Anchor Tenant Signed for 500 L'Enfant

Urban Institute will take 121,000 SF of space at 500 L’Enfant, covering the first six floors of the 12-story office building.  The economic and social policy research nonprofit founded by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 will relocate its headquarters and over 400 employees to L’Enfant Plaza from the West End by March 2019. After the podium for 500 L’Enfant was built, work stopped on the project due to the lack of an anchor tenant. Now that one has been secured, construction is expected to resume in February. Upon completion, 500 L'Enfant will be a LEED-Gold certified, 215,000 SF building with a direct connection to the shops at L'Enfant Plaza and the Metro station by the same name.

In addition to 500 L’Enfant, the former L’Enfant Plaza Hotel is currently undergoing renovations and will reopen in 2018 as the 367-key Hilton Washington DC National Mall hotel. Also scheduled to be completed in 2018 at L’Enfant Plaza is the new home of the International Spy Museum, which will be located along 10th Street. 

Renderings courtesy of ZGF Architects LLP

International Spy Museum to Open in L'Enfant Plaza in 2018

Preliminary site work started this month on the new International Spy Museum. By spring 2018, the museum will relocate from Penn Quarter to L’Enfant Plaza on a site fronting 10th Street. The new International Spy Museum will occupy 140,000 SF, much larger than the current facility and will allow for three levels of permanent exhibition space in addition to event space. A museum store and lobby will be located on the first floor. Part of the design includes a transparent “veil” which will allow people on 10th Street to see activity inside of the museum. JBG has partnered with the International Spy Museum on the project and has been designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. Hickok Cole is the architect of record. 

JBG came before the ANC last week to get their support for doing foundation work in the parking garage during evening hours. The developer also wanted support for closing off an area in front of 10th Street for construction staging. Both requests for support were granted, although the ANC wanted JBG to report back to the commissioners if additional late work requests are needed. 

L’Enfant Plaza has been revamped in recent years, including a renovation of the retail center with new restaurants and stores and two renovated office buildings. Meanwhile, the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel is currently closed for renovations. The foundation and loading dock for a new office building was built in 2015 by JBG, but the rest of the building won’t be completed until an anchor tenant is secured.

The new museum will be located just a couple blocks south of the National Mall and will contribute to the revitalization of 10th Street, a wide, but forlorn stretch between the Smithsonian Castle and Banneker Overlook. A revitalized 10th Street was part of the SW Ecodistrict plan, which was developed by the National Capital Revitalization Commission for a multi-block area south of the National Mall and north of the Southwest freeway. The area is currently dominated by federal office space, but the plan calls for mixed use, sustainable development, as well as the reintroduction of Maryland Avenue and other streets.  

Rendering courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners

Sky House West is now Lex at Waterfront Station

With new ownership, Sky House West apartments has changed names to Lex at Waterfront Station. Bernstein Management recently purchased the building (and has Sky House East under contract) from Urban Atlantic and the JBG Companies. I hope to get inside the building soon and take some pictures. Community amenities include a fitness center, BBQ/Picnic area, rooftop pool and sundeck, clubhouse, business center, media room, bike racks, and concierge service. Unit finishes appear to be somewhat similar to Sky House East, including granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, subway tile backsplash, dark or light cabinets, hardwood floors in living areas, concrete walls, and interior bedrooms in select units. Leasing began this month.

Sky House West Apartments Sold

In case you were wondering what was taking so long for Sky House West apartments at Waterfront Station to start leasing, it was reported today in the Washington Business Journal that the building was sold by Urban Atlantic and The JBG Companies to Bernstein Management Corp for $80 million. Typically, if a newly constructed apartment building in DC is sold, it is done so before tenants move in so TOPA rules do not go into effect. Sky House West is a 264-unit building which was formerly an office building that served as the headquarters of the EPA. From the article: 

Bernstein owns and manages nearly 90 properties in the D.C. area. Its CEO said Sky House West is a "terrific asset," that Urban Atlantic "did an excellent job with the gut renovation, creating a quality product." 

Its sister building Sky House East, which is still owned by Urban Atlantic and The JBG Companies, began leasing in early 2014 and is now more than 95% occupied.

