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.

Construction Underway at Portals Apartments

Construction is underway on 1399 Maryland Avenue, the first new residential building north of the Southwest freeway and south of the National Mall since urban renewal. Originally planned as an office building at The Portals, Republic Properties decided to change course and build multifamily instead. The current design by Robert A.M. Stern Architects is for a 373-unit rental apartment building. Many of the units will have sweeping views of the Tidal Basin and the building will be prominent for drivers entering the city on the 14th Street Bridge. Delivery is scheduled for 2019.

Rendering courtesy of Republic Properties

Condos Nixed at The Portals, Will Be All Rental Instead

Republic Properties has decided to convert 75 condo units it planned on the top four floors of its 1399 Maryland Avenue residential project at The Portals to rental apartments. Originally, this project was planned as an office building, but market conditions caused the developer to change course a couple years ago and move forward as a hybrid rental/condo building. This latest change brings up the total number of rental units at the project to 373 units. Unit sizes of the former condo units will still be large, especially compared to most new apartment buildings – averaging about 1,400 square feet. The project is planned as a high-end building and many of the units will have sweeping views of the Tidal Basin and the Jefferson Memorial (and traffic conditions on the 14th Street Bridge). 

This will be the first residential building constructed north of the freeway within the quadrant since Urban Renewal. Permits have been issued and construction is anticipated to start before the end of the year, but that timeline could slip into early 2017. Delivery will likely occur in the late 2018 or 2019 timeframe. 

Renderings courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects

Lease Signed for Artechouse at The Portals

The SW arts scene is about to expand further. A 15,000 SF space initially designed for a performing arts venue at 1250 Maryland Avenue at The Portals has finally found a tenant. A lease was recently signed by Art Soiree, which according to the organization’s website is “a Washington, DC based organization that is committed to curating, conceiving and realizing contemporary art exhibitions, festivals and art projects.” The organization has been around for seven years and during that time, they have hosted hundreds of pop-up events at different venues, but the Portals will allow them to have a permanent space to host exhibits and special events. 

According to ABRA, the name of the venue will be Artechouse and will serve as a multi-purpose facility, an arts and cultural gallery space with multifaceted program uses, including but not limited to theater, exhibits, live music, performances, film screenings, installations, public and private events. The maximum occupancy will be 375 people and they plan to host about 200 events a year. At a hearing back in September, the applicants expressed their desire to open in time for the Presidential Inauguration in January 2017. An ABRA hearing is scheduled for December 12 and ANC 6D will consider their CX license application tomorrow.

Portals Residential to Start Construction in Second Quarter

Construction on the residential phase of The Portals is expected to start in the second quarter of this year. Republic Properties owns 1399 Maryland Avenue and originally planned an office building there, but switched course in 2015. The Commission of Fine Arts approved the project last year, which will include 290 rental apartments and 75 condos on the top four floors, designed by WDG Architecture and Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Due to its location at the end of Maryland Avenue, units will have views of the Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin, the Potomac River, and the Capitol. According to the Washington Business Journal, a sheeting and shoring permit was just granted for the project. Aside from the planned residential building, a fourth office building (Portals IV) is planned on the remaining vacant parcel between 1399 Maryland Avenue and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Rendering courtesy of WDG

More Revisions to 1331 Maryland Avenue

Back in June, Republic Properties presented revised designs for their planned residential building at The Portals to the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The apartment and condo building at 1331 Maryland Avenue, designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects will be the first residential component of the mixed use project, which includes 1.5 million SF in three office buildings, the 400-key Mandarin Oriental Hotel, and ground floor retail. In fact, the proposed project would be the first residential building constructed north of the Southwest freeway and south of the National Mall since urban renewal. The project is planned as 290 apartment units and 75 condo units on the top four floors in a 13-story building. Aside from the planned residential building, a fourth office building (Portals IV) is planned on the remaining vacant parcel between 1331 Maryland Avenue and the Mandarin. 

In their June 26 letter to the developer and architect, the Commission endorsed the proposed revisions, which include the addition of 23 inches to the height of the building as well as adjustments to the façade. The entrance to the condo building was moved away from the Maryland Avenue circle and alterations were made to an interim plaza between the proposed building and a future phase. Construction is expected to begin sometime in 2016. 

