Demolition Begins at 1900 Half

Fencing is up and interior demolition is now underway at 1900 Half Street, an office building that once housed DHS. Once complete in 2020, 1900 Half will be transformed by Douglas Development into a 453-unit rental apartment building with 16,542 SF of ground floor retail. The Anacostia Riverwalk will be extended through the project to the east. This marks the second office-to-residential conversion underway in the burgeoning Buzzard Point neighborhood – River Point began its transformation earlier in the summer. Meanwhile, work continues at Peninsula 88 condos next to Riverpoint. By the end of 2018, construction should be underway at the planned affordable housing project at 1st and Q streets.  

Rendering courtesy of Antunovich Associates

Plan Submitted for Cambria Hotel & Suites

An application has been submitted for the planned Cambria Hotels & Suites at the corner of Half and Q streets in Buzzard Point. Currently, the property contains eight rowhouses and a two-unit building. Cambria is a limited-service, upscale brand and the Buzzard Point property would be the second to open in the District after the one located on 9th and O streets NW in Shaw. The proposed nine-story hotel will have the welcome lobby, meeting space, and a restaurant on the ground floor with outdoor seating; 154 rooms will be located on floors two through eight; and a fitness center, meeting space, and a rooftop terrace will be placed on the top floor. The main entrance to the hotel will be on Q Street. Parking will be limited to eight surface spaces on the northern end of the property, which faces an alley. There will be limited parking due to the narrowness of the site. Loading will also be done on the northern end of the property. 

In a couple of years, the north size of Q Street will look a lot different. The Cambria project is on the same block as the first phase of an affordable housing project – raze permits have been approved for the existing building at the corner of 1st and Q streets. The Washington Business Journal reported last month that Donohoe Cos. Inc. was brought in as a partner with Michigan-based Kouza Cos. on the hotel development. Construction is now expected to begin on the hotel in the second half of 2019, with completion in 2021.

Renderings courtesy of BBGM

Cambria Hotel & Suites Reportedly to be Built in Buzzard Point

A Cambria Hotel & Suites will be built in Buzzard Point on Half Street, less than two blocks from Audi Field according to an article in the Washington Business Journal. The WBJ story states the site is on the northwest corner of the intersection of Half and Q streets, which currently contains nine rowhomes that will be razed for a nine-story, 154-room hotel by Kouza Cos, partnering with Choice Hotels International. Planned amenities include a rooftop bar, gastropub, a 2,500 SF multi-function space, and a fitness center. With a planned opening in 2020, construction will likely begin sometime later this year. 

This would be the second Cambria built in the District and the first hotel in the Buzzard Point neighborhood. A hostel/hotel concept was planned by Carr Hospitality a block away at a taxi repair shop site on the 100 block of Q Street in 2010, long before a soccer stadium was contemplated for the neighborhood, but that project has been stalled. In addition, a hotel could potentially be built on a site controlled by D.C. United, adjacent to Audi Field. 

The planned hotel is across the street from the USA Motors site at 45 Q Street that was put on the market last year by the Zupancic Group and Ian Ruel & Josh Feldman of the Feldman Group, the same group who helped broker the sale of the Cambria site. Since then, 45 Q Street was removed from the market. The Cambria site is also on the same block as a planned affordable housing project to be built at the Shulman Liquors site at the corner of 1st and Q streets. Currently, Q Street ends prior to South Capitol Street, but with the new Frederick Douglass Bridge project, a new traffic oval will be created with a connection to Q Street.

PUD for Buzzard Point Affordable Housing Apartments

A PUD for a mixed-use residential project was filed earlier this summer on a parcel at 1st and Q streets, one block north of Audi Field in Buzzard Point. Currently, the site contains a one-story retail building and a parking lot. A total of 76 rental units are planned, with a mix of 1BR, 2BR, and 4BR units. The residential entrance will be located along Q Street. About 3,800 square feet on the ground floor will be set aside for retail with entrances along 1st Street. A Capital Bikeshare station will also be placed on 1st Street. What makes this different than the other residential buildings that have been built in Southwest over the past several years is that the entire building will be set aside as affordable housing. 

