St. Matthew's 2018 Christmas Tree Giveaway

This year's Christmas tree giveaway at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church will be held this Saturday in the courtyard of the new church building, located at 222 M Street at 1pm.  Access to the courtyard is through a wood gate along Delaware Avenue, south of M Street.  If you'd like to reserve a tree, send an email to office@stmatthewsdc.org or call 202.484.3189. Trees are free to those who cannot afford them, but for those who are able, a donation to St. Matthew's to support the soon-to-form Southwest Youth and Children's Choir is appreciated.

During the giveaway, an Open House will be held with refreshments and tours of the new building from 1pm - 3pm.  The dedication ceremony and first service at the new St. Matthew's will be held on January 20, 2019 at 2pm and is open to the public.  Meanwhile, residents started moving into the neighboring Valo apartments last month.

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.

Living Hope Church Site For Sale

A for-sale sign has gone up in recent weeks on the Living Hope First United Pentecostal Church of Washington DC, located at 1200 1st Street. (H/T to reader @MichaelMills_DC) It is located next to James Creek and across the street from the DMV. According to the listing on LoopNet, the church was built in 1957 with an elevator added in 2002 and new windows in 2011. It is approximately 7,500 SF and contains a fellowship hall, office space, commercial kitchen and baptismal pool. The sanctuary seats over 260 people. 

Prior to Living Hope, the church was home to Second Baptist Church Southwest, which originally built the church in 1957 after purchasing the site from the Housing Authority – it was last for sale in 2012 when Second Baptist moved from the space to District Heights, Maryland. It appears that Second Baptist still owns the church and is leasing it to Living Hope. The current sale price is $1.6 million and the property is zoned R-4. 

Will St. Matthew’s Lot Finally Turn Dirt?

St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church will be holding another Christmas tree giveaway later this month on their vacant lot, located at 222 M Street. At last year’s giveaway, the development team said construction on a new sanctuary and 221 apartments would begin in April 2015, but financial complications due to the property’s location in a flood zone delayed the start of construction. This problem seems to be resolved, since the 17th Street NW levee project on the National Mall has since been completed, which moves the St. Matthew’s lot outside of the 100-year flood zone. According to Pastor Phillip Huber of St. Matthew’s, the latest estimate for starting construction is mid-January, with completion by the end of 2017, or sooner. The development team includes Trammell Crow Company and CSG Urban Partners.

The Christmas tree giveaway will be on Saturday, December 12, starting at 10am. In order to receive one of the 130 free trees, a reservation is required – either email stmatthewsdc@hughes.net or call 202-484-3189, first come, first serve. Day-of reservations will be accepted on site, starting at 10am to pick up a tree after 12pm, if any remain. Free food and beverages will be provided during the giveaway.

Rendering courtesy of Shalom Baranes Associates

Riverside Baptist Proposes Mixed-Use Redevelopment with PN Hoffman

Over the past seven years, Riverside Baptist Church and Wharf developer PN Hoffman have been in discussions about redeveloping Riverside, located along 7th Street from I Street to Maine Avenue. Riverside has been in Southwest since 1857 and in its current building since 1968. Its current congregation has about 125 members with about a third of them being Southwesters. The current building has about 12,000 square feet of space on two levels, including the basement, with a large setback from Maine Avenue and its main entrance faces a parking lot. It is an aging property where maintenance costs now outweigh costs for ministry services, so the church began exploring their options back in 2007. The redevelopment of the church property will allow Riverside to remain in Southwest, but in a new building and with an endowment. This arrangement is not new in the neighborhood. In addition to Riverside, other houses of worship have partnered with developers, include St. Augustine’s, St. Matthew’s, and Westminster Church is starting the process now. 

Riverside and PN Hoffman took their seven–year relationship to the next level this evening and began the public engagement process, starting with a meeting in the basement of Town Square Towers with residents of the condo building. Town Square Towers is located across I Street from Riverside and will be impacted by the redevelopment of its neighbor. Present at the meeting were representatives from PN Hoffman, Riverside, and architects from Geier Brown Renfrow (GBR) Architects and Studios Architecture. Currently on the table is a mixed-use development with a new Riverside Baptist Church designed by GBR on the southern portion of the site closer to Maine Avenue and a 150-175-unit rental apartment building on the rest of the site, designed by Studios Architecture.