Renderings courtesy of U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

1331 Maryland Avenue Approved by CFA

After multiple designs for a residential building at The Portals complex were rejected by the Commission of Fine Arts, a shorter, boxier version has been given the thumbs up. Now at 13 stories, the number of units at 1331 Maryland Avenue has been reduced from 440 to 365 units. Per the Washington Business Journal, there will be 290 apartments and 75 condos on the top four floors. Due to its location at the end of Maryland Avenue, units will have views of the Jefferson Memorial, the Tidal Basin, the Potomac River, and the Capitol. Republic Properties expects to start construction on the project in about a year. 1331 Maryland Avenue will be the first residential project built south of the National Mall and north of the SW freeway since urban renewal. 

Currently, the Portals complex has three office buildings and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, along with ground floor retail. The newest retailer is Flippin’ Pizza, which will soon open on the ground floor of the Portals I office building at 1250 – 1280 Maryland Avenue. The restaurant will seat up to 51 patrons and its Class DR liquor license was approved last month by ABRA, which allows the sale of beer and wine. Aside from the planned residential building, a fourth office building (Portals IV) is planned on the remaining vacant parcel between 1331 Maryland Avenue and the Mandarin.

Renderings courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects

440-Unit Apartment Building Planned for The Portals

In what would be the first residential building south of the Mall and north of the SW freeway since urban renewal, Republic Properties has proposed a 15-story, 440-unit residential building at 1399 Maryland Avenue, one of the remaining undeveloped parcels at The Portals. This site was originally planned as office, but Republic Properties switched course and now wants to move forward with the project as residential. The Portals currently includes three office buildings and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. With this new residential building added, there would remain one undeveloped parcel which is currently slated as office. 

Currently, the area south of the National Mall and north of the SW freeway is primarily an office zone (save for a few hotels) which shuts down after work hours. With this new residential project that image may start to change. The SW Ecodistrict Initiative calls for at least 1,000 residential units in this area of Southwest in order to increase the mix of uses and help turn the area into an 18-hour, live-work-play neighborhood. Although technically outside of the SW Ecodistrict Initiative borders, introducing residential to The Portals may incentivize others to eventually do so within the Ecodistrict.

The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) reviewed the concept plan for the residential building back in November and expressed concern about the project’s height and design. In addition to being the first residential building in this area of the District, 1399 Maryland Avenue would be among the tallest buildings in the city, since Maryland Avenue is elevated above the rail tracks by 46 feet or so and the 130-foot height is measured from the street surface, not ground level. The other buildings at The Portals are 90 feet tall. With regard to the design, the CFA was concerned that the proposed building’s prominent location at the entrance to the monumental core of the city from the 14th Street Bridge should not have a building that does not stand out too much or is too complex. The Commission requested that Robert A.M Stern Architects refine the design to address these issues. The above and below renderings show the revised concept. 

In its letter to the developer dated January 30, the CFA stated: 

While finding the revised design to be considerably improved, the Commission made several recommendations for the development of the design and did not take a formal action on the concept submission. 

Republic will need to refine the design further and resubmit the project for review by the CFA. The WBJ first reported on this story. 

 Rendering courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects

Will Fannie Mae Reconsider Southwest for its HQ?

It was reported in the Washington Business Journal and the Wall Street Journal that mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae is selling its headquarters building in Upper Northwest and wants to consolidate its operations in leased space closer to downtown DC. Fannie Mae is looking to move to their new headquarters over the next two to three years, so they have the option of leasing in existing space or new construction. Almost a decade ago, Fannie Mae was planning to be the anchor tenant at Waterfront Station, but financial troubles put the kibosh on those plans and they remained at their current headquarters. Subsequently, the District government decided to lease both buildings in phase one of Waterfront Station and the project was able to move forward. Now that Fannie Mae is on the hunt for new space, perhaps it will give Southwest another look? Let’s take a look at their options in Southwest (since the size requirement for Fannie Mae wasn’t disclosed in the articles, the following options may or may not work based on size needs):  

(1) Waterfront Station: There are still two vacant parcels along M Street on either side of 4th Street that are slated for office. The SE parcel is right on top of the Waterfront metro station and both buildings have plans for ground floor retail. Waterfront Associates won’t start construction on either of those parcels until it secures an anchor tenant. Since Fannie Mae was already planning to move to Waterfront Station at one point, this location probably has a leg up on the competition. 

