Revised Plans for 1319 South Capitol Site

A presentation was made during Monday’s ANC 6D virtual meeting by Jefferson Apartment Group and Fortis, the new team which will be developing a site adjacent to Camden South Capitol apartments and across the street from Nationals Park at 1319 South Capitol Street. The majority of the site is currently used as a parking lot. Plans include an 11-story multifamily rental building although the number of units was not revealed during the presentation – a story in Bisnow from when the site was sold indicates there will be up to 320 units. Previous plans for 1319 South Capitol project under a different developer included less apartment units. Current plans for the project also incorporate some of the historic townhomes on South Capitol and N streets. Four of the townhomes on N Street will be converted into two Affordable Dwelling Units while two on South Capitol Street could become either commercial or residential units. The end units on both streets will be demolished to widen the alley access from N Street and provide a dog run for the apartment building adjacent to the alley entrance on South Capitol Street. The main entrance to the building will be on South Capitol Street adjacent to the alley entrance. 

View from N Street.

View from Syphax Village.

The corner site where Capitol Liquors is located is owned by a separate entity, as well as two rowhomes on N Street and one on South Capitol Street. These parcels will be developed separately as an 11-story apartment building with two levels of retail. There are two other rowhomes on South Capitol Street not included in the JAG/Fortis development and will remain, including a private home and South Capitol Smile Center dentist practice. 

Rowhouses on N Street

Rowhouses on South Capitol Street. 

Alley entrance on South Capitol Street and access to lobby.

The development team will go back before the ANC later this fall to seek their approval as they go through the Zoning Commission process.  Construction of 1319 South Capitol is expected to start in the first half of 2021. 

Renderings courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle

Mixed-Use Development Planned for 7-Eleven Site

I’m coming out of hiatus to report on plans that emerged for the northwest corner of South Capitol and M streets, considered to be the gateway to Southwest. JBG Smith applied with the Zoning Commission to develop a two-phase project on the site called 5 M Street, with a mix of uses including residential, ground floor retail, and potentially office. The site includes most of the block bounded by Half, L, South Capitol and M streets and will replace the 7-Eleven and parking lot currently on the site. New York-based Ruben Companies controls the northeast corner of the block (where the KFC/Taco Bell used to be) which is not part of the proposed project – an office building was planned for the 1101 South Capitol parcel, but the project website is no longer active. 

While the east side of South Capitol Street between the freeway and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge has filled up with multifamily buildings (and Nationals Park) in recent years, not much activity has occurred on the west side of the street. Camden South Capitol and the Capitol Skyline Hotel are the only large-scale buildings currently on the west side of the street, but more development is planned for the empty lots along the corridor. In addition to 5 M Street and 1101 South Capitol, a two-building development is planned to the north between K and L streets by Ruben Companies and the site north of Camden South Capitol was purchased recently by JAG to develop as a multifamily project. 

Current plans for 5 M Street include an L-shaped multifamily building along Half and L streets with 371 units and an office building along M and South Capitol streets with approximately 226,000 SF of space and over 25,000 SF of ground floor retail. The project is planned in phases – the office building with ground floor retail will be constructed first and the multifamily building after. The developer is asking for flexibility to change the proposed office building to multifamily depending on market conditions, which would increase the total number of units between the two phases to 688 units along with a slight reduction in the amount of ground floor retail. 

According to the zoning application, the Gensler-designed project includes a “modernist concrete and glass palette for the towers” to tie in with buildings in the Southwest and Navy Yard neighborhoods, as well as industrial elements due to its proximity to Buzzard Point. The entrance to the office (or multifamily) building will be on M Street while the other multifamily building will have its main entrance on L Street along with street access to units along Half and L streets. The multifamily units at 5 M Street will be all market-rate since current zoning does not require the addition of inclusionary zoning units, but the additional density requested for penthouse-level residential and commercial uses will require a donation to the city’s Housing Production Trust Fund. 

