Another Parking Lot for South Capitol Street

I'm starting to play catch up on items I missed while on vacation in Costa Rica. The Washington Business Journal reports that a permit has been issued for Warring Sons Inc. to create a 42-space parking lot at 1323 South Capitol Street.  The site is located to the north of Camden South Capitol and was most recently used as a staging area while the apartment building was under construction. On the other side of the lot are row homes. A for-sale sign has been posted on the lot for at least a couple of years.  Representatives from Camden Property Trust have indicated that they will not be building a second phase to Camden South Capitol on the site. Perhaps that site will one day be developed as something besides a parking lot.  In somewhat related news, a demolition permit was issued for the Grayton Plumbing building adjacent to Camden South Capitol on O Street. Camden purchased the building and will demolish it to provide a dog park and an additional point of egress for their residents. 

Grayton Plumbing building on O Street.

Camden South Capitol Ribbon-Cutting

 

This afternoon was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Camden South Capitol, the first new apartment community built in Southwest in decades. Camden South Capitol is located at 1345 South Capitol Street, across the street from Nationals Park. Representatives from Camden Property Trust and the other firms involved with the project were on hand for the ceremony. The property has a total of 276 units and was designed by WDG Architecture. Donohoe Construction was the contractor. Unit sizes range from a 491 square-foot studio to an 1,197 square-foot 2BR unit. Check here for a list of amenities and features from the sneak peek I got a few weeks ago. One new thing I learned today is the building adjacent to the property that housed a plumbing company has been purchased by Camden and will be demolished. A dog park will be created for tenants in that space. The leasing office will be open starting tomorrow for tours and move-ins begin May 1st on the lower floors. The full building will be completed by mid-May. Below are a few more photos from today:

A view of the dining area and kitchen in the model 1BR unit.

Bedroom in the model unit.

Part of the outdoor courtyard.

The Camden mascot seemed appropriate, given the building's location across from Nationals Park.

Update: Below is a photo taken last evening of Camden South Capitol from Nationals Park.  Before photos can be found over at JDLand, who used to track this project before the "demilitarized zone" of South Capitol Street's median was established as the dividing line between her blog's coverage and mine.

Camden South Capitol at dusk.

Sneak Peek Inside Camden South Capitol

I recently took a tour of Camden South Capitol, which is rapidly coming together on South Capitol & O streets. There will be a total of 276 rental apartment units (12 of the units are set aside as affordable dwelling units, or ADUs, for households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income). The grand opening is set for April 11 and prospective tenants of both the market-rate and ADUs can start submitting applications on Camden's website two weeks prior to the grand opening. The leasing staff says that they have a list of over 300 people who have already expressed interest in leasing in the building - several people who work around the Navy Yard as well as residents of Southwest. Units on the first through fourth floors will be available first, then the upper floors will be released in phases through May as the rest of the building is completed.

The front of the building will be illuminated at night with lights that can change colors.

All apartments will have the same features, including oversized energy efficient double-paned windows with solar shades, wood-style plank flooring in kitchen and living areas, Blanco Norte Silestone countertops with ceramic tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, double sink vanities, Moen extra-wide kitchen sinks with spray faucet extensions, ARIA built-in surround sound speakers with docking station, USB-enabled wall outlets, and full-size washer & dryers. Ground level units have the option of installing security systems. Rents for market-rate units will range from $1,300 for studios up to $4,000 for 2BR units per month. Below are a couple photos of the typical kitchen and bathroom in a 1BR unit:

The units on the ground level have 10' ceilings while the other floors have 9' ceilings.

Bathroom.

Project amenities include 24-hour concierge service, underground parking, Verizon Fios (cable and Internet), rooftop pool deck with barbecue grills & fire pit, cyber café, fitness center with cardio & free weights, pet grooming room, online rent payment & service request, and a smoke-free environment. Below are photos of some of the public areas:

Some units on the ground level have terraces with views toward the courtyard.

The club room has several TVs set up for viewing and one available for gaming (ignore the ladder).

The gaming TV is located to the left of this photo on the black wall.

Hallway leading to the mail room and elevators.

 Panoramic views of the city are available from the rooftop, a sampling of which is below:

The Southwest skyline with Sky House apartments under construction and the Washington Monument in the distance.

The Capitol dome is also visible from the rooftop.

A view toward Fort McNair and Buzzard Point, which could one day have a new stadium for DC United.

Camden South Capitol Coming Soon

Pre-leasing and move-ins will begin next month on the first four floors at Camden South Capitol, the first new apartment building to open in Southwest in several decades, located across the street from Nationals Park at South Capitol and O streets.  I will be getting a hard hat tour later this month and will take some photos. In the meantime, take a look at their recently created Twitter account for some interior photos. Their website has been updated with floor plans and a more extensive list of in-unit features and project amenities. 

Entrance to parking garage on O Street.

