River Point Plans Fleshed Out

Several months after it was announced that the former Coast Guard headquarters building was purchased and the buyers were planning to re-purpose the building as a mixed-use residential and retail project called River Point, plans have been submitted by the development team to the Zoning Commission for approval under the Capitol Gateway Overlay District. The project is located between the James Creek and Buzzard Point marinas at 2100 2nd Street in Buzzard Point, about two blocks south of Audi Field. 

According to the submission, the monolithic exterior will be broken up with the addition of cut-outs along the V Street, 1st Street and Anacostia riverfront sides of the building. A series of courtyards will be located on the third floor, including seating areas, a yoga deck, fire pit, movie screen, lawn, kitchen and dining room. The rooftop will include a pool and pool terrace. Residential entrances will be on 1st and 2nd streets. There will be a total of 485 rental apartment units with a mix of studio, junior one bedroom, one bedroom, and two bedroom units, both with and without dens (it appears the condominium component has been removed). Due to its location adjacent to the Anacostia River, the ground floor and adjacent streets will be raised above the 100-year flood plain. 

About 70,400 SF of ground floor retail is planned on all sides of the building. Restaurants will generally be located on the riverfront side of the building while neighborhood-serving retail will be located on V Street. Outdoor seating would be accommodated on the riverfront and 1st Street sides of the building. Some of the retail uses that are being targeted include restaurants, café, pharmacy and a grocery store. 

The Anacostia Riverwalk will run along the south side of the building, connecting to Buzzard Point Park to the east and the 2nd Street Cycle Track to the west. A boardwalk, programmable barges, fixed piers, a shell deck, public art, and a floating garden are planned for the area to the south of the riverfront trail. 

The building will aim for LEED-Silver certification and is expected to get underway later this year.

Renderings courtesy of 2100 2nd Street, SW LLC

Revised Stadium PUD Application

Last week, D.C. United submitted a revised PUD application for their planned 19,000-seat, LEED-Gold stadium on Buzzard Point and released new renderings via social media. Compare to the original filing from January.  The application was revised based on comments from the Zoning Commission back in the spring. In their letter to the Zoning Commission, submitted with the application, the team identifies two major changes to the stadium design, including: 

• A two-way private street will run along the east side of the stadium site. This street is an extension of 1st Street and will be open to the public on non-game days, but closed on days when D.C. United has a match. The street will allow a pedestrian and vehicular connection north-south through the site. It will be 23 feet wide with sidewalks on both sides of the street, ranging from 13 feet to 30 feet. South of S Street, there will only be a sidewalk on the west side of the street. On the south side of the stadium site, there will be a coffee shop and the team offices. 

1st Street extension (stadium is at left)

Main entry gate (1st Street extension & Potomac Avenue)

• The PUD boundary now includes the large plaza located on the northeast portion of the stadium site near the main entrance. The southern edge of the plaza will have a canopy park with trees, seating area and structural canopies for vendors to use or for farmers’ markets. In the middle of the plaza, there will be a sculpture with the letters “D.C. United”. On non-game days, the D.C. United sculpture letters will be surrounded by a splash fountain. The plaza will be activated on match day with a variety of activities, including food trucks and other food vendors, merchandise sales, sponsor booths, kids zone, games like soccer tennis, beer garden, tailgating, live music, and a broadcast set, a la College Gameday. Other yard games will be held on an adjacent parcel (Parcel B) where future development is planned. 

Plaza area on match day

In addition to these major changes, D.C. United addressed some other issues, such as: 

• 3,950 parking spaces in the vicinity of the stadium have been identified for use by D.C. United on game days. These include many of the same surface lots and garages used for Nationals games, as well as street parking. There will be zero parking spaces in the stadium. 
• Pedestrian routes to the stadium have been identified – most fans will use Potomac Avenue via South Capitol Street and 1st Street SE. 
• Development on the adjacent Parcel B will likely start in 1-2 years and may include multiple uses, including a hotel, office, ground floor retail, and/or event space. 

Concept rendering of Parcel B, south of large plaza

• The revised drawings are more clear, refined and have more color. 
• Along 2nd Street on the west side of the stadium, parklets will be installed which will include seating areas and bike parking. 
• There will be 83 bicycle parking spaces and a bike valet at the corner of 2nd and T streets holding up to 150 bikes. 