(2) The Wharf: Alternatively, Fannie Mae could opt for office space at The Wharf, which started construction in March and won’t be complete until 2017. There is an office building planned in Phase One of construction (Parcel 3A) facing Maine Avenue and a second building could be built closer to the Maine Avenue Fish Market (Parcel 1) if Hoffman-Madison Waterfront found a tenant. The Graduate School USA was originally going to occupy the Parcel 3A building, but backed out of the deal a couple years ago. The Wharf was a contender for The Washington Post, but ultimately the media company decided to move only a few blocks east from its current headquarters building downtown. 

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman Madison Waterfront

(3) The Portals: Republic Properties has an empty parcel at The Portals that is next to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the 1200 block of Maryland Avenue. In addition to the hotel, there are three office buildings that have already been completed at the complex. A Portals address would give Fannie Mae execs sweeping views of the Tidal Basin and high visibility from the traffic that comes into the city daily on the 14th Street Bridge. 

(4) L’Enfant Plaza: The JBG Companies has plans to build a 220,000 SF, LEED-Gold office building at 500 L’Enfant Plaza that will offer direct access to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station and connect to the retail area that was recently upgraded. The building would be south of the under-renovation L’Enfant Plaza Hotel, adjacent to the 9th Street tunnel.

Rendering courtesy of The JBG Companies

(5) 400 6th Street: Trammell Crow is currently building a 12-story, 342,000 SF office building at 400 6th Street, located across the street from Constitution Center and one of the entrances to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station. If Fannie Mae moved here, it would be near other financial-related tenants including the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency; however, the site is not as prominent as some of the other options in Southwest. 

Rendering courtesy of Trammell Crow

GSA's Latest RFQ Involves Federal Triangle South Parcels

The General Services Administration (GSA) issued a Request for Qualifications today to interested entities that can provide construction and related services in an “Exchange Consideration” for GSA’s headquarters building at 1800 F Street, NW and for up to three buildings at St. Elizabeths West for use by the Department of Homeland Security in exchange for the Cotton Annex and GSA’s National Capital Region Regional Office Building in Federal Triangle South. This area south of the National Mall has a concentration of GSA-owned office buildings that the agency is looking to either modernize or redevelop. 

The Cotton Annex is a nearly two-acre parcel located at 12th and C streets, across the street from GSA’s Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant and cattycorner from The Portals complex. According to testimony given by the GSA in 2012, the Cotton Annex was built in 1937 and was used by the Department of Agriculture until 2007, when the agency vacated the space. The parking lot behind the building has most recently been used by the Federal Protective Service to inspect packages and trucks that visit the Ronald Reagan Building International Trade Center downtown. The building was considered to house the National Health Museum and the National Women’s History Museum was interested in the vacant triangular parcel north of C Street. The six-story building is eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. 

The second property is the GSA Regional Office Building (ROB), a three-acre facility located at 7th and D streets, across the street from HUD headquarters and L’Enfant Plaza. It is a 942,000 square-foot, seven-story office building with one level below-grade that is currently occupied by GSA. These employees would move to the F Street, NW headquarters once those renovations are complete. The rear of the  ROB fronts on the L’Enfant commuter rail station and Reservation 113, both of which are recommended for improvements in NCPC’s Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative. The office building is not eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, so any redevelopment at the site would be easier to complete. Perhaps part of the land could be used as a “Union Station South” that could be an intermodal transit station with Metro, bus, VRE, MARC, and streetcar service? 