The 276-unit building will have 12 units set aside as affordable housing for households up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). As a part of the approved PUD application, residents of the townhomes along the unit block of O Street will have the opportunity to lease a parking space in the apartment building at 50% of the market rate for a 20-year period. After the building has reached stabilization (defined as 94% occupied), the remaining parking spaces will be available for lease by the rest of the community at market rate.  In addition, residents of ANC 6D are supposed to be given preference when Camden reviews tenant applications. There is space carved out at the corner of South Capitol and O streets for ground floor retail - fencing has been installed to allow outdoor seating, perhaps for a restaurant; however, no lease has been signed yet.

Construction Update Part II - Camden South Capitol

This week marks the point where Camden South Capitol will "top off", which means construction of the 276-unit apartment building has reached its full height a year after construction began. It took about six months to dig the foundation and reach ground level and another six months to reach its full height. In about a year, leasing will begin at Camden South Capitol, which is located across the street from Nationals Park.

Local architecture firm WDG has designed the apartment building, which will have a rooftop pool with BBQ grills and outdoor fire pit, cyber cafe, and a resident gaming lounge with kitchen. In-unit features will include: Energy Star stainless steel appliances, electric oven ranges with ceramic glass cook tops, solar shades, 42" upper cabinets, double vanities in select units, garden soaking tubs, and stand-up showers in select units.

Space for ground-floor retail will be located at the corner of South Capitol and O Streets.

 Rendering courtesy of WDG

Construction Reaches Street Level at Camden South Capitol

Construction activity at the Camden South Capitol apartment building has reached street level.  The last photo update from October showed a deep hole in the ground to make way for the foundation and parking garage. Camden Property Trust is developing the apartment building, which will have 276 units and is located at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Streets at 1435 South Captiol Street. WDG is designing the project, with amenities including a rooftop pool and deck, as well as ground floor retail. Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing for households up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). As a part of the approved PUD application, residents of the townhomes along the unit block of O Street will have the opportunity to lease a parking space in the apartment building at 50% of the market rate for a 20-year period. After the building has reached stabilization (defined as 94% occupied), the remaining parking spaces will be available for lease by the rest of the community at market rate.  In addition, residents of ANC 6D are supposed to be given preference when Camden reviews tenant applications. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013. 

The back of 1345 South Capitol will have a series of courtyards to help step back the building towards the townhomes to the west.

Rendering courtesy of Camden Property Trust

A Couple Quick Items: Big Hole in the Ground, Randall Neighbor Day at Corcoran

- Across the street from Nationals Park along South Capitol Street, there is a deep hole in the ground hidden behind a chain link fence. The hole will soon become a foundation for Camden South Capitol, the first new Southwest apartment building in decades. Camden Property Trust is developing the apartment building, which will have 276 units and is located at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Streets. WDG is designing the project, with amenities including a rooftop pool and deck, as well as ground floor retail. Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013.

- This year's Randall Neighbor Day at the Corcoran Gallery of Art will take place on December 10. On that day, all ANC 6D residents (those living in ZIP codes 20024 and 20003) can visit the Corcoran for free.  The annual event came about due to the community benefits package the ANC negotiated with the Corcoran in 2007 when they planned to redevelop Randall School at Half & I Street as a college and apartment complex. When the Telesis/Rubell team took over the project in 2010, the subsidy was maintained. In addition, once the new museum planned for Randall School opens, it will be free every day for ANC 6D residents. Special exhibitions at the Corcoran include 30 Americans, which showcases works by many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades. This exhibition is from the collection of Don and Mera Rubell. Other exhibitions include Hank Willis Thomas: Strange Fruit and Gordon Parks: Photographs from the Collection. The Corcoran will be open on December 10 from 10am - 5pm.    

A Few Quick Items: Digging at Camden South Capitol, Kastles in 1st Place, Redistricting Update

- Digging is underway at Camden South Capitol apartments at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Street.  The ceremonial groundbreaking (with Nationals mascot Screech) occurred on June 1st, but actual digging of the foundation started later in the month. The hole is deeper now than when this photo was taken a couple weeks ago. The 276-unit project is located across the street from Nationals Park and is being developed by Camden Property Trust.  WDG designed the building. Its location should allow views into the stadium, the Anacostia River, and the Capitol for upper level residents. Some of the amenities planned for the $88 million apartment building include a rooftop pool and deck, below-grade parking for 250 vehicles, and ground-floor retail (perhaps a pub for baseball patrons?). Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013.

- The Washington Kastles are 7-0 halfway through the season and on top of the standings in the Eastern Conference. There are still four home matches this season left at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf (as well as some away games). As a reminder, Friday's match is Southwest Night where Southwesters get 10% off ticket prices when ordering on Ticketmaster. Chris Evert will play in an exhibition match during halftime and Billie Jean King will be in attendance.  Fox 5 News' Holly Morris did a video series last week about the new stadium and the team. One of the videos is below.