The new Riverside has been designed with two levels – the first floor will have a fellowship hall and office space while the second floor will contain the worship center for a total of about 11,400 square feet. At the corner of Maine Avenue and 7th Street, the main entrance will be transparent so passersby will be able to see some of the activity occurring inside of the church. This area serves as a threshold between the street, the parking garage, and the church. Materials used in the construction of the current church building, including stone, stucco, slate shingles, and stained glass will be carried over to the design of the new facility. There will be 40 garage parking spaces available for the church on Sundays and five spaces on other days. 

Meanwhile, the apartment building has been designed as “elegant and simple” to not take the focus away from the church building, which has been positioned on the prominent corner of Maine Avenue and 7th Street. The apartment building will step back in height from nine stories to seven stories closer to I Street and will serve as a "gateway" to the waterfront. Units will be designed to attract families, so no micro units are planned; however, unit sizes will be only slightly larger than what is currently being built in DC. More one bedroom with den and two bedroom units will be built. In addition, an affordable component is planned as mandated by Inclusionary Zoning. On the ground floor there will be space for a daycare center or other community-oriented use, but PN Hoffman feels that traditional retail would not be appropriate at that location. At the corner of 7th and I streets, the building will be pulled back further from the street to create space for a public plaza with a water feature, trees, and benches. The intersection will also be simplified by removing the island that separates traffic making a right turn onto I Street from 7th Street. 

A change of zoning will be required in order for the project to move forward as designed. A Planned Unit Development (PUD) application will be submitted in the next few months once the Small Area Plan has been completed by the Office of Planning, which has recommended up-zoning the church parcel. After going through the PUD process, it is expected that construction may begin sometime in 2016.

Rendering courtesy of PN Hoffman

Raze Permit Filed for St. Augustine’s

 

A raze permit was recently filed for St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, located at 600 M Street. The church came to an agreement with the developers of The Wharf to redevelop its site (Parcel 11 of The Wharf) and create an endowment. Demolition is scheduled for this summer and in its place will be a new, two-level St. Augustine’s and a 108-unit, mixed income mid-rise condominium. 

New St. Augustine's

Condo building

The last service in its current building will take place tomorrow at 9:30am. Afterwards, the church will move temporarily to the fellowship hall of Christ United Methodist Church at 900 4th Street. The new St. Augustine’s should open in early 2016 and will be the first component of The Wharf to be completed. 

Renderings courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Parcel 11 and Waterfront Park Presented at ANC Meeting

At last night's ANC 6D meeting, the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team have a presentation on Parcel 11A & B as well as Waterfront Park at The Wharf. Jim Clark from MTFA Architecture spoke first about Parcel 11A, which will be the new St. Augustine's Episcopal Church. Clark explained that there will be views of the church from M Street, Maine Avenue, and M Street Landing since it will be located at the prominent corner of M Street and 6th Street.  There will be a soft curved edge in front of St. Augustine's to complement the curvature of Arena Stage across the street. The 2-story church will be approximately 15,000 square feet with the sanctuary located on the second floor offering views toward the Washington Monument.  Also on the second floor will be classrooms and a library. On the ground floor, the entrance will lead to a vestibule that connects to classrooms and an all purpose room, which will be available for community events, similar to how St. Augustine's is now used for meetings.  A plaza will be located near where Maine Avenue will intersect with a new Water Street that will include among other things a labyrinth. Frttted (or semi-transparent) blue glass will cover part of the church where the vestibule and sanctuary are located.  

Next up was Federico Soifer from SK&I Architecural Design Group, who discussed plans for Parcel 11B, a 109-unit condo building.  The asymmetry of the facades were designed to be similar to the Tiber Island townhouses across the street  There will be a concrete base with four stories of wood frame construction above. The penthouse level will be set back 12 feet from the lower floors and will offer private terraces. A courtyard will be created on the second floor with some green space and a fountain. In addition, there will be a green roof, but condo residents will not have access to the roof except for those with terraces on the penthouse level. Commissioner Garber and some in the audience at the meeting wanted rooftop access for all residents of the building since it will have views of the waterfront, but the developers decided during the design process not to offer this amenity. 