The ANC will review the project over the coming months, but at an initial meeting with the developers, the commissioners indicated they were not pleased with the concept design, as they felt it was in direct contrast to the surrounding neighborhood, particularly the former 2-3-story sanitary housing south of M Street on Carrollsburg Place and Half Street. Below are some renderings of the proposed development. What are your thoughts on the plan and design? 

S. Capitol & M (office option)

S. Capitol & M (multifamily option)

M and Half (office option)

M and Half (multifamily option)

South Capitol (office option)

South Capitol (multifamily option)

Renderings courtesy of Gensler

Demolition Begins at 1900 Half

Fencing is up and interior demolition is now underway at 1900 Half Street, an office building that once housed DHS. Once complete in 2020, 1900 Half will be transformed by Douglas Development into a 453-unit rental apartment building with 16,542 SF of ground floor retail. The Anacostia Riverwalk will be extended through the project to the east. This marks the second office-to-residential conversion underway in the burgeoning Buzzard Point neighborhood – River Point began its transformation earlier in the summer. Meanwhile, work continues at Peninsula 88 condos next to Riverpoint. By the end of 2018, construction should be underway at the planned affordable housing project at 1st and Q streets.  

Rendering courtesy of Antunovich Associates

Construction to Begin Soon on The Kiley

Financing has been secured for The Kiley, a planned apartment project by UIP behind Capitol Park Tower at 4th and G streets according to Bisnow. The project has been in the planning stages over the past few years and went through several iterations before receiving approval from HPRB in early 2016. HPRB approval was needed since the adjoining Capitol Park Tower was landmarked as historic, as well as the landscaping. Now planned as 315 units, construction on The Kiley will start in about four months, after the existing parking lot behind Capitol Park Tower is demolished. Therefore, delivery of the new apartment building will likely be in late 2020.

Rendering courtesy of WDG

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

More Apartments and Community Center Planned at Waterfront Station

(This post is a portion of an article that appears in the May 2018 Hill Rag)

Waterfront Station and before it the Waterside Mall has served as the Town Center for the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood for decades. It contains the neighborhood’s only grocery store, as well as a pharmacy, restaurants, and professional services, including a dentist office. Two office buildings fully occupied by District government agencies and three rental apartment buildings are currently in place and a future phase with more rental apartments, retail, daycare center, and a black box theater is planned on the northeast parcel. Two other parcels have yet to be developed, which flank 4th Street and are located adjacent to the Waterfront Metro station entrance. 

The original stage one Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval for these two sites at 4th and M streets was for office, but developer Forest City has requested a change to residential. Its reason for the change in use is due to unfavorable conditions in the office market. The state of the office market has changed significantly since the Waterfront Station development was originally conceived in the aughts. Previously, the development was intended to be primarily office, with less retail and minimal residential. Prior to the Great Recession, Fannie Mae was going to move its headquarters to Waterfront Station, but they pulled out in the wake of financial troubles at the quasi-government agency. Over time, the plan for Waterfront Station has evolved in favor of more residential and retail and less office. 

Rendering of planned 375 M Street building

In its current proposal, Forest City plans to develop a 285-unit rental apartment building on the east parcel (375 M Street) with 18,830 square feet of ground floor retail along M Street and the Metro plaza, 32,400 square feet of commercial space intended for professional services tenants on the second floor, and a 6,000 square-foot community center on the first and second floors. This would be the third community center located in Southwest, joining the Randall Recreation Center and King-Greenleaf Recreation Center, but it would be the only one without adjacent recreation fields. The community center was proffered by the developer to win approval from ANC 6D, which was originally lukewarm to the idea of changing uses at the two remaining parcels at Waterfront Station from office to residential. As a part of the PUD, the developer has offered the community center rent-free for a period of 30 years and will contribute up to $565,000 for interior design and fit-out, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and initial start-up costs. 

