Reporters Building to be Redeveloped as Residential

Back in 2013, the National Capital Revitalization Corporation developed the SW Ecodistrict Initiative for a 110-acre area south of the National Mall and north of the Southwest freeway. One of the goals of the initiative was to create a sustainable mixed-use community by introducing residential and/or hospitality uses in the area, which has been dominated for decades by government agencies and other office users. Since then, Republic Properties has proposed residential uses for one of the planned buildings at The Portals and Douglas Development purchased the Cotton Annex on 12th Street, with plans to redevelop the historic building and adjacent parking lot. 

Next up for redevelopment is the Reporters Building at 300 7th Street, located across the street from the D Street entrance to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station at Constitution Center. Urban-Atlantic has plans to redevelop the aging office building as a multifamily project by re-skinning the exterior and adding up to five levels to the existing eight-story building. This is the same developer that converted the former EPA towers at Waterfront Station to Skyhouse East and West (now known as The Leo and The Lex). The 300 7th Street project will include about 370 units, which will be mostly rental apartments with condos on the top floor of the building and retail will remain on the ground floor. Current retailers include a barber shop and Pizza Autentica, the latter which opened back in 2009.

The proposed development is by-right and does not need zoning approval. However, it does need to get approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the project will be on the agenda for this month’s meeting. At last night’s ANC meeting, the commissioners voted 5-0-1 to support the project. The lone abstention came from Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton, who was disappointed that the project will contain 100% market-rate units – no affordable units are required since the development is by-right. 

As more details of the project are made available, including renderings, I’ll provide updates.

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

Demolition Begins at 400 6th Street

 

Construction fencing has been installed around the Donohoe Building at 400 6th Street, the former home of the District's Child and Family Services Agency. Their lease ended last year and now demolition is underway at the office building, which was purchased by Trammell Crow and the AFL-CIO Building Investment for $41.9 million in 2012. Once demolition is complete, construction will begin on a speculative 12-story office building designed by Gensler with 342,000 rentable square feet. There is space on the ground level for retail if demand supports it. The new office building is located less than one block from the D Street entrance to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station. From the look of the above rendering, they are looking for a GSA tenant. Next door to the site is Constitution Center, which has its share of GSA tenants. Perhaps the office market in general (and GSA's appetite for leasing new space) will be improved by the end of 2015 when this building is scheduled to deliver.

Construction fencing went up this week.

Rendering courtesy of Trammell Crow

Takeaways from SW Ecodistrict Meeting

There was a SW Ecodistrict public meeting Tuesday night hosted by NCPC that discussed some options that are being contemplated for 10th Street, Banneker Park, and stormwater management throughout the ecodistrict. The Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative is comprehensive plan to create a sustainable mixed-use community in a 110-acre area south of the National Mall, which currently includes a significant amount of federal office space.  The slides from the meeting are available here. 

10th Street 

In the interim, there are plans to activate portions of 10th Street with programming. The street has a 150’ right-of-way and at some places, the distance from building to building is 230’. It was suggested that some street festivals that currently take place on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW could be accommodated on 10th Street from Independence to Maryland avenues. Perhaps the Southwest BID in the works could help bring some of that programming to 10th Street. Other ways to improve the street in the interim include furnishings, street painting, lighting, and wayfinding signage. 

In the long-term, it’s recommended that the right-of-way remain at 150’, but the median along 10th Street should be widened from 39’ to 52’ and the sidewalk and vehicle lanes be narrowed to accommodate a five-foot bike lane on both sides of the street. Different alternatives are available to allow trees of varying height to grow on 10th Street, which is built mostly on a bridge structure. In addition, there are three programmatic alternatives for the street – one emphasizes on hardscape (which would allow more flexibility for programming in the median); the second emphasizes on softscape (continuing the feel of the National Mall); and the third emphasizes on water (10th Street used to have water elements). Questions remain about whether the character of 10th Street should be more like a park, a street, linear, episodic, or formal in nature. 

A phased approach to improving the streetscape on 10th Street is preferred, since there is currently no financing dedicated to make improvements. Perhaps some of the funding can be obtained as a result of private development adjacent to the street, such as JBG’s plans for L’Enfant Plaza, or the GSA’s planned redevelopment of the area closest to Independence Avenue called Federal Triangle South. 