 - JDLand provides information on the Ward 6 ANC/SMD redistricting process. The ANC 6D community listening meeting will take place on Thursday, July 28th at 6:30pm (location to be announced). Then there will be meetings on the first draft of the new boundaries, which is scheduled to be sent to the ANCs on Tuesday, August 18th. The task force will then make the rounds of the September ANC business meetings, submitting a final draft to Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells by September 26th, which he then will submit to the council by the required September 30th deadline.

A Few Quick Items: Shining SW Emerges, Camden South Capitol Groundbreaking, DC United Stadium Search Narrows, Waterfront Station Sale

- The Washington Business Journal offers an opinion piece in this week's paper called 'A Shining Southwest Emerges' (subscribers only). The editorial highlights recent developments in Southwest, including Waterfront Station and Arena Stage, as well as the future development of The Wharf.

- The official groundbreaking of Camden South Capitol apartments occurred on June 1 according to the Capitol Riverfront BID. I had a client meeting at the same time as the groundbreaking so unfortunately I couldn't attend and take photos. The original groundbreaking date was May 17, but the threat of rain postponed the event until last Wednesday.    The 276-unit project will be located across the street from Nationals Park, at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Street. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013. Rendering courtesy of Camden Property Trust

- The Soccer Insider from The Washington Post reported on Friday that the developers of the Capital City Market near Gallaudet University in Northeast will not pursue a stadium for DC United.  According to the article, the removal of the NE site from contention leaves Akridge's 100 V Street site in Buzzard Point as the most viable site in play within the District for a new soccer stadium. Rendering courtesy of Akridge

  

- Waterfront Associates sold its stake in the two completed office buildings at Waterfront Station to USAA Real Estate Company for $356 million on May 10 according to Forest City's SEC filing. The two buildings, located at 1100 & 1101 4th Street, are fully leased to the District government. The developers behind Waterfront Station still maintain three lots for future phases of development - the NW, SW, and SE parcels.  At least two of those parcels are slated as office and the NW parcel can be developed either as office or residential. The District owns the NE parcel and a residential building is planned for that site once the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development's office solicits developers to build on the site. According to DC records, the former EPA towers were sold to Urban-Atlantic in March for $20 million and will be re-purposed as 517 apartment units with construction slated to begin by the end of this year.

What Bloggers are Saying About Southwest

- DCMetrocentric dreams about people living at L'Enfant Plaza. JBG plans about 200 apartment units at L'Enfant Plaza. They also wanted to bring the National Children's Museum to the site, but National Harbor was able to snag the museum, as well as another SW landmark - The Awakening statue. A part of the plan for L'Enfant Plaza is to bring retail to ground level. Who knows when all of this is supposed to happen, though.

- Imagine, DC wants Buzzard Point to get developed. Akridge has a nine-acre parcel at Buzzard Point and plans to develop a campus-like complex - most likely for a government agency. A few blocks away, the Coast Guard has its headquarters building, but since the Department of Homeland Security has plans to move to the St. Elizabeth's campus in Anacostia, the owners of the HQ building could either find a new tenant or redevelop the site.

- JDLand reports some movement at 1345 South Capitol Street. I saw some equipment there a few days ago and wondered if construction would begin on the apartment building that Camden Property Trust is planning at the site. My sources tell me construction is supposed to begin in the next few months, but then again, it was supposed to start last year.

Investors Look to Cash-In on Stadium Proximity

On the front page of this week's Washington Business Journal (print subscribers only) and from jdland.com, an article describes how a pair of investors have amassed 23 properties just off South Capitol Street over a span of 18 years. However, since the opening of Nationals Park, the properties have been put up for sale for $12 million, but no takers so far. One reason could be that the properties are surrounded by James Creek and Syphax Gardens, two public housing projects owned by the DC Housing Authority. Over in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, the Capper-Carrollsburg housing project was demolished and is in the process of being redeveloped into a mixed income community as a part of a federal government program called Hope VI. Funding from that HUD program is hard to come by, so it's highly unlikely something similar could happen at James Creek or Syphax Gardens. In addition, there are no immediate plans by the DC Government to expand their New Communities initiative to these two housing projects, as they are doing across the river at Barry Farms and near North Capitol Street at Northwest One. From the article: "'At this point, we don’t have the funding to redo our housing developments in Southwest,' said Dena Michaelson, a spokeswoman for the housing authority"..."In the last 18 months, the housing authority has spent $1.3 million on major upgrades to Syphax Gardens. It also is planning to improve landscaping and lighting at Syphax and other properties in Southwest." Development on the west side of South Capitol Street has been pretty quiet compared to the other side of the street, but some activity should get underway soon. Camden Property Trust has cleared a site at South Capitol & O Street where an apartment building is planned. However, activity has ceased at the site in the past few months, perhaps due to the amount of apartments already under construction near Nationals Park. I've heard that development activity is supposed to resume at the site before the end of the year. Also, the former Taco Bell & Pizza Hut site at 1101 South Capitol Street will become an office building developed by Ruben Companies. So, the investors of the 23 properties may need to wait a while longer for the construction boom to hit the west side of South Capitol Street before they can cash in on their 18 year investment.