Don’t expect activity on these sites to happen anytime soon; however, renovations to the GSA Headquarters and the St. Elizabeths administration buildings must be completed before the parcels are conveyed to the winning developer in Quitclaim Deeds. Responses are due for Stage One of the solicitation by May 22. After that, those that qualify will be invited to a second stage of the solicitation to submit specific proposals. Then, a winner will be selected sometime in 2015. What uses do you envision for these two sites?

Image courtesy of GSA

BID Turf War

It was reported in the Washington Business Journal last week that Vornado, which owns four parcels at the northwest corner of M and South Capitol streets would prefer to be a part of the Capitol Riverfront BID instead of the budding SW BID. This news was revealed at a DC Council hearing on the legislation that would create the SW BID. The current western boundary of the Capitol Riverfront BID is the east side of South Capitol Street, but according to the article:

For the purposes of marketing, corridor planning, trash removal, security and installation of banners, it makes sense for one BID to oversee both sides of South Capitol Street, Vornado’s vice president of development, Gordon Fraley, told the council in a letter submitted for the record. It’s why Vornado is asking its M Street parcels to be annexed by the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District.

A Vornado parcel before it was demolished & replaced with a parking lot.

 More from the article:

“With major development poised to continue at Waterfront Station and begin at The Wharf, the Southwest BID needs to focus on these locations and not be distracted by development at its periphery along South Capitol Street,” Fraley said.

Although the same thing could be said about the Capitol Riverfront BID, which has major development at The Yards, the DC United stadium in Buzzard Point, Capper Carrollsburg's Hope VI project, and other parcels.  When the Capitol Riverfront BID was originally formed, was it not anticipated that there would be development eventually on the Southwest side of South Capitol Street?  Would the Randall Recreation Center, Captiol Skyline Hotel, and the Ruben Companies parcels also be annexed by the Capitol Riverfront BID? What about the area of South Capitol Street south of M Street? Is Half Street a better boundary for the BIDs than South Capitol Street?

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is part of The Portals complex.

In addition, the owners of The Portals project at 12th Street and Maryland Avenue do not want to be part of the SW BID, since the owners already maintain the streets and plaza within the development, along with landscaping, street cleaning, and other services that a BID normally performs. We'll see how this all gets resolved...

Federal Triangle South Meeting

There was a meeting yesterday put together by the Urban Land Institute on the newly dubbed Federal Triangle South, a swath of Southwest south of the National Mall where federal government tenants have dominance and over 12,000 employees now work in office buildings that average in age between 48 and 80 years old. The boundaries of Federal Triangle South are Independence Avenue to the north, 12th Street to the west, Maryland Avenue and D Street to the south, and 6th Street to the east. The GSA owns five properties in Federal Triangle South with the largest of those being the department of Energy’s Forrestal complex at 10th Street and Independence Avenue. Back in December, the GSA issued a Request for Information (RFI) to see what interest there was in the development community for possibly redeveloping their parcels in Federal Triangle South. It was reported earlier this month that 10 development firms responded to the RFI. The GSA is exploring different disposition scenarios for the parcels, including maintaining federal ownership, a ground lease, acquisition exchange, exchange for services, or a leaseback. Federal Triangle South is part of the Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative, a long-term vision for most of the office district between the National Mall and the Southwest Freeway spearheaded by NCPC. In addition, the DC Office of Planning conducted a Small Area Plan for Maryland Avenue, which falls within the SW Ecodistrict. Here are a few tidbits I learned at the meeting:

• A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be released this summer for Federal Triangle South and a winner for phase one will be awarded by the spring of 2014.
• The Department of Energy wants to remain on Independence Avenue, but it could be located elsewhere along the street within Federal Triangle South besides its current location.
• There are approximately 4 million square feet of office space within Federal Triangle South and an additional 2 million square feet of space can be built under current zoning. More could be accommodated with PUDs.
• Republic Properties, who developed The Portals complex at 12th Street and Maryland Avenue, is considering residential for a future phase at the project instead of office. The site was zoned industrial so residential couldn’t be done there, but with the rewrite of the Comprehensive Plan that the Office of Planning is conducting, the entire Southwest Ecodistrict area will be rezoned similar to downtown, which will be high density commercial, residential, and governmental.
• Some components of the Maryland Avenue plan could take up to 30 years to complete.
• NCPC will conduct a community meeting in May (perhaps May 21) to discuss plans for 10th Street.