Banneker Park 

While there is currently no financing available for streetscape improvements along 10th Street, the developers of The Wharf will finance the construction of a temporary staircase connecting Maine Avenue with Banneker Park to facilitate access from the National Mall and L’Enfant Plaza Metro. Due to the grade change, the stairs can be straight, include switchbacks, or a combination of both. Design of the stair could be monumental, contemporary, natural, or have “District” features found in other areas of the city.

   

Banneker Park.

Stormwater Management 

Even though the amount of development in the SW Ecodistrict will increase to 15 million SF of space compared to about 10 million SF now, the amount of water usage is anticipated to decline. The design of the SW Ecodistrict will allow more stormwater to be captured on site and recycled instead of being sent untreated to the Washington Channel and the Anacostia River. Large cisterns can be built beneath 10th Street and other areas to help store water. Green roofs, flow through swales, and trees can help reduce runoff. In the summer, condensation from air conditioner coils can be collected to create potable water. Capturing and treating stormwater and grey water can be used for non-potable uses such as washing & irrigation while rain and well water can help satisfy potable water demand. 

Comments are being accepted on the SW Ecodistrict website until June 21. 

Rendering courtesy of NCPC

Another Office Building Planned Near L'Enfant Plaza

The Washington Business Journal reports that the Donohoe Building (400 6th Street) has been purchased by Trammell Crow and the AFL-CIO Building Investment for $41.9 million.  Back in March, a loan the previous owners had on the building was in danger of going into default. The 5-story building will be razed by the new owners after the District's Child and Family Services Agency vacates the building at the end of their lease in October. In its place will be a 12-story "state of the art" office building. There's no indication whether there will be ground-floor retail in this building. Construction is supposed to begin next June with completion scheduled for mid-2015.  It wasn't clear from the article whether the project will be built without a lead tenant, but that usually isn't the case with office buildings these days, so that construction start date may slip if a tenant isn't found soon.  There are a couple other office buildings planned in the vicinity - one located a block south of this site at the current site of Engine 13 and the other at 4th & E Street.  Both of these sites are planned by E Street Development, which won the rights to these sites by DMPED a few years ago. Construction was supposed to begin on the 4th Street building last year, but has been delayed. In addition, Constitution Center is across the street from this site and is still trying to fill the rest of the space that was let go by the SEC when they decided not to move into the building.

A Few Quick Items: DC United Stadium Buzz, Bible Museum Coming to SW, Constitution Center Sale Pending, Equity Stake at L’Enfant Plaza for Sale, Veterans Memorial Financed

 - There was an article last week in Sporting News that gave an update on the prospects for DC United’s push for a new stadium.  The new ownership group is starting to have conversations with the city to get them on board with funding infrastructure improvements and assembling land for a soccer stadium. Buzzard Point remains the likely site in the District for the new stadium, although DC United is also in talks with Baltimore officials to possibly relocate to that city. The Buzzard Point site is only a few blocks southwest of Nationals Park and the two facilities would be linked together by Potomac Avenue.

- Vornado is selling two office buildings it owns near the Federal Center SW Metro and one of them – The Washington Design Center at 300 D Street – will most likely be the new home of a bible museum, according to the Washington Business Journal (subscribers only).  From the article:

An affiliate of The Museum of the Bible, a nonprofit organization, has a contract to buy the design center to display its multimillion-dollar collection of sacred texts, artifacts and other items known as the Green Collection, according to sources familiar with the deal…It could take four or five years to open the museum because a large portion of the items to be displayed are now part of a traveling exhibition and will not be available for display immediately.

- Constitution Center, the massive 1.4 million SF office building on top of the L’Enfant Plaza Metro that went up for sale last year is close to finding a buyer. According to citybizlist, MetLife is nearing a deal to purchase the building for somewhere in the vicinity of $750 million.

- According to an article in Capital Business, an equity stake in L’Enfant Plaza is up for sale by JBG, the owner of most of the complex. The equity stake for sale is only for the existing office buildings, not the improvements underway and planned. Those improvements include a new Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel planned for the southeast corner of 9th & D Street, an expansion of the existing retail center, as well as an office building planned on the southeast side of the complex. Eventually, another office building is planned for the plaza area.

- The proposed American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial has received over $6 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Public Lands Highway Discretionary Program according to the BeyondDC blog. The 2.4-acre memorial is planned for the triangle formed by Washington Avenue, 2nd Street, and C Street. Back in 2010, the National Capital Planning Commission approved the design of the memorial, but infrastructure funding was still needed. With funding now in place, construction will begin next year with dedication planned in early 2014.

Rendering courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission

A Couple Quick Items: Maine Avenue Improvements Complete, Default Imminent at Donohoe Building

- DDOT announced last week that road and sidewalk improvements along Maine Avenue from 14th Street to the Fish Market have been completed. The $2 million project includes the widening of the sidewalk from four feet to a 14-foot trail to accommodate pedestrians and bikes, the reduction of road lanes from two lanes to one, new storm water drains, lighting, trees, signage, curbs, gutters, and fencing.  On-street parking has been eliminated along this stretch of road as a result.

- It was reported on CityBiz Real Estate that a $38.5 million loan for the Donohoe Building at 400 6th Street is in danger of being in default.  The building is located across the street from Constitution Center about a half block from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro and is currently leased by the District government for the Child and Family Services Agency.  The tenant is scheduled to vacate the building this summer at the conclusion of its lease.  The building was constructed in 1967 and was renovated in 1999. Perhaps this building could be a candidate for a conversion to residential to start the process of introducing residential to the predominately federal business district?

Maryland Avenue Small Area Plan Draft Released

The DC Office of Planning released its draft report on the Maryland Avenue SW Plan earlier this month after working on it for several months. This report is a component of the Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative that the National Capital Planning Commission is studying for the area. In the Maryland Avenue SW draft report, there are recommendations on how the avenue can be reconstructed, diversify land uses, and serve as a connector through the Southwest Rectangle (the area between the National Mall and Interstate 395). Currently, the Maryland Avenue corridor is disjointed – a small section of the avenue was rebuilt above railroad tracks west of 12th Street as a part of The Portals complex with a landscaped median and on its eastern end, it will bisect a future memorial for President Eisenhower. However, Maryland Avenue doesn’t exist between 12th Street and 7th Street. Along this stretch, railroad tracks for freight and VRE are in the avenue’s right-of-way. East of Reservation 113 (the green space at 7th & C Streets), Maryland Avenue reemerges before intersecting with Independence Avenue across from the National Air & Space Museum.  

Four components that the draft report addresses include land use, transit, connections, and public realm:

Land use

The draft report encourages a diversification of land uses for the corridor, which is currently dominated by office space. To that end, there are four Federally-owned parcels along Maryland Avenue that the GSA is considering for conveyance out of the Federal inventory. These parcels could then be redeveloped as mixed use sites, potentially with residential included in the mix. Zoning in the area can be changed to encourage residential development with Housing Credits, similar to the bonus density incentives used to increase housing downtown over the past 15 years. Other parcels along the Maryland Avenue corridor could also be redeveloped, including the GSA Regional Office Building at 7th & D Street, the Reporters Building (where Pizza Autentica is located), and two sites at The Portals (perhaps one could be luxury condos affiliated with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel next door with sweeping views of the Tidal Basin?). The draft report indicates at least 1,000 residential/hotel units need to be created in the area to justify the creation of more retail amenities.

Transit

Connections between the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station and the L’Enfant commuter rail station should be improved.  According to the draft report, about 20,000 riders use the Metro station each weekday and over 15,000 VRE riders use the commuter rail station. Future ridership estimates anticipate an increase over the next few years and the commuter rail station may need to expand to accommodate a possible extension of MARC train service to L’Enfant as well as the electrification of the rail line. After looking at three options to expand the commuter rail station, the report recommends the best option would be to build an extended platform in the vicinity of the current platform to accommodate four tracks and bi-level trains.  The Reporters Building would eventually become an intermodal hub where VRE, MARC, Metro, Metrobus, and streetcar service would intersect.

Connections

Three alternatives were considered for decking over Maryland Avenue: one creates a boulevard with a landscaped median along its length and a newly constructed 9th Street would connect Independence Avenue, Maryland Avenue, and D Street; a second would create a center roadway section from 12th to 10th Street with a ramp connection to D Street, while the area between 10th Street and Reservation 113 would become a linear park; option three would create a center roadway from 12th Street to Reservation 113 and create a square around it by shifting the railroad corridor to the south. The report prefers a center roadway section to a median because of its consistency along the centerline of Maryland Avenue, but also allows flexibility along the edges depending on what structure abuts the right-of-way. The approximate cost to re-establish Maryland Avenue would be $429M, including streetscape, railroad enclosure, commuter rail station improvements, connections to the street grid, and four-track railroad enhancements.