The planned Waterfront Park at the southeastern end of The Wharf was planned through a charrette process with community members (me included).  A few things have changed since the last iteration of the park design after some critique from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts.  Above is the current design of the park.  Changes include the addition of more connections to neighboring properties, such as Harbor Square.  More interior pathways have been added and the bocce courts have been consolidated to one area of the park.  The access road is less intrusive now that it is curved and the circular turnaround has been changed to a rectangular plaza that could be used for special events.  In addition, more plantings will be used to frame views toward the Washington Channel.

The ANC will hold a special meeting on July 25 at 7pm to reconsider their previous vote to not endorse the Stage II PUD for The Wharf.

Renderings courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

St. Matthew's Gets New Architect

At this past Monday's SWNA meeting, Reverend Huber from St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, along with architect Shalom Baranes from Shalom Baranes Associates Architects presented their latest plans for their mixed use project at Delaware Avenue and M Street, which are still in the concept phase, so no renderings are available. Also present were representatives from Trammell Crow, the developer of the project. Some changes have occurred with the new plans, including the siting of the new sanctuary and community center relative to the planned apartment building. In the new plan, the development is in the shape of an "L" - the apartment building will be situated along M Street & extend south along the western border with 240 M Street and the church will be located at the corner of Delaware Avenue & M, in order to preserve what is left of the view shed along Delaware Avenue north to the Capitol dome. Baranes explained that over the years, Delaware Avenue south of M Street was reduced in width and the center line of the street shifted to the east, which altered the view towards the Capitol. In addition, the new design will maintain the courtyard-design aesthetic of Southwest, with buildings interspersed with open space.

There will be a shared open space along Delaware Avenue with a seating area and a shallow pool that will be connected to the fellowship hall of the church. A landscaped buffer will be installed along Delaware Avenue to shield the outdoor space and provide some security. Existing trees will be maintained on three sides - Delaware Avenue, the western border with 240 M Street, and on the south. New landscaping will be planted on M Street.

Such a large open space can be made because the apartment building will be 10-11 stories tall and use 4.3-4.4 of FAR, allowing more open space. The apartment building will be 2-3 stories taller than other buildings on M Street, but Baranes explained that it's good to have structures of varied heights and the building will be brought closer to the street to give the corridor a more urban feel. Other developments along M Street, including future phases of Waterfront Station will have buildings closer to the street as well. The apartment building will be designed as a simple box, similar to other residential buildings in Southwest, with a variety of building materials, playing off of what currently exists in the neighborhood. The main entrance for the apartment building will be located on M Street. Ten percent of the housing is mandated to be affordable housing by inclusionary zoning, but St. Matthew's would like for it to be designated workforce housing (for teachers, police officers, firefighters, etc.) since the neighborhood already has plenty of public housing.

St. Matthew's has partnered with Arena Stage to design the sanctuary as a performance space. When the old church was in existence, the fellowship hall was used almost daily and Reverend Huber referred it to the "town center" for Southwest -the redesigned fellowship hall will aim to serve that purpose once again. A grand entryway for the church will be designed on M Street. In addition, a community center will be located between the church and the apartment building with a separate entrance on M Street. A 501(c) non-profit organization called Transforming Southwest Community Development Corporation will manage the community center. Within the community center will be a coffee shop called Sacred Grounds Cafe: "Coffee with a Purpose." Some features and planned activities for the community center include: free Wi-Fi access, Internet terminals, seniors morning, book club, live performances, community forums, a gallery to support local artists, movie night, preschool program, thrift shop, and a multimedia classroom. Other ideas floated by Pastor Huber is to offer "Dinner at Your Door" for residents of the apartment building, a community outreach center with a social worker, and a Southwest youth & children's choir.