Below are a few more renderings.

Team store on R Street

Staff entry and ticket office on 1st Street extension

NW entry gate at 2nd and R streets

If approved by the Zoning Commission, construction of the stadium could start before the end of the year and be ready in time for the 2018 MLS season. Demolition was completed earlier this summer.

Renderings courtesy of D.C. United and Populous

Update: The WBJ (subscribers only) reports that the team will issue a RFP for the 2-acre Parcel B within the coming weeks to a select pool of developers, but construction will not start at least until the end of the inaugural season at the new stadium in 2018. However, that timetable could be pushed up based on market forces. 

Demolition Ceremony for D.C. United Stadium on Monday

A demolition ceremony to make way for the new (tentatively named) D.C. United Stadium will be held on Monday, starting at 11am. Mayor Muriel Bowser, D.C. United representatives, and other dignitaries will be on hand for the demolition ceremony, to be held at 2nd and S streets in the stadium footprint. The District took ownership of the land for the stadium last year and is still dealing with eminent domain proceedings for a two-acre portion that was owned by Akridge. A PUD for the 20,000-seat stadium designed by Populous was filed in January and is making its way through the approvals process with the Zoning Commission. 

 At a Zoning Commission pubic meeting last month, the stadium design was described as “boring”, “austere” and “prison-like” by the Commissioners, so expect some revised drawings in the coming weeks. Once approvals have been secured and environmental remediation is complete, construction is expected to start around September with the stadium opening in time for the start of the 2018 MLS season in March. 

Rendering courtesy of D.C. United

Stadium District Lofts Planned for Buzzard Point

The type of small-scale infill development currently lacking in most of Southwest is coming to Buzzard Point. A Zoning Commission application was recently submitted for Stadium District Lofts, an eight-unit apartment building planned by SW resident Tyler Merkeley at 1542 1st Street, located between Lucky Kabob Indian Restaurant and High Road Primary & Middle School. The proposed project is located within the Capitol Gateway Overlay, hence the need for the application. In addition, the project sponsor is requesting a variance to not include parking due to the small lot size and access constraints since there is no alley. In lieu of vehicle parking, a total of 11 bike parking spaces will be provided – three long-term and eight short-term. 

Stadium District Lofts is planned as a five-story building (the application says four-story, but the rendering appears to be five stories) with a brick façade on the east and west elevations. On the north and south elevations, the material will be fiber-cement board panels – these two sides of the building will likely be covered over time by eventual development of the lots to the north and south - the Zoning Commission statement from the applicant states the Lucky Kabob/Shulman’s site is currently for sale. The unit mix will include one 1BR, five 2BRs, and two 3BR units. Green features include a bio-retention rain garden and the potential for a green roof, which would qualify this project for LEED-Silver certification. 

The proposed project would replace a fire-damaged single-family home that is in the process of being razed. The owner of a rowhouse around the corner from this site on Q Street applied for a raze permit recently and it’s likely a denser residential development will be planned there as well. This is one of several planned developments on Buzzard Point, which is starting to get attention since DC United decided to locate their new soccer stadium in the neighborhood. 

A hearing is scheduled for Stadium District Lofts on St. Patrick’s Day.

Rendering courtesy of TMASSHLDG, LLC

Revised PUD for The View at Waterfront

Back in late December, Mill Creek Residential Trust, the new owner of The View at Waterfront apartments at 6th and M streets, submitted a revised Planned Unit Development (PUD) application for construction of two new residential buildings on the parking lots fronting M and K streets. A PUD was approved several years ago when Fairfield Residential owned the property, but several changes have been made since then. Generally, Mill Creek has reduced the scope of the project. In the previously approved PUD, a total of 324 new units were planned, but the proposed changes reduce the number to about 260 units. Additionally, the height has been reduced from 112 feet to 85 feet. The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) has been reduced to 3.4 from 4.39 and the lot occupancy is proposed to be 42% compared to the previously approved 51%. Parking has been reduced significantly from 569 total spaces for all four buildings to 290 spaces in three levels of below-grade parking; however only 175 spaces are required under zoning. 

