Mixed-Use Development Planned for 7-Eleven Site

I’m coming out of hiatus to report on plans that emerged for the northwest corner of South Capitol and M streets, considered to be the gateway to Southwest. JBG Smith applied with the Zoning Commission to develop a two-phase project on the site called 5 M Street, with a mix of uses including residential, ground floor retail, and potentially office. The site includes most of the block bounded by Half, L, South Capitol and M streets and will replace the 7-Eleven and parking lot currently on the site. New York-based Ruben Companies controls the northeast corner of the block (where the KFC/Taco Bell used to be) which is not part of the proposed project – an office building was planned for the 1101 South Capitol parcel, but the project website is no longer active. 

While the east side of South Capitol Street between the freeway and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge has filled up with multifamily buildings (and Nationals Park) in recent years, not much activity has occurred on the west side of the street. Camden South Capitol and the Capitol Skyline Hotel are the only large-scale buildings currently on the west side of the street, but more development is planned for the empty lots along the corridor. In addition to 5 M Street and 1101 South Capitol, a two-building development is planned to the north between K and L streets by Ruben Companies and the site north of Camden South Capitol was purchased recently by JAG to develop as a multifamily project. 

Current plans for 5 M Street include an L-shaped multifamily building along Half and L streets with 371 units and an office building along M and South Capitol streets with approximately 226,000 SF of space and over 25,000 SF of ground floor retail. The project is planned in phases – the office building with ground floor retail will be constructed first and the multifamily building after. The developer is asking for flexibility to change the proposed office building to multifamily depending on market conditions, which would increase the total number of units between the two phases to 688 units along with a slight reduction in the amount of ground floor retail. 

According to the zoning application, the Gensler-designed project includes a “modernist concrete and glass palette for the towers” to tie in with buildings in the Southwest and Navy Yard neighborhoods, as well as industrial elements due to its proximity to Buzzard Point. The entrance to the office (or multifamily) building will be on M Street while the other multifamily building will have its main entrance on L Street along with street access to units along Half and L streets. The multifamily units at 5 M Street will be all market-rate since current zoning does not require the addition of inclusionary zoning units, but the additional density requested for penthouse-level residential and commercial uses will require a donation to the city’s Housing Production Trust Fund. 

The ANC will review the project over the coming months, but at an initial meeting with the developers, the commissioners indicated they were not pleased with the concept design, as they felt it was in direct contrast to the surrounding neighborhood, particularly the former 2-3-story sanitary housing south of M Street on Carrollsburg Place and Half Street. Below are some renderings of the proposed development. What are your thoughts on the plan and design? 

S. Capitol & M (office option)

S. Capitol & M (multifamily option)

M and Half (office option)

M and Half (multifamily option)

South Capitol (office option)

South Capitol (multifamily option)

Renderings courtesy of Gensler

St. Matthews 2019 Christmas Tree Giveaway and Holiday Party

St. Matthews Lutheran Church will be having its annual Christmas tree giveaway tomorrow from 10AM - 1pm at 222 M Street in the courtyard.  There will be live Christmas music, gingerbread house-making, and free refreshments from Sacred Grounds Cafe. Trees are still available - to reserve a tree, call 202.800.4600 or 410.375.5053.

St. Matthew's 2018 Christmas Tree Giveaway

This year's Christmas tree giveaway at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church will be held this Saturday in the courtyard of the new church building, located at 222 M Street at 1pm.  Access to the courtyard is through a wood gate along Delaware Avenue, south of M Street.  If you'd like to reserve a tree, send an email to office@stmatthewsdc.org or call 202.484.3189. Trees are free to those who cannot afford them, but for those who are able, a donation to St. Matthew's to support the soon-to-form Southwest Youth and Children's Choir is appreciated.

During the giveaway, an Open House will be held with refreshments and tours of the new building from 1pm - 3pm.  The dedication ceremony and first service at the new St. Matthew's will be held on January 20, 2019 at 2pm and is open to the public.  Meanwhile, residents started moving into the neighboring Valo apartments last month.