Public Realm

Reservation 113 has the potential – if designed properly, to be a center piece for the neighborhood. Views to the Capitol should be maintained and Maryland Avenue’s significance as a L’Enfant diagonal street should be considered in its design; however, pedestrian-scale elements need to be considered as well. The tree canopy of the area needs to be enhanced and sidewalks designed for heavy pedestrian use. New buildings along the corridor should be oriented towards Maryland Avenue and Reservation 113 with the building facades meeting the edge of the right-of-way to create a defined street wall effect. Retail nodes should be created at 7th and 10th Streets with ceiling heights along the ground floor at these locations at a minimum of 14’. Sustainable infrastructure elements should be maintained throughout the corridor, including storm water filtration and collection, and piezoelectric generation along the rail corridor.

Development along the Maryland Avenue corridor can begin in the eastern end between 6th & 7th Streets, where the avenue already exists and improvements would take less time (and money) to implement. The Switzer Building modernization and greening, along with Federal Building 8, is breathing new life to the area. GSA Parcel 4 is located between 6th & 7th Streets and if conveyed, the parcel could be redeveloped into a use other than office to help change the perception of the area as an “office-only” destination. In addition, some improvements can be made to Reservation 113 to make the area more inviting. As the Southwest Waterfront redevelopment gets going and the future of the Department of Energy campus is determined, that will help spur activity on the western side of the Maryland Avenue corridor.

The full report can be accessed from OP’s website and the 30-day comment period is now open until February 3. 

Renderings courtesy of DC Office of Planning

More Retailers Open at L'Enfant Plaza

This evening was L'Enfant Plaza Community Night for residents of ANC 6D hosted by JBG where an update was given to the community about what is planned for the massive mixed use complex. Each attendee was given $15 to use at any of the restaurants or retail shops, which have continued to open over the past few months at the refurbished retail center designed by SmithGroup. Now Open: Roti Mediterranean Grill, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Moe's Southwest Grill, Au Bon Pain, Starbucks, Frozen Yogurt Indulgence, Gourmet Too, Gateway Newstands, Mina, Nash's Mens Wear, 4-U, Hallmark, and a post office.  In addition, Jay's Jewelers appears to be just about ready to open. Three LED panels have been installed on pillars to give some visual interest and change periodically - as seen above, the panels were projecting snowflakes at the time the photo was taken. 

Britt Snyder, VP of Development at JBG, gave some details about what is planned for the complex over the near and medium-term. Tenant build-out continues for some of the restaurants and retailers yet to open in the first phase, but construction of phase two has begun, which will bring double the amount of space that is already complete by 2013. To complement the LED panels in the food court, a video wall displaying art will soon be installed near the Metro entrance and TV screens will be placed in the second phase food court along with soft seating areas. They are hoping to bring a fitness center and child care facility to the second phase, but 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. A large atrium will replace the pyramid skylight and provide a grand entry to the retail center from the plaza.

Construction of a Homewood Suites extended stay hotel at 9th and D Street has been pushed back to the summer or fall of 2012. Entrances to the new hotel will be created along D Street and from the plaza. The hotel will be built to be LEED-Certified (either Silver or Gold).

In the medium term, a 200,000 SF office building is planned for the southeast corner of the complex along Frontage Road. Residential was considered for this parcel, but it was not feasible to build since rents in the area are currently not high enough to justify the expense. The lack of a grocery store in the area was also an impediment (although Safeway isn't THAT far away - it's closer than for residents of Near SE). Pedestrian connections from the south to L'Enfant Plaza are being looked at to be improved. Eventually, the developer would like to construct an office building in the plaza.

Below are some additional photos of the new retail center:

Frozen Yogurt Indulgence has a distinctly modern design, with several TV screens displayed throughout.

Seating is available for patrons to use.

Nash's Mens Wear is one of the newer retailers to open.

A Few Quick Items: Proposed ANC 6D Map, Waterfront-SEU Station Name Change, Z-Burger Getting Closer to Opening

- At last week's ANC 6D meeting, a new ANC single-member district map was adopted by the commissioners, contrary to the map approved by the Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force. In the new map, 6D01 loses its portion of The Wharf to 6D04, while 6D05 gains the block bounded by M Street, I Street, 4th Street and 3rd Street (including the eastern portion of Waterfront Station and the Southwest Library). 6D06 remains largely unchanged - it gains a block currently covered by 6D03. However, the biggest changes come to 6D03, 6D02, and 6D07. 6D03 loses the large block mentioned previously to 6D05, gains more of Capitol Park from 6D02 and crosses South Capitol Street to cover portions of Near SE. 6D02 gains Potomac Place, while 6D07 gets a single block in Southwest, which happens to be the block where former ANC 6D03 commissioner Mary Williams lives. She made a plea to be moved out of 6D03 during one of the redistricting meetings in July. The Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force will vote on the proposed change to the map tomorrow. 