Of the 76 units planned at the development, 16 will be reserved for residents earning up to 30% of AMI and the remaining 60 units will be set aside for residents earning up to 50% of AMI. There will be limited space for amenities – about 940 square feet of residential amenity space will be available, as well as a landscaped courtyard on the ground floor. However, residents in the building will have access to on-site wrap-around services provided by the United Planning Organizations, such as case management. Off-site services to be provided include mental health, addiction treatment, childcare, job readiness programs, job training, and adult education.

Renderings courtesy of PGN Architects

New South Capitol Street Bridge Design

A new design for the replacement Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge which brings South Capitol Street across the Anacostia River was revealed yesterday at a press event with Mayor Bowser, DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, and other dignitaries. The new design is a departure from the previous version that looked more traditional and swung open to allow large boats to traverse the Anacostia. Since the display ship U.S.S. Barry that was docked at the Navy Yard was dismantled and moved, there was no longer a need to have a swing span bridge so the design was updated. According to a press release, the new bridge design includes three above-deck arches that capture the District’s arch history, two piers that will appear to float in the river, and four pedestrian overlooks. The new bridge will carry six lanes of vehicular traffic (three on each side), as well as bike and pedestrian lanes on each side of the bridge. In addition to the new bridge, traffic ovals will be built on both sides of the bridge – the oval on the west side of the river will connect South Capitol Street with Potomac Avenue and Q Street.  

Current bridge

New bridge

The bridge project is part of the South Capitol Street Corridor Project, a two-phase project that will eventually include additional improvements to South Capitol Street and adjacent streets on both sides of the river. On the west side of the river, improvements in phase II will reach all the way to the intersection with the Southwest freeway. Construction on the first phase will begin in late 2017 and will run through 2021. More images and an animated video showing the bridge project can be found on the project website.

A Couple Quick Items: Sale! Sold!

Less than a week after groundbreaking at Audi Field, a development site in Buzzard Point hit the market. Currently home to USA Motors auto shop, the 15,620 SF parcel at 45 Q Street is up for sale, which can yield up to 128,000 SF of new development. The site is located between Nationals Park and Audi Field and has frontage on both Half and Q streets. The block also includes a U-Haul Moving and Storage facility, an auto repair shop and a warehouse – the latter will be demolished to make way for the new traffic oval at the base of the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. To the south of the parcel for sale, a triangular site will become green space as part of the Douglass Bridge project. 

Meanwhile, an empty office building on D Street was sold according to the Washington Business Journal. Above is a photo from April 2015 when it was still under construction. An Atlanta-based firm called Goddard Investment Group purchased the 348,000 SF building at 500 D Street (also known as National Square) for $93 million. The building was constructed in 2015 by Trammell Crow Company and is still awaiting its first tenant.

Condo Developer Purchases Buzzard Point Sites

A new condominium project may be developed one block north of the new D.C. United stadium. Two sales closed back in early October at the corner of 1st and Q streets in Buzzard Point, which may foretell a redevelopment of these sites into a condominium building. The larger of these sites is 1546 – 1550 1st Street, a commercial building currently occupied by Lucky Kabob and Shulman Liquor. According to DC land sale records, the lot size is 6,138 SF and the sale price is $2.8 million. Just to the north of Lucky Kabob is 1542 1st Street, which was approved by the Zoning Commission earlier this year to be developed into Stadium Lofts (rendered above), an eight-unit rental apartment building by TMASSHLDG LLC. This lot is 3,000 SF and the sale price is $1,830,000. (The High Road Primary & Middle School building next to 1542 1st Street is also for sale, but I have not found a land sale record for that site.) 

The buyer of both of these lots is an affiliate of DBT Development Group, a Capitol Hill-based company that specializes in condominium development. Their most recent project was the Maryland Condominiums near the H Street NE corridor. They recently purchased a site not too far away on L Street SE in Near SE/Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard and plans to build condominiums there in 2017. 

