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

Second Stage PUD Filed for Waterfront Station NE Parcel

A few months after PN Hoffman made a presentation at a monthly ANC meeting about their plans for their Waterfront Station parcel located north of CVS at 1000 4th Street, they have filed a second stage PUD application. The number of units have changed to 456 total units, with 30% of the total set aside as affordable housing for 30% and 50% of Area Median Income (AMI). For the first 50 years of the ground lease that PN Hoffman will have with the city, the affordable units will be split 50-50 between the 30% and 50% AMI levels. After the first 50 years, the split will change to 25-75 in favor of units at 50% of AMI. There will be 214 garage spaces, 161 long-term bike parking spaces, and 14 bike racks. Parking and loading will be off Wesley Place.  

While the amount of retail planned at the development remains at 29,182 SF, the planned cultural use will change. Last week, it was announced on DC Theatre Scene that the Forum Theater closed suddenly – this was the Silver Spring-based theater company that was expected to come to Waterfront Station. PN Hoffman is apparently in negotiations with the Washington Improv Theater to move from 14th Street NW near U Street to Southwest. Rounding out the retail will be space for two restaurants along 4th Street (a diner has been identified previously as the intended tenant) and space for AppleTree to operate a pre-K school along the private drive to be located on the north end of the development, near the SW Branch library. A 3,000-SF play area will be built for AppleTree use on the northeast corner of the site during school hours and general community use at certain times outside of school hours. At one time, AppleTree would be relocated from its temporary trailers at Jefferson Academy to the Wharf, but apparently PN Hoffman has found another place for them. Although there is a playground nearby at 3rd and I streets, the two play areas will target different age groups. 

According to the PUD application, construction is expected to begin on 1000 4th Street in Q1 2020 and deliver in Q3 2022. 

Speaking of PN Hoffman developments, the Washington Business Journal reports that The Banks apartment project under construction at 7th and I streets will have The Goddard School, a private preschool and daycare as its retail tenant in a 7,700 SF space.  The Banks is scheduled to open by this fall.

Renderings courtesy of Torti Gallas Urban

Upcoming Events

Now that monsoon season has apparently ended, SWBID and SWNA will be hosting Southwest Duck Drop this Sunday at the SW Duck Pond, located at 6th and I streets from 1 – 4pm, which was rescheduled from May due to rain. The event is the celebration of the refilling of the SW Duck Pond and is the second year the BID has hosted. There will be ice cream, BBQ, a local Blues band, games, dance demonstrations, and it is free! 

During the weekend of June 16 and June 17, Events DC will host DC JazzFest at the Wharf, with free performances at District Pier, Transit Pier and Hyatt House, along with a ticketed concert at The Anthem. The schedule of events can be found here. 

The 13th Annual Capital Fringe Festival will be held at venues across Southwest from July 7 through July 29, including Arena Stage, St. Augustine’s Church, Christ United Church, Westminster Church, and Blind Whino. Tickets go on sale on June 18. More details will be posted here when available. 

The DC State Fair will make its return to Southwest this fall when the annual event will be held on Sunday, September 23 at Waterfront Station, located at 4th and M streets. Last year, the fair was also held in Southwest – the DC State Fair has been held in previous years in Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, Shaw, and NoMa. The Southwest BID was instrumental in bringing the fair back to Southwest. According to a press release, contest entries so far include Best Bud, Honey, Wine, and Fiber Arts categories. New categories include Best Salsa, Best Biscuit, and Best Cookie. Other events include the Pet Parade, live music, food and craft vendors, and demonstrations.

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

Eisenhower Memorial Moving Forward

After the design received final approval by the National Capital Planning Commission earlier this week, a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for the long-planned Eisenhower Memorial on November 2. The Frank Gehry-designed memorial for the 34th president will be located on a four-acre site across from the National Air & Space Museum on Independence Avenue and 4th Street. The memorial will feature metal tapestries that will depict scenes from President Eisenhower’s life. They will also serve as a screen to block the view of the Department of Education headquarters building adjacent to the memorial site. Bronze statues depicting Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II and as president are also featured. 

Part of the memorial site used to contain a community garden, which will be removed in order to build the project. Construction is expected to last 30 months, which will allow the memorial to debut in time for the 75th anniversary of V Day on May 8, 2020. 

