Website Launched for 301 M Street Apartments

A website has launched for 301 M Street apartments, a project currently under construction adjacent to Waterfront Tower condos at Town Center East. Unit features include wood floors, energy efficient appliances and fixtures, large closets, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Project amenities include concierge services, cyber café, community dining room with professional grade appliances and gas stove, roof lounge with a sundeck, lounge chairs, rooftop misters, bike storage and repair workroom, and pet-friendly features such as a dog run and dog wash. There will be space on the ground floor for retail.The 187-unit apartment developed by The Bernstein Companies started construction last spring and is scheduled to be completed next year. 

Renderings courtesy of Maurice Walters Architects

301 M Street Starting Construction in Short Order

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

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

The View

St. Matthew's

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

ANC 6D Offers Conditional Support to Town Center East PUD

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

The proposed center building has been removed from the project.

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

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

 

Older rendering from M Street.

Revised rendering from M Street.

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

Renderings courtesy of Maurice Walters Architects  

Town Center East Designated Historic

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

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

Original design of Town Center PUD.

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

Rendering courtesy of Maurice Walters Architect, PC

Town Center East Seeking Historic Designation

ANC 6D gave its unanimous support last night to designate Town Center East as a historic landmark. The Waterfront Tower Homeowners' Association, along with the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, have applied for historic status with the DC Register for the pair of buildings on 3rd Street, designed in the modernist style by I.M. Pei in the 1960s. The move to grant landmark status to the buildings, grounds, and parking lots comes at the same time that The Bernstein Companies is trying to get approval for their consolidated PUD application which would replace the surface parking lots with two new high-rise residential buildings with some ground floor retail and a third smaller building in the open space between the existing Pei buildings. At last month's ANC meeting, the commissioners voted not to support the Town Center PUD as-is and asked the developers to rework their plans & meet with the Waterfront Tower residents to hear their concerns. 

Current plan for new and existing buildings at Town Center East.

Historic designation would complicate things, but as Cecille Chen, the head of SWNA's historic preservation task force said at Monday's meeting, the designation of a property as historic wouldn't stop future development, it helps to bring development that is appropriate since the Historic Preservation Board would have a say in any plans to build on the site. If Town Center East is designated historic, it would join other modernist residential complexes that have recently been designated historic, including Tiber Island and Harbour Square. Potomac Place Tower was designated historic almost a decade ago..  

Town Center Controversy

In addition to the NW parcel PUD, there was lengthy and fiery discussion at Monday’s ANC 6D meeting about a PUD application for Town Center, a three-building residential plan for the area just to the east of Waterfront Station by The Bernstein Companies.  More details on the original PUD application can be found here, but in summary, the developers plan to build two 11-story residential buildings with a small amount of ground floor retail on the parking lots in front of Waterfront Tower and 1101 @ Waterfront and a four-story building along 3rd Street between the two existing I.M. Pei buildings for a total of 401 new units. In addition, the 128-unit 1101 @ Waterfront will be renovated. Some changes have been made to the design of the buildings in response to concerns from the commissioners, such as an increase in the setback of the buildings on the 10th and 11th floors (which are rise above the I.M. Pei buildings) and more glass at the base of the building. The above rendering is from the original submission to the Zoning Commission.

An unusually full house at the ANC meeting.

The room was packed with residents of Waterfront Tower condos, who according to a couple of stories last week in Housing Complex, were threatened by the developer’s lawyer with a lawsuit if they spoke out against the proposal at the ANC meeting since their purchase agreements included a statement that they would not impede further development on the site. Waterfront Tower and SWNA recently submitted an application for historic status for Waterfront Tower and the grounds, which could halt development if approved. ANC Chairman Andy Litsky chided the Bernstein representatives present at the meeting about the tactic before opening the floor to residents who wanted to express their concerns about the PUD. Concerns ranged from the design & height of the buildings to lack of visibility to accessibility challenges for disabled residents. After more than an hour of discussion, the commissioners passed a resolution seeking to postpone the May 30th Zoning Commission meeting (the developers agreed to the delay after hearing the concerns from residents at the meeting) and a second resolution to not support the PUD in its current form until a long list of concerns are addressed. Bernstein will meet with Waterfront Tower residents and the ANC over the next few weeks to help address their concerns (one of the ANC’s stipulations was that the residents were able to discuss the PUD without the threat of a lawsuit over their heads). This PUD will most likely be on the agenda again in the June ANC meeting.