The 1st and Q streets site would be the second condominium building planned for Buzzard Point. Capital City Real Estate is planning to build Peninsula 88 next to the shuttered Buzzard Point Marina at 1st and V streets and ANC 6D is scheduled to vote on proposed changes to the PUD for this site at this evening's January's monthly meeting.

Stadium Lofts rendering courtesy of TMASSHLDG LLC

Buzzard Point Construction Activity

A stroll down 2nd Street in Buzzard Point reveals a much changed landscape. In two years, there will be a new Pepco Waterfront substation and a D.C. United soccer stadium, but for now, the area is a large construction zone. Hardly any buildings exist from Q Street to T Street, save for the historic Dent house at the corner of 2nd and R streets, which is owned by Pepco and will be preserved while they build their new substation. The Pepco substation construction is further along – digging has reached 15 feet below grade and excavation is complete with the foundation being poured (see above photo). Construction should be complete by June 2017. 

Looking NE toward Nationals Park from S Street

Meanwhile, demolition of existing structures at the D.C. United stadium site is complete and utility work is about to begin. The District is responsible for horizontal development, so the District’s portion of the process will be complete this fall.  A demolition ceremony was held in April when Mayor Bowser helped take down a metal-clad building at 2nd and S streets. Once utility work is complete and D.C. United finishes the PUD process for the design of the stadium, the team will be responsible for building the stadium, along with implementing the environmental remediation plan the District devised. The latest estimate of when construction could begin is the end of 2016 with the stadium opening in 2018. 

Both projects are happening simultaneously, so the two are coordinating a traffic control plan with phased street closures as delivery trucks haul away dirt and bring in concrete. There will be an enforced work zone around Buzzard Point with a 15 MPH speed limit in the area; cameras will be set up by MPD; and no construction trucks will be allowed in the residential neighborhood north of Q Street. The traffic consultant from Dewberry presented phase one of the Traffic Control Plan at Monday’s ANC meeting, which involves street closures at Potomac Avenue, Half Street, and R Street.

Buzzard Point Will be Buzzing with Construction Activity in 2016

2016 will be a big year for Buzzard Point as a multitude of projects both large and small are expected to get underway on the peninsula. The most high-profile project is construction of a new soccer stadium for DC United, which is scheduled to start by September. Raze permits were filed last month for the parcels the city purchased in the stadium footprint, including Super Salvage which is now closed. Meanwhile, eminent domain proceedings are underway for a two-acre parcel in the stadium footprint previously owned by Akridge. The city still needs to remediate the stadium site before construction can begin, which is filled with containments due to the area’s former heavy industrial use. The 20,000 seat stadium will be located at 2nd and R streets and is scheduled to open in time for the beginning of the 2018 MLS season. 

Pepco has already cleared land across R Street from the stadium site to build a new substation in order to handle all of the new development occurring in Southwest and Navy Yard/Near SE/Capitol Riverfront. The new Waterfront substation has been designed to blend in with the area and will replace the unsightly exposed substation that currently exists a couple blocks to the southeast. On the southeastern side of the new substation where R Street, 1st Street and Potomac Avenue intersect, the area will complement the public plaza planned as a part of the new DC United stadium. Aside from the substation, transmission lines will be installed along several nearby streets. The new Waterfront substation will be open by June 2017. 

Five years after Marina Place was approved and more than a decade after it was first proposed, the condo and retail project may finally move forward this year. Capital City Real Estate purchased the lot fronting the recently shuttered Buzzard Point Marina at 1st and V streets from Duane Deason in December for $9.8 million, according to the Washington Business Journal. The new owners are planning a 90-107-unit condominium project, which will have sweeping views of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers due to its location near the tip of Buzzard Point. Construction is expected to wrap up by early 2018. 

A raze permit was filed last month for 69 Q Street, a row house dating to the late 1800’s recently purchased for $599,000 according to Zillow. No details yet on what will replace it, but it is a block east of where a new hotel and hostel by Carr Hospitality is supposed to be built. 