The look of the proposed buildings has also changed since Fairfield retained Esocoff & Associates to design the previously-approved project. SK&I Architecture has designed the new buildings with a grey and white color palette that resembles neighboring Lex at Waterfront Station. The PUD application describes the design of the new buildings: 

Each new building is comprised of two volumes. The first is a taller, lighter box that is supported by a tall recessed ground floor with exposed columns along the primary streets and corners; the second is a more subdued, lower mass that meets the ground plane and also is pulled back and tapered from the corners between the proposed and existing buildings along the street edge. 

Current SK&I Architecture design.

Esocoff & Associates design.

The north tower will have seven stories, including a mezzanine on the top floor and the south tower will have six stories, including mezzanines on the ground and top floors. A two-story retail space is still planned for the new south tower at the corner of 6th and M streets facing Arena Stage, but has been reduced from 8,900 SF to 5,200 SF. One thing that hasn’t changed is the amount of space set aside for affordable units. There will still be 6,500 SF of affordable housing evenly distributed on floors 2-5 of both new buildings, in addition to the 9,500 SF of affordable housing that currently exists in the I.M. Pei buildings. 

Each of the new towers will have amenity spaces within the buildings, as well as “vest pocket parks” between the proposed and existing buildings designed by Land Design. The “vest pocket parks” will contain amenities that can be used year round throughout the day and night. Some of the planned amenities include lawn panels, flexible seating, grilling areas, outdoor fireplaces, and water elements, each designed in “rooms” with heavy landscaping. The south tower will have a two-level lobby and amenity space, as well as loft units with mezzanines while the north tower will have a two-level lobby and amenity space. 

The developers will go before ANC 6D later this year to seek their support before meeting with the Zoning Commission. If approved, Mill Creek would like to start construction in 2016.

Renderings courtesy of SK&I Architecture, Esocoff & Associates, and Land Design

St. Matthew's PUD Extension Sought

 

The redevelopment of the St. Matthew’s lot at M Street and Delaware Avenue has taken another turn as the developers have a scheduled hearing with the Zoning Commission next month to extend the PUD for two years. Originally approved two years ago, the PUD became effective on November 30, 2012 when the Zoning Commission’s final order was published in the DC Register. The plan calls for a new St. Matthew’s Church at the corner of M Street and Delaware Avenue and a 220-unit rental apartment building planned by Trammell Crow. 

It is likely that Trammell Crow will not use the full two years to apply for building permits, since the latest estimate for the start of construction is the second quarter of 2015 according to St. Matthew’s. However, the developer was not present at Monday’s ANC 6D meeting when the commission was to vote on the extension request. As a result, the commissioners have requested that the Zoning Commission delay their planned January 12 hearing until the ANC can hear from the developer. The Zoning Commission hearing is also scheduled the same day as the January ANC meeting, so none of the commissioners would be able to attend the hearing if it were held on that date. If the hearing isn't rescheduled, the commissioners will not support the request to extend the PUD.

Renderings courtesy of Shalom Baranes Associates

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

Revised PUD for Randall School Submitted

At long last, a revised PUD application for the Randall School site at 65 I Street was filed on May 31 with the Zoning Commission. The Telesis/Rubell team has had the shuttered school under contract from the Corcoran since 2010 and since then has been working on plans for the site. With the help of Bing Thom Architects, the team has come forth with a plan to preserve the three existing historic buildings along I Street for use as a contemporary art museum and other arts uses, as well as a restaurant. Other newer additions will be removed. 

The original Randall Junior High School building, built in 1906.

The museum will be located in the original 1906 center building; other arts-related uses will be located in the west wing; and a restaurant with outdoor seating will be in the east wing (both wings were built in 1927). Behind the center building, a new four-story addition will house additional exhibition space for the art museum.  The new addition will have exterior walls that will allow images and video to be displayed that will be visible from a large courtyard open to the public. Two 12-story towers with 550 residential units will wrap behind the historic buildings and courtyard. 