Renderings courtesy of Eisenhower Memorial Commission

Two Waterfront Station Parcels Switching to Residential

Last month, Forest City Washington filed to extend stage one PUD approval for 375 and 425 M Street, two office buildings proposed at the southern end of Waterfront Station. It was anticipated that the extension request would be followed by another filing to change the proposed primary use at the two development sites to residential since the developer made their intention known at the February ANC meeting. That filing was made earlier this month. The developer is now proposing two buildings with 41,870 SF of ground floor retail, 38,110 SF of commercial space on the second floor, and a total of 605 residential units above. The East building (375 M) will contain 309 units, 21,930 SF of retail and 18,660 SF of commercial space; the West building (425 M) will have 296 units, 19,940 SF of retail and 19,450 SF of commercial space. A minimum of 8% of the gross floor area will be dedicated to households earning up to 60% of Area Median Income. Four of the affordable units will be 3-bedroom apartments. 

425 M Street

375 M Street

Perkins Eastman has designed the buildings, the same architect that designed Eliot on 4th. From the PUD application: 

The architectural design for the East and West M buildings has been revised to accommodate residential use, incorporate effective urban design strategies, engage the surrounding public spaces, and support the unique town-center environment created by the overall project. The proposed mix of uses and architectural design for the East and West M buildings will benefit the community, enliven the streetscape, and provide additional services for residents, employees, and visitors who live and work in the neighborhood.  

Above the third floor, each of the buildings opens up as a C-shaped tower that faces M Street. A south-facing courtyard is located at this fourth level, with access provided to individual terraces for units facing the courtyard and to a communal outdoor recreation space for building residents. The courtyard is elevated above the three-level podium of retail, office, and residential uses, which creates a pedestrian-scale street wall with vibrant retail storefronts that maximize transparency. 

Retail next to Metro plaza

Retail along M Street

Parking will be provided below-grade for both buildings, with entrances off of the private drives around the site, removing the need for curb cuts along M Street. A total of 363 parking spaces will be provided, split between the two buildings. The Capital Bikeshare station currently located on the west side of 4th Street will be relocated to the east side adjacent to the Metro plaza. 

Looking south on 4th Street

Originally, Waterfront Station was planned as mostly office buildings with a minor residential component. Over time, the plans were modified – first, the site where Eliot on 4th apartments now stands changed uses from office to residential. Now, the planned office buildings along M Street may now proceed as residential. The reason for the changes in use are due to evolving market conditions. The office market is not as strong as it once was, while rental apartments are now the preferred asset type. This new proposal will be brought to the ANC to garner their support; however, Chairman Litsky had concerns about the change in use when it was mentioned at the February meeting.

Renderings courtesy of Perkins Eastman

Historic Designation Sought for Rowhomes

In response to the pending demolition of the rowhomes along the 1300 block of South Capitol Street and the unit block of N street to build a 200-unit apartment building, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) filed an application to designate the structures as historic with the District’s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). According to the application, the six “Coleman & Richards Row” homes on South Capitol Street were built in 1892 and the seven “Banes Row” homes were constructed in 1916. The Coleman & Richards Row homes represent the oldest working-class single-family rowhomes left standing in Southwest. Most of the “obsolete dwellings” in Southwest were demolished during urban renewal, but the area east of Canal Street, south of M Street, and west of South Capitol Street was spared since at the time, most of the buildings were fairly new and in good repair.

This is not the first time in the neighborhood that historic designation was used to halt or slow development. SWNA used the tactic in 2014 when the Southeastern University campus building at 6th and I streets was being demolished in preparation for development into “The Bard,” a mixed-use project with administrative and rehearsal space for the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) and multifamily rental housing. In that case, the neighborhood organization was able to get some concessions from the developer in exchange for withdrawing the historic application. Subsequently, the building was demolished and the site sold to STC. A Planned Unit Development was filed for the site in 2016, but it was withdrawn last summer after a backlash from neighbors over the proposed height and density of the project.

It was used again when UIP and Perseus Realty had plans to build on top of a parking garage at Capitol Park Tower, located at 4th and G streets. In 2012, SWNA filed an application to place Capitol Park Tower on the DC Preservation League’s endangered list. At the same time, an application was filed to designate the building and landscape as historic. After the building and landscaping received historic preservation protection, the developers needed HPRB approval before proceeding with their plans for an addition. Final approval was given in 2016, but construction has yet to begin on the project. 

Altus Realty Partners was expected to start construction on the South Capitol Street apartment project later this year with completion in 2019. Since a historic designation application was filed, demolition of the rowhomes and development of the apartment building will not be able to move forward until the HRPB makes a decision or SWNA withdraws their application.