Rendering courtesy of Maurice Walters Architect, PC

PUD Submitted for St. Matthew's Redevelopment

The team behind the redevelopment of St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church came before the ANC earlier this month to give an update on their plans for the site, located at the southwest corner of M Street and Delaware Avenue. Local architectural firm Shalom Baranes Associates designed the buildings and the project will be built by Trammell Crow and CSG Urban Partners. The development team submitted a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the project in early June and construction is scheduled to get underway in 2012 with completion set for 2014.

The apartment building is shaped like the letter L, with an 11-story building fronting M Street and an 8-story building on the west side perpendicular to M Street. Approximately 220 residences are planned, with 10% set aside under inclusionary zoning as affordable housing. The apartments are not affiliated with St. Matthew's, so anyone can apply to rent a unit. There will be metal cladding on the apartment building along with two-story metal panels as seen in the above rendering. Design cues for the building were taken from neighboring residences like River Park and Waterfront Tower, and the incorporation of a courtyard was done to fit in with the Southwest building style of having apartments frame courtyards. Approximately six private patios will be on the ground level for tenants. Other apartment amenities include a fitness center, lounge, screening room, and about 133 parking spaces.



Local landscape architectural firm Oculus has designed the courtyard - the same firm that designed the Waterfront Station Metro plaza.The courtyard area will be shared between the church and apartment building with a seating area and a shallow pool that will be connected to the fellowship hall of the church. There will be a bosque of trees in the center of the courtyard and a paved area in front, facing Delaware Avenue. A landscaped buffer will be installed along Delaware Avenue to shield the outdoor space and provide some security. Existing trees will be maintained on three sides - Delaware Avenue, the western border with 240 M Street, and on the south. New landscaping will be planted on M Street. Parking will be accessed via Delaware Avenue and loading will be done on M Street. All main pedestrian entrances (for the church, community center, and apartment building) will be on M Street.



The new St. Matthew's will be constructed with stacked stone masonry and colored glass will be inset using cut glass from the old church building that will form an image - perhaps an image of the giving of the Holy Spirit. Glass will be back-lit so it will be illuminated at night. The square immediately to the right of the base of the cross in the rendering is a large window that will allow people to see into the sanctuary, look through to the baptistery, and into the courtyard in the back.  Architecturally it conveys that St. Matthew’s is open to the community and welcomes everyone to venture inside.  The sidewalk will have an indenture at the window with a backless bench, so people can "sit a while" and rest while looking into the interior space. The green panel to the right of the window (and left of the door) is the exterior wall of the sacristy and is where the name of the church will be located. There will be wisteria growing from the cross, which according to Pastor Huber has several meanings:

As a missional congregation, it reminds St. Matthew’s that they are sent by God to our community; it reminds St. Matthew’s and the community that the church is alive, growing, and branching out; and it reminds us that growth and life comes from being "attached" to the cross of Christ. The vine will also act as a dynamic "church sign" - changing the view of the church as the seasons change.

There will be approximately 25 garage spaces available. The church will offer the following elements:

• An attractive communal sacred space
• 10,000 SF of community space & meeting rooms
• Outdoor urban space & community gathering space (courtyard)
• Thurgood & Cecilia Marshall Southwest DC Community Center
• Sacred Grounds Cafe: "Coffee with a Purpose"
• Resource Room/Computer Center for after-school programming, adult education, and job training

A set-down hearing won't happen at least until October, so the ANC will have a chance to vote on the PUD application sometime this summer.

Renderings courtesy of Shalom Baranes Associates

Waterfront Tower Almost Sold Out

Urban Turf reports that only seven units remain at the 123-unit Waterfront Tower, the condo conversion next to Waterfront Station at 3rd & M Street. This is the same condo building that was featured on HGTV's House Hunters last fall. Sales began in the fall of 2009. When I toured the project last summer, the sales staff told me that in a few years, the apartment building across the courtyard (1001 @ Waterfront) will likely get renovated like Waterfront Tower and convert to condo. Future phases call for two new residenital towers to be built - one on the parking lot facing M Street (which is why those spaces are leased and not sold) and the other on the parking lot on the north side of 1001 @ Waterfront.