Demolition Underway for 500 L'Enfant Plaza

Demolition is underway along Frontage Road at L’Enfant Plaza to make way for 500 L’Enfant Plaza, a new, 220,000 square-foot trophy office building developed by The JBG Companies and designed by SmithGroup JJR. 500 L’Enfant Plaza has been designed for LEED-Gold certification and will include a green roof, triple-height lobby, and fitness center. It will also have direct access to the revamped retail center and the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station. 

500 L’Enfant Plaza is the latest component to L’Enfant Plaza, which has seen significant investment in recent years. A $12 million renovation to the common areas in the 955 L’Enfant Plaza office building was recently completed; the second phase of retail opened in stages this summer (the first retail phase opened in 2011); and the common areas of the 470/490 L’Enfant Plaza office building were renovated in 2012. Murals were painted by artists James Reka, SatOne, and Nawer on exterior walls along the L’Enfant Plaza Metro terrace and loading dock, as well as in the dining area. These murals are part of the JBG Mural Project designed to transform urban walls into public art and was curated by ArtWhino. There’s also the possibility that the International Spy Museum may relocate to the mixed-use complex, bringing more weekend activity to the retailers. However, it appears that the Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel that was planned for D Street has been scrapped for now. Another office building may eventually be built in the plaza itself. In addition, the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel was purchased by an affiliate of Sanford Hotels Group and is undergoing a complete renovation. 

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroup JJR

International Spy Museum to L'Enfant Plaza?

The International Spy Museum is eyeing L'Enfant Plaza for its new home according to an article in Capital Business.  After plans to move to the Carnegie Library site were scuttled,  the museum has been on the hunt for space. In a Washington Business Journal article from last month, L'Enfant Plaza was not on the radar of suggested places for the museum, but The Wharf was on the list. From the Capital Business article on L'Enfant Plaza as a potential home:

The Malrite Co., owner of the museum, has signed a lease yet but is focused on trying to work out a deal there, according to company spokesman Jason Werden.

Between 600,000 and 700,000 people visit the Spy Museum annually, which would bring additional traffic to L'Enfant Plaza and help to transform the complex away from a primarily 9 to 5 office environment. Earlier this year, the JBG Companies completed the second phase of renovations to the retail portion of the complex, while the east office building was recently renovated and the north office building's revamp will soon be complete. In addition, the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel (owned by an affiliate of Sanford Hotel Group) is cuurently under renovation and will reopen in 2016.

This is not the first museum to consider moving to the office-heavy mixed-use complex. Before being lured away to National Harbor, the National Children's Museum was moving to L'Enfant Plaza in a new building that would be constructed in the middle of the plaza. Ironically, the Children's Museum is now also looking for new space in the District after being open at National Harbor for only two years per the WBJ.

It was not revealed in the Capital Business article where in the complex the Spy Museum would be located, but perhaps JBG is dusting off their plans for the National Children's Museum...

Hard Hat Tour of Sky House

Ahead of its grand opening on December 2nd, the folks over at Sky House gave a media tour today of the east tower building. Some of the finishing touches are still being made to the building, so the photos still show construction activity. Sky House is the adaptive reuse of the former EPA towers at Waterfront Station, with the east tower having the address of 1150 4th Street.  Construction of the east tower began in February 2012 with the west tower beginning a few months later. This will be the second apartment building to open in Southwest this year - Camden South Capitol opened in April. Vicki Davis and Alan Lederman from Urban Atlantic led the tour of Sky House. JBG is also a partner in the development and will manage the property. 

Former EPA building in early 2012.

Sky House East Tower.

There are a total of 530 units in both buildings, with the east tower having 266 units and the remaining 264 units in the west tower. Twenty percent of the units will be affordable for households earning up to 50% of Area Median Income (AMI), which is $43,000 for a family of two. Both buildings will be at least LEED-Silver, with energy-saving LED lighting and recycled materials among some of the green features.

Concierge desk.

Overlooking what will be lower level of fitness center w/ weights.

Some of the unit features include electronic key entry, hardwood floors in the living areas, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, movable islands, glass enclosed showers, ceiling fans in the bedrooms, walk-in closets, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. That floor-to-ceiling glass in the living area comes in handy for several units that contain bedrooms without windows. Instead, most of these interior bedrooms have glass near the ceiling to allow natural light into the rooms. LED lights have also been installed by those glass panels to provide additional mood lighting in the evenings. Most of the units have 9’6” ceiling heights, but units on the third and 12th floors have 12’ ceilings.