The PUD will be submitted in either January or February 2011. By that time, more details about the design will be fleshed out. Construction is scheduled to begin by the first or second quarter of 2012. The Lutheran Church helped finance the PUD process and most likely will be involved with financing the project. Until construction begins, temporary uses will be encouraged for the vacant site. Previously, the lot has been transformed into a Christmas tree lot during the holidays and last summer, 20 plots were created for gardeners. The Christmas tree lot will return on December 2nd - details about prices to come soon. Other temporary uses are being contemplated for the site, such as a community yard sale, partnering with Arena Stage and the Corcoran for an outdoor arts festival, and a wine festival. St. Matthew's is looking for other ideas for temporary uses for the space. If you have any ideas, feel free to contact Reverend Huber - his email address is: pchuber@hughes.net.

South(west) Beach?

In today’s Washington Business Journal (subscribers only) there’s an article about how vacant spaces in DC are being utilized creatively for temporary uses. Due to the recession, vacant sites have been popping up all over the city since developers are having difficulty getting financing. Some examples of temporary uses mentioned in the article include the Bullpen near Nationals Park in Near SE and the summer stadium for the Washington Kastles tennis team at the Old Convention Center site downtown. At the end of the article, D.C. Office of Planning director Harriet Tregoning mentions a use for the Southwest Waterfront (which isn’t exactly vacant). From the article:

Tregoning also has ideas for PN Hoffman’s 30-plus acre Southwest waterfront: “Considering what it is, it really gets very little use. What if we put a beach there? With umbrellas. I mean, I wouldn’t be encouraging people to swim in the Anacostia, you know, but a place to hang out, catch a little sun, relax. It could be fabulous.”

Some European cities have turned their riverfronts into temporary beaches during the summer, including Paris and Prague, but would this work in DC? Besides the SW Waterfront, there are several vacant lots in the neighborhood that could host temporary uses (not a beach, though). Along South Capitol Street, a major gateway to the core of the city, there are vacant lots galore, including Camden’s 1345 South Capitol Street site (a vacant field), Vornado’s site surrounding the 7 Eleven at South Capitol & M Street (a parking lot), and the Ruben Companies’ 1001 - 1101 South Capitol Street (more parking lots). Aside from the lots on South Capitol Street, there’s the Randall School site, the old Friendship Baptist Church, the old First District HQ, Southeastern University, the Market Inn…the list goes on and on. However, there are examples of other sites that have been used for temporary purposes. For instance, the St. Matthews site on M Street became a Christmas tree lot last year and Pastor Huber has plans to create a community garden next spring until the new church and housing can be built. Also, Artomatic used the old Waterside Mall before it was torn down. Hopefully the economy starts to pick up soon so some of these vacant sites can get built, but in the meantime, some creative uses can be found for the plethora of empty spaces we have in Southwest. What temporary uses would you suggest for some of these vacant sites?

ANC Votes to Approve Extension of Old Friendship Baptist Church Redevelopment

I wasn't able to attend last night's ANC 6D meeting, but the developer of the Old Friendship Baptist Church site on Delaware Avenue & H Street tells Southwest...TLQTC that the ANC unanimously approved a request to allow a two-year extension of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the project that the developer has pending with the Zoning Commission. The Zoning Commission will make a decision on the extension request at their December 14th meeting. Steve Tanner, the developer of the project, plans to convert the 100+ year-old church into office space and construct a residential building with condos. Delays with the Corcoran's neighboring Randall School project (see post from last November), as well as the state of the economy, helped the developer obtain approval from the ANC. However, Tanner says that the Corcoran is working on a contract with a new developer for their Randall School site. Several stalled development projects around the city have applied for 2-year extensions in recent months, the nearest one to SW is the RiverFront on the Anacostia site in Near SE. As a condition of the ANC's approval, the developer will need to pay to clean up the Randall Park baseball fields each month once he applies for a building permit. Above is a rendering of the site - the white church is the existing building and the Shalom Baranes-designed 7-story residential addition is at the rear of the church (rendering courtesy of Steve Tanner).

Michael Vick Preaches About Dog Fighting

Thanks to reader Marc for the tip about Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick's appearance at Covenant Baptist Church in Bellevue back on September 29th. According to The Washington Post, Vick was in town as a part of an arrangement he made with the Humane Society to make public appearances twice a month to speak out against dog fighting. His compliance with the request to make these appearances was one of the reasons why Vick's suspension from the NFL was ended last month. Vick previously spoke in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.