Rendering of planned 425 M Street building

On the west parcel (425 M Street), the plan is to develop a 310-unit rental apartment building with 21,203 square feet of ground floor retail along 4th and M streets. The main residential entrance will be located at the northeast corner of the building. In both buildings, 8% of the floor area will be reserved for residents earning up to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and of that total, five units will be 3BR apartments. Under this proposal, the east parcel will be developed first, allowing for the west parcel to remain open space until the completion of the 325 M Street building. Part of the west parcel will house a trailer that will be the interim Southwest Branch library while a new library is built in its current location at 900 Wesley Place. 

For its part, the ANC has offered conditional support for the PUD. Portions of the PUD that the ANC supports include the community center, as well as the redesign of the project which provides less density and more setbacks than the original office design, a retail strategy, and traffic plan. However, one of the concerns brought by Commissioner Roger Moffatt, whose single-member district includes the 375 M Street site, was the ability for mom and pop retailers to occupy smaller spaces at the proposed development. It has proven to be difficult to get smaller retailers into the previous phases of the development since the buildings would not allow a tenant who needed less than 1,200 square feet to occupy space. While the U.S. Postal Service is not a “mom and pop” retailer, it was used as an example of a tenant that was unable to relocate to Waterfront Station because its need for a 900 square-foot space could not be accommodated. Other outstanding issues brought by ANC Vice Chair Andy Litsky include the selection of the community center operator and clarification on the “free rent” provision to include HVAC and electricity; improvements to public space at the Metro plaza; a traffic plan for the 4th and M streets intersection; placement of the Metrobus and Circulator bus stop along M Street; and other logistical concerns. 

The Zoning Commission will continue the hearing on May 10th and a final decision on the proposed development is expected in the coming months.

Renderings courtesy of Forest City

Former Engine 13 Demolished

The former DC FEMS Engine 13 building at 6th and E streets has been demolished to make way for a mixed-use development by E Street Development (h/t to reader Ben). A raze permit was filed back in November for the building. E Street Development is planning a 253-key citizenM hotel on the site, as well as a 194-unit mixed-income rental apartment building, and 10,750 SF of ground floor retail. The residential portion of the project will include 58 affordable units (ranging from 30% to 50% of Area Median Income) for seniors ages 62 and older and 136 market-rate units for all ages. E Street Development won the rights several years ago to develop this parcel, along with a vacant site cattycorner to it on 4th and E streets, which became a Hyatt Place hotel with a new Engine 13 firehouse on the ground floor in 2015. 

The block where the former Engine 13 building was located also was where MPD’s First District headquarters used to be, which was on the northwest corner of 4th and E streets before it was relocated to the former Bowen Elementary School building along M Street in 2009 and the city’s Consolidated Forensic Lab was built in its place. 

Rendering courtesy of E Street Development

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.

Greenleaf Redevelopment RFQ Released

After years of planning and delays, DCHA released a Request for Qualifications back in December for a co-developer to redevelop Greenleaf, the 15-acre public housing project that straddles M Street. Greenleaf was built in 1959 and currently contains 493 public housing units spread over 23 buildings.  

According to the RFQ, the development objectives include the following: 

• The redevelopment will replace all 493 existing units at the same level of affordability. 
• The redevelopment will minimize the movement of residents – to the greatest extent possible, residents will move directly from their old unit to their new unit. 
• There will be zero displacement of current Greenleaf residents. 
• There will be a mix of market-rate, affordable, and possibly workforce housing. 
• Public safely will be improved with increased activity on streets and public spaces. 
• The redevelopment will integrate into the surrounding community. 
• The redevelopment will support the development of human capital, assisting with such things as job opportunities and supportive services programs. 