- Also at last week's ANC meeting, the commissioners voted to recommend changing the name of the Waterfront-SEU Metro station to Waterfront-Arena Stage and alternatively SW Waterfront if the first name is rejected by WMATA due to the length of the name. A proposal to add Banneker Park to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station did not come up for a vote due to the length of the proposed name. (via JDLand)

- "One month from today" is the latest news I received from the proprietor of Z-Burger on Sunday for when the restaurant would bring its burgers, shakes and malts to Waterfront Station. I saw some workers inside the restaurant earlier this week, so we'll see if it opens by mid-October next to Station 4. TD Bank has signed a lease to open a branch in the vacant space to the north of Station 4, but an opening date is unknown at this time.

First Restaurants at Revamped L’Enfant Plaza Promenade Open for Business

This week marked the opening of Roti Mediterranean Grill (Monday) and Potbelly Sandwich Shop (Tuesday) at the L’Enfant Plaza Promenade food court. Roti’s hours of operation are: Monday – Friday from 6:30am – 8pm and Saturday from 11am – 4pm. It’s closed on Sundays. Potbelly will be open Monday-Friday from 11am – 7pm and Saturday from 11am – 5pm. It’s also closed on Sundays. This is the third Potbelly to open in Southwest (the others are located at 3rd & D Street and at The Portals on the 1200 block of Maryland Avenue).

Above and to the right are photos of the line at Roti during lunch today - the line wrapped around the corner. Lines were long at Potbelly on its second day of operations, but a security guard wouldn’t allow me to take photos (I guess I look like a terrorist or a scout from Quiznos?). Other retailers and restaurants will open in the next few months, including Gateway Newstands (spring), Frozen Yogurt Indulgence (spring), Gourmet Too (spring), Au Bon Pain (summer), Mamma Ilardo's (summer), Five Guys (summer), and Moe’s Southwest Grill (summer).

Below is a YouTube video shot yesterday by Chase Communications of the grand opening.

L’Enfant Plaza is owned by the JBG Companies and the renovation was designed by SmithGroup. Phase I of renovations began in November 2009, which included the food court area near the Metro entrance. Phase II began on March 1 and will last approximately 30 months. The rest of the retail promenade will be redone during this phase with nationally-recognized retail and a large glass atrium will be built where the glass pyramid now is located. Below is a rendering of the glass atrium (a section of the retail corridor in Phase II is rendered above left).

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroup

Kastles Stadium at The Wharf

I wasn't able to make it this morning to the press conference announcing the Washington Kastles' move to the Southwest Waterfront (AKA The Wharf), but below is the press release and some images/renderings courtesy of the Kastles:

WASHINGTON – March 7, 2011 – Today, the Washington Kastles announced that they will play the 2011 and 2012 seasons in a new stadium that will be specially constructed for them in Southwest Washington, D.C. The new Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will be located at 800 Water Street, S.W. Fans at the new stadium will watch some of the world’s best known and most iconic players against a backdrop of the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial and the Potomac River. The Kastles, led by Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Sam Querrey, will inaugurate their new home during the 2011 World TeamTennis (WTT) season, which runs from July 4-24. “As a native Washingtonian, I am committed to investing in our community and, through the Kastles, hope to create lifelong memories for people throughout our region,” said team owner Mark Ein. “We are excited to bring the Kastles and lots of other entertaining events to our spectacular new home in Southwest Washington and are thrilled to be part of the rebirth of that part of town. We know our fans will be treated to great summer nights in one of the most unique venues anywhere.” “It has been impressive to see how the Kastles have brought the city together for the past three summers and I am thrilled to welcome them to their new home,” said D.C. Councilman Tommy Wells. “I would like to offer my thanks to Mark for bringing the Kastles to Southwest Washington and the wharf area. I can think of no better way to commemorate the new Kastles Stadium than with another title.” "We are on track to begin our outward process of creating a world class waterfront and we are thrilled that the Kastles will be part of our year-round programming plans for The Wharf, attracting lots of new people to this spectacular part of the city," said Monty Hoffman, CEO of PN Hoffman. "Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will be a great addition to the neighborhood and we look forward to working with Mark and the Kastles to bring world class tennis and community events to the site." Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, located on the site formerly occupied by Hogates Restaurant, will be easily accessible by Metro via the Waterfront-SEU and L’Enfant Plaza stations, both within three blocks of the stadium. In addition, the stadium will feature an underground parking lot and several surface lots adjacent to the site. The stadium will also host other programming throughout the year. Kastles Stadium at The Wharf will host John McEnroe and Anna Kournikova as they return to Washington during the 2011 season, as members of the New York Sportimes and the St. Louis Aces, respectively. The full 2011 Kastles roster will be determined during the March 15 WTT Roster Draft. A core principal of the Kastles franchise and its mission is to give back to those less fortunate in the Washington region and, since inception, the team has donated more than 6,000 match tickets, 3,000 tennis rackets and cash grants and other donations totaling more than $500,000 to local charities, youth groups and armed forces organizations. For the past three seasons, the Kastles and other visiting WTT players – including Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis and Anna Kournikova – have hosted more than 800 local children at tennis clinics. Tickets for all seven home matches go on sale to the general public on Friday, April 15 through the website or Ticketmaster. Season tickets are now available and can be purchased by contacting info@washingtonkastles.com or calling 202-4TENNIS (483-6647). For exclusive Kastles news, ticket information and player updates, follow the Kastles on Facebook and on Twitter.

When the Kastles stadium was located in a parking lot downtown, it would be dismantled at the end of each season. However, the stadium at The Wharf will remain standing throughout the year and will be used for other events, such as concerts, cook-offs, arts festivals, beach volleyball games, and possibly an ice skating rink in the winter. A member of Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells' staff tweeted during the press conference that the Kastles announced a partnership with Jefferson Middle School to help bring tennis to students. I imagine this would include refurbishing the tennis courts at Jefferson, which are currently in disrepair.

Constitution Center Signs Another Lease

The Washington Business Journal reports that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) will lease between 600,000 -650,000 SF of space at Constitution Center, the vacant 1.4 million SF office building located on top of the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station at 400 7th Street. By the fall of 2012, about 1,000 employees will be moving to Constitution Center, some from another location in Southwest at 250 E Street. Meanwhile, the WBJ also reported the inspector general of the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) is opening a formal investigation into the lease signed by the SEC last year for 900,000 SF in the same building, but then reported that 600,000 SF was excess space after it realized it didn't need as much space as originally planned. Also under investigation by the inspector general is the planned move of 740 SEC employees to Constitution Center this summer from other offices.

L'Enfant Promenade Food Court Nears Completion

Last week, the 9th & D Street entrance to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station reopened after closing for a couple weeks to allow construction crews to make upgrades to sections of La Promenade - the retail area of L'Enfant Plaza that has been under renovation since last November. After the first phase opens in the first quarter of 2011, a new food court will be in operation (March?) with confirmed tenants including Au Bon Pain (which was at the old Promenade), Potbelly Sandwich Works, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Mamma Ilardo's, Frozen Yogurt Indulgence, and Gourmet Too (also in the old promenade). Hours of operation have not been set for all the restaurants yet, but some of them most likely will remain open in the evenings and weekends. Contrary to popular belief, the promenade is not located underground. The retail area under renovation now has windows facing the courtyard next to HUD headquarters to bring in more natural light as well as a modern design. Once phase one is complete, phase two will begin, which includes the remainder of the promenade and the installation of a large glass atrium to replace the pyramid currently used as a skylight. The second phase won't open until fall/winter 2012. To me, the new promenade looks a bit like an airport terminal. The old design, though definitely looked dated. See below.

Phase One of L'Enfant Promenade Almost Complete

About a year ago, renovations began at L'Enfant Promenade, the retail area at L'Enfant Plaza. The first phase of renovations include a new food court near the Metro entrance. As a result of the renovation project, the 9th & D Street Metro entrance temporarily closed yesterday and will remain closed through December 8th. The closure will allow the installation of new windows facing the HUD building that will add more natural light to the promenade. Phase one will open January 2011 and then phase two will begin, which includes the remainder of the promenade and the installation of a large glass atrium to replace the pyramid currently used as a skylight. Nationally-recognized retail will open in the second phase - no restaurants have been announced yet for the first phase. The second phase won't open until fall/winter 2012.

Earlier this week, JBG released an updated rendering of a 650,000 SF office building planned for the plaza itself, which is much bolder than the earlier design for the building. The atrium will be located between the two sides of the office building. It is designed by SmithGroup and will aim for LEED-Platinum certification. The developer will look for a federal tenant for the space, since Southwest is considered to be the "Connecticut and K" for the GSA.

Update: There was an article in the Washington City Paper about whether I.M. Pei would get a say in how L'Enfant Plaza gets redeveloped, or if new buildings are proposed for the complex, since he designed most of the buildings. An example used in the article was a proposed campus tower at NYU among a complex of towers designed by Pei that was nixed by planners after Pei expressed his displeasure with the design.

Renderings courtesy of JBG

New Condo Project in the Works?

On the agenda for Monday's ANC 6D meeting is a new residential project called Marina Place. According to CondoAuthority.com, Marina Place is a planned condo building located in Buzzard Point at 95 V Street. Currently, the site is a vacant lot and is bounded by V Street, 1st Street, Half Street, and the Buzzard Point Marina. There will be a hearing with the Zoning Commission on Thursday, November 4th. The CondoAuthority.com website describes the project as:

A new condominium building with a modern design featuring angular glass walls. The site offers 345 feet of uninterrupted views of the Anacostia River and is located about 5 blocks southwest of Nationals Park. Developed by Buzzard Point LLC the project will contain 4,800 square feet of retail space. (Above is a view of the Buzzard Point Marina.)

During the condo boom in 2005, Walnut Street Development planned to purchase the same site from Duane R. Deason and build a 90-unit condo project, but those plans fell through and the condos were never built. Next door to Marina Place is the headquarters of the U.S. Coast Guard, who has a new headquarters building under construction at St. Elizabeths in Southeast. Across the street is the Buzzard Point Plant, which the American Planning Association's Planning Assistance Team (PAT) recommends becoming a future museum or gallery when it is decommissioned. Also in the vicinity is 100 V Street, a massive office complex planned by Akridge.

Other items on Monday's agenda include the temporary street closing of 6th Street for Saturday's Homecoming celebration at Arena Stage, the permanent closure of Water Street to make way for the redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront, and a request to add Banneker Memorial to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro name.

What Bloggers Are Saying About Southwest

- Urban Igloo interviewed the founders of UrbanTurf, a real estate blog in the Washington metro area. When asked which neighborhoods are considered to be DC's best kept secret, UrbanTurf responded:

For a more urban option, the “neglected” quadrant of Southwest is affordable (by DC standards) and very well located. It doesn’t have much in the way of bar and restaurant options, but it has two Metro stops, a shiny new Safeway, and the waterfront, Nationals Park, and the Mall are all within walking distance. It’s a great neighborhood for people who like the idea of having the hustle and bustle a short ride away, but enjoy coming home to a quiet neighborhood. Also, there are very big plans afoot for redeveloping Southwest, though they will take years to come to fruition.

- According to Greater Greater Washington, a Movie Solution DVD rental kiosk may come soon to L'Enfant Plaza Metro and an Old Town Trolley Tours ticket & information booth may arrive at the Smithsonian Metro. WMATA is looking for ways to earn additional revenue and has solicited bids to vendors to sell goods at Metro stations. If the WMATA board approves these proposals, the licenses will last eight years (will DVDs still exist in eight years?).

Constitution Center Under Consideration for Massive DHS Lease

In Monday's Capital Business section of The Washington Post, there's an article about the need for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to move into more than 1 million square feet of space, even though the agency is moving its headquarters to St. Elizabeths over in Congress Heights. This follows a story that DCMud did a couple months ago about the topic. From the WaPo article:

P. Brian Connolly, senior vice president at Akridge, said his firm had hoped to pitch a proposed 2.7 million-square-foot development it plans at 100 V St. SW, but the GSA ruled the property ineligible because it is slightly more than the required half-mile from a Metro entrance.

Connolly said that when he read the solicitation, he thought the specifications seemed to match those for Constitution Center, the renovated former headquarters for the Transportation Department in Southwest D.C.

"If it didn't say it, it hinted around all four corners of that," he said.

That building, owned by David Nassif Associates, has 1.4 million square feet to rent, is highly secure, energy efficient and only three Metro stops from the future DHS headquarters, at the site of the former St. Elizabeths Hospital.

Constitution Center, located at 400 7th Street and directly above the L'Enfant Plaza Metro, delivered in late 2009. There have been rumors that the owners of Constitution Center wanted the FBI to move their headquarters from Pennsylvania Avenue, NW to the secure complex, but no tenants have been announced. In the past month or so, additional finishing touches have been done around the buildng, including several park benches. Here is a look at a hard hat tour I took of the building last summer.

Fences Come Down!

As of yesterday, pedestrians can now freely walk up and down 4th Street and access the Waterfront-SEU Metro station from north of I Street. Direct pedestrian access to the Metro from the north has been blocked since November 2007, when the Waterside Mall was demolished to make way for Waterfront Station. As I was driving west on M Street this morning, I noticed the traffic light at the corner of 4th & M Street has a green arrow pointing to the right, which gave me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. It’s the little things that make my day better like having a more direct route home by car or by foot. As a matter of fact, I will start using the Waterfront-SEU Metro more often now if I'm travelling to a Green Line destination instead of walking to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro. The actual street surface on 4th is still not complete, so only DC government employees and guests are currently allowed to drive on the street. However, 4th Street is scheduled to open to all vehicular traffic by the end of the month.

Update: Reader Andrew says that park benches are being installed today near the intersection of 4th & I Street.

Renovations Underway at L'Enfant Plaza's Retail Promenade

In early November, the JBG Companies, owner of the retail promenade at L’Enfant Plaza, began a $40 million renovation and expansion effort designed by SmithGroup, a national architecture firm. Billed as the only major retail shopping center in Southwest Washington, the retail promenade’s modernization is well overdue. Recently, I took a stroll along the retail promenade and with the gold-looking metal frame around the storefronts, Broadway-style marquee lighting, and 80’s music pumping through the sound system, I felt like I went through a time warp. Above is a photo of a typical storefront at the promenade, which looks very dated.

The retail promenade is located below grade at the center of L’Enfant Plaza, a 1960s-era mixed-use complex that was designed in the Brutalist architectural style, with some of the buildings designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei. It connects to three existing office buildings and the L’Enfant Plaza Hotel. A glass pyramid was built more recently in the center plaza and provides the only source of natural light to the shopping center below. Current tenants include Dress Barn, CVS, Radio Shack, PNC Bank, and Au Bon Pain, along with fast food restaurants, a florist, and other convenience retailers. Some retailers on the eastern side of the promenade were relocated to the west side so improvements could begin first on the side closest to the Metro entrance. Above is a view of the north office building from the glass pyramid inside the retail promenade.

Once phase one is completed in the first quarter of 2011, a food court will be located near the Metro entrance with windows facing the neighboring HUD building, along with outdoor seating for restaurant patrons. At full built-out, the retail center will be 205,000 square feet and will complement the modernist architecture of L’Enfant Plaza with a clean, slick design. A large sculptural glass entryway will replace the pyramid to bring some natural light and visual interest into the underground shopping center. Other restaurants will be located under the glass entryway and storefronts will be scattered throughout the retail promenade. Above is a rendering of the glass entryway, courtesy of JBG. The renovation of the retail promenade is part of the overall revamping of L’Enfant Plaza, which will include the renovation of the north and south tower office buildings, as well as the 370-key L’Enfant Plaza Hotel. The west tower office building, home to the United States Postal Service, is not owned by JBG, and is not part of the renovation schedule. Two new office buildings will be constructed in the center plaza area, an extended-stay hotel will be located in the northeast parcel, and apartments will be built on the southeast parcel. Below are a couple more renderings.

(Left) Here is a rendering of the sculptural glass entryway.





(Right) This is a rendering of the food court, which is a part of phase one of construction.

Apart from the L’Enfant Plaza complex, but along 10th Street, the Washington Interdependence Council plans to build a memorial to Benjamin Banneker, an astronomer and mathematician who helped Pierre L’Enfant plan the city of Washington. Included with the memorial will be the Banneker Institute of Math & Science and a Founding Fathers Walk. In addition, the Monumental Core Framework Plan, released earlier this year by the National Capital Planning Commission and the US Commission of Fine Arts, calls for the redevelopment of the 10th Street corridor as a gateway between the National Mall and the Southwest Waterfront. Construction timetables have not been set for the renovations and new buildings along 10th Street, but once everything is complete, L’Enfant Plaza and its environs will be unrecognizable.