Eliot on 4th Almost Ready to Open

The placeholder website for the 365-unit Eliot on 4th apartments has been replaced with one that gives more information about the building, which will soon open at Waterfront Station. Floorplans are available, as well as photos of the model apartment units and renderings of the amenity spaces. In-unit features include wood flooring throughout, stainless steel Whirlpool appliances, Moen fixtures, quartz countertops, glass tile kitchen backsplash, undercabinet lighting, pantries, Bosch front-loaded washers & dryers, illuminated bathroom vanity mirrors, balconies, elfa-organized walk-in closets, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Project amenities include a fitness center, two clubrooms, saltwater rooftop pool and sundeck, roof lounge, café area, indoor lounges, multiple courtyard spaces, resident and bike storage, and 24/7 concierge service. Move-ins begin on April 1 and leasing is expected to begin shortly. 

I am also hearing that one of the retail spaces on the ground floor of the building may be occupied by Cosmopolitan Nail Lounge, which is also opening at another Forest City building at The Yards in Near SE/Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront.

More Residential for Waterfront Station?

Since PUD approval for the two Waterfront Station vacant sites at the intersection of 4th and M streets are nearing expiration, Forest City Washington is seeking a two-year extension. The two-year extension may not be necessary if they get approval for a revision to their plans. Even though the two vacant sites were planned as office buildings, about 600 more apartment units may be built instead. David Smith from Forest City Washington made the company’s intention known at tonight’s ANC 6D meeting to revise their PUD to allow residential development. The change was made because office market conditions are currently not favorable in the area and the anticipation is that won't change anytime soon. This isn’t the first time one of the Waterfront Station sites changed uses. The Eliot on 4th apartment building was originally planned as office, but switched to residential for the same reason. 

The switch in use from office to residential would result in no changes to density or height approved in the original PUD, but the design by Perkins Eastman scales down the height of the buildings along 4th Street to match 1100 and 1101 4th Street, which opened in 2010. Each building would be C-shaped with an elevated courtyard space facing M Street and have a green roof. Development plans are still preliminary, but the two proposed residential buildings would each have 17,500 SF of ground floor retail and 17,500 SF of office space on the second floor. The retail and office space would be along M Street and 4th Street. Above the two-level commercial base would be the rental apartment towers. Entrances to the residential buildings would be on the north side on 4th Street while the entrances to the office space would be on M Street. About 8% of the units will be set aside as affordable to residents earning up to 60% of AMI and some of the units would include 2BR and 3BR units to accommodate families. 

Forest City intends to file their modification to the PUD in about two weeks.

Photo from ANC meeting of rendering courtesy of Forest City Washington

Dentist Practice Moving to Waterfront Station

A dentist office is signed on to occupy the last vacant retail space at the first phase of Waterfront Station. Smile Beautiful Dental is moving their practice from a few blocks north at 631 4th Street to Waterfront Station. The dentist office will be located on the west side of 4th Street next to Station 4 and will take up just under 4,000 SF of space. It is expected to open in the spring. Prior to Smile Beautiful Dental, Enterprise Rent a Car opened a branch on the east side of 4th Street. It took more than six years for the retail space in the initial phase of Waterfront Station to be filled. There’s about 5,000 SF of retail that will become available later this year when Eliot on 4th is completed.

Signs of the Times

Part of the exterior of Riverside Baptist Church is being removed in preparation for demolition (a demolition permit was submitted back in September). The stone exterior will be reused in the new church that will be constructed at the corner of Maine Avenue and 7th Street. In addition to the new church, a 173-unit apartment building will be built at the intersection of 7th and I streets by PN Hoffman. About 10% of the apartment units will be set aside as affordable housing for households earning up to 50%, 80% and 100% of Area Median Income. There will be space on the ground floor of the apartment building for community-serving uses, such as a daycare center. 

During construction, Riverside patrons will be worshiping at Jefferson Academy Middle School. Jefferson is also hosting AppleTree in a temporary trailer while a new home for the charter school is built at District Wharf. The new Riverside Baptist and apartments should be completed in 2018. Other multifamily buildings that are expected to start in 2017 include 1399 Maryland Avenue and The Kiley on 4th. Over 680 units in three projects started construction in 2016 – 301 M Street, St. Matthew’s, and View at Waterfront.

Signage is now up for Eliot on 4th, the 365-unit apartment building at Waterfront Station. Leasing is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2017.