Waterfront Station Update

Representatives from Waterfront 1001 4th Street, LLC, which proposes a residential building for the NW parcel of Waterfront Station, came before ANC 6D at the May monthly meeting to garner support for their Stage 2 PUD, which includes a 365-unit high-rise rental apartment building with 2-level townhouse units at the base. Also included are three spaces of ground-floor retail totaling 4,400 SF. More details on the PUD can be found here. The commissioners unanimously supported the PUD, under two conditions: the commissioners want to encourage more retail at the project and the developers need to create a construction management plan to limit disturbance to the SW Duck Pond during and after construction. The developers are scheduled to go before the Zoning Commission on June 6th.

Sky House East Tower.

Meanwhile, Sky House has recently been placed on the market by Urban Atlantic and The JBG Companies. The still-under construction pair of rental apartment buildings totals 530 units with 20% of the units reserved for residents earning up to 50% of Area Median Income. According to the sales brochure, the East tower is expected to be completed this December and the West tower in March 2014. The buildings are expected to sell before tenants move in to avoid TOPA rules. Due to the size of each of the buildings, it is doubtful that either of the buildings will switch to condominiums since the pre-sale requirements for buildings financed by Fannie Mae or FHA are still quite stringent. In addition, Bresler Reiner is selling their interest in the two planned M Street office buildings and NW parcel. Vornado and Forest City will continue to be partners in the development. 

Vacant corner retail space at 1101 4th Street.

On the retail front, the four vacant retail spaces in 1100 and 1101 4th Street are still on the market three years after the office buildings were completed, but it was revealed in Monday’s ANC meeting that the current owner USAA is in negotiations with a potential tenant to take two of the retail spaces north of Subway at 1101 4th Street. New banners were recently placed on the light poles along 4th Street to help give the area a sense of place as the “Main Street” of Southwest. Per the Stage 1 PUD approval, it is required that all of the retail at Waterfront Station must be neighborhood-oriented retail. What neighborhood-oriented retail should open at Waterfront Station? Vote on the left sidebar for your choice and/or leave a comment.

Rendering courtesy of Perkins Eastman

Sky House Construction Update

 

Work continues on Sky House East, the first residential phase of Waterfront Station, developed by Urban-Atlantic and The JBG Companies. The new façade of metal and glass is a far cry from the concrete behemoth that once was the headquarters of the EPA. Sky House was designed by Wiencek + Associates. Construction began in February 2012 and a commencement ceremony was held the following month. On the other side of 4th Street, work began a few months later at Sky House West. Upon completion, both buildings will have a total of 517 units – 20% of which will be affordable to families earning up to 50% of Area Median Income.  Leasing is scheduled to begin over the next couple of months on the East tower. Below are a few older and current construction photos.

Sky House East Tower - March 2012.

Closer view of the new facade - May 2013.

  

Main entrance to Sky House East - May 2013.

View from M Street - February 2012.

View from M Street - May 2013.

L'Enfant Plaza Construction

 

Some changes have occurred inside and outside L’Enfant Plaza over the past few weeks. First off, Sandella’s Flatbread Cafe has opened in the food court area. Meanwhile, the area where the pyramid skylight is located has been sealed off as a part of phase two of the renovation project. Construction has begun on the new glass atrium that will be built on the plaza, which by 2014 will be the new entryway to the retail area of L’Enfant Plaza facing 10th Street. SmithGroup has designed the new atrium and retail center. More shops and restaurants are slated to open next year. Back in 2011, JBG was hoping to bring a fitness center and child care facility to the second phase, and talks with grocers to open a small store were not successful. Some sit-down restaurants are envisioned for the second food court and they hope to "push the envelope" with having some of the stores stay open later and on weekends. No word yet on when the Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel will begin construction at 9th & D streets.
 

The new glass atrium will be complete next year.

 Rendering courtesy of SmithGroup JJR

Parcel 5 Plan Receives Unanimous ANC Support

At last night's monthly ANC 6D meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved plans by The JBG Companies for an Element and aloft hotel planned for Parcel 5 at The Wharf. However, the approval is conditional on JBG providing the ANC with a bus management plan for the hotels well before the Zoning Commission hearing on February 28, which was the main concern expressed by several commissioners about the project since the illegal idling of buses as they load and unload passengers has been a big issue along the waterfront for years. Many of the commissioners lauded the design by SmithGroup JJR; the building materials to be used will primarily be glass and metal panels with a hint of wood and brick used at the retail level. The building was designed to not have a "backside" and the side facing 7th Street Park was designed to resemble the sails of tall ships. Most of the undesirable functions, such as loading, are located along the service drive in the middle of the building. A description of the stage 2 PUD submission can be found here, but some more details about the buildings were revealed at the meeting, such as:

Entrance to Element hotel off of 7th Street Park.

The main entrance to the Element extended-stay hotel will be off of 7th Street Park while the aloft entrance will be on Wharf Street. A secondary entrance to the aloft will be off of a service drive that runs through the property - this will be available in cases when Wharf Street is closed to traffic for special events. A taxi stand will be on Maine Avenue. Just to the north of the Element entrance will be a monumental staircase, which leads from 7th Street Park to the shared plaza area on the second level. This plaza will have a pool and bars that will be open to the public in addition to hotel guests. Both hotel lobbies and the second level will be open to the public - key card access is only required to reach the guest rooms above.

Monumental staircase.

There will be a Zoning Commission hearing on February 28th at 441 4th Street, NW, Room 220 South at 6:30pm.

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroup JJR

Parcel 5 Hotels at The Wharf Up for Review

 

JBG will come before ANC 6D at their February 11 meeting to present their plans for the two hotels proposed at Parcel 5 of The Wharf. These hotels are part of phase one of the project, but are being presented separately from the recently approved Stage 2 PUD application by Hoffman Madison Waterfront.

There will be a 160-key extended stay hotel on the east side and a 245-key limited service hotel on the west side of Parcel 5, which are rumored to be an Element and aloft hotel; both brands are a part of the Starwood Hotels & Resorts portfolio. Element hotels are built to be eco-friendly, with floors made of recycled materials and energy-efficient lighting and plumbing fixtures, to name a few examples. aloft hotels are billed by Starwood as "hip" and are typically found near airports or downtown areas. Both hotels will reach 110 feet, which is lower than most of the other buildings planned for phase one of The Wharf. A total of three hotels will be built at The Wharf; in addition to the two planned at Parcel 5, an Intercontinental Hotel is planned at Parcel 3b.

Smith Group JJR has designed both hotels. The design of the extended stay hotel is described in the PUD application as the following:

The building takes advantage of the views and reduces its massing by subdividing the typical rectilinear bar into four smaller, slightly rotated, volumes focused on the river.  The modern glass and metal panel façade will provide a serene backdrop to the 7th Street Park.

View of the extended stay hotel from Wharf Street.

 The design of the limited service hotel from the PUD application is described below:

The 245 guest-room hotel is composed of a glass façade with articulated horizontal mullions evoking a modern interpretation of a warehouse. The façade has been set back from the Mews in order to enhance the views and provide a series of outdoor terraces at the Plaza level.

View of the limited service hotel from Maine Avenue.

The west side of the parcel faces Jazz Alley, with ground floor retail space catered towards small-scale music and artistic venues while the Wharf Street frontage will have restaurants.  The Maine Avenue side will have fast casual restaurants and neighborhood serving retail while the 7th Street Park side will have specialty retail.

View of retail area at Jazz Alley and Wharf Street.

There willl be space for a large plaza on the second level which will contain amenity space for both hotels, including a pool.  JBG will aim for LEED-Silver or higher for both hotels on Parcel 5.
 

Plaza area on the second level.

Renderings courtesy of Smith Group JJR

Construction Update Part I - Sky House

The former EPA headquarters east tower at Waterfront Station has lost the concrete skin from its former use as an office building. Construction is progressing at the site and the skeletal remains by early 2014 will become Sky House I, a 265-unit apartment building developed by Urban-Atlantic and The JBG Companies.  A rendering of the building is below, designed by Wiencek & Associates.

Amenities will include a fitness center, e-lounge, club room, demonstration kitchen, rooftop swimming pool & deck, garden area with fire pit, pet washing station, and shared garage parking with the office component of Waterfront Station. 

Meanwhile, a construction trailer and demolition equipment have arrived on-site at the west tower. Completion of Sky House II will be a few months behind phase one and will bring an additional 252 units. Ten percent of the units in both phases will be affordable for households earning up to 50% of Area Median Income. The buildings will be at least LEED-certified, but will aim for Silver. 