Delays and Progress in the Neighborhood

In today's Washington Post, there's an article describing the slowdown in construction around the Washington metro area due to the credit crunch. The Randall School project is mentioned in the article. From the article: "A half-mile from the ballpark, the Corcoran Gallery of Art and developer Monument Realty intended to turn what was once a public school and then a homeless shelter into an art school and apartments. But Monument withdrew in August, as its equity partner, Lehman Brothers, collapsed, leaving Corcoran to find another developer." Southwest...TLQTC reported on this story back in November. Another victim of the delay at Randall School is the old Friendship Baptist Church site (AKA Square 643) at 734 1st Street (H Street & Delaware Avenue). Developer Steve Tanner has plans to renovate the historic church into office space and build a residential component behind the church, which has been in the works since at least 2003. The timing of delivery, though, is dependent on the completion of the Randall School project. Now that the Randall School is delayed, Tanner will have to wait to see who will be the new developer partner of the Corcoran. The old Friendship Baptist Church is over 100 years old and was one of the few structures saved when Southwest was razed during urban renewal in the 1950s. According to the Cultural Tourism DC website: "In December 1902 the congregation dedicated a new church at 734 First Street, SW (at H Street). The eclectic Victorian style structure, built by James A. Boyce over a 12-year period, had Romanesque, Gothic Revival, and Queen Anne elements. A name change -- to Friendship Baptist – in June 1905 followed the congregation’s move...In September 1965 it celebrated its 90th anniversary and dedicated a new building at 900 Delaware Avenue, SW. The old Friendship Baptist Church at 734 First Street, SW, was designated a DC Historic Site on May 27, 2004." A rendering of the site is above - the white church is the existing building and the Shalom Baranes-designed 7-story residential addition is at the rear of the church (rendering courtesy of Steve Tanner).

At least one major Southwest project is moving ahead. Waterfront Station received construction financing in September to build the two new office buildings as a part of phase one of development, but the fate of the adaptive reuse of the old EPA towers to residential is unclear.

The rendering above is the metro plaza in front of the new SW Safeway under construction at Waterfront Station, courtesy of Vornado.

A Tree "Grows" in Southwest

The empty lot at 222 M Street where St. Matthew's Lutheran Church is planning to build a new sanctuary and apartments (see prior post) will soon become a Christmas tree lot this holiday season. Starting on Monday, December 1st, Christmas trees will be on sale 7 days a week, so us Southwesters will have a local spot to get our trees this year! Here's the schedule:

Monday - Friday: 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Saturday: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Sunday: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Prices range from $48 for 5-6 ft trees to $67 for 7-8 ft trees. If you're interested in pre-ordering a tree, contact St. Matthew's at 202-484-3189, or send an email to stmatthewsdc@hughes.net. Seniors living in the neighborhood get free delivery!

Update on St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church Redevelopment

If you haven't been past 222 M Street in a few months, you may not have noticed that St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church has been demolished. The old church building was razed back in May so a new church, community center, and apartments can be built. In the interim, St. Matthew's is sharing space with the congregation at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church on 6th & M Street. I recently contacted Pastor Huber of St. Matthew's to get an update on the progress at redeveloping their site. St. Matthew's is teaming up with Trammell Crow and CSG Urban Partners on redeveloping 222 M Street. Internationally recognized architecture firm BBG-BBGM will design the project - another local Southwest project the architects have recently designed is the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The redevelopment will include three components (1) a new St. Matthew's Church, (2) the Thurgood and Cecilia Marshall Southwest Community Center, and (3) an apartment building. The pastor hopes the new church will include a Fellowship Hall for community meeting space, as well as a sanctuary that could accommodate theatre and performances, in a partnership with Arena Stage. The community center hopes to include the following: a coffee shop called "Sacred Grounds", a day care center, a computer lab, thrift shop, multi-media classroom, community outreach center, and a Southwest Youth and Children's Choir. The apartment project, as planned, will include approximately 195 units - 15% of which they hope will be workforce housing. The development team still needs to get zoning approval and submit a PUD before construction can begin. Pastor Huber says they hope to have their submission to the Zoning Commission done soon. I'll be tracking further progress of this project and once renderings are available, I'll be sure to post them.

Special thanks to Pastor Huber for his assistance with reporting on this redevelopment project.