Potential Greenleaf "Build-First" Site to Receive Budget Funding

Back in February, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen attended the monthly ANC 6D meeting and one of the topics brought up was the redevelopment of Greenleaf. Allen stated his preferred “build-first” site to be the DCFEMS Apparatus Division station at Half and M streets. Under a "build-first" model, the first phase of construction would be at a site outside of the Greenleaf footprint and residents would move into this new building before demolishing any portion of the existing Greenleaf buildings so no one is displaced during the redevelopment. During the planning phase of Greenleaf’s eventual redevelopment, a study by HR&A Advisors stated that DC-owned sites near Greenleaf would be easiest to use as “build-first” sites, with the DCFEMS repair shop and MPD First District parking lot at Delaware Avenue and M Street identified as the best sites to use for this purpose. 

To move the process along, Allen, as chair of the D.C. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary & Public Safety, allocated $1 million in the District’s FY 2019 budget to start the schematic design and design development phases to build a replacement DCFEMS Apparatus Division facility (also in the DCFEMS budget for Southwest is a new Harbor Patrol facility at the Wharf, with funding allocated in FY 2023 and FY 2024). While this funding will start the process for designing the new maintenance facility, a site has not been identified yet. The Council committee recommends that DCFEMS "move swiftly to identify a site for the new Fleet Maintenance Facility." Under Mayor Bowser’s FY 2019 budget proposal, $47 million in funding for the replacement facility was pushed back to FY 2024, which was previously allocated in FY 2022 and FY 2023. The delay puts in jeopardy the use of the Half and M streets site as a “build-first” site for Greenleaf. 

A RFQ for the Greenleaf redevelopment was issued in December 2017 and a RFP was supposed to be released in March, with a selection to be made this month, but the RFP has been delayed. The ANC sent a letter to DCHA earlier this year requesting a meeting with Greenleaf residents should be held prior to the issuance of the RFP to keep the community in the loop regarding the agency’s process to redevelop the public housing complex.

Upcoming Events

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

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

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

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

More Apartments and Community Center Planned at Waterfront Station

(This post is a portion of an article that appears in the May 2018 Hill Rag)

Waterfront Station and before it the Waterside Mall has served as the Town Center for the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood for decades. It contains the neighborhood’s only grocery store, as well as a pharmacy, restaurants, and professional services, including a dentist office. Two office buildings fully occupied by District government agencies and three rental apartment buildings are currently in place and a future phase with more rental apartments, retail, daycare center, and a black box theater is planned on the northeast parcel. Two other parcels have yet to be developed, which flank 4th Street and are located adjacent to the Waterfront Metro station entrance. 

The original stage one Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval for these two sites at 4th and M streets was for office, but developer Forest City has requested a change to residential. Its reason for the change in use is due to unfavorable conditions in the office market. The state of the office market has changed significantly since the Waterfront Station development was originally conceived in the aughts. Previously, the development was intended to be primarily office, with less retail and minimal residential. Prior to the Great Recession, Fannie Mae was going to move its headquarters to Waterfront Station, but they pulled out in the wake of financial troubles at the quasi-government agency. Over time, the plan for Waterfront Station has evolved in favor of more residential and retail and less office. 

Rendering of planned 375 M Street building

In its current proposal, Forest City plans to develop a 285-unit rental apartment building on the east parcel (375 M Street) with 18,830 square feet of ground floor retail along M Street and the Metro plaza, 32,400 square feet of commercial space intended for professional services tenants on the second floor, and a 6,000 square-foot community center on the first and second floors. This would be the third community center located in Southwest, joining the Randall Recreation Center and King-Greenleaf Recreation Center, but it would be the only one without adjacent recreation fields. The community center was proffered by the developer to win approval from ANC 6D, which was originally lukewarm to the idea of changing uses at the two remaining parcels at Waterfront Station from office to residential. As a part of the PUD, the developer has offered the community center rent-free for a period of 30 years and will contribute up to $565,000 for interior design and fit-out, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and initial start-up costs. 

Rendering of planned 425 M Street building

On the west parcel (425 M Street), the plan is to develop a 310-unit rental apartment building with 21,203 square feet of ground floor retail along 4th and M streets. The main residential entrance will be located at the northeast corner of the building. In both buildings, 8% of the floor area will be reserved for residents earning up to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and of that total, five units will be 3BR apartments. Under this proposal, the east parcel will be developed first, allowing for the west parcel to remain open space until the completion of the 325 M Street building. Part of the west parcel will house a trailer that will be the interim Southwest Branch library while a new library is built in its current location at 900 Wesley Place. 