Renderings courtesy of PN Hoffman

Capitol Park Tower Addition to be Called The Kiley on 4th

The second phase of Capitol Park Tower apartments now has a name…it will be called The Kiley on 4th. The name pays homage to Dan Kiley, the landscape architect that designed Capitol Park and other Southwest landmarks, such as Benjamin Banneker Park. Since Capitol Park Tower was deemed historic by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), the project needed to seek approval from the Board. After a lot of back-and-forth with HPRB, the 330-unit project gained approval in early 2016. Some original elements from Dan Kiley’s design will remain, such as the large pool on the east side of Capitol Park Tower. Other components will be reimagined, such as the concrete canopies used to cover the parking garage will be repurposed as covered walkways between the existing building and the addition. New landscaping between the addition and Capitol Park Tower will be designed to more closely resemble Kiley’s original design. In addition, the surface parking located on G Street will be replaced with landscaping. 

Construction on The Kiley is expected to get started in 2017 with completion in 2019. 

Renderings courtesy of WDG

Eliot on 4th

Construction crews are making progress on Eliot on 4th, the latest apartment building to be built at Waterfront Station. The apartment building will contain 365 units and about 5,000 SF of ground floor retail. Twelve of the units will be townhomes along a private drive on the north side of the building. Leasing is expected to begin in January with move-ins scheduled for February.

Compromise Reached in Eisenhower Memorial Design

Plans for the Eisenhower Memorial will move forward now that the Eisenhower family has expressed their support for the Frank Gehry-designed memorial, to be located on Maryland Avenue between 4th and 6th streets. The project has been delayed since there were disagreements about the design for Eisenhower Square, a four-acre park where the memorial will be located, which includes metal tapestries and bronze statues depicting Eisenhower during his military days as Supreme Allied Commander and as president. Modifications to the memorial include a representation of the D-Day landings in Normandy on the tapestries and a renewed focus on Eisenhower’s home state of Kansas, incorporating one of his famous quotes, “The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.” 

Fundraising is underway for the memorial with the goal of dedicating it on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2019. 

Rendering courtesy of Eisenhower Memorial Commission

Photo Tour Part Three: Museums

There are currently two museums under construction in Southwest. Construction on The Museum of the Bible at 4th and D streets started in 2015. 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. Construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 2017.

Over on 10th Street at L'Enfant Plaza, construction began this summer on the site of the relocated International Spy Museum. The new International Spy Museum will occupy 140,000 SF, much larger than the current facility in Penn Quarter and will allow for three levels of permanent exhibition space in addition to event space. It's scheduled to open in the spring of 2018.

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroupJJR and Rogers Stirk Harbor + Partners

Neighborhood Events

• On Thursday evenings, live jazz and blues will be played at Gangplank Marina Park at The Wharf, located at 600 Water Street from 6:30 to 8:30pm. The remaining schedule for June includes: 

June 9: Thad Wilson Quintet
June 16: Shirletta Settles & Friends
June 23: Marshall Keys Jazz Ensemble
June 30: Swampdog Blues Band 

• Tonight is the first “Dive-In Movie” night, a Friday night free movie series with water-themed movies at Gangplank Marina Park. Tonight’s movie is Sharknado. Dive-In Movie night begins at 8pm. Other movies in June include:

June 10: Finding Nemo
June 17: The Perfect Storm
June 24: Splash 

• Saturday mornings in June will bring Waterfront Workouts, including DC Dragons at 8am; YaLa Fitness at 9am; and M Street Yoga at 10am. 

• The USDA Farmers Market at Night starts today from 4-7pm at 12th Street and Independence Avenue. The market will operate each Friday from now until September 30. Below is a list of vendors: 

Farmers and Growers: 

Eco Friendly Food, Moneta, VA
Good Sense Farm & Apiary, Washington, DC
Quaker Valley Orchards, Biglerville, PA
Ryan’s Fruit Market, Timberville, VA
TLV (Triadelphia Lake View) Tree Farm, Glenelg, MD

Baker: 

Black Pearl Tarts
Emma's Bakeshop
Lynnette's Cakes and Catering
Second Rising
The Cookie Jar 

DC Food Truck: 

Ball or Nothing
Dirty South Deli
Far East Taco Grill
Federal City Brothers  

Food Concessions: 

Eat 170
Thunder Beast
Timber Pizza Company  

Soap Maker: 

Georges Botanique Aromatiques
Specialty: Greca Terra
Undone Chocolate
Value Added Food Producers:
Number 1 Sons
PinUp Preserves
Senzu Juicery
She Peppers  

Dairy Product Maker: 

Ruby Scoops Ice Cream  

This is in addition to the day market at the same location every Friday through October from 9am to 2pm. 