Construction of a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and traffic oval by DDOT is also expected to begin by the end of 2016 or early 2017. The two-phase project involves building a new, six-lane bridge across the Anacostia River with pedestrian and bike paths, as well as new traffic ovals on either side of the bridge, the transformation of South Capitol Street into a grand urban boulevard with interchange improvements including an at-grade intersection at M Street and new ramps to I-695. The interchange improvements are part of the second phase of construction.

Renderings courtesy of DC United, Pepco, Eric Colbert & Associates PC, and DDOT

The Evolution of the Waterfront Substation Design

There have been at least three different iterations of the design of Pepco’s planned Waterfront substation at 1st and Q streets on Buzzard Point. The first design took its cues from neighboring Fort McNair to resemble an office building. After receiving feedback from the community, CORE Architects redesigned the building, but has been further refined since then. The latest design proposal plays on the area’s industrial past & present. Green space, artistic features, and a plaza have been incorporated into the design; however, other tweaks may be made in the coming weeks. The above rendering is the current design, looking at the intersection of 1st and R streets; see below to see how the design has evolved since 2013.  

Design from November 2013.

Same intersection from October 2014 redesign.

The ANC voted on a resolution this week to work with DC Climate Action to create a working group addressing health and safety issues related to the construction and operation of the substation, as well as its proposed size. Pepco is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission to build the substation, which plans to open by 2017 before the existing substation a few blocks away surpasses capacity. Below is a video of how underground transmission lines are installed. These will be built on 2nd Street between Q and T streets, as well as R and T streets between 1st and 2nd streets.

Renderings and video courtesy of Pepco

Pepco Submits Application for Waterfront Substation

 

Pepco submitted its application to the Board of Zoning Adjustment last month in order to build a new distribution substation across the street from the proposed DC United stadium site at 2nd and R streets on Buzzard Point. The substation is needed in order to accommodate growth in Southwest and Near SE/Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront. According to the application, the proposed Waterfront Substation will consist of a two-story plus cellar building with approximately 57,751 square feet of gross floor area and approximately 33,022 square feet of cellar floor area. The building will have a maximum height of 59 feet and six parking spaces will be located on the western side of the site with loading facilities on Q Street. 

View of substation from the corner of 2nd and R streets.

The design of the substation by CORE Architects will include an open court on Q Street and a landscaped plaza on R Street; the building will be set back from the property line. In addition, the façade will have vegetated screens with “creeping vines” and an art installation on the corner of First and R streets. Adjacent to the proposed substation is the historic Dent House at the corner of First and Q streets. Pepco also owns the house, but will not incorporate it into the substation. 

Concerns have been brought up about having a substation in close proximity to homes by neighboring residents, led by ANC 6D Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton whose single-member district includes the proposed substation location. Pepco has stated that they have several substations across the city near homes and any emissions are within safe levels.  There will be a public meeting tomorrow evening at Westminster Presbyterian Church (400 I Street) to go over the proposal starting at 6pm. If approved, construction on the substation is expected to begin in 2015 with completion by the end of 2016. 

Renderings courtesy of Pepco

Some Movement on Buzzard Point Hostel?

A raze permit was filed on September 26 for 129 Q Street, which is a taxi repair garage one block north of the proposed DC United soccer stadium site in Buzzard Point. It’s also across the street from the soon-to-be-built Pepco Waterfront Substation. Back in 2010, the Zoning Commission approved an application for the C Hostel & Hotel, a 109-key property with 489 beds that would have both hotel-style and hostel-style rooms in the same facility. According to the zoning application, half of the hostel/hotel will be comprised of rooms with single and double beds and in-room bathrooms. The other half of the hostel/hotel will be comprised of dormitory styled rooms and shared female and male showers on each floor. Shared guest amenities will include: a hip lifestyle lounge, game areas for children and adults, a bean bag movie theatre, self-service kitchen, guest laundry, lounge lockers, a cyber lounge, complimentary breakfast and a shuttle bus service to the Waterfront Metro station. At the time, Tiber Creek LLC (Carr Hospitality) was planning this project, but the company’s owner passed away shortly after approval and the development was tied up in probate until recently. The economy was also not favorable for development, so the project was delayed. 

