1331 Maryland Avenue Approved by CFA

After multiple designs for a residential building at The Portals complex were rejected by the Commission of Fine Arts, a shorter, boxier version has been given the thumbs up. Now at 13 stories, the number of units at 1331 Maryland Avenue has been reduced from 440 to 365 units. Per the Washington Business Journal, there will be 290 apartments and 75 condos on the top four floors. Due to its location at the end of Maryland Avenue, units will have views of the Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin, the Potomac River, and the Capitol. Republic Properties expects to start construction on the project in about a year. 1331 Maryland Avenue will be the first residential project built south of the National Mall and north of the SW freeway since urban renewal. 

Currently, the Portals complex has three office buildings and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, along with ground floor retail. The newest retailer is Flippin’ Pizza, which will soon open on the ground floor of the Portals I office building at 1250 – 1280 Maryland Avenue. The restaurant will seat up to 51 patrons and its Class DR liquor license was approved last month by ABRA, which allows the sale of beer and wine. Aside from the planned residential building, a fourth office building (Portals IV) is planned on the remaining vacant parcel between 1331 Maryland Avenue and the Mandarin.

Renderings courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects

VIO Sales Begin This Spring at The Wharf

The luxury condos formerly known as “Parcel 4B” currently under construction at The Wharf now have a more official name. VIO – which derives from Latin for “I journey,” will be a 12-story building with 112 units facing the Wharf promenade between 7th and 9th streets. Designed by Handel Architects and WDG Architects, VIO will have a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, as well as penthouses. The units will feature high-end finishes including wide-plank hardwood flooring, European cabinetry, granite and quartz countertops, Thermador and Bosch appliances, custom closets, stone tile baths, and 9-foot ceilings. Building amenities will also be top-notch. According to the press release: 

VIO includes amenities such as a private lobby on The Wharf’s Yacht Club Piazza with covered drop-off, 24-hour front desk, concierge services, clubroom, fitness center with yoga studio, and an outdoor infinity edge pool overlooking the Potomac River. Secure underground parking is included with the purchase of most residences. Select VIO residences feature private-access elevators that include direct access to the Wharf promenade, which will include an impressive mix of restaurants, bars, cafes, and other retail. The majority of residences at VIO feature balconies with water views and several penthouses include private rooftop terraces. 

Limited pre-sales will begin this spring and interested buyers can sign up on the project’s website for updates. The building is scheduled to deliver in the second half of 2017.  Prices range from the $400,000s to over $1.5 million.

A second condo building is under construction at 525 Water Street, across the street from Arena Stage that is further along than VIO. Construction has already reached street level and the project will deliver in 2016. I imagine that sales for 525 Water Street will be underway sometime in 2015 as well. 

Rendering courtesy of Interface Multimedia/Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Washington Global Charter School Begins This Fall

A new charter school will begin classes this fall in Southwest. Washington Global Public Charter School, a tuition-free middle school, will be occupying a portion of an office building on the 500-block of aptly-named School Street, located across the street from Constitution Center. According to the school's website:

Washington Global Public Charter School is a tuition-free middle school open to all students in Washington, DC. We will offer a robust international and research-based academic programming to develop globally competitive students who are ready for college and careers. Our program includes project-based learning, small learning communities, technology instruction, arts, and foreign language classes in Spanish and Chinese. We strive for all of our students to be healthy and active through our nutrition, physical education, and athletic programs. We will also serve as a community school that promotes local engagement and service-learning for our students.

The first class of sixth and seventh grade students will begin classes in August. Students will be admitted though the MySchool DC Common Application and Lottery.

Update on Residential Future for 1319 South Capitol

At this evening’s ANC 6D meeting, Charlie Kehler and Kim Hoover from Altus Realty Partners presented plans for a proposed residential development at 1319 South Capitol Street. The site is located adjacent to Camden South Capitol apartments and across the street from Nationals Park. It was a little over a year ago the last time the developer came before the commissioners. At the time, the project was planned as a 260-270-unit building and Altus was negotiating with adjacent property owners to potentially increase the lot size. 

The current plan designed by PGN Architects calls for an 11-story, 140-200-unit multifamily building in an “L” shape that wraps around six rowhomes on South Capitol Street that will remain. About 16,000 gross SF of space will be set aside for affordable housing at 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).The main entrance to the building and retail space will be on South Capitol Street. Garage parking will be accessed through an alley on N Street; the two-level garage will have about 75 spaces. A partial closing of an alley will be needed for the project. Since this was just a presentation, Altus will be back before the ANC once the project is filed with the Zoning Commission since it is located in the Capitol Gateway Overlay and the alley closing request will need the support of the ANC. 

Rendering courtesy of Altus Realty Partners

Plans for Capitol Park Tower Addition Moving Along

Capitol Park Tower has been upgraded in recent months following the purchase of the building from UIP and Perseus Realty. Units have been renovated with stainless steel appliances, new cabinets, subway tile backsplash, new bathroom fixtures, and USB ports in outlets, among other things. A photo gallery can be found here. Within the past month, new signage has appeared outside of the building and some of the common areas have been improved (the above photo is an older photo from 2012). 