Sky House Commencement Ceremony

This morning’s commencement ceremony of Sky House Apartments (the adaptive reuse of the former EPA towers) at 4th & M Streets was attended by developers, lenders, architects, as well as community and city leaders including ANC 6D Chair Andy Litsky, Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells and Mayor Gray. Removal of the concrete skin at the eastern tower actually began last month, but there was an official ribbon cutting today in a tent erected next to the construction site, along with several speeches and a nice breakfast spread. 

A tent was set up next to the construction site. Mayor Gray's Lincoln Navigator is parked nearby.

Construction went on in the east tower as the ceremony was underway.

Upon completion, the two towers will have a total of 530 apartments with 106 affordable units (20% of the total) for those earning up to 50% of Area Median Income (AMI) and will be the tallest residential buildings in Southwest.  The project is a partnership between Urban Atlantic and The JBG Companies, with exterior design by Wiencek + Associates and interior design by RD Jones & Associates.  Urban Atlantic purchased the buildings from Waterfront Associates in 2011 for $10 million. In addition to Sky House apartments, Urban Atlantic has a mixed-use project next to the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station that’s about to deliver, and are a partner in the Capper Carrollsburg Hope VI redevelopment in Near SE. Vicki Davis, President of Urban Atlantic stated during the commencement ceremony:

We are confident that Sky House will appeal to a variety of individuals seeking luxury living amidst the exciting ambiance of the Southwest Waterfront. The apartments are beautifully designed with a full range of lifestyle amenities.

A description of the planned amenities can be found here.  In addition, a few new renderings were released, as seen above and below:

The apartments will be the tallest residential buildings in Southwest.

The rooftop will have a pool and deck area with incredible views.

Renderings courtesy of Wiencek + Associates

L'Enfant Plaza 2.0

L’Enfant Plaza’s retail center transformation continues moving forward, which began back in 2009. The retail center, two office buildings, and a hotel at the massive complex are owned by The JBG Companies and the renovated retail center was designed by SmithGroup. Now open at the food court: Potbelly Sandwich Works, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Starbucks, Crumbs Bake Shop, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Au Bon Pain, Frozen Yogurt Indulgence, Gourmet Too, Mina’s Boutique, Nash’s Mens Wear, 4-U, Hallmark Cards, Gateway Newsstand, Jay Jewelers, a sports injury rehab center, and a post office. A few other retailers are still scheduled to open over the next few months, including Five Guys and Mamma Ilardo’s.  Several of the restaurants are open beyond 5pm during the work week and are also open on Saturday. 

Hallmark Cards is one of the retailers who moved from the old retail promenade to the renovated center. 

Construction on Phase II is underway and demolition will soon begin on the western portion of the existing retail center with completion scheduled for the third quarter of 2013. Many retailers have expressed interest in coming to Phase II of the retail center, according to Matt Ginivan of JBG, who attended the International Council of Shopping Centers conference last week at National Harbor. Some of the targeted retailers at Phase II include sit down restaurants, as well as a fitness center and child care facility.

Rendering of the atrium interior planned for Phase II

A couple of weeks ago, the Commission of Fine Arts approved designs for the grand glass atrium entryway planned for the plaza in Phase II; however, ZGF (Zimmer Gunsul Frasca) needs to go back to the drawing table on the planned office building on Frontage Road since the commission requested a number of changes to those preliminary designs. 

Rendering of atrium exterior on the plaza.

Meanwhile, renovations are also underway on the east office tower, which includes the addition of glass to the lobby area to give it some “pop” and compliments the glass atrium planned for the plaza. The hotel above the east office building was recently renovated and construction on a new extended-stay Homewood Suites hotel will get underway at 9th and D Street this summer. The addition of windows at the food court, as well as the new atrium and office lobby improvements in the east tower will add more light throughout the complex. Eventually, an office building is planned for the plaza itself, but those plans are still preliminary.  

Glass additions to the east office building lobby are visible in the background.

Even though L’Enfant Plaza is geographically close to the residential area of Southwest, access to the complex by foot is daunting. In the intermediate and long-term, there are plans to make improvements. The developer is looking to eventually improve pedestrian connections from the south with the construction of the proposed Frontage Road office building.  As a part of the Southwest Ecodistrict initiative, there are plans to remake 10th Street into a pedestrian-friendly street that will better connect L’Enfant Plaza to The Wharf development and the rest of Southwest. In addition, the DC Office of Planning has been working on the Maryland Avenue Draft Plan in conjunction with the Southwest Ecodistrict which calls for a new south entrance to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station.

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroup