Design of New Southwest Branch Library Comes Into Focus

In early January, DCPL submitted an application to the BZA in order to build a new, standalone Southwest Branch library at 900 Wesley Place. The existing library was built in 1961 and no longer serves the needs of a growing community, where thousands of new multifamily units are coming online within the next five years. After a series of public meetings, DCPL developed a plan for the library which provides separate spaces for children and adults.

On the first floor, patrons will enter the new library using an entrance on the northwest corner of the building. Upon entering the library, the north side of the building will be the Market Place. The west side of the building will contain two multipurpose rooms and the book drop. Space dedicated to Children’s Services will occupy the remaining area on the first level, as well as restrooms. Staff will enter the building from an entrance off K Street. A terrace on the northeast corner and a reading porch on the north side of the building will open towards the playground at the adjacent 3rd and I Street SW Park. The second floor will contain a series of study/meeting rooms, space for Teen/Adult Services, an adult patio, staff areas, and space for the Friends of the Southwest Library. A portion of the floor on the second level will be open to the first floor below.

Designed by Perkins + Will, the new Southwest Library takes cues from the modernist design of the neighborhood with the use of wood, metal panels, glass, and a distinctive crinkle roof. The new library will be similar in size to the existing one at 20,792 SF, but there will not be a basement due to concerns over flooding since it is below the floodplain. Parking will be provided for seven vehicles, a reduction in the number of spaces currently available at the library by two. A landscape buffer will screen the parking area from the sidewalk along 3rd Street. Green features will include, among other things, a green roof, photovoltaic panels, and bioretention areas, sufficient to secure LEED-Gold status for the building.

DCPL is seeking approval for the project and has requested three special exemptions from zoning regulations. One special exemption has to do with parking – zoning requires a government building of this size to have nine spaces, but DCPL wants to build seven surface spaces. Since the library is close to the Waterfront Metro station, two Metrobus routes, and within walking distance of most of Southwest, DCPL contends there will be sufficient parking. The second special exemption is for long-term bicycle parking – DCPL will provide one less space than required. Finally, the third special exemption is lot occupancy – it is required that up to 40% of the lot be occupied by the new building, but the design calls for 47% lot occupancy. All three special exemptions have been requested in order to maintain the current design of the new library. At its December 2017 meeting, ANC 6D voted 3-0-2 in support of the BZA application.

If approved by the BZA, demolition of the existing library will likely take place this fall, after an interim library location is found. Construction will take a little more than a year and the new library will be complete in early 2020.

Renderings courtesy of DCPL

Photo Tour Part 3: Apartment Construction

Most of the new residential buildings under construction in Southwest are rental apartments - the only condo building currently under construction is VIO at District Wharf. Above is a photo of 301 M, which is the rental apartment building furthest along, aside from District Wharf, by The Bernstein Companies. Since these pictures were taken in early August, progress has been made on the buildings, especially Valo, the chosen marketing name for the apartment project attached to the new St. Matthews at 222 M Street, developed by Trammell Crow Company, High Street Residential, Meadow Partners, and CSG Urban Partners. A few more floors have been added to the building since the below photo was taken. Advertising went up last month for Valo, a Finnish word meaning light or glow.

Valo apartments at 222 M Street.

Another project making progress is the two-building addition to The View at Waterfront along M and K streets from Mill Creek Residential Trust. Both buildings are mid-rise structures with a concrete base and wood-frame construction above. 

New M Street building at the View at Waterfront.

Meanwhile, the Riverside Baptist Church project at 7th and I streets by PN Hoffman is still a hole in the ground. Construction began earlier this year and won't be complete until 2019. The most recent addition to the construction list was 1399 Maryland Avenue at The Portals, a 373-unit apartment building which started a couple months ago by Republic Properties.

Tower crane at Riverside Baptist site.

Belated Review of Third Greenleaf Planning Meeting

There was a Greenleaf community meeting back in the summer which gave an update on the long process ahead to redevelop Greenleaf as a mixed-income community. There were two other community meetings in March 2016 and October 2015 where input was gathered on the redevelopment plan. 

In order to start the redevelopment process, the Housing Authority has made a commitment to using a “Build First” model, so existing residents are not displaced from the neighborhood while the public housing complex is redeveloped over the next several years. Two nearby publicly-owned sites have been identified as potential candidates to build the initial phase of the redeveloped Greenleaf. One is the parking lot adjacent to MPD’s First District headquarters at the northeast corner of Delaware Avenue and M Street. The other site is the DC FEMS Engine 7 repair shop at Half and M streets. 

Greenleaf boundaries in orange; pins show potential "Build First" sites

The preliminary development plan developed by the consultant HR&A Advisors would first involve the construction of a mixed-income building at the selected “Build First” site so some of the existing residents can move there to allow for a phased demolition of the existing Greenleaf buildings, starting with the townhouses along M Street. In the preliminary development plan, there are a mix of housing types and heights. Generally, the building heights are highest along M Street and taper down to the north and south. The redevelopment of the 15-acre site is split into four blocks: 

• Block A is bounded by 3rd Street to the west, Delaware Avenue to the east, M Street to the south and L Street to the north. An affordable seniors/disabled 11-story apartment building with 272 units would be built along M Street with about 15,000 SF of ground floor retail. The northern portion of the block would be developed with a mixed-income nine-story multifamily building with 214 units. 
• Block B is bounded by 3rd Street to the west, Delaware Avenue to the east, L Street to the south and K Street to the north. The west portion would have about 37 townhouses and the east side of the block would be a seven-story multifamily building with about 207 units, with some townhouses on the lower floors. 
• Block C is bounded by 3rd Street to the west, Delaware Avenue to the east, K Street to the south and I Street to the north. The west portion would have about 37 townhouses and the east side of the block would be a mid-rise multifamily building with about 340 units, with some townhouses on the lower floors. 
• Block D is bounded by Delaware Avenue to the west, King-Greenleaf Recreation Center to the east, King Greenleaf Ballfield to the south and M Street to the north. On the northwest portion of the block, an 11-story building would be constructed along Delaware Avenue with about 320 units and 7,000 SF of ground floor retail. A second 11-story multifamily building would be constructed on the northeast portion of the block – this one would have about 420 units, with some townhouses on the lower floors. The south portion of the block would include 42 townhouses. 

Excluding the “Build First” phase of development, nearly 1,900 units would be built at Greenleaf, replacing the existing 493 units of affordable housing and adding a significant amount of market-rate housing. Nothing new has happened since the July meeting, but the next step in the process is to come to an agreement with the District on a site to do “Build First.” Following that, the redevelopment plan needs to be finalized and then the Housing Authority will issue a RFP to select a developer partner.

Construction Begins at The View at Waterfront

Construction fencing started going up in early August around the two parking lots for The View at Waterfront apartments at 6th and K and 6th and M streets, located between Arena Stage and Waterfront Station. Last week, demolition of the parking lots began, which will make way for two new mid-rise apartment buildings with 276 units (h/t to reader Alexander for the scoop that demolition had begun). Back in the spring, some upgrades were made to the courtyard between the Pei buildings. There will also be courtyards between the Pei and new buildings. Each will be about 57 feet wide. 

K St. side of The View

M St. side of The View

Mill Creek Realty Trust owns The View and is developing the new apartment buildings. Parking for the new construction and the existing I.M. Pei-designed apartment buildings will be below-grade. The M Street building will have some ground floor retail. Both buildings are expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2019 while leasing will commence in the second half of 2018. 

Construction of The View joins 301 M Street, The Eliot on 4th, and the St. Matthew's site (its groundbreaking will be on September 11), which are all in the vicinity of Waterfront Station. In addition, there are three apartment buildings and two condominium projects underway at The Wharf (525 Water received its certificate of occupation last month). Other multifamily buildings that may get underway in 2016 around the quadrant include The Portals (1200-block of Maryland Avenue), Riverside Baptist Church at 7th Street and Maine Avenue, and the addition at Capitol Park Tower (4th and G streets).

Rendering courtesy of SK&I Architecture

Construction Activity at St. Matthew’s Site

Construction equipment has finally arrived on site at Delaware Avenue and M Street, which will be transformed into a new sanctuary for St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church and a 221-unit apartment building. The sanctuary will be at the corner of Delaware Avenue and M Street and the 11-story apartment building will run along M Street. Chain link fencing has been up around the site for years, but in the past few days, a construction trailer arrived along with backhoes, and Delaware Avenue was closed on Monday as construction crews started digging in the street. Parking restrictions on both sides of Delaware Avenue are expected for the next two months as utility work is done for the project, but restrictions on the west side of the street will last longer since it will take about two years to finish construction.

The St. Matthew’s project is a long time coming – the PUD was approved in November 2012 and a two-year extension was requested in late 2014. This is the second rental apartment building to start construction over the past couple of months in the quadrant. Construction began last month at 301 M Street, located cattycorner from the St. Matthew’s site. Within the next few months, two more apartment buildings will get underway. Construction on two new rental apartment buildings on the parking lots of the View at Waterfront apartments on 6th and M streets and 6th and K streets should get started this summer (a new name for this project will be announced soon). 

Rendering courtesy of Shalom Baranes Associates

Over 1,800 Mixed Income Units Could be Built at Greenleaf

At last Saturday’s second Greenleaf community meeting, consultants from HR&A Advisors revealed a potential redevelopment plan for Greenleaf, which calls for a phased redevelopment of the 15-acre public housing complex. The plan would rebuild the 493 units of public housing that currently exist at Greenleaf as well as another 1,374 units of market-rate housing, in a mix of 1-, 2-, 3-bedroom and townhome units. Since many of the existing Greenleaf units are townhomes, a portion of the replacement Greenleaf units will also be townhomes. 

There were six main design ideas that were followed by the consultants and planners from Perkins Eastman: 

1. Make significant public places – Greenleaf abuts Lansburgh Park north of M Street and Greenleaf Recreation Center to the south 
2. Build on existing and historic street network 
3. Construct higher density first 
4. Re-connect across M Street 
5. Enhance connection to emerging neighborhoods: Waterfront Station, The Wharf, Capitol Riverfront, Ballpark District 
6. Integrate market and affordable housing – 30% affordable on each redeveloped block 

The preferred redevelopment option would be to build the first phase outside the Greenleaf footprint, but in the vicinity, so Greenleaf residents won’t need to leave the community. A “Build First” model is something many in the community have advocated for and has the support of the ANC and the DC Council. Several District and federally-owned sites were identified as possible locations for building the initial phase of 127 units under the “Build First” model. This would allow the redevelopment of the block of 38 townhomes between L and M streets to proceed without displacing residents because the families in the townhome units can be moved to the new off-site building. 

The initial phase inside the Greenleaf boundaries would be a high-rise building on the north side of M Street with 271 units for seniors, with the potential for ground floor retail. Once that building is complete, the current seniors building on the south side of M would be replaced with another high-rise with 662 units of mixed income housing, including flats and townhomes on the first two levels. Phase three on-site includes 240 units – townhomes where the Greenleaf mid-rise building is now and a high-rise on the north end of the block between L and M streets. After that phase is complete, a mix of 336 mid-rise and townhome units can be built on the block between K and L streets. Development would conclude with more mid-rise and townhome units (336 units) on the northernmost block between I and K streets. 

This is just a preliminary plan and could change before the final plan is released this summer. A third community meeting will be held in May where the plan will be fleshed out further. Construction is still several years away, but having a framework will allow the Housing Authority to seek a developer partner to help bring the vision of a mixed income Greenleaf to reality.

The redevelopment plan for Greenleaf sounds very similar to one posted three years ago today on this blog...the only difference is the current plan is NOT A JOKE. The Housing Authority could have hired me to write the plan! :-)

301 M Street Starting Construction in Short Order

The Bernstein Companies is gearing up for construction to begin in the coming weeks at 301 M Street, one of three new residential buildings planned on a stretch of M Street from 6th Street to Delaware Avenue which are expected to start this year. Plans call for about 190 apartment units in an 11-story building with some ground floor retail. This new building at Town Center East will be constructed on what is currently the parking lot for Waterfront Tower condos. In fact, the parking lot has already been emptied and a construction fence will soon be placed around it. Before construction can begin, a fence will be built on the west side of the property to give residents of Waterfront Tower a temporary access point to the property, since the current entrance on the south side will be blocked off due to construction activity. 

Construction of the first new building at Town Center East will be followed with a second building. Two years after 301 M Street receives its certificate of occupancy, construction can begin on the mirror image building planned for the K Street parking lot used by 1001 @ Waterfront apartments as well as renovations to 1001 @ Waterfront. In addition to 301 M Street, construction should also start soon at the St. Matthew’s redevelopment, located at M Street and Delaware Avenue, as well as The View at 6th and M streets, which is expected to begin in June.

The View

St. Matthew's

Renderings courtesy of Maurice Walters Architect, PC, Shalom Baranes Associates, and SK&I Architecture

View at Waterfront Revised PUD Gets ANC Support

At Monday’s ANC 6D meeting, representatives from Mill Creek Residential Trust and SK&I Architecture presented plans for the development of two apartment buildings on the parking lots of The View at Waterfront apartments on 6th Street. A modified PUD has been filed for this project earlier this year – the original PUD was approved several years ago under a previous owner, but several changes have been made. The height and density of the project have been reduced, resulting in a change in building materials from concrete to wood-frame. Also, the number of apartment units and parking spaces have been reduced. In addition, the number of bicycle spaces has increased and the distance between the new and existing buildings has increased. Below is a summary of the major changes to the design of the buildings: 

Building Height 

• Old PUD: 112 feet 
• Revised PUD: 85 feet 

Floor Area Ratio (FAR)

• Old PUD: 4.35 
• Revised PUD: 3.40 

Number of New Units 

• Old PUD: 324 units 
• Revised PUD: 260 units 

Parking Spaces 

• Old PUD: 569 (0.98 spaces per unit) 
• Revised PUD: 290 (0.56 spaces per unit) 

Courtyard Space Between New and Existing Buildings 

• Old PUD: 51 feet 
• Revised PUD: 57 feet 

The north tower will be on the K Street lot and the south tower will be on the M Street lot. Ground floor retail with 20-foot ceilings will be located in the south tower at the corner of 6th and M streets, ideally a restaurant. The south tower will also have a cut out on the top of the building for a large rooftop entertainment area where residents can gather and get a view of The Wharf. Meanwhile, the north tower will have loft units and a two-level gym. 

The ANC commissioners voted unanimously to support the revised PUD application, which will go before the Zoning Commission on June 11. The current development timeline calls for construction to begin around mid- to late April 2016 and exterior work on the north and south towers to be complete in December 2017 and March 2018, respectively. Construction is currently scheduled to be completed by November 2018.

Renderings courtesy of SK&I Architecture

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 Couple Quick Wednesday Night Items: For the Dogs

There will be a Grand Opening celebration on Saturday Sunday from 12-3pm for the new dog park at Lansburgh Park, located at Delaware Avenue and K Street. The PAWS of SW Dog Park Group has been working to get this dog park built for several years and it finally opened last month. In addition to a dog park, other recent improvements to Lansburgh Park include a community garden and new basketball courts. A leash-cutting ceremony will be held for the dog park at 12:30pm. Invited VIP guests include Sam the Bloodhound, Bo and Sunny Obama, and Corporal Chesty XIV.