Video can be projected on the side of the museum facing the courtyard

 Following is a description of the design of the residential buildings from the PUD application:

The new twelve-story residential building will be set behind the historic Randall School. It is comprised of nine distinct blocks that are stacked around the west, north and east sides of the site and behind the historic school structures to the south. These forms enclose a publicly accessible courtyard and run parallel to H Street, the former Half Street and former First Street, thereby physically defining these streets in the neighborhood. Gaps between these building blocks emphasize their proportions and recall the slab building forms common in the Southwest neighborhood. The lower six levels of the new south west and south east building elements are cut at an angle leading into the center of the site in deference to the historic buildings. It is at these points that the entrances to the residential "towers" will be located just behind the historic buildings to the east and west. Six levels above these entries at the south side of the courtyard are two building wings that span from the perimeter of the building to columns on either side of the new museum structure. Ground floor units facing 1st Street, H Street and the courtyard will have individual entrances and private outdoor spaces along the street or at the interior courtyard. The site and public space in front of the historic buildings on I Street will be modified to make the historic buildings accessible and to provide opportunities for street side café seating. The massing concept, which evolved through a series of meetings with District agencies and the staff of the Historic Preservation Office, places a majority of the project’s density away from the historic building toward the rear of the site. The sensitive massing of the new construction allows the historic Randall School to continue to appear as a separate building along I Street, and maintain the character of the existing streetscape.

Individual entrances for units on the ground level from the street.

The building materials used for the residential buildings are primarily metal panels and glass arranged in an irregular format to contrast with the structured facades of the historic buildings. The main entrances will be located on the southwest and southeast corners of the buildings. Some sustainability elements include rain-water harvesting, urban forestry best-practices, and green roofs. Each residential building will have a rooftop pool and separate amenity space on the ground level. Parking for 200 vehicles will be below grade and six surface spaces along the right-away of 1st Street. Access to the parking garage and loading will be off of H Street.

H Street facade of the residential buildings.

 

An extensive public benefits package is proposed for the project, which includes:

• A new contemporary museum of art.
• An annual art exhibit at the museum featuring art from ANC 6D residents, including at least one public school student.
• Each year designate a neighborhood visual arts project in ANC 6D and provide resources needed to make the project a reality.
• Organize, sponsor, and provide resources for an annual outdoor Arts Festival in ANC 6D that’s free and open to the public.
• Offer free admission to the museum to all residents of ANC 6D (with proper ID).
• Establish a program of recruiting museum volunteers from ANC 6D.
• Pay five annual memberships in the Corcoran Gallery of Art for DC public school teachers.
• Provide at least five annual full scholarships to ANC 6D residents to participate in the Camp Creativity program sponsored by the Corcoran Gallery of Art or the Corcoran College of Art & Design.
• Twenty percent of the gross floor area dedicated to residential will be set aside for households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).
• Historic preservation of the three buildings along I Street.
• First Source Employment Agreement using District residents for at least 51% of the jobs created by the project.
• Use of Certified Business Enterprise (CBEs) when possible.

Southeast corner view of the project along I Street.

The project is phased so the museum, other arts uses, retail, and the east residential building will be done first. The west residential building can be built in a later phase. The Telesis/Rubell team will have to come before ANC 6D for their support before meeting with the Zoning Commission later this year.


Renderings courtesy of Bing Thom Architects

Waterfront Station Update

Representatives from Waterfront 1001 4th Street, LLC, which proposes a residential building for the NW parcel of Waterfront Station, came before ANC 6D at the May monthly meeting to garner support for their Stage 2 PUD, which includes a 365-unit high-rise rental apartment building with 2-level townhouse units at the base. Also included are three spaces of ground-floor retail totaling 4,400 SF. More details on the PUD can be found here. The commissioners unanimously supported the PUD, under two conditions: the commissioners want to encourage more retail at the project and the developers need to create a construction management plan to limit disturbance to the SW Duck Pond during and after construction. The developers are scheduled to go before the Zoning Commission on June 6th.

Sky House East Tower.

Meanwhile, Sky House has recently been placed on the market by Urban Atlantic and The JBG Companies. The still-under construction pair of rental apartment buildings totals 530 units with 20% of the units reserved for residents earning up to 50% of Area Median Income. According to the sales brochure, the East tower is expected to be completed this December and the West tower in March 2014. The buildings are expected to sell before tenants move in to avoid TOPA rules. Due to the size of each of the buildings, it is doubtful that either of the buildings will switch to condominiums since the pre-sale requirements for buildings financed by Fannie Mae or FHA are still quite stringent. In addition, Bresler Reiner is selling their interest in the two planned M Street office buildings and NW parcel. Vornado and Forest City will continue to be partners in the development. 

Vacant corner retail space at 1101 4th Street.