Southwest Featured on HGTV's "House Hunters"

Below is a video from an episode of HGTV's "House Hunters" featuring a Southwester that was looking to buy her first home in DC (the freeze-frame shot in the video isn't in SW btw). Two of the three properties were in Southwest (Tiber Island Riverside Condominium and Waterfront Tower). The show was taped last winter after one of our blizzards, but aired last week. Lots of neighborhood landmarks are featured, including the Southwest Waterfront promenade, the wall surrounding Fort McNair, MPD's 1st District HQ, and Wheat Row. See which property she picked!

Waterfront Tower Featured on Fox 5 News

There's a story on Fox 5 News' website about the housing market and featured in the story is Waterfront Tower (I also happen to be interviewed in the story doing my day job). According to the piece, Waterfront Tower, the condo conversion project next to Waterfront Station, is approximately 60% sold. The developer mentions that many buyers are taking advantage of the first time home buyer tax credit. Also, the developer touted recent developments in the area, including the new Safeway and Arena Stage's expansion. Prices at Waterfront Station start in the $200s (as the photo on the top of the post states).

I also read in May's issue of Washingtonian magazine over the weekend that the 20024 zip code is one of the local real estate markets that is bouncing back. Prices were up last year by 12%, although prices declined by 25% over the prior two years.

What Others Are Saying About Southwest

- In January's issue of Urban Igloo's Rent Check newsletter, they profile 1001 at Waterfront apartments, which is located next to Waterfront Station and is the sister building to Waterfront Tower, the condo conversion developed by The Bernstein Companies.

- This is a bit old (over 6 months), but I thought I'd add a link to this post from the WeLoveDC blog, who profiled the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood back in June as a part of their Where We Live series.

Potomac Place Tower Back on Track

Renovations and sales at Potomac Place Tower (PPT) condos, located at 800 4th Street, will now continue since local developer Monument Realty has been able to find a new lender to finance the project, according to a press release on Monday. Swedbank, AB, a Swedish-based bank, is the new lender on the project. Back in December, Southwest...TLQTC first reported on the work stoppage at the condo conversion project, due to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, and the subsequent liens placed on the property. The news of PPT restarting sales comes just a couple weeks after Waterfront Tower, a new condo conversion project nearby, began marketing. Perhaps the thought of having a competing condo project in the market helped negotiations move along for the developer and the lender. Natasha Stancill, Director of Marketing at Monument Realty, tells Southwest...TLQTC that the renovations at PPT should be complete by the first quarter of 2010. Approximately 15 units in the North Tower and 100 units in the South Tower are available for occupancy within the next 30-45 days. Another 100 units in the South Tower will be available for occupancy by year end. The final 35 units in the North Tower will be available in the first quarter of 2010. Prices range from approximately $180,000 for a studio to approximately $330,000 for a two bedroom. Below are a couple of photos of unit interiors in a model unit at PPT, courtesy of Monument Realty. To the left is a photo of the kitchen and on the right is a view of the living room with a balcony.

Waterfront Tower Condos Begin Marketing

This afternoon I noticed a large banner being erected on the (formerly known as) Town Center Apartments on the corner of 3rd & M Street. Southwest now has a second condominium conversion project and it's called Waterfront Tower...it even has a blog. The Bernstein Companies and Peak Development, along with the former tenants of Town Center, have converted the 1960s-era building into condos, with prices starting in the low $200s for studios up to two bedroom units starting in the low $300s. The Mayhood Company is marketing the project and Abdo Development is the general contractor. This is the last building in the four-building complex surrounding Waterfront Station to be renovated. Last year, Bernstein renovated 1001 at Waterfront as apartments and Fairfield Residential also renovated Marina View Apartments, now called The View at Waterfront, which is on the west side of Waterfront Station. According to the website, interior features include Caesarstone countertops, breakfast bars, CleenSteel appliances, Mecho Roller shades for all windows, hardwood floors and carpet. Project amenities at Waterfront Tower include a fitness center, entertainment lounge with kitchen area, a courtyard/BBQ area, security cameras, front desk attendant, bike storage, and parking. Once I get more details about the project, I'll let you know. Above is a photo of workers putting up the new sign on the building.

This sign was posted in the parking lot near the front of Waterfront Tower.