The phased redevelopment concept for Greenleaf by HR&A Advisors has been designed with a mix of high-rise and townhomes. The high-rise buildings would be concentrated along M Street and Delaware Avenue with the townhomes further away from those two streets. Some retail is anticipated as well along M Street. A unique feature of the redevelopment will the the use of the "build first" model, which would allow the project to proceed without displacing Greenleaf residents. The first phase of development would use a site near the Greenleaf footprint to build a mixed-income building. Once residents move into that first building, it will free up land within Greenleaf to start demolition and development. DC-owned sites that were identified as having the best potential to do build first include the MPD First District parking lot along Delaware Avenue and the DC FEMS Repair Shop at the NW corner of M and Half streets. While the HR&A report suggested a build first site be selected prior to releasing the RFQ, a site has not been chosen yet. 

It will take several years to redevelop the site and will probably be done in at least six phases. The deadline to submit proposals for the RFQ is February 1. Then in early March, a RFP will be released to a short list of developers who responded to the RFQ. The winning co-developer partner is expected to be selected by June and a contract will be negotiated with DCHA.

Renderings courtesy of HR&A Advisors  

Raze Permits Filed

Raze permits have been filed for two sites that will soon become mixed-use developments. One is the Unity Health Clinic site at 850 Delaware Avenue, which closed back in October. In its place will be a 50-unit temporary housing facility for homeless families, with a maximum occupancy of 166 people in a seven-story building. A new health clinic will be in the basement of the building, with its entrance on I Street. This is the Ward 6 location of the Mayor’s Homeward DC initiative to place smaller family homeless shelters in each ward of the city to replace the DC General facility. The Zoning Commission approved the 850 Delaware Avenue project in March and the new facility is expected to be completed in 2019. 

The second site is the former home of Engine 13 at 555 E Street. E Street Development won the bid to develop this site and another District-owned parcel at 4th and E streets several years ago. The latter was developed into a Hyatt Place with a fire house on the ground floor – the hotel just celebrated its two-year anniversary. On the 555 E Street site, the developer plans to build a 253-key citizenM hotel, a 194-unit mixed-income rental apartment building, and 10,750 SF of ground floor retail. This project is also expected to be completed in 2019. 

Renderings courtesy of Studio 24 Architecture and E Street Development

The Bard: Act II

More than a year after withdrawing a PUD application for The Bard development at 501 I Street due to neighborhood opposition, the development team of Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) and Erkiletian recently submitted a new PUD, making several changes to their plans in the process. The site is currently zoned R-3 and the development team through the PUD process is requesting a change of zoning to MU-4. 

The current plan calls for a five-story building (four stories plus a habitable penthouse) and a five-story annex structure on the northeast portion of the site. The main building is U shaped and will contain 29,425 square feet on the first level and below-grade for STC administrative space, four rehearsal spaces, a costume shop, space for educational activities, as well as five actor housing units. On the upper floors, there will be 85 rental apartments. In the annex building, there will be five two-story duplex units for STC fellows on the lower floors and 15 units on the upper floors for STC actors. Within the project, approximately 11,400 SF of space will be set aside as affordable housing under inclusionary zoning, at 60% and 50% of AMI. At least one of the IZ units will be a three-bedroom unit. Additionally, two units will be set at 40% of AMI for the first 10 years of the project and will be reserved for teachers or staff at Amidon-Bowen Elementary or Jefferson Academy. 

There will be two entrances to the STC-controlled space, one on 6th Street and another on I Street. Meanwhile, the main residential entrance to the building will be on I Street. Actor housing units will have entrances on 6th Street in order to maintain a residential character on the street. Along I Street, there will be public art – including art panels and murals. Parking will be provided for 39 vehicles on-site in a below-grade garage as well as at least two electric charging stations, and 15 off-site spaces. There will also be 70 bicycle parking spaces. 

According to the PUD application, the following public benefits will be offered: 

Free performances aimed at young audiences and development of long-term curriculum for Amidon-Bowen and Jefferson Academy Schools; free performance tickets and scholarships and tuition discounts to Camp Shakespeare and Adult Master Acting classes; support for community arts programming; and public access to use assembly spaces/conference rooms within the Project for community meetings. 