On the retail front, the four vacant retail spaces in 1100 and 1101 4th Street are still on the market three years after the office buildings were completed, but it was revealed in Monday’s ANC meeting that the current owner USAA is in negotiations with a potential tenant to take two of the retail spaces north of Subway at 1101 4th Street. New banners were recently placed on the light poles along 4th Street to help give the area a sense of place as the “Main Street” of Southwest. Per the Stage 1 PUD approval, it is required that all of the retail at Waterfront Station must be neighborhood-oriented retail. What neighborhood-oriented retail should open at Waterfront Station? Vote on the left sidebar for your choice and/or leave a comment.

Rendering courtesy of Perkins Eastman

Parcel 5 Plan Receives Unanimous ANC Support

At last night's monthly ANC 6D meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved plans by The JBG Companies for an Element and aloft hotel planned for Parcel 5 at The Wharf. However, the approval is conditional on JBG providing the ANC with a bus management plan for the hotels well before the Zoning Commission hearing on February 28, which was the main concern expressed by several commissioners about the project since the illegal idling of buses as they load and unload passengers has been a big issue along the waterfront for years. Many of the commissioners lauded the design by SmithGroup JJR; the building materials to be used will primarily be glass and metal panels with a hint of wood and brick used at the retail level. The building was designed to not have a "backside" and the side facing 7th Street Park was designed to resemble the sails of tall ships. Most of the undesirable functions, such as loading, are located along the service drive in the middle of the building. A description of the stage 2 PUD submission can be found here, but some more details about the buildings were revealed at the meeting, such as:

Entrance to Element hotel off of 7th Street Park.

The main entrance to the Element extended-stay hotel will be off of 7th Street Park while the aloft entrance will be on Wharf Street. A secondary entrance to the aloft will be off of a service drive that runs through the property - this will be available in cases when Wharf Street is closed to traffic for special events. A taxi stand will be on Maine Avenue. Just to the north of the Element entrance will be a monumental staircase, which leads from 7th Street Park to the shared plaza area on the second level. This plaza will have a pool and bars that will be open to the public in addition to hotel guests. Both hotel lobbies and the second level will be open to the public - key card access is only required to reach the guest rooms above.

Monumental staircase.

There will be a Zoning Commission hearing on February 28th at 441 4th Street, NW, Room 220 South at 6:30pm.

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroup JJR

Zoning Commission Defers Vote on Waterfront Station PUD Extension

On Monday, the Zoning Commission deferred action on the request by the city and Waterfront Associates to extend the PUD on two parcels at Waterfront Station - the District-owned northeast parcel and 425 M Street (southwest parcel) owned by the development team.  The main reason for the deferment until the October 29 Zoning Commission meeting was due to the resolution by ANC 6D earlier this month opposing the extension. The District has yet to respond to concerns from the ANC about a plan for what they want to do with their parcel and creating a paved walkway in the interim to replace the muddy path made by people traversing the site.  One of the zoning commissioners wanted to deny the extension outright because they felt the Deputy Mayor's Office for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) has been dragging its feet on soliciting a RFP for a parcel that will provide affordable housing in a city that desperately needs it. The city's contention that they want to get the maximum value for the land and the need for affordable housing is counter intuitive, according to the Commissioner. Part of the reason for the delay in doing anything with the site is because the parcel was once owned by the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation (AWC), a quasi government agency that was dissolved by the Fenty administration and the parcels controlled by AWC (including the northeast parcel) were transferred to DMPED.  Since the ANC voted earlier this month, Waterfront Associates has addressed some of their concerns with the development team's parcel, including the construction of a fence to cover an exposed staircase on the M Street parcel (see above) and has updated the contact information on signage posted on the vacant retail space on 4th Street.

The ANC will have a chance to reconsider their disapproval of the extension at their October 15 meeting once they get some answers from DMPED.

A Few Quick Items: Capitol Park Tower TOPA, Wharf to Zoning Commission, Senate Passes Wharf Legislation, Redesign of National Mall

- It was reported in the Housing Complex blog that Capitol Park Tower apartments is under contract to Urban Investment Partners. According to the post, the tenants are trying to pull resources together to purchase the building, with 50% +1 of tenants needed to enforce their Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) rights.  Capitol Park Tower is located at 4th & G Street and contains 488 rent-controlled units.  It is part of the Capitol Park development, which was the first residential development built in Southwest after urban renewal.