A meeting was held last week with residents of Capitol Park Tower to discuss the next phase of improvements. The owners are planning an addition on the north and east sides of the property. Of the approximately 295 rental apartment units planned, 271 will be market-rate and the remaining 24 will be IZ units. 

Dan Urban Kiley was the original landscape architect of Capitol Park Tower, which was designed by Chloethiel Woodard Smith and built in 1962. The landscaping and building were designated historic by HPRB a couple of years ago, which put on hold previous plans for the property. On the north side of the property, the new construction will be built on top of the parking area. Below is a tweet from Capitol Park Tower:

@swchase24 Development Plan includes preserving key elements: concrete canopies, totem, terracotta walls, etc & recreating Kiley Landscape.
— Capitol Park Tower (@301GStreetSW) March 2, 2015

Construction is expected to begin in November and would be completed by the end of 2017. Due to its status as a historic landmark, the plan will need to be approved by the Historic Preservation Review Board. More information will be forthcoming as this project goes through the approvals process. 

Photo of planned addition courtesy of ANC 6D-03 Commissioner Rachel Reilly Carroll

Revised PUD for The View at Waterfront

Back in late December, Mill Creek Residential Trust, the new owner of The View at Waterfront apartments at 6th and M streets, submitted a revised Planned Unit Development (PUD) application for construction of two new residential buildings on the parking lots fronting M and K streets. A PUD was approved several years ago when Fairfield Residential owned the property, but several changes have been made since then. Generally, Mill Creek has reduced the scope of the project. In the previously approved PUD, a total of 324 new units were planned, but the proposed changes reduce the number to about 260 units. Additionally, the height has been reduced from 112 feet to 85 feet. The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) has been reduced to 3.4 from 4.39 and the lot occupancy is proposed to be 42% compared to the previously approved 51%. Parking has been reduced significantly from 569 total spaces for all four buildings to 290 spaces in three levels of below-grade parking; however only 175 spaces are required under zoning. 

The look of the proposed buildings has also changed since Fairfield retained Esocoff & Associates to design the previously-approved project. SK&I Architecture has designed the new buildings with a grey and white color palette that resembles neighboring Lex at Waterfront Station. The PUD application describes the design of the new buildings: 

Each new building is comprised of two volumes. The first is a taller, lighter box that is supported by a tall recessed ground floor with exposed columns along the primary streets and corners; the second is a more subdued, lower mass that meets the ground plane and also is pulled back and tapered from the corners between the proposed and existing buildings along the street edge. 

Current SK&I Architecture design.

Esocoff & Associates design.

The north tower will have seven stories, including a mezzanine on the top floor and the south tower will have six stories, including mezzanines on the ground and top floors. A two-story retail space is still planned for the new south tower at the corner of 6th and M streets facing Arena Stage, but has been reduced from 8,900 SF to 5,200 SF. One thing that hasn’t changed is the amount of space set aside for affordable units. There will still be 6,500 SF of affordable housing evenly distributed on floors 2-5 of both new buildings, in addition to the 9,500 SF of affordable housing that currently exists in the I.M. Pei buildings. 

Each of the new towers will have amenity spaces within the buildings, as well as “vest pocket parks” between the proposed and existing buildings designed by Land Design. The “vest pocket parks” will contain amenities that can be used year round throughout the day and night. Some of the planned amenities include lawn panels, flexible seating, grilling areas, outdoor fireplaces, and water elements, each designed in “rooms” with heavy landscaping. The south tower will have a two-level lobby and amenity space, as well as loft units with mezzanines while the north tower will have a two-level lobby and amenity space. 

The developers will go before ANC 6D later this year to seek their support before meeting with the Zoning Commission. If approved, Mill Creek would like to start construction in 2016.

Renderings courtesy of SK&I Architecture, Esocoff & Associates, and Land Design

A Peek Inside Lex at Waterfront Station

Lex at Waterfront Station (formerly known as Sky House West) was purchased by Bernstein Management and started leasing units last month. Over the past three years, three new apartment buildings have opened in Southwest, bringing more than 800 units online. Camden South Capitol opened in the spring of 2013; Sky House East began leasing in early 2014; and Lex at Waterfront Station is the newest apartment project. Rents range from $1,600 for a studio to $3,480 for a large 2BR unit. Below are some photos of the exterior and interior amenity spaces on the first floor of Lex. 

There is an extensive outdoor amenity space with a fireplace, BBQ grills, benches, and green space.

The club room contains a large screen TV and several seating areas.

The club room also contains a pool table and kitchen. Near the lounge is the mail room.

The lobby has several seating areas in nooks, but also has open areas. RD Jones designed the interior spaces in the building. 