Over at Sky House East apartments, local rescue dogs from Homeward Trails were invited to use the Grroom pet grooming station located in the building’s basement. A promotional video of the pet space is below:

The View at Waterfront Sold

The View at Waterfront apartments at 6th and M streets has sold to Mill Creek Residential Trust in a deal that closed earlier this week. According to Bisnow, The View sold for $67 million. The property has been on the market for several months and with its sale, the development of the two parking lots facing K & M streets can finally move forward. A PUD was approved for the parking lots at The View by a previous owner in 2005 with a plan to build two 9-story towers on the parking lots with ground floor retail in the M Street building. In addition, the plan called for renovating the existing I.M. Pei buildings as well as improvements to the open space between them. The existing I.M. Pei buildings were renovated in 2008 and the open space was improved, but the new towers were never built and the property was sold at auction during the Great Recession. 

The new owner will need to resubmit a PUD since the existing one has expired; plans for the buildings have likely changed from the original plan from nine years ago. The Bisnow article states that Mill Creek hopes to start construction on the new buildings in about 18 months.

SW Branch Library Site Up in the Air

The future of the Southwest branch library site is one of the issues that have come up during the Southwest Neighborhood Plan process, which has been underway since last summer. Over $8 million in funding was in the 2012 budget to make substantial renovations to the existing building through 2018, which was built in the 1960s.  A mini-makeover was done to the space in 2011.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and the Office of Planning are pushing for a plan to include a new Southwest library as a component of a mixed use building on a 4th Street parcel the city owns at Waterfront Station. The city has been building several new or substantially renovated libraries recently – mostly as standalone buildings; however, a library in a mixed-use building is planned in the West End and there are plans to potentially put a non-library addition in the flagship MLK library downtown. Theoretically, the current library site would be sold to a developer and a high-rise residential building placed on the site. Moving the library to 4th Street would give it a more prominent location in the neighborhood, but if located on the first floor, it could replace precious retail space planned along 4th. 

Locations of existing and proposed library sites.

Meanwhile, community leaders are calling for a standalone library at its current site, located at Wesley Place and K Street. For instance, in an open letter to the mayor in January, the CBCC called for a standalone library. During the Mayoral and Ward 6 Council forums, most of the candidates stated their preference for a standalone library when asked by the moderator. Some of the new, standalone libraries built in recent years include those in Bellevue, Anacostia, and Deanwood, while others that are architecturally significant have been substantially renovated, such as those in Petworth, Georgetown, and Northeast. A playground is planned (and mostly funded) at the park next door to the current library and would create synergy between the two spaces. 

Do you prefer a standalone SW branch library in its current location or one in a mixed use building on 4th Street? Vote in the poll on the left sidebar of the blog and/or leave a comment.

The View at Waterfront on the Market

The View at Waterfront apartments at 6th and M streets is on the market and the tenants are vetting proposals from developers to partner with and buy the buildings under TOPA rules. In addition to the two IM Pei-designed apartment buildings next to Waterfront Station, the sale would include the opportunity for the developer to build on the two parking lots that face the buildings – one on M Street and the other on K Street. The Pei buildings were renovated in 2008 when Fairfield Residential owned them and a Planned Unit Development (PUD) was filed to develop the two parking lots. The original PUD called for two new towers that were designed by Esocoff and Associates. At the time, the planned M Street building would have ground floor retail. However, the project was shelved during the housing crisis and Fairfield lost the complex in a foreclosure sale. Part of the PUD called for the renovation of the large courtyard and pool area between the existing buildings, which was the only portion that was completed. In addition, the PUD called for repairs to the Southwest Duck Pond once the first building was complete, which is located across K Street from the north parking lot (pictured below).

SW Duck Pond.

The View at Waterfront is the sister development to Town Center East, which is going through the PUD process to develop on its parking lots and ran into issues last year when the residents of Waterfront Tower and the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly applied for historic status for the existing buildings and landscaping. As a result, the PUD was revised to remove one planned building along 3rd Street and the other two planned buildings were redesigned. 

Previous plan for new M Street residential building at The View.

Several residential buildings have been trading hands recently in the neighborhood. Those include Channel Square and Capitol Park Tower. The new owners of both complexes are planning to renovate, but a new six-story addition is planned at Capitol Park Tower.

Rendering courtesy of Esocoff & Associates

ANC 6D Offers Conditional Support to Town Center East PUD

At tonight's ANC 6D meeting, the commissioners voted 4-0-1 to give conditional support to the Town Center East PUD. Several changes have been made to the project by The Bernstein Companies as a result of the ANC's last vote back in May to not support the PUD.  Also since the last vote, the original I.M. Pei buildings and open space on the site have been designated historic by the Historic Preservation Review Board.  As a result, the project now needs approval from the HPRB in addition to the Zoning Commission.

The proposed center building has been removed from the project.

One big change to the project is the removal of the center building, which is a result of the historic designation of the open space between the Pei buildings. That, along with design changes to the new north & south buildings (all four corners of each building have been pushed in), have resulted in the reduction of 45 units from the project.  Other changes include:

• The metal fence on top of the wall along 3rd Street has been removed. 
• One foot of sidewalk along 3rd Street will be removed to add green space.
• Usable balconies have been removed from the new buildings and replaced with juliet balconies. 
• The balconies will have frosted glass panels three feet, six inches tall to provide some privacy.
• The motor courts on the west side of the new buildings have been reduced a bit in size.
• More fenestration will occur on the 3rd Street edge of the new buildings, which uses more glass and more closely matches the window style of the Pei buildings.
• A more simple brick will be used since the increased fenestration results in less brick on the buildings on 3rd Street.
• The courtyard will have more green space.
• Some ideas have been presented for improved accessibility for Waterfront Tower residents with mobility issues.
• Discussions are underway for signage for Waterfront Tower, including pylons and numbers on the building.
• A lighting plan has been developed with a variety of options, including overhead lights, lower bollard lights, uplighting of trees, etc. 

 

Older rendering from M Street.

Revised rendering from M Street.

The Waterfront Tower Home Owners Association is still not satisfied with the changes made and the lack of meetings between the developer and the HOA. Several homeowners were present at the meeting to express their concerns. Representatives from SWNA were also at the meeting and stated that the revised design is not worthy of being next to the historic I.M. Pei buildings. The ANC's conditional approval of the PUD is contingent on the developers addressing a variety of concerns to the satisfaction of the ANC before the October 7 Zoning Commission meeting.

Renderings courtesy of Maurice Walters Architects  

Fatal Shooting at Greenleaf Gardens

NBC 4 reported last night that there was a double shooting on the 200 block of K Street at Greenleaf Gardens, which occurred around 9pm. One of the victims, a male, passed away at the hospital, while the female victim is expected to be ok.  DCHA is applying for a HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant for Greenleaf, a public housing complex built in 1959.

Below is a video from last night's 11 o'clock news about the shooting.

Town Center East Designated Historic

Last month, the DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) designated both multifamily buildings at Town Center East and the grounds as historic.  It has also requested that the nomination for historic preservation be forwarded to the National Register of Historic Places. The buildings, located on 3rd Street between K Street and M Street, were designed by I.M. Pei and built in 1960-61.   Originally built as apartment buildings, Waterfront Tower was converted to condos in 2009. Meanwhile, 1001 at Waterfront was last renovated prior to its sister building’s conversion, but has remained as apartments. The two buildings at Town Center are the mirror image of the two apartment buildings to the west of Waterfront Station at The View at Waterfront (or Town Center West). Those two buildings are not included in the historic designation. In its ruling, the HPRB determined that Town Center was eligible for historic designation in three categories, including “Architecture and Urbanism”, “Creative Masters”, and “History.”  According to the ruling, “Town Center East is important as one of Washington’s best examples of mid-century Modernism, and certainly among the best in Southwest.” 

The owners at Waterfront Tower, along with the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, applied for historic designation in response to a PUD submitted by The Bernstein Companies to build two large multifamily buildings on the parking lots of the existing Pei buildings and a smaller building on the courtyard separating the two existing buildings. It was reported in the Washington City Paper about the tension between Bernstein and the Waterfront Tower owners. With the historic designation in place, Bernstein will need to alter its PUD and have it approved by the HPRB in addition to the Zoning Commission.

Original design of Town Center PUD.

In recent years, other residential complexes in Southwest have been designated as historic, including Potomac Place Tower, Tiber Island, and more recently, Harbour Square. Other residential complexes built during urban renewal may apply for historic designation as they turn 50 years old. Thus far, individual buildings have been applying for historic designation, but eventually a historic district may be coming to Southwest, which would preserve the mid-century modern architecture of the neighborhood.

Rendering courtesy of Maurice Walters Architect, PC

Friends of SW Library Spring Book Sale

The Friends of the Southwest DC Public Library is holding its Spring Book Sale at the Southwest DC Public Library, 900 Wesley Place (at 3rd & K streets) on three dates: Wednesday, June 5th (Members Pre-Sale), Saturday, June 8th&nbsp, Saturday, June 15th. All proceeds for the sale go directly to supporting programming and equipment needs of the SW library branch. 

Hundreds of Books and Great Prices – Most Books Under $2! 

Friends Member Sale:  

Wednesday, June 5 from 6-8pm  

Become a member at the door for $10 and have first pick of the sale! 

General Book Sale FREE and OPEN TO ALL: 

Saturday, June 8 from 10am-2pm 

Saturday, June 15 from 11am - 2pm 

For more info, email friendsofswlibrary@gmail.com

Greenleaf Gardens Recipient of Hope VI Grant (APRIL FOOLS POST)

At a press conference this morning, the Mayor announced that Greenleaf Gardens will be the latest recipient of a Hope VI Revitalization Grant from HUD to redevelop the public housing complex into a mixed-use community. There are currently 278 units at the DCHA-run Greenleaf Gardens, covering 15 acres of land. The site is bounded by I Street to the north, 3rd Street to the west, M Street to the south, and Delaware Avenue to the east as outlined in the above image in red.

“As our city continues to grow, we need to look at ways that we can better leverage the assets we have in our public housing communities, “said the Mayor during the press conference. “With this grant from HUD, we will be able to maintain modern, clean, affordable housing for our residents, while at the same time provide additional residential density one block away from Metro.”

There is a lot of development activity in the vicinity of Greenleaf Gardens. To the west, The Bernstein Companies is planning three new residential buildings at Town Center. The Southwest Library will be completely renovated over the next four years. In addition, the SW Library park will soon become a new playground. Lansburgh Park is located just to the east, which will get a dog park and community garden this summer. To the south, a new St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and 200-unit apartment building are supposed to break ground before the end of the year.  

As proposed, the Hope VI project will have approximately 1,600 units in a mix of building types. The 278 units of affordable housing will be replaced one for one and will be scattered throughout the project while the remaining units will be market-rate. There will be 150 townhomes in the northernmost block between I Street and K Street, 650 units in four mid-rise buildings in the middle block between K Street and L Street, and 800 units in two high-rise towers in the southernmost block from L Street to M Street. There will be ground-floor retail space available on the M Street buildings. The buildings will primarily be rental apartments, but there will be a for-sale component, depending on market conditions. It will take several years for this project to be built, maybe never, since this post is just an April Fools’ Day joke.

Lansburgh Park to Get New Additions This Summer

Progress is being made to bring new amenities to Lansburgh Park, the largest park in Southwest (if you don't count the National Mall), located along Delaware Avenue roughly from K Street to L Street and backs up to the DMV. Two organizations have been busy raising funds and garnering support to build a dog park and a community garden. The PAWS of Southwest have received approval from the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to build a 10,000 square-foot dog park to the east of the tennis courts. There will be two areas - a 2,000 square-foot area for small dogs and 8,000 square feet for large dogs. The project is fully funded and plans are to break ground this summer. The District will contribute towards the basics and PAWS will fund the rest. A new blog was created to help the SW Waterfront community with tips for handling and training your dog in an urban environment called Waterfront Woof League.

Meanwhile, the SW Community Gardens group has plans of their own for a garden to be located to the northeast of the tennis courts in a 6,500 square-foot space. DPR has also been working with the garden group, which is affiliated with the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly. The group was recently the recipient of a $50,000 grant in a nationwide competition from Fiskars called the 2013 Project Orange Thumb Garden Makeover. According to the press release:

Their proposed “Lansburgh Park Community Garden” was envisioned as a place for meditative gardening and community programming for veterans, youth and seniors. The new [6,500] square-foot garden will provide educational opportunities and give community members a place to reap the rewards of growing their own fresh food. Plans are underway for a one-day Fiskars Project Orange Thumb garden makeover in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation in July 2013.

Volunteers from the community will be needed to help put the garden together.

Residential Infill Planned at Town Center

A new 3-building infill residential development just to the east of Sky House I at Town Center was revealed in this week's Washington Business Journal (subscribers only). The Bernstein Companies is moving forward with plans to build on their parking lots that currently serve Waterfront Tower condos and 1001 @ Waterfront apartments. According to the Zoning application that was submitted last month, there will be two new 11-story buildings flanking M Street and K Street and a 4-story building between the two existing towers on 3rd Street. In addition, 1001 @ Waterfront will be renovated.  Maurice Walters Architect, PC has designed the new buildings. The article states that 1001 @ Waterfront will remain as apartments after the renovation. Once completed, the proposed development at Town Center will yield 401 new multifamily units with a mix of studio, 1BR, and 2BR units, 128 renovated apartment units, 289 below-grade parking spaces, and 2,940 SF of retail on M Street and K Street. In addition, 20% of the housing will be set aside as affordable (5% to households making 50% or less than AMI, 5% to households earning 60% or less than AMI, 5% to households making 70% or less than AMI, and 5% to households earning 80% or less than AMI). Below is a breakdown of what will be built/renovated (note that the buildings shaded in green are what will be built/renovated):

Here is part of the description of the new buildings from the PUD application:

The new North and South Towers will include a two-story high base that will be enclosed but will feature large expanses of glazing that relate to the open ground floor of the Pei Towers. The main massing of the new towers will rise to a height of 90 feet (9 stories), which is approximately the same height as the Pei Towers. The remaining two stories of  the building will taper with setbacks and terraces to a height of 110 feet (11 stories).

The new North and South Towers will replace existing surface parking lots, creating a more pedestrian friendly experience on both M and K Streets. The new four-story Center Building will replace an existing brick wall along 3rd Street, adding new stoops and entry doors to 3rd Street. These doors and entries from 3rd Street, along with large expanses of fenestration above on the building, will help to activate 3rd Street.

New Middle Building on 3rd Street

All of the parking and loading will be accessed from an alley to the west of the site off of K Street and a circular drive on M Street that's being created in conjunction with Waterfront Station, with only one curb cut on K Street.  The other curb cuts that currently exist on the site (including M Street) will be removed. Town Center will aim for LEED-Silver and will have environmental enhancements such as green roofs, underground cisterns for collecting storm water runoff, and energy efficient lighting.  Some of the public benefits included in the PUD application include:

• a capital contribution to the SW Library
• restoration of the north Pei building
• tree planting on both sides of 3rd Street
• creation of angled parking on 3rd Street

New North Tower motor court

The WBJ article states that there is no construction timetable yet for the Town Center project and each building will be done separately, not concurrently.  If the consolidated PUD application is approved, it will be valid for two years, but the developers can apply for an extension if building permits have not been secured within the two-year window. 

Renderings courtesy of Maurice Walters Architect, PC