Image courtesy of GSA

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

Recap of Maryland Avenue Plan Public Meeting

The Office of Planning held a public meeting on July 14th to go over their draft recommendations for the Maryland Avenue corridor from 12th Street to 4th Street. The western boundary of the study area abuts the Portals, where Maryland Avenue is a rebuilt, landscaped road on a deck atop railroad tracks. On the east side between 4th and 6th Street, there are plans underway to build a memorial to President Eisenhower called Eisenhower Square.



The Maryland Avenue corridor is envisioned as a park-like setting.



The results of a survey conducted by OP found that respondents thought the Maryland Avenue corridor needs parks and open spaces the most, as well as improved building facades. Basically, OP recommends (with the help of their consultants at AECOM) that Maryland Avenue should be decked from 12th Street to Reservation 113 (AKA Hancock Park, or the green space formed at what would be the intersection of Maryland Avenue, Virginia Avenue, 7th Street and 9th Street) as well as 9th Street from Independence Avenue to D Street. The roadway along Maryland Avenue would run in the middle of the 160' right-of-way with one lane in either direction and wide park-like open space on both sides to accommodate pedestrians. Limited on-street parking would be accommodated. Stormwater can be collected and filtered from deep tree wells along the avenue and sent to infiltration zones beneath the street. 

Two passenger tracks each for passenger and freight rail are planned below a decked Maryland Avenue.

In addition to stormwater connection, there would be space beneath Maryland Avenue for a four-track railroad system with two tracks for passenger rail and two tracks for freight rail, which would improve rail access in the corridor. As a part of the sustainability aspect of the plan, a piezoelectric generation pilot study along the railroad tracks could show that electricity can be generated as trains pass by, which then can be used to power street lights and other amenities along Maryland Avenue. Improvements are envisioned for Reservation 113 to connect pedestrians with an expanded L'Enfant Station, that would serve VRE, MARC, AMTRAK, Metrorail, Metro Bus, and streetcars.

At least four GSA parcels are ripe for infill development.

There are four potential infill sites along the avenue that are owned by the GSA. They are located at the northeast corner of 12th & D Street, the northwest corner of Maryland Avenue & 10th Street, the northeast corner of Maryland Avenue & 10th Street, and the northeast corner of Maryland Avenue & 7th Street. There are also opportunities to redevelop the GSA building along D Street that faces Reservation 113 and The Reporters Building at 7th & D Street (where Pizza Autentica is located). OP and AECOM recommend that any new development in the corridor should be oriented toward Maryland Avenue to help frame and define public spaces and the historic right-of-way (whether or not the decked roadway has been constructed at the time the buildings are completed).

Proposed zoning changes would encourage a mix of uses, including residential, cultural, hotel, retail, and office, in order to make the corridor (and the SW Ecodistrict as a whole) an extension of downtown. For instance, retail nodes are suggested at the intersection of Maryland Avenue & 10th Street and at L'Enfant Station. Residential and hotel uses are also possible along Maryland Avenue - the SW Ecodistrict plan calls for at least 1,000 residential/hotel rooms to make the area a viable neighborhood, which the Maryland Avenue corridor can help accommodate. Also, a cultural/commemorative destination is envisioned for the southwest corner of Maryland Avenue & 10th Street.

Improvements along Maryland Avenue would begin with the block from 6th Street to 7th Street, since this section already exists and is at-grade.  The elevated sections would be done later as financing becomes available (perhaps a public-private partnership or CSX?).

More details on the Maryland Avenue Plan can be found here. The comment period on the draft recommendations will be open until Friday, so contact Joyce Tsepas at the Office of Planning by email or by phone (202-535-1556).

Renderings courtesy of the Office of Planning

Maryland Avenue Study Planned

As a part of the Southwest Ecodistrict initiative underway by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), The DC Office of Planning will undertake a study of the Maryland Avenue corridor, as reported in the Examiner. The section of the corridor to be studied stretches from 12th Street to 6th Street. Maryland Avenue is currently disjointed, with a landscaped segment west of 12th Street at the Portals development (pictured above), but abruptly ends east of 12th Street with the CSX train tracks and picks up again east of the L'Enfant VRE station at 7th Street. On the other end of the corridor is the site of the future Eisenhower Memorial. The goal of the study is to reconnect Maryland Avenue and create a mixed use corridor. Here's a link to a video provided by NCPC on the current state of Maryland Avenue.

Update: Here's a link to a live chat done on Wednesday by the Housing Complex blog about plans for the Southwest Ecodistrict. Here's a reminder that the NCPC will be hosting a public meeting about the Ecodistrict on Thursday from 6-8pm at the Whitten Building, located at 1400 Independence Avenue.

Scenes from Southwest: Starbucks

Clockwise (from upper left): (1) Ground level of the U.S. Small Business Administration building at the corner of 3rd & D Street. (2) Inside the Capital Gallery building on the 600 block of Maryland Avenue. (3) Ground level of the Phase III building at the Portals on Maryland Avenue. (4) Ground level of the Holiday Inn at the corner of 6th & C Street. A fifth Starbucks will open next year inside Safeway at Waterfront Station.

Madison Courts Restauranteurs

Jennifer Price, a broker with Madison Retail Group, tells Southwest...TLQTC that they are looking to bring a sushi restaurant to the ground floor of the Capitol View office building and a Cactus Cantina or matchbox-like establishment to The Portals. I think any of these restaurants would be a welcome addition to the food scene here, since an overwhelming majority of readers voted in our September survey that what they liked least about Southwest was the lack of retail/restaurants. What types of restaurants would you like to see in Southwest? Feel free to opine in the comments section and/or participate in the survey on the sidebar.

CVS Opens at The Portals

CVS is now open at The Portals, the large mixed-use development project along Maryland Avenue. The store actually opened a week ago, but I noticed the Grand Opening signs yesterday when I drove by the site. Back in the Spring, we reported that CVS was slated to open at the Portals, after Madison Retail Group signed the tenant to a 10,000 square foot space. I'm sure the workers in the office buildings and the neighboring Mandarin Oriental Hotel are happy to see the opening of CVS, the largest retailer to open to date at The Portals. CVS is located in the 3rd phase building, as seen in the above photo. Other retailers at The Portals include Starbucks, Potbelly's, and a pay-by-the-pound food provider, as well as the restaurants at the Mandarin. Here are the hours of operation for CVS:

Monday - Friday: 7am - 9pm

Saturday - Sunday: 9am - 9pm

CVS Coming to The Portals

Retail broker Madison Retail Group recently signed a deal with CVS to occupy 10,000 square feet of space at phase three of The Portals complex, which was developed by Republic Properties. CVS will join current retailers Starbucks, Potbelly's, and a pay-by-the-pound food provider once the pharmacy opens this summer. Jennifer Price from Madison tells Southwest...TLQTC that there remains over 20,000 SF of retail space available in the first three phases of The Portals. Included in that total is 10,000 SF of space that was once slated for the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. That theater subsequently decided to locate to Penn Quarter. Price is targeting a sit-down restaurant, a smaller-scale food provider, and eventually a performing arts venue like an Improv for the vacant retail space. Once phase IV and V are built, those office buildings will have an additional 14,000 square feet of ground floor retail. There is a dearth of sit-down restaurants in Southwest, so hopefully Madison can bring one soon to The Portals. Above is a photo of The Portals complex taken from across the Tidal Basin in October 2008 - on the left is the phase III building and the Mandarin Oriental hotel is on the right. Maryland Avenue bisects the site.

Job Opening at the Mandarin Oriental

The WBJ reported earlier this week that the general manager of the Mandarin Oriental is relocating to the hotel's Bangkok, Thailand location at the end of this month. While a search for a new manager is underway, the resident manager and the Executive Vice President of the hotel chain's northern region will run the daily operations of the SW location. The luxury hotel is a part of the massive Portals office complex, located on Maryland Avenue. Above is a photo of the hotel taken back in October 2008.