In the Office of Planning’s letter of support for the project back in 2010, it stated, “the current uses on the property are projected to remain until all approvals and financing for the proposed use have been secured.” Since a raze permit has been filed, does that mean financing has been secured and development is imminent? We should know soon enough because in 2012, the Zoning Commission gave a two-year extension to the approval of the project and that expiration occurs on November 12, 2014. By next month, the developer will need to file for a building permit or reapply for approval. As of today, there is no indication that the developer will go before the ANC to seek an extension, so it’s likely this project will finally be moving forward. I’ve reached out to the owner for more details and will share what I find out. 

 Rendering courtesy of JP2 Architects

Stadium Deal Finalized, Ziegfeld’s/Secrets Building for Sale

 

Mayor Gray announced today in a press release that the city has reached final business terms with DC United to build a new 20,000 – 25,000-seat soccer stadium in Buzzard Point at 2nd and R streets. The announcement comes ten months after the city signed a term sheet with DC United. Currently, the city controls 88 percent of the stadium site and “has also brokered an agreement in principle for acquisition of the final parcels for full possession of the required land for the stadium,” according to the press release. 

“This is a major step forward for economic development in the District of Columbia,” said Mayor Gray in a prepared statement. “The new soccer stadium will be the connector between developing areas around our baseball stadium and the new Wharf development along our Southwest Waterfront. The new soccer stadium is the final catalyst for what is certain to become one of the most vibrant and sustainable sports and retail districts in America.” 

Some of the components of the deal include a land swap with Akridge – the city will offer the Reeves Building at 14th and U streets, NW in exchange for a portion of the stadium site. Akridge originally planned a secure office campus ideally for a federal tenant on their three-block long, nine-acre site, which was being marketed as 100 V Street. The developer will retain the southern two blocks of the site and will more than likely build a mixed-use project oriented to an entertainment district rather than a federal enclave, although that is pure speculation at this point. A new Reeves complex will be built in Anacostia that will be completed in three years. The city will also acquire land owned by Pepco in the stadium footprint and in turn, Pepco will buy city-owned land at 1st and K streets, NW, where they will be required to build a new substation. This substation is in addition to the one Pepco has planned in Buzzard Point at 1st and Q streets. Details on the sale of the other parcels needed for the stadium have not been finalized yet. 

The city will spend a maximum of $150 million for land acquisition and infrastructure, while DC United will pay an estimated $150 million to build the stadium. Additional uses will be built adjacent to the actual stadium within the footprint, presumably a hotel, team offices, and some retail. The land will be leased by the team for 30 years (up to 40 years if renewed) at a subsidized rate of $1 per year, but the ancillary uses portion of the site can be renewed for a longer term provided the team pays market rent during that additional term. Property and sales taxes will be phased in during the life of the ground lease, as well as a $2 ticket surcharge. 

Stadium Deal Near?

Capital Business reports that sources indicate the city is closing in on a deal for the proposed DC United stadium in Buzzard Point and that the DC Council will likely receive the terms of the agreement in a legislative package later this week…which is only five months later than the Council was anticipated to vote on the deal, according to the term sheet signed by the Mayor and the team back in July 2013. From the article: 

A hang-up in the discussions has been how to replace an original provision in which the District would have shared in any profits the team made. After vetting the profit-sharing provision with members of the D.C. Council, City Administrator Allen Lew, the District’s chief negotiator for D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D), agreed with the team to replace it with a combination of sales tax payments and a future $2 surcharge on tickets. 