For its part, the ANC has offered conditional support for the PUD. Portions of the PUD that the ANC supports include the community center, as well as the redesign of the project which provides less density and more setbacks than the original office design, a retail strategy, and traffic plan. However, one of the concerns brought by Commissioner Roger Moffatt, whose single-member district includes the 375 M Street site, was the ability for mom and pop retailers to occupy smaller spaces at the proposed development. It has proven to be difficult to get smaller retailers into the previous phases of the development since the buildings would not allow a tenant who needed less than 1,200 square feet to occupy space. While the U.S. Postal Service is not a “mom and pop” retailer, it was used as an example of a tenant that was unable to relocate to Waterfront Station because its need for a 900 square-foot space could not be accommodated. Other outstanding issues brought by ANC Vice Chair Andy Litsky include the selection of the community center operator and clarification on the “free rent” provision to include HVAC and electricity; improvements to public space at the Metro plaza; a traffic plan for the 4th and M streets intersection; placement of the Metrobus and Circulator bus stop along M Street; and other logistical concerns. 

The Zoning Commission will continue the hearing on May 10th and a final decision on the proposed development is expected in the coming months.

Renderings courtesy of Forest City

Buzzard Point Nominated as Opportunity Zone

Last week, the District government nominated 25 Census tracts to be Opportunity Zones and one of those was Census tract 6400, covering a portion of Southwest including all of Buzzard Point. Census tract 6400 is bordered by Delaware Avenue and Fort McNair to the west, South Capitol Street to the east, M Street to the north, and the Anacostia River to the south. The nomination was the result of tax cut legislation passed last year by Congress, which created a federal program to facilitate investment and job creation in low-income urban and rural areas. In the District, a majority of the nominated Census tracts are located in Wards 7 and 8 – the only nomination in Ward 6 is the Buzzard Point area. According to a press release by DMPED: 

The tracts were selected with a focus on bringing new investment to communities most in need of jobs, commercial activity and amenities by leveraging actionable investment opportunities. As certain benefits end in 2026, census tracts with projects ready for investment were given greater consideration as the sooner funds can be deployed, the greater the value. 

Census tract 6400 falls into this category – billions of dollars’ worth of development is planned, but the area is currently lacking in jobs and opportunities for residents. According to Census data, the unemployment rate is over 15% and 2016 median household income is $23,485. This compares to the 20024 ZIP code median household income of $75,703.  While Audi Field is seen as a driver of recent activity in Buzzard Point, the Opportunity Zone designation could potentially put development in this area of Southwest into overdrive.  Whether this new designation ultimately helps current residents get jobs and climb out of poverty remains to be seen...

I Street Church to be Redeveloped

Bethel Church DC360 at 60 I Street is slated for redevelopment. Cornerstone Development has plans to develop a 186,000 SF residential building on the church property. The site is located across the street from the Randall School site, which will be redeveloped by Lowe Enterprises and Telesis/Rubell into a modern art museum and residential project. 

Waterfront Academy is located on the second floor of Bethel, so as a result of the church redevelopment and the school’s growth, it is searching for a new home and has embarked on a $13 million fundraising campaign. Waterfront Academy is a dual immersion (Spanish and English) Montessori school with emphasis on charity and stewardship in the Catholic tradition. The school wants to stay in the SWDC area, where it’s been since opening in 2014. Before opening at Bethel, Waterfront Academy planned to locate on the 1200 block of South Capitol Street. 

According to a fundraising email sent by the school, the new space will allow Waterfront Academy to serve at least 135 students each year. The school will be modeled after the traditional Spanish colony and will feature a Chapel, Library, Teacher’s Lounge, Administrative Office Suite, Infirmary, Gymnasium, Kitchen, one Nido (Infant) Classroom, two Toddler Classrooms, three Casa (Preschool) Classrooms, two Lower Elementary Classrooms, two Upper Elementary Classrooms, one Middle School Classroom, and an outdoor plaza featuring an Urban Farm, Outdoor Classrooms, and Natural Play Space. 

Bethel Church DC360 is the latest house of worship to face redevelopment in Southwest. St. Augustine’s at 6th and Maine moved into its new space in 2016, adjacent to 525 Water condos that was developed by PN Hoffman. A few blocks east on M Street, St. Matthews’ long journey to a new home is months away from completion as construction continues on its new sanctuary and adjacent Valo apartment building by Trammell Crow. Riverside Baptist Church at 7th Street and Maine Avenue partnered with PN Hoffman to redevelop their site with space for a new sanctuary along Maine Avenue and an apartment building at the corner of 7th and I streets named The Banks. Over at Westminster Church, the congregation is finalizing an agreement with a developer to build a new sanctuary on the 600 block of I Street along with mixed income housing. One house of worship in the neighborhood that didn’t get redeveloped into housing is the Living Hope Church at 1200 1st Street. The building has been converted into Kadampa Meditation Center Washington DC Temple for World Peace and received a new paint job and signage in recent months. Although the old Friendship Baptist Church at Delaware Avenue and H Street was originally planned to be redeveloped as a condominium project, the developer changed course and leased the space to Blind Whino SW Arts Club. Land adjacent to the church building was slated to become a temporary housing facility for homeless families, but those plans were scuttled and the shelter will instead be built on the Unity Clinic site at Delaware Avenue and I Street.

Greenleaf Redevelopment RFQ Released

After years of planning and delays, DCHA released a Request for Qualifications back in December for a co-developer to redevelop Greenleaf, the 15-acre public housing project that straddles M Street. Greenleaf was built in 1959 and currently contains 493 public housing units spread over 23 buildings.  

According to the RFQ, the development objectives include the following: 

• The redevelopment will replace all 493 existing units at the same level of affordability. 
• The redevelopment will minimize the movement of residents – to the greatest extent possible, residents will move directly from their old unit to their new unit. 
• There will be zero displacement of current Greenleaf residents. 
• There will be a mix of market-rate, affordable, and possibly workforce housing. 
• Public safely will be improved with increased activity on streets and public spaces. 
• The redevelopment will integrate into the surrounding community. 
• The redevelopment will support the development of human capital, assisting with such things as job opportunities and supportive services programs. 

The phased redevelopment concept for Greenleaf by HR&A Advisors has been designed with a mix of high-rise and townhomes. The high-rise buildings would be concentrated along M Street and Delaware Avenue with the townhomes further away from those two streets. Some retail is anticipated as well along M Street. A unique feature of the redevelopment will the the use of the "build first" model, which would allow the project to proceed without displacing Greenleaf residents. The first phase of development would use a site near the Greenleaf footprint to build a mixed-income building. Once residents move into that first building, it will free up land within Greenleaf to start demolition and development. DC-owned sites that were identified as having the best potential to do build first include the MPD First District parking lot along Delaware Avenue and the DC FEMS Repair Shop at the NW corner of M and Half streets. While the HR&A report suggested a build first site be selected prior to releasing the RFQ, a site has not been chosen yet. 

It will take several years to redevelop the site and will probably be done in at least six phases. The deadline to submit proposals for the RFQ is February 1. Then in early March, a RFP will be released to a short list of developers who responded to the RFQ. The winning co-developer partner is expected to be selected by June and a contract will be negotiated with DCHA.

Renderings courtesy of HR&A Advisors  

Christmas Tree Giveaway Returns

Need a Christmas tree? St. Matthew’s will be doing its annual Christmas tree giveaway again this year. It will be held on Saturday, December 9, starting at 10am. A total of 130 Christmas trees will be given away and only people who have made a reservation will be able to pick up a tree during this time. On the day of the event, reservations can be made for any leftover trees starting at 10am for pick-up at noon. Reservations can be obtained by either calling (202-484-3189) or emailing (office@stmatthewsdc.org). Although the trees will be given away at no cost, there will be the opportunity, for those who wish, to give a tax-deductible contribution to Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR). LDR is responding to the aftermath of this year’s hurricanes in Houston, Florida, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and wildfires in California. 

The mixed-use church and apartment development had its “topping off” last month and is scheduled to be completed in 2018. It is the hope of Pastor Huber that the tree event can be held next year in the church’s courtyard, but this year’s giveaway will be done in front of the new apartment building along M Street next to the construction elevator. 

Renderings courtesy of St. Matthew’s

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.

Designs for Final Phase of District Wharf Filed with City

As expected, Hoffman Madison Waterfront submitted a stage two Planned Unit Development (PUD) application in May for the third phase of development at District Wharf and details are now available. Back in March, representatives from the development team indicated that they would be submitting an application for Parcels 6 – 10, as well as three water buildings, parks and piers. One major change from what was approved during the stage one PUD process for the entire project is the addition of hotel use to Parcel 8. Originally, only residential and office uses were approved for the parcel, either with ground floor retail. Below is a description of each of the parcels and public spaces in the final phase of development. 

Parcel 6 & 7 

These parcels are located to the east of 7th Street Park and will contain an approximately 539,000 SF office building, including about 34,000 SF of ground floor retail. The building was designed by SHoP Architects and will rise 10 stories to a height of 130 feet. As designed, the building will be contemporary in style with two glass towers connected by a “belt-level” on the second floor. The second level will contain office space as well as a large oval opening called the Oculus. On the ground level, there will be a north-south pedestrian connection between Maine Avenue and Wharf Street. In addition, an east-west service corridor will provide loading access for the building and allow for ground floor retail on all four sides of each office tower and along the service and pedestrian corridors. Two winter gardens will be incorporated into the design – one on the northwest corner facing 7th Street Park and the other on the south side facing Wharf Street. 

Parcel 8

ODA has designed the Parcel 8 building, which will include about 26,000 SF of ground floor retail, 79,000 SF dedicated for a 116-key hotel, and 266,000 SF for a residential building with 235 units (115 will be market-rate units). The remaining 120 units will be reserved at different levels of affordability, including 30% of Area Median Income (AMI), 60% of AMI, and workforce housing. Parcel 8 is designed in a U shape with the open portion of the building facing the Washington Channel. On the north and east “bars” of the building, residential uses will be built, while the hotel will occupy the west “bar.” The east “bar” will be set back at each floor to provide terraces for residents while the west “bar” will do the opposite so each successive floor will cantilever over the lower floor. A covered alley will run in the middle of the building on the first floor, allowing pedestrian and vehicular access, as well as providing for retail entrances on four sides of the building. The design of the building will allow for a large landscaped courtyard facing Wharf Street and the Washington Channel, containing a pool and other amenities for the residential building. The hotel and residential lobbies will be accessed from Wharf Street and will be located on the ground level. 

Parcel 9 

Designed by Rafael Vinoly Architects, Parcel 9 will contain an 82-unit condominium building with about 16,000 SF of ground floor retail. All of the units in the condo building will be market-rate. Its positioning gives the building great visibility for travelers coming west on M Street and due to its proposed height of 130 feet, it will be the tallest building on the east side of District Wharf so boat passengers will see it as they travel north on the Washington Channel. The building is also next to M Street Landing, one of the larger planned open spaces in the Southwest Waterfront redevelopment. There is a curve to the building, which complements the design of Arena Stage located just to the north. 

Parcel 10

Parcel 10 steps down in height from the other parcels in this phase to 60 feet. Designed by Morris Adjmi Architects, the building is planned as an office building with about 60,100 SF of space and 16,200 SF of ground floor retail. Seat steps will be built onto the podium of the building to allow for views down Wharf Street. 

Water Buildings

In addition to the five parcels, there are three water buildings planned for a variety of uses. Water Building 1 will be located adjacent to Parcels 6/7 with a maximum height of 34 feet containing 11,900 SF of space dedicated to retail and maritime uses. 

Water Building 2 will be located on the Wharf promenade next to Parcel 9. It too will be two stories tall with a maximum height of 34 feet. Retail/service uses will be located on both floors of the building, but terraces will be incorporated on the second floor to afford views of the Washington Channel and District Wharf. 

Meanwhile, Water Building 3 is located to the east of Parcel 10. This building will be slightly taller than the others at 38 feet and will contain about 5,000 SF for use by the live-aboards at Gangplank Marina. 

Interspersed throughout the promenade in the final phase of development are kiosks. From the PUD application: 

These outdoor kiosk structures are intended to serve as incubator spaces for small local businesses to try out their retail concepts on a low-risk basis. If successful, the kiosk operators will have an opportunity to move indoors, into one of the spaces reserved throughout of the redevelopment project for unique and local business enterprises. 

New marina docks will be constructed for the live-aboards at the Gangplank Marina. Other open spaces planned include M Street Landing, The Grove, The Terrace, and The Mews. If approved by the Zoning Commission, construction on the last phase of development at District Wharf could start in 2018. Meanwhile, the first phase of development is scheduled to open starting in October and the smaller second phase (including improvements to the Municipal Fish Market and Parcel 1 will be completed by next spring.

Two Waterfront Station Parcels Switching to Residential

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

425 M Street

375 M Street

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

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

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

Retail next to Metro plaza

Retail along M Street

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

Looking south on 4th Street

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

Renderings courtesy of Perkins Eastman

Historic Designation Sought for Rowhomes

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

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

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

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