- A setdown for the Stage 2 PUD application of Phase I of The Wharf development was granted unanimously by the Zoning Commission last week. The Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team will go before ANC 6D within the next couple of months to get support for their Stage 2 PUD application before they meet with the Zoning Commission this summer.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

- On a related note, the Senate passed legislation to allow the redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront to proceed as planned according to The Hill, which will allow the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team to build piers into the Washington Channel, as well as allow the sale of fruits, vegetables, and other items at the Maine Avenue Fish Market. The Maine Lobsterman statue, which is maintained by the National Park Service, must remain somewhere along the waterfront. The House of Representatives already passed similar legislation, but an amendment was added in the Senate version regarding navigation of the Washington Channel, so the House will need to vote again before the bill can be signed by the President. 

- Design alternatives have been released for three areas of the National Mall and were on display at the Smithsonian Castle, according to The Washington Post.  The three areas include Constitution Gardens, the Washington Monument grounds, and Union Square near the Capitol.  Four finalists have been chosen for each area and a winner for each will be announced next month. Check out the Post's photo gallery for renderings. 

L'Enfant Plaza 2.0

L’Enfant Plaza’s retail center transformation continues moving forward, which began back in 2009. The retail center, two office buildings, and a hotel at the massive complex are owned by The JBG Companies and the renovated retail center was designed by SmithGroup. Now open at the food court: Potbelly Sandwich Works, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Starbucks, Crumbs Bake Shop, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Au Bon Pain, Frozen Yogurt Indulgence, Gourmet Too, Mina’s Boutique, Nash’s Mens Wear, 4-U, Hallmark Cards, Gateway Newsstand, Jay Jewelers, a sports injury rehab center, and a post office. A few other retailers are still scheduled to open over the next few months, including Five Guys and Mamma Ilardo’s.  Several of the restaurants are open beyond 5pm during the work week and are also open on Saturday. 

Hallmark Cards is one of the retailers who moved from the old retail promenade to the renovated center. 

Construction on Phase II is underway and demolition will soon begin on the western portion of the existing retail center with completion scheduled for the third quarter of 2013. Many retailers have expressed interest in coming to Phase II of the retail center, according to Matt Ginivan of JBG, who attended the International Council of Shopping Centers conference last week at National Harbor. Some of the targeted retailers at Phase II include sit down restaurants, as well as a fitness center and child care facility.

Rendering of the atrium interior planned for Phase II

A couple of weeks ago, the Commission of Fine Arts approved designs for the grand glass atrium entryway planned for the plaza in Phase II; however, ZGF (Zimmer Gunsul Frasca) needs to go back to the drawing table on the planned office building on Frontage Road since the commission requested a number of changes to those preliminary designs. 

Rendering of atrium exterior on the plaza.

Meanwhile, renovations are also underway on the east office tower, which includes the addition of glass to the lobby area to give it some “pop” and compliments the glass atrium planned for the plaza. The hotel above the east office building was recently renovated and construction on a new extended-stay Homewood Suites hotel will get underway at 9th and D Street this summer. The addition of windows at the food court, as well as the new atrium and office lobby improvements in the east tower will add more light throughout the complex. Eventually, an office building is planned for the plaza itself, but those plans are still preliminary.  

Glass additions to the east office building lobby are visible in the background.

Even though L’Enfant Plaza is geographically close to the residential area of Southwest, access to the complex by foot is daunting. In the intermediate and long-term, there are plans to make improvements. The developer is looking to eventually improve pedestrian connections from the south with the construction of the proposed Frontage Road office building.  As a part of the Southwest Ecodistrict initiative, there are plans to remake 10th Street into a pedestrian-friendly street that will better connect L’Enfant Plaza to The Wharf development and the rest of Southwest. In addition, the DC Office of Planning has been working on the Maryland Avenue Draft Plan in conjunction with the Southwest Ecodistrict which calls for a new south entrance to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station.

Renderings courtesy of SmithGroup

Community Groups Gear up for The Wharf PUD

Ahead of the ANC 6D meeting next Monday and the DC Zoning Commission meeting the following Monday, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) and the Community Benefits Coordinating Council (CBCC) have made their concerns known regarding portions of the PUD application for The Wharf. SWNA has released their written testimony they plan to deliver at the July 18 Zoning Commission meeting.  A summary of it is below:

We support the general framework of the plan.  The HMW team  has developed a captivating plan for reactivating the Southwest Waterfront ("SWW").  We believe the plan establishes a bold vision for redeveloping our waterfront, long suffering from incomplete development and inadequate maintenance.  We appreciate HMW efforts to-date by meeting with community leaders and organizations and establishing an active 7th Street Landing in the interim.