A recent Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could unscientific poll stated that 80% of respondents approved the deal, which calls for the District to spend up to $150 million for land acquisition and infrastructure improvements while the team spends $150 to build the stadium. Agreements have been made with Akridge and Pepco regarding their parcels in the stadium’s footprint, but negotiations continue with Kastles’ owner Mark Ein, who with Super Salvage, controls land in the northern end of the site. If an agreement cannot be made, then according to the article, the city is prepared to use eminent domain. Akridge owns most of the land needed for the stadium, which will be located at 2nd and R streets while Pepco’s parcel is located on the eastern side of the site. A land swap has been negotiated with Akridge involving the Reeves Center at 14th and U streets, NW. Presumably, the Pepco site is a cash deal, although details should be forthcoming soon once legislation is introduced in the Council. 

Earlier rendering of Waterfront Substation

On a related note, Pepco representatives came to the monthly ANC 6D meeting last week to provide an update on their plans to build a new Waterfront Substation north of the stadium site and 1st and Q streets to replace the one in the decommissioned Buzzard Point Plant at Half and V streets. Originally, the façade of the substation was designed by CORE Architects to look like an office building and mimicked the brick architecture of Fort McNair, but after receiving feedback from the community and the Office of Planning, the utility company has decided to rework the design. The new design uses a variety of forms around the building, with more of a residential feeling on the north side near the existing community with brick veneer and a vegetative wall - the historic James C. Dent House is on the northwest corner of the site and will remain intact. The south side faces a planned plaza as a part of the soccer stadium development and will have more of a commercial look with light screens and the use of concrete. The existing buildings on the site (Lyon Bakery and Ana Towing) will be demolished later this year. Construction of phase one of the substation will be complete in 2016. A second phase is planned on the south side of the site to increase capacity at the substation in the future, although the façade of the entire site will be completed during the first phase. 

Renderings courtesy of Gensler and Pepco

Pepco Purchases Bakery, Plans New Substation

Here is an update on the Buzzard Point development potential post from last month. Pepco closed on the sale of the Lyon Bakery, across the street from the proposed DC United stadium site at 2nd and R streets, on October 31. Now, Pepco owns the entire block bounded by 1st Street, R Street, Q Street, and 2nd Street, which includes the James C. Dent House and Ana Towing. The utility company has plans to build a new substation on the site, which will be able to handle the increased demand for power in the Southwest Waterfront, Navy Yard, and a portion of Capitol Hill. The vacant, but historic James C. Dent House on Q Street will not be part of the substation and will remain intact, but its intended use is still being determined by Pepco.  The new Waterfront Substation has been designed to look like an office building and the bricks used will resemble the architecture of buildings at Fort McNair. 

Unsightly equipment in Buzzard Point.

Neighbors of the proposed substation site, many of whom are public housing residents, are concerned about the potential health risks associated with living near a substation. At Monday's ANC 6D meeting, commissioner Hamilton brought up those concerns to representatives from Pepco and inquired why the substation has to be built at that site and not on other property owned by Pepco in the neighborhood. A substation's role is to step down high voltage power that comes from a power plant down to levels that can be distributed to homes. Pepco representatives stated that there are several studies by the World Health Organization about the electromagnetic field (EMF) generated by a substation and its health effects are negligible. They will provide the ANC with a list and photos of substations throughout the city that are located adjacent to residential buildings, including the Ritz Residences Georgetown. 

In addressing the proposed location of the substation, Chris Taylor from Pepco stated that the northern portion of the land owned by Pepco near the Buzzard Point Plant will be used for construction of the proposed DC United stadium. Other portions of the property are still in use and cannot be moved to build a new substation. While the generation portion of the Buzzard Point Plant has been decommissioned, the top two levels are still in use as a substation. Those two upper floors will be decommissioned once the new Waterfront Substation is complete in 2016. The plant's future is uncertain, although SWNA recently submitted an application for historic designation of the art deco building.

Buzzard Point Plant.