The developers intend to work with ANC 6D to refine the list of public benefits. If approved, construction is expected to start in 2018 and finish in 2020. 

Renderings courtesy of Shalom Baranes Associates

555 E Street Lands Hotel Flag

Plans for the former Engine 13 firehouse site at 555 E Street have come into focus, a couple years after the first phase (a mixed-use Hyatt Place/firehouse project) opened down the street. A second hotel is planned by E Street Development, along with a mixed-income residential component and 10,750 SF of ground floor retail. The 253-key hotel has been identified as a citizenM hotel, a European brand hotel known for providing “affordable luxury.” The hotel company’s website describes the needs of its clientele as the following: 

Mobile citizens know what they like from good lodgings. This includes stylish design, great value, the best entertainment, sociable atmosphere, a comfortable bed and big fluffy towels. They need accommodation in a good location, and they could do without unnecessary or hidden costs. 

The residential building will include a mix of 136 market-rate multifamily rental units and 58 units of affordable housing for seniors ages 62 and above. This would be the third residential building planned north of the Southwest freeway and south of the National Mall - 1399 Maryland Avenue at the Portals is currently under construction and Urban-Atlantic has plans to convert the Reporters Building at 7th and D streets to residential. Construction of 555 E is currently scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2019, which would put groundbreaking sometime before the end of 2017. 

Renderings courtesy of E Street Development Group

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

Photo Tour Part 3: Apartment Construction

Most of the new residential buildings under construction in Southwest are rental apartments - the only condo building currently under construction is VIO at District Wharf. Above is a photo of 301 M, which is the rental apartment building furthest along, aside from District Wharf, by The Bernstein Companies. Since these pictures were taken in early August, progress has been made on the buildings, especially Valo, the chosen marketing name for the apartment project attached to the new St. Matthews at 222 M Street, developed by Trammell Crow Company, High Street Residential, Meadow Partners, and CSG Urban Partners. A few more floors have been added to the building since the below photo was taken. Advertising went up last month for Valo, a Finnish word meaning light or glow.

Valo apartments at 222 M Street.

Another project making progress is the two-building addition to The View at Waterfront along M and K streets from Mill Creek Residential Trust. Both buildings are mid-rise structures with a concrete base and wood-frame construction above. 

New M Street building at the View at Waterfront.

Meanwhile, the Riverside Baptist Church project at 7th and I streets by PN Hoffman is still a hole in the ground. Construction began earlier this year and won't be complete until 2019. The most recent addition to the construction list was 1399 Maryland Avenue at The Portals, a 373-unit apartment building which started a couple months ago by Republic Properties.

Tower crane at Riverside Baptist site.

PUD for Buzzard Point Affordable Housing Apartments

A PUD for a mixed-use residential project was filed earlier this summer on a parcel at 1st and Q streets, one block north of Audi Field in Buzzard Point. Currently, the site contains a one-story retail building and a parking lot. A total of 76 rental units are planned, with a mix of 1BR, 2BR, and 4BR units. The residential entrance will be located along Q Street. About 3,800 square feet on the ground floor will be set aside for retail with entrances along 1st Street. A Capital Bikeshare station will also be placed on 1st Street. What makes this different than the other residential buildings that have been built in Southwest over the past several years is that the entire building will be set aside as affordable housing. 

Of the 76 units planned at the development, 16 will be reserved for residents earning up to 30% of AMI and the remaining 60 units will be set aside for residents earning up to 50% of AMI. There will be limited space for amenities – about 940 square feet of residential amenity space will be available, as well as a landscaped courtyard on the ground floor. However, residents in the building will have access to on-site wrap-around services provided by the United Planning Organizations, such as case management. Off-site services to be provided include mental health, addiction treatment, childcare, job readiness programs, job training, and adult education.

Renderings courtesy of PGN Architects