However, the plans require further refinement and modification.  Given the unprecedented size and complexity of the development this can be expected.

SWNA has identified shortcomings in five areas:

Zoning and Development

SWNA is concerned about the height, bulk, and design of the buildings since they do not relate to the existing community. Some buildings are planned to top out at 130 feet while current buildings in Southwest are only 90 feet. Setbacks on upper floors are insufficient and the design of the buildings are reminiscent of generic suburban development. Also, large billboards are planned on the north side of the development, which might cause an increase in light pollution. The design of Pier 4 is inconsistent with other parts of the waterfront, including the planned headhouse market. SWNA generally supports the waterside plan, but has concerns about provisions for the live-aboards at the Gangplank Marina.

Circulation

There are concerns about an increase in traffic from development at The Wharf and other projects in the pipeline, especially at the intersection of 9th Street and Maine Avenue. The transportation impact study done by Grove/Slade for HMW assumes that 35-45% of people will visit The Wharf using transit, but the comparable development projects the consulting team used to make that assumption have Metro access much closer to their developments than The Wharf. SWNA prefers three streetcar stops  at the development instead of the four that are currently planned. A second entrance to the Waterfront-SEU Metro station at 6th Street and Maine Avenue is preferred. There are also concerns about idling buses on neighborhood streets, DDOT's responsiveness, and the "limited access" nature of most of the development.

Open Space

The HMW plan closes off the waterfront from the surrounding community and Maine Avenue will be converted from an urban boulevard to a mundane city street. There are concerns that there isn't enough detailed plans about the mews, arcades, and other dense corridors - which could become dark, undesirable alleys if not done properly. The design of pavilions are out of scale with the neighborhood (reminiscent of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore) and some structures jut out onto the M Street corridor. Ecologically and functionally sustainable plantings should be considered instead of the several grassy lawns that are currently in the plan. Larger open space areas such as M Street Landing and the Waterfront Park are generally designed well, but the water features at M Street Landing should be signature elements and there should be language written about a community-led progress to design the Waterfront Park as the developers have mentioned at community meetings.

Sustainability

The HMW team should aim for certified LEED-ND Platinum and create a true low-impact development meeting today's highest standard. Almost half of the Waterfront Park area is paved, but instead should be primarily a space with pervious surfaces. The surface parking area currently planned for the Pier 4 area should be replaced with underground spaces as is planned for the rest of the development.

Public Benefits

The main concern about public benefits is they need to be clearly identified, managed, and delivered on a timely basis. Some of the public benefits identified by HMW, such as a new clubhouse for the Capital Yacht Club, are not public.  Also, the geographic distribution of the benefits do not benefit Southwest and Ward 6 specifically. SWNA defers to the CBCC to express their views on community benefits.

The CBCC released their position paper on the PUD application late last week. Listed below are their positions on the four areas of most concern:

Workforce Development and Jobs

a. Workforce intermediary: The Community Benefits Coordinating Council believes that a primary focus of the workforce intermediary should be residents of near SE/SW and Ward 6 as well as the current focus on public housing residents in Wards 5, and 8. Since all of the redevelopment will take place on the SW Waterfront it is important that near SE/SW residents benefit from all of the changes about to occur. The CBCC recommends that the leadership of the CBCC as well as the Family Enhancement Center and other workforce developers, such as Strive DC, should be an integral part of the planning team for the development of the workforce intermediary. Without the active input and expertise of SE/SW stakeholders in the goals of the workforce intermediary, we are concerned that the needs of unemployed and underemployed residents of our community will not benefit from this extensive redevelopment of the waterfront.

b. First Source Requirement - Jobs: The CBCC believes that residents living in the area most impacted by the redevelopment should have a preference in any first source requirement.  Therefore the CBCC requests that language be included in the developer requested PUD which states a preference for residents of Ward 6 in general and the SW in particular.

Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs)

The CBCC requests that language be included in the developer requested PUD which states a preference that 5% of the 35% CBE requirement be procured from Ward 6.  The CBCC further requests that the government entity (Department of Small and Local Business Development - DSLBD) responsible for monitoring the CBE procurement requirements engage the CBCC and other near SE/SW stakeholders in ensuring that these CBE requirements are enforced, and that businesses in the area are guided in the steps they should take to qualify for CBE status.

Housing Affordability and Diversity

a. Housing Affordability: The CBCC requests that a preference be established for all three (3) affordability categories noted above for residents of and workers who provide services in Ward 6. The CBCC also recommends that a formal advisory committee of near SE/SW stakeholders be established to work with the developer and city officials to ensure that these community benefits are actualized.

b. Housing Diversity: The CBCC requests that language be included in the developer requested PUD which states that the current live-aboards will be permitted to return to the SW Waterfront along with language that explains how the temporary displacement of the live-aboards will take place.

Community Participation/Engagement

The CBCC requests that an Advisory Committee be formalized with members selected by ANC, CBCC, SWNA, and other neighborhood stakeholders.  The Committee should be expected to develop a semi-annual Report to the Community, to be shared with the DMPED and City Council on the advice and recommendations to the developer and the responses to said recommendations.

ANC Meeting Set

The next ANC 6D meeting will be held on Monday, April 13th at 7pm at St. Augustine's Church, however, the agenda is not available yet online. Several Southwest-related items will be discussed at the meeting, including the 2010 Census, Engine 13, the SW Zoning Study, a public space permit for Arena Stage, and a presentation dealing with trees in SW. Above is a photo of the Maine Avenue elevation of Arena Stage taken in early April 2009. The framing for the roof structure is now visible.

SW Zoning Study to Start Later This Month

After the original start date of the SW Zoning Study came and went, word is out via the MidCity-Waterfront Newsletter from the Office of Planning that the zoning study will now begin this spring. Take a look at my post from last July to get a recap of what the zoning study will cover, but basically it will take a proactive approach to zoning so future development in the area will better serve the needs of the neighborhood.

Will The Southwester Cease to Exist?

After more than 40 years of providing news about the Southwest community, it was announced at tonight's SWNA meeting that The Southwester may no longer exist in its current print newspaper format due to financing issues. Marge Maceda, President of SWNA, said at tonight's monthly meeting that advertising revenue has dropped to a point that the newspaper is now operating in the red. The Southwester has a current circulation of about 12,000 and monthly printing costs average $2,500. Local businesses are the main source of advertising for the paper, but since several businesses have relocated as redevelopment comes to the community, advertising revenue has dropped. Also, the long-time Editor-in-Chief of The Southwester is retiring, so a new editor is needed to keep the newspaper going. Maceda stated that the options for The Southwester are the following: keep the paper as it is; make the newspaper an online publication until advertising revenue increases; or end The Southwester and negotiate with the Hill Rag to dedicate a certain amount of space each month to cover Southwest issues. A few audience members volunteered to help keep the newspaper afloat - including an interim editor-in-chief, ad solicitor, and assistance with creating a business plan for the paper. I will post throughout the week on other topics from the meeting, but most of the topics have recently been covered in this blog, including the Southwest zoning study, the closure of the 9th Street bridge, and an update on Waterfront Station.

Zoning Analysis of SW to Begin in January

The DC Office of Planning will kick off their analysis of zoning in Southwest in January 2009 with a community-wide public meeting. It was originally scheduled to begin in late Summer, but apparently has been delayed. Read my post from July about this topic.

Zoning Analysis of Southwest to Begin Soon

According to the Summer 2008 issue of the Ward 6 Neighborhood Planning Update, the DC Office of Planning will conduct a study of conditions in Southwest in order to help guide zoning and future development in the area. The boundaries of the study area are the Southeast-Southwest freeway to the north, the south side of P Street to the south, the Washington Channel to the west, and South Capitol Street to the east. Buzzard Point is not included in this study. Currently, there are 11 zoning districts within these boundaries, in addition to federal land, as a result of "reactive" zoning, since the zoning districts were created after Southwest was redeveloped in the 1950s and 1960s. Some issues that will be analyzed include possibly reopening some streets in the original L'Enfant plan, designate structures as historic, guide where new development should occur, and how to maximize transit use in the neighborhood. The community will be involved during this study period in a series of meetings, which are supposed to start in late summer and conclude in late fall of this year. Once the dates of the meetings are released, I'll post them here.