 

The Waterfront Substation will be built in two phases, with the first phase covering the northern portion of the site. Installation of underground duct banks to carry transmission lines will begin in 2014, while construction of the substation will begin by May 2015 with completion by the end of 2016. Although an exact start date on the second phase has not been determined, it's anticipated that construction would begin on the addition 5-10 years after the first phase is built. As Pepco goes through the approval process, there will be a community meeting to give updates. In addition, information will be available on their website.

With a new substation, DC United stadium, Frederick Douglass Bridge, and traffic oval, Buzzard Point will be one big construction zone for the foreseeable future.

Rendering courtesy of Pepco

Buzzard Point Development Potential

(This post will appear in the South by West article in November's Hill Rag.)

With news that a new stadium may be built for DC United in Buzzard Point (or “The Point” as Capitol Riverfront BID President Michael Stevens is now calling it), reporters and bloggers alike have been in a frenzy over whether the stadium deal is a good one for the city and if the area near the proposed site will benefit. Currently, Buzzard Point contains mainly industrial uses, but there are a few sites that are either planned for development or are candidates for redevelopment. A new soccer stadium nearby may accelerate plans for the following properties: 

(1) 100 V Street

Akridge owns a two-acre portion of the stadium footprint as well as the remaining seven acres of 100 V Street located to the south of the stadium site. 100 V Street was originally planned as an office complex targeted for a secure federal tenant; however, the site was not able to attract a tenant. With the potential development of the stadium on the northern section of the property, the southern portion is now being reevaluated as a mixed use project.

(2) Transpoint Building

The U.S. Coast Guard has moved out of the Transpoint Building at 2100 2nd Street located just to the south of 100 V Street, to a new headquarters complex at St. Elizabeths in Congress Heights. GSA has found a temporary replacement for the Coast Guard with the Navy taking space at the Transpoint Building. Meanwhile, owner Monday Properties has no plans to redevelop the building, which sits near the confluence of the Anacostia River & the Washington Channel and currently blocks public access to the water. With GSA cutting back on leasing new space and a new soccer stadium planned up the street, would redevelopment of this building make sense?

(3) Marina Place

Rendering courtesy of Eric Colbert Associates

A 99-unit condo project called Marina Place with about 2,000 square feet of ground floor retail is planned for a parcel to the east of the Transpoint Building and adjacent to the Buzzard Point Marina at First and V streets. The Eric Colbert-designed building was approved by the Zoning Commission in 2011 and since then, the owner has been looking for a developer partner for the project.

(4) Pepco Power Plant

The art-deco Buzzard Point Plant building, located to the southeast from the stadium footprint, was decommissioned last year by Pepco, although the substation to the north is still in use.  Recently, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly has applied for historic status for the building, which could be a candidate for an adaptive reuse akin to Tate Modern art gallery in the Southwark section of London.

(5) 1900 Half Street

Douglas Development owns an office building at 1900 Half Street along the Anacostia River that blocks public access to the river and is occupied by the U.S. Coast Guard.

(6) Ziegfields/Secrets

One of the gay nightclubs displaced from Near Southeast when Nationals Park was built moved to Buzzard Point and is located just to the east of the soccer stadium footprint. According to an article from The Blade, the proprietors of Ziegfields/Secrets lease the building from Denver businessman Marty Chernoff. The article speculates that the club may have to move yet again once the stadium is built, even though it is located outside of the stadium footprint. It is too early to know what would be built in its place if the nightclub is moved again.

(7) Florida Rock

Florida Rock moved its operations across South Capitol Street in 2012 to make way for the eventual development of their riverfront parcel just to the south of Nationals Park. Their new operation along Half Street is now across the street from the new stadium site.

(8) C Hostel and Hotel

Rendering courtesy of JP2 Architects.