• Another farmer’s market can be found at The Lot at 4th and M streets on Saturdays from 10am – 2pm though November 19th. Dreaming Out Loud is bringing the Southwest DC Farmers Market to Waterfront Station with the support of SWBID and Waterfront Associates.

• Market SW night market returns for a second year to The Lot at 4th and M streets and will take place on the fourth Friday of each month (the first one was last Friday) until November. The next one will be on June 24. For more information, visit marketSWdc.com.

• There will be a Southwest Community Yard Sale tomorrow starting at 9am. The yard sale will be at Harbor Square and Tiber Island (4th and N streets).

Southwest Z-Burger to Change Names

Following a settlement agreement between two factions of the Z-Burger ownership group, several Z-Burger restaurants will be re-branded in the next couple of months, including the Waterfront Station restaurant, according to the Washington Business Journal. Z-Burger opened next to Station 4 at 1101 4th Street back in 2012. Only one vacant retail space is left at the first phase of Waterfront Station – a storefront adjacent to Station 4. Another 5,000 SF of retail space will be available at Waterfront Station when Eliot on 4th opens late this year or early 2017. In addition, PN Hoffman will bring an additional 22,500 SF of community-oriented retail to their proposed project at the vacant parcel north of CVS. Ground floor retail is planned at the other two remaining office pads at 4th and M streets. Once Waterfront Station is fully built out, more than 130,000 SF of retail will be located along 4th Street.

SWBID to Move to New Digs

SWBID will soon be moving from their temporary quarters at Arena Stage to the ground floor of Patriots Plaza on 4th Street, across the street from the CFL. The BID has begun ramping up operations since it was formed last year. One of the most visible signs has been the "Clean Team", which can be seen sprucing up the area. Also, new outdoor furniture was installed in the SW lot of Waterfront Station at 4th and M streets, where AYA Markets will return later this spring for their weekly Saturday morning farmers market. The monthly Market SW night market will also be back on the fourth Friday of each month starting on May 27 through October 28. Vendors who are interested in participating can find an application here. Another activation space within the BID will be located at Maryland Avenue and 7th Street, where food trucks gather during lunchtime to feed the thousands of Federal employees who work in the area.

Enterprise Opening This Week at Waterfront Station

A sign has been posted at the old L’Enfant Plaza Enterprise car rental location on D Street stating that they will be moving to their new Waterfront Station storefront on or near December 7. A peek inside the new storefront shows that the Enterprise sign is ready to go up on the exterior of 1100 4th Street. Has anyone seen whether Enterprise opened today? With the imminent opening of Enterprise, there remains one vacant retail space at Waterfront Station along 4th Street – a storefront located adjacent to Station 4.

Further Revisions to Capitol Park Tower Addition

Since its last meeting with the Historic Preservation Review Board over the summer, the developers of the Capitol Park Tower addition at 4th and G streets have come up with a revised plan. At the July 30 HPRB meeting, the Board stated the following about the proposed addition: 

The Board found that a new building addition in the proposed location could be compatible, but that revisions were needed to achieve compatibility with the site and existing building. Among its comments, the Board found that the pool pavilion should be retained, the end wings of the new construction should be eliminated, the design and materials of the new building should be restudied, the landscape plan should continue to be refined to closely follow Kiley’s design, the perimeter fence should ideally be eliminated or relocated and simplified, and that any enclosure of the ground level should be with much greater setbacks of the glazing. 

Perseus Realty and UIP took to heart the recommendations of the HPRB and made the following changes after meeting with the Capitol Park Tower tenant association and the ANC: 

• The existing pool house will remain. 
• The building mass has been simplified – the eastern and western nubs have been removed. 
• Metal panels are no longer the dominant skin material of the addition – terracotta and pre-cast panels were added. 
• The landscaping will more closely resemble Daniel Kiley’s original plan. 
• The ground floor of the existing building will remain open – no residential units will be added; however, the total number of units in the new building increased from 300 to 330 units. 8% of the units in the new building will be set aside as affordable housing. 

Below are some additional renderings, designed by WDG Architecture: 

View of courtyard (addition at left).

View south from SW Freeway.

End cap view from 4th Street.

Alternative design for end cap.

The developers will present their revised plans to the HPRB tomorrow afternoon at 1pm. 

Renderings courtesy of Perseus Realty