paid the District $25 million in a sponsorship deal which would allow the following in Buzzard Point, among other neighborhoods across the city: 

• Rename a four-block stretch of Half Street between Potomac Avenue and V Street as “Pepco Place” along with new signage. 
• Designate the planned traffic oval on South Capitol Street at the foot of the new Frederick Douglass Bridge as “Pepco Park.” 

The DC Council authorized DPR to allow corporate sponsorship of its facilities when it passed its 2012 budget. Then-council member Muriel Bowser sponsored the original legislation. According to DCist: 

Buried in the 209-page-long Budget Support Act, the provision would allow the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation to "contract for, pursuant to all applicable contracting and procurement guidelines, advertisements and sponsorship for recreation centers, fields, pools, and play courts within the Department's inventory."…The provision would also allow for the establishment of "friends groups" -- organizations of residents willing to help maintain their local parks and recreation centers, be it by maintaining them or raising funds to help improve them. Additionally, fees gathered from developers seeking exemptions from zoning laws will go towards parks and recreation centers located in the ANC where the development is to take place. 

In Southwest, “friends groups” have been created for multiple DPR facilities, including the SW Duck Pond and the 3rd and I Streets Park, and one may be formed for Randall Recreation Center. Meanwhile, Under Armour will have its logo on the new turf field it’s helping to finance at Randall Field, which is currently under construction. 

Most of the $25 million contributed by Pepco has already been used by the District government to place in escrow, covering the cost of acquiring Akridge’s two-acre parcel in the planned soccer stadium footprint through eminent domain. According to the Bowser administration, the Pepco sponsorship deal is separate from negotiations to support the Pepco-Exelon merger, but yesterday at a press conference in Buzzard Point by environmentalists and good government groups, they claim the two are related and are calling for an ethics investigation, as reported in The Washington Post.

Renderings courtesy of DDOT and DGS

New DC United Soccer Stadium Renderings

Coinciding with the start of the World Cup in Brazil and ahead of the first DC Council hearing on the soccer stadium deal later this month, DC United has released new renderings of the planned $300 million stadium at 2nd and R streets in Buzzard Point, which has been designed by Populous (formerly HOK Sport). Populous also designed Nationals Park down the street and FedEx Field, in addition to Sporting Park for the MLS team in Kansas City. The Buzzard Point stadium will seat 20-25,000 fans and will host MLS matches; international friendlies; high school & college lacrosse, football, and rugby; concerts; cultural events; meetings; and banquets. Check out some of the renderings below (courtesy of DC United): 

View of the stadium from Potomac Avenue.

View of DC United Plaza.

View of the north Main Concourse.

View of pitch from lower level seating area.

As currently designed, the length of the stadium’s pitch will run along 2nd Street from R to T streets and the width will cover approximately one block from 2nd to 1st streets. Potomac Avenue will end in a traffic circle at 1st Street and will turn into R Street for one block until it terminates at 2nd Street. The portion of R Street that currently exists from Potomac Avenue to Half Street will disappear and become part of a large plaza that will front the stadium. A group of small buildings will line most of Half Street except for the northern-most section that will be part of the plaza. (see below rendering) The southeastern corner of the stadium footprint at Half and T streets will still contain Pepco’s outdoor substation, so some screening will need to be done to cover that up until a new substation building is constructed at 1st and Q streets. Power is no longer generated at the Buzzard Point Power Plant, which is located at Half and V streets. 

View of the stadium toward the southwest.

The first DC Council hearing will take place at the Wilson Building downtown on June 26, starting at 9:30am.

Stadium Deal Near?

Capital Business reports that sources indicate the city is closing in on a deal for the proposed DC United stadium in Buzzard Point and that the DC Council will likely receive the terms of the agreement in a legislative package later this week…which is only five months later than the Council was anticipated to vote on the deal, according to the term sheet signed by the Mayor and the team back in July 2013. From the article: 

A hang-up in the discussions has been how to replace an original provision in which the District would have shared in any profits the team made. After vetting the profit-sharing provision with members of the D.C. Council, City Administrator Allen Lew, the District’s chief negotiator for D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D), agreed with the team to replace it with a combination of sales tax payments and a future $2 surcharge on tickets. 

A recent Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could unscientific poll stated that 80% of respondents approved the deal, which calls for the District to spend up to $150 million for land acquisition and infrastructure improvements while the team spends $150 to build the stadium. Agreements have been made with Akridge and Pepco regarding their parcels in the stadium’s footprint, but negotiations continue with Kastles’ owner Mark Ein, who with Super Salvage, controls land in the northern end of the site. If an agreement cannot be made, then according to the article, the city is prepared to use eminent domain. Akridge owns most of the land needed for the stadium, which will be located at 2nd and R streets while Pepco’s parcel is located on the eastern side of the site. A land swap has been negotiated with Akridge involving the Reeves Center at 14th and U streets, NW. Presumably, the Pepco site is a cash deal, although details should be forthcoming soon once legislation is introduced in the Council. 

Earlier rendering of Waterfront Substation

On a related note, Pepco representatives came to the monthly ANC 6D meeting last week to provide an update on their plans to build a new Waterfront Substation north of the stadium site and 1st and Q streets to replace the one in the decommissioned Buzzard Point Plant at Half and V streets. Originally, the façade of the substation was designed by CORE Architects to look like an office building and mimicked the brick architecture of Fort McNair, but after receiving feedback from the community and the Office of Planning, the utility company has decided to rework the design. The new design uses a variety of forms around the building, with more of a residential feeling on the north side near the existing community with brick veneer and a vegetative wall - the historic James C. Dent House is on the northwest corner of the site and will remain intact. The south side faces a planned plaza as a part of the soccer stadium development and will have more of a commercial look with light screens and the use of concrete. The existing buildings on the site (Lyon Bakery and Ana Towing) will be demolished later this year. Construction of phase one of the substation will be complete in 2016. A second phase is planned on the south side of the site to increase capacity at the substation in the future, although the façade of the entire site will be completed during the first phase. 

Renderings courtesy of Gensler and Pepco

Buzzard Point Development Potential

(This post will appear in the South by West article in November's Hill Rag.)

With news that a new stadium may be built for DC United in Buzzard Point (or “The Point” as Capitol Riverfront BID President Michael Stevens is now calling it), reporters and bloggers alike have been in a frenzy over whether the stadium deal is a good one for the city and if the area near the proposed site will benefit. Currently, Buzzard Point contains mainly industrial uses, but there are a few sites that are either planned for development or are candidates for redevelopment. A new soccer stadium nearby may accelerate plans for the following properties: 

(1) 100 V Street

Akridge owns a two-acre portion of the stadium footprint as well as the remaining seven acres of 100 V Street located to the south of the stadium site. 100 V Street was originally planned as an office complex targeted for a secure federal tenant; however, the site was not able to attract a tenant. With the potential development of the stadium on the northern section of the property, the southern portion is now being reevaluated as a mixed use project.

(2) Transpoint Building

The U.S. Coast Guard has moved out of the Transpoint Building at 2100 2nd Street located just to the south of 100 V Street, to a new headquarters complex at St. Elizabeths in Congress Heights. GSA has found a temporary replacement for the Coast Guard with the Navy taking space at the Transpoint Building. Meanwhile, owner Monday Properties has no plans to redevelop the building, which sits near the confluence of the Anacostia River & the Washington Channel and currently blocks public access to the water. With GSA cutting back on leasing new space and a new soccer stadium planned up the street, would redevelopment of this building make sense?

(3) Marina Place

Rendering courtesy of Eric Colbert Associates

A 99-unit condo project called Marina Place with about 2,000 square feet of ground floor retail is planned for a parcel to the east of the Transpoint Building and adjacent to the Buzzard Point Marina at First and V streets. The Eric Colbert-designed building was approved by the Zoning Commission in 2011 and since then, the owner has been looking for a developer partner for the project.

(4) Pepco Power Plant

The art-deco Buzzard Point Plant building, located to the southeast from the stadium footprint, was decommissioned last year by Pepco, although the substation to the north is still in use.  Recently, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly has applied for historic status for the building, which could be a candidate for an adaptive reuse akin to Tate Modern art gallery in the Southwark section of London.

(5) 1900 Half Street

Douglas Development owns an office building at 1900 Half Street along the Anacostia River that blocks public access to the river and is occupied by the U.S. Coast Guard.

(6) Ziegfields/Secrets

One of the gay nightclubs displaced from Near Southeast when Nationals Park was built moved to Buzzard Point and is located just to the east of the soccer stadium footprint. According to an article from The Blade, the proprietors of Ziegfields/Secrets lease the building from Denver businessman Marty Chernoff. The article speculates that the club may have to move yet again once the stadium is built, even though it is located outside of the stadium footprint. It is too early to know what would be built in its place if the nightclub is moved again.

(7) Florida Rock

Florida Rock moved its operations across South Capitol Street in 2012 to make way for the eventual development of their riverfront parcel just to the south of Nationals Park. Their new operation along Half Street is now across the street from the new stadium site.

(8) C Hostel and Hotel

Rendering courtesy of JP2 Architects.

Carr Hospitality submitted plans for a 109-room hostel and hotel with 489 beds in 2010 at 129 Q Street, one block north of the stadium site.  According to the zoning application, half of the hostel/hotel will be comprised of rooms with single and double beds and in-room bathrooms. The other half of the hostel/hotel will be comprised of dormitory styled rooms and shared female and male showers on each floor. Shared guest amenities will include: a hip lifestyle lounge, game areas for children and adults, a bean bag movie theatre, self-service kitchen, guest laundry, lounge lockers, a cyber lounge, complimentary breakfast and a shuttle bus service to the Waterfront Metro station. The Zoning Commission approved the project, but afterwards, a principal from Carr who spearheaded the project passed away and the site has been tied up in probate ever since. A 2-year extension was recently granted for the project due to probate and the difficulty in obtaining financing for a hospitality project during the Great Recession. It is estimated that probate will be settled sometime in 2013, so theoretically, the project will be able to move forward. Currently, the site is home to a taxi cab service and repair garage.

(9) James C. Dent House

Pepco owns the James C. Dent House at 156 Q Street, which was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2010. It was built in 1906 by William James Palmer for James C. Dent, a former slave who moved to Buzzard Point as a laborer and eventually helped found the Mount Moriah Baptist Church and became its pastor. The home was more recently used as the headquarters of the now defunct Southwest Community House, a non-profit organization that vacated the property in 2004. It has remained vacant ever since.

(10) Lyon Bakery

Lyon Bakery is a wholesale baker located just to the north of the stadium footprint at 135 R Street. This site has redevelopment potential once the stadium is built, or at least will have a new customer across the street.

(11) Fort McNair

While there is no development potential here, Fort Lesley J. McNair would be the stadium’s neighbor to the west across 2nd Street and pre-dates any other development at Buzzard Point since the Army post has been at this site for over 200 years. The fort is the headquarters of the Army’s Military District of Washington and includes the National Defense University.

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.

Velodrome Lease Signed for Buzzard Point Site

The Washington Post reported yesterday that a lease has been signed to allow DC Velodrome, a local 501c3 non-profit corporation, to erect a velodrome on part of the 100 V Street parcel owned by Akridge in Buzzard Point. Last fall, the group probably jumped the gun a bit when listing Akridge as a partner on their website, which created speculation in the blogosphere that a velodrome would be built at 100 V Street.  Now that the lease is a done deal, Akridge has acknowledged the agreement.  From the article:

"Locating D.C.'s first velodrome on Buzzard Point is an exciting contribution to the vitality of the neighborhood and the diversity of activities available to the city and the region, while still keeping the site readily available for permanent development," Akridge President Matt Klein said in a statement.

Speaking of permanent development, it was reported earlier this week that DC United was close to signing a lease with the city to remain at RFK Stadium for two more years and that these talks could help spur a final push to build a new stadium for the team, the leading candidate site reportedly being 100 V Street.  Originally, the 100 V Street site was positioned as a secure federal campus, but the office market has been slow to recover from the latest recession and the GSA has cut back on leasing activity.

The article states that DC Velodrome plans to open the velodrome by late May or early June, but they are in the process of raising $300,000 to help assemble the track and provide free programming. It doesn't mention in the article the length of the lease, but according to the group's website, the portable cycling track would be up for 3-5 years, leased from Major League Cycling in Lancaster, PA. From the website:

Basic facilities, including a perimeter fence for security, small grandstands, public address/sound system, lights, portable toilets, and a snack bar/storage building of a temporary nature will be installed on site.  There will be parking for approximately 50 cars.

The next couple of years will bring some major changes to the area by the velodrome site.  Right around the same time that the velodrome is scheduled to open, Pepco will decommission the Buzzard Point Power Plant across 1st Street and next year, the U.S. Coast Guard is supposed to move from 2100 2nd Street to their new headquarters at St. Elizabeths in SE.

Rendering of the Buzzard Point neighborhood courtesy of Akridge

What a DC United Stadium *Could* Mean for Buzzard Point Development

Over the past week (which happens from time to time), there have been several reports about DC United looking for sites to build a soccer stadium in the District. This time around, one of the leading sites under consideration is in Buzzard Point, specifically Akridge’s 100 V Street. Currently, 100 V Street is planned as a secure federal campus, but there have been no tenants lined up so far. Due to the size of the sites under consideration, the Greater Greater Washington blog contends that a stadium would be “urban” with few surface parking spaces and would fit within the current street grid (except for the possible closure of T Street between 1st and 2nd Streets).

This site is located three blocks southwest of Nationals Park and if the soccer stadium is located there, the area would become a stadium district of sorts, akin to the Meadowlands (before the Nets and Devils left Izod Arena) or Philadelphia. Linking the stadiums would be Potomac Avenue, which currently is lined mostly with industrial operations west of South Capitol Street. With a soccer stadium on one end and a ballpark on the other, Potomac Avenue could become an entertainment district with retail stores, bars and restaurants to cater to fans, as well as for neighborhood residents and employees at Fort McNair. The DC streetcar is planned to have a couple lines come down to Buzzard Point and possibly run along Potomac Avenue, which is a wide boulevard that would have room for a streetcar. Perhaps ferry service can be introduced on game days via James Creek Marina, located just to the southwest of the stadium site.

While there are differing opinions over the effect that stadiums have on development nearby, a DC United Stadium in Buzzard Point may cause other projects to get underway that otherwise would take several years or decades to get built, including development on Potomac Avenue. The introduction of retail to the neighborhood, coupled with a streetcar line could help spur residential development in the area, like Marina Place, a planned condo project catty corner to the stadium footprint at 1st & V Street. Just to the east of the stadium footprint is the Buzzard Point Power Plant, which Pepco plans to decommission by May 2012. The power plant itself will most likely be landmarked, but perhaps can be repurposed as a cultural amenity like a museum or art gallery space. With the planned departure of the U.S. Coast Guard from its headquarters at 2nd & V Street to St. Elizabeth's in SE by 2015, perhaps that site can be redeveloped as a mixed use project that embraces its location next to the river and provide public access to the waterfront. Some of these ideas for Buzzard Point stem from a neighborhood study done in 2009 by the American Planning Association’s Planning Assistance Team (PAT). For now, talk about DC United moving to Buzzard Point is just that...talk. Who knows whether they will choose Buzzard Point over other areas under consideration and if they can obtain financing to build a stadium. However, it's fun to talk about what possibilities exist for Buzzard Point, with or without a soccer stadium in the neighborhood.

Renderings courtesy of Akridge and Buzzards Point LLC.

D.C. United Focuses on Buzzard Point as a Potential Stadium Site

In this week's Capital Business, there's an article about DC United's renewed push to get a new soccer stadium built in the District. According to the article, a leading contender is the 100 V Street site in Buzzard Point. From the article:

Last fall, Akridge President Matt Klein and D.C. Council Member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) discussed the site, which is largely used for parking now. Wells said last week that he isn't sure how a stadium would be financed, particularly with the city facing an expected $400 million-plus budget shortfall next year, but that a stadium on Buzzards Point would enliven the neighborhood. The Akridge property is between First and Second and R and V streets SW, a neighborhood that has seen little new development. "It's an area that really could be a great place for soccer, but also a great place to have more commerce and retail on the west side of South Capitol," Wells said.

There was talk a year and a half ago about that site potentially becoming a stadium for United. Also in the running is a site at the Capital City Market in NE, and in recent months, Baltimore has expressed interest in having the team move to that city. The 100 V Street site is a 9-acre site three blocks long and one block wide. It seems a bit narrow to build a soccer stadium, but I'm not an architect. A couple of streetcar routes are planned to run to Buzzard Point, which could help with accessibility to the proposed stadium if one gets built in the neighborhood.

Update: NBC 4 also has a story about the stadium, as well as DCist, the Examiner, and Greater Greater Washington.