Carr Hospitality submitted plans for a 109-room hostel and hotel with 489 beds in 2010 at 129 Q Street, one block north of the stadium site.  According to the zoning application, half of the hostel/hotel will be comprised of rooms with single and double beds and in-room bathrooms. The other half of the hostel/hotel will be comprised of dormitory styled rooms and shared female and male showers on each floor. Shared guest amenities will include: a hip lifestyle lounge, game areas for children and adults, a bean bag movie theatre, self-service kitchen, guest laundry, lounge lockers, a cyber lounge, complimentary breakfast and a shuttle bus service to the Waterfront Metro station. The Zoning Commission approved the project, but afterwards, a principal from Carr who spearheaded the project passed away and the site has been tied up in probate ever since. A 2-year extension was recently granted for the project due to probate and the difficulty in obtaining financing for a hospitality project during the Great Recession. It is estimated that probate will be settled sometime in 2013, so theoretically, the project will be able to move forward. Currently, the site is home to a taxi cab service and repair garage.

(9) James C. Dent House

Pepco owns the James C. Dent House at 156 Q Street, which was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2010. It was built in 1906 by William James Palmer for James C. Dent, a former slave who moved to Buzzard Point as a laborer and eventually helped found the Mount Moriah Baptist Church and became its pastor. The home was more recently used as the headquarters of the now defunct Southwest Community House, a non-profit organization that vacated the property in 2004. It has remained vacant ever since.

(10) Lyon Bakery

Lyon Bakery is a wholesale baker located just to the north of the stadium footprint at 135 R Street. This site has redevelopment potential once the stadium is built, or at least will have a new customer across the street.

(11) Fort McNair

While there is no development potential here, Fort Lesley J. McNair would be the stadium’s neighbor to the west across 2nd Street and pre-dates any other development at Buzzard Point since the Army post has been at this site for over 200 years. The fort is the headquarters of the Army’s Military District of Washington and includes the National Defense University.

Four-Star Hotel Coming to The Wharf

It was reported in this week's Capital Business that Hoffman-Madison Waterfront is in negotiations with Carr Hospitality and Intercontinental Hotels Group to build and operate a 268-key, four-star hotel at The Wharf. The new hotel will be next to the office building that will be occupied by The Graduate School USA at 9th Street & Maine Avenue (the site of the temporary Kastles Stadium at The Wharf). The hotel operators are the same ones that operate the Willard Intercontinental Hotel downtown (Carr Hospitality also has plans to build a hostel/hotel at the 100 block of Q Street). Room rates at the waterfront hotel are anticipated to run between $300 and $400 a night, similar to rates at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (the average cost for a room next Saturday). From the article:

Hammad Shah, president and chief operating officer of Carr Hospitality, said the company had been looking to open a second Washington hotel.

“The thought process here is really to create a unique luxury hotel, one of its kind, and I believe the Intercontinental brand fits the mold very well because of its success in Washington with the Willard, and because it’s an international brand,” Shah said.

Shah said the hotel would take advantage of the site’s location overlooking the Washington Channel. He said he expects the hotel to have a 5,000-square-foot rooftop lounge and two ballrooms looking out onto the water, as well as two restaurants.

The hotel also would be near one of the waterfront’s planned piers. Shah said Carr is in negotiations to purchase boat slips from the development team, which would allow guests to arrive by boat. “Everybody gets on and off at the doorsteps of the hotel,” Shah said.

Back in April, Hoffman-Madison Waterfront selected Humboldt Hospitality to advise them on the sale of the hotel site.  Construction on the first phase of development at The Wharf is planned for the end of 2012.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Green-Up Day Tomorrow

HT to reader JD: The Nationals will be in Southwest on Friday for the second annual Green-Up Day at the Matthew Henson Center, near the historic James C. Dent House and Town Center East Park. From the Nationals' press release:

NatsTown Green-Up: The Washington Nationals Dream Foundation will team up with Earth Conservation Corps to give area residents and local businesses the opportunity to help beautify the neighborhood surrounding Nationals Park. More than 100 volunteers will take to the streets from 8am to noon to clean up areas at three separate locations - the Matthew Henson Center (2000 Half Street, SW); the intersection between 1st and Q Streets, SW; and the park at 3rd and I Streets, SW. Nationals Pitchers *Tyler Clippard and *Craig Stammen will also join volunteers for a portion of the morning’s clean-up.