The Evolution of the Waterfront Substation Design

There have been at least three different iterations of the design of Pepco’s planned Waterfront substation at 1st and Q streets on Buzzard Point. The first design took its cues from neighboring Fort McNair to resemble an office building. After receiving feedback from the community, CORE Architects redesigned the building, but has been further refined since then. The latest design proposal plays on the area’s industrial past & present. Green space, artistic features, and a plaza have been incorporated into the design; however, other tweaks may be made in the coming weeks. The above rendering is the current design, looking at the intersection of 1st and R streets; see below to see how the design has evolved since 2013.  

Design from November 2013.

Same intersection from October 2014 redesign.

The ANC voted on a resolution this week to work with DC Climate Action to create a working group addressing health and safety issues related to the construction and operation of the substation, as well as its proposed size. Pepco is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission to build the substation, which plans to open by 2017 before the existing substation a few blocks away surpasses capacity. Below is a video of how underground transmission lines are installed. These will be built on 2nd Street between Q and T streets, as well as R and T streets between 1st and 2nd streets.

Renderings and video courtesy of Pepco

Waterfront Station Beach Volleyball?

Back in January, representatives from Vornado and Forest City came before the ANC to seek their support for a two-year extension of stage one PUD approval for the planned office buildings on the southeast and southwest parcels at Waterfront Station. The commissioners tabled discussion on the resolution – one of their main concerns was the lack of activation of the vacant sites. One month later, the developers have come back with some ideas to transform the southwest lot into a “Community Square” with flexible event space, outdoor seating, a stage on top of the existing stairwell, green space, and perhaps a beach volleyball court on the far west side of the site. Over the past few months, the developers have slowly begun activating the space. About 400 people came to the SOUP-er Bowl event last month and a Fashion Truck event was held in December. However, expect more activity on the vacant parcels in coming months. An event called Hunt DC will be held on April 25 where 1,500 to 2,000 people are expected to attend. Hunt DC is a city-wide treasure hunt that will start and end at Waterfront Station. There are preliminary plans to hold a night market each Friday starting in May, beginning with 25 vendors. In addition, a monthly food truck event will be held in the Community Square. Meanwhile, the southeast parcel will remain green space, which could potentially be used as kickball fields by U.S.S. league. 

Another concern of the commissioners was the lack of signage along the private drive that runs between Safeway and the Metro entrance. The road is one-way going away from 4th Street, serving as an access point to Sky House and Lex at Waterfront Station. Many pedestrians are unaware of the road’s existence due to its design and according to the commissioners it poses a safety hazard. The developers presented signage improvements that will soon be installed along the private drive on both sides of 4th Street. Upon hearing about the planned activation of the vacant spaces and road signage improvements, the commissioners voted unanimously to support the PUD extension.

Museum of the Bible Demolition

Museum officials, architects, contractors, and the media gathered today in a tent on Virginia Avenue to mark the start of demolition to make way for Museum of the Bible at 300 D Street. Although demolition has been underway at the site since the last tenants moved out in December, today’s ceremonial event included demolition of a portion of the building. 

According to Cary Summers, president of Museum of the Bible there are currently about 100 workers on-site, but over the coming months of demolition, that number will increase to 500-600 workers. Clark Construction will build the museum and SmithGroupJJR is the lead architect.

The 430,000 square-foot Museum of the Bible will include three exhibit floors that will tell the impact, narrative, and history of the Bible. C&G Partners, BRC Imagination Arts, and The PRD Group will be designing each of these floors, respectively, while Jonathan Martin Creative will recreate a replica of a first-century Nazareth village. There will also be exhibit space for affiliated museums and libraries as well as space for a traveling exhibit gallery. The $400 million museum project also includes a one-story addition to the adjacent Washington Office Center, adding space for the museum’s research program, which include a reference library, research labs, and an academic conference center. 

SmithGroupJJR’s design for the museum calls for the restoration of the historic building which once served as a refrigeration warehouse (and most recently as the Washington Design Center). The 1980’s-era addition to the historic building will be demolished and replaced with a new structure made of thin brick made to look like stacks of manuscripts. The front entrance to the museum will be on 4th Street and will be flanked by large bronze panels and stained glass depicting abstract biblical manuscripts. Former loading bays along D Street will be converted into large windows where passersby can see inside the museum. On the ground level, the grand lobby will have a 200-foot LED ceiling that can display a variety of images. A two-level glass enclosed rooftop gallery addition will offer views to the north of the National Mall and the Capitol. A biblical garden and restaurant will also be located here, as well as a 500-seat performing arts theater and a 500-seat ballroom. Topping off the building will be a large green roof – the museum will seek LEED certification. 

There will be two dining areas in the museum – one will be an industrial style café on the mezzanine level overlooking the lobby that pays homage to the origins of the building’s former use as a warehouse and the second will be a restaurant offering foods of the Bible in a biblical garden setting on the rooftop gallery.

Museum of the Bible will include over 40,000 artifacts from the Green Collection, which has been collected by the Green family, owners of the Hobby Lobby retail chain.

The museum is scheduled to open in the fall of 2017. 

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroupJJR