Permits Filed for Douglass Bridge-Related Demolition

Demolition permit applications have been filed for several buildings along the 1500 and 1600 blocks of South Capitol Street that will be removed to make way for the new Pepco-sponsored traffic oval leading to the replacement Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. The buildings include a repair shop and vacant structures. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new bridge back in February, which will be built about 100 feet west of the existing one. The four-year project will result in a new, six-lane arched span with bike and pedestrian lanes as well as two traffic ovals on either side of the bridge.  While the existing bridge will remain open during construction, expect periodic lane closures on South Capitol Street.

Pre-Construction Activity for South Capitol Apartment Project

Demolition permits have been filed for several rowhomes along South Capitol and N streets in preparation for the development of a new high-rise multifamily building next to Camden South Capitol apartments. Asbestos abatement is underway at the small rowhomes, which date to the early 1900s. A DC Council hearing was held on March 30 to get approval to temporarily close an alley off of N Street that connects to South Capitol Street during construction. ANC 6D gave its support several months ago. The alley will be the access point to the parking garage of the building, but it serves as an outlet to South Capitol Street for area residents. It will reopen once construction is complete as an easement – the air rights above a portion of the alley will be used to build the apartment project. 

Some of the surrounding homeowners are concerned about the proposed alley closing to construct the building, as well as potential damage to their homes once some of the rowhomes owned by the developer are demolished. A rowhome on N Street and two on South Capitol Street closest to the alley may be demolished to make the alleyway larger. Others may be demolished as well. An older rendering showed six rowhomes remaining on South Capitol Street, but the latest rendering revealed at Monday’s ANC meeting shows only four, starting with the blue South Capitol Smile Center building. 

Older rendering of proposed project. The two rowhomes on the
left would be demolished to create a green space for the project.

The new rental apartment building is planned as a 250-unit project with ground floor retail, designed by PGN Architects. Altus Realty Partners is expected to start construction on the project later this year with completion in 2019.

Signs of the Times

Part of the exterior of Riverside Baptist Church is being removed in preparation for demolition (a demolition permit was submitted back in September). The stone exterior will be reused in the new church that will be constructed at the corner of Maine Avenue and 7th Street. In addition to the new church, a 173-unit apartment building will be built at the intersection of 7th and I streets by PN Hoffman. About 10% of the apartment units will be set aside as affordable housing for households earning up to 50%, 80% and 100% of Area Median Income. There will be space on the ground floor of the apartment building for community-serving uses, such as a daycare center. 

During construction, Riverside patrons will be worshiping at Jefferson Academy Middle School. Jefferson is also hosting AppleTree in a temporary trailer while a new home for the charter school is built at District Wharf. The new Riverside Baptist and apartments should be completed in 2018. Other multifamily buildings that are expected to start in 2017 include 1399 Maryland Avenue and The Kiley on 4th. Over 680 units in three projects started construction in 2016 – 301 M Street, St. Matthew’s, and View at Waterfront.

Signage is now up for Eliot on 4th, the 365-unit apartment building at Waterfront Station. Leasing is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2017.

Renderings courtesy of PN Hoffman

Demo Permit Application Filed for Riverside Baptist

A demolition permit application was filed last month for Riverside Baptist Church, located at 6th Street and Maine Avenue. Back in March, the Zoning Commission approved the PUD for the site, which will be redeveloped with a new Riverside Baptist Church and a 173-unit apartment building. The church’s location will shift south to the intersection of 6th Street and Maine Avenue while the apartment building will be located at 6th and I streets. About 10% of the apartment units will be set aside as affordable housing for households earning up to 50%, 80% and 100% of Area Median Income. There will be space on the ground floor of the apartment building for community-serving uses, such as a daycare center. 

Construction on the project is expected to start before the end of the year with completion in 2018. 

Rendering courtesy of PN Hoffman

D.C. United Stadium Demolition Ceremony

An official demolition ceremony was held this morning at the site of the future D.C. United Stadium in Buzzard Point. Speakers at the event included Mayor Muriel Bowser, DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson, Ward 6 Council Member Charles Allen, D.C. United owner Jason Levien and others. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner stated during his remarks that the stadium project will provide 1,000 construction and permanent jobs, as well as help generate $1 billion in economic activity once Buzzard Point reaches buildout. It’s anticipated that approximately 1 million visitors will come to the stadium per year once it is built – construction will get underway this fall with completion by the start of the 2018 MLS season. This summer, a Community Workforce Coordinator will be hired to help connect Ward 6 residents to construction jobs at this project. Later, a Hospitality and Pre-Apprenticeship Coordinators will also be hired.

Ward 6 CM Allen gives remarks.

Mayor Bowser gives remarks.

A large crowd gathers for demo event.

The 96'ers were in attendance.

I couldn't get to the front row fast enough for the obligatory photo-op.

The District is responsible for horizontal development of the site, including razing existing buildings, utility work, and environmental remediation while D.C. United will build the stadium. There were a few protesters outside of the demolition event, many in face masks, with signs – one sign said “Protect out health, our children, our lives from contamination.” The Buzzard Point area is heavily polluted due to its primarily industrial past. The stadium, along with construction from the new Waterfront Pepco substation directly north of the stadium site, the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, and other sites in Buzzard Point which may be developed in the near future, will require extensive remediation and may cause a lot of dust to form in the neighborhood. In fact, there was what appeared to be an air quality control machine at the event.

Protesters citing environmental issues.

Air quality control machine.

After the speeches, the Mayor donned a hard hat and started demolishing a metal-clad building at 2nd and S streets. Below is a video of Mayor Bowser doing some demo work. Levien and Allen also got their turn at the helm.

SEU Reduced to Rubble

Demolition of the former SEU campus building at 6th and I streets is complete. All that is left of the building is a pile of rubble, which continues to be cleared away from the site. Eventually, the site will be developed as The Bard (pending PUD approval), a mixed use project with back of house operations for The Shakespeare Theatre (STC), 34 artists housing units, and 143 apartments (a portion will be set aside as affordable housing under Inclusionary Zoning) to be built by Erkiletian. The development team for the project is stepping up their PR efforts with social media, direct mailings, and a petition to city officials.

Rendering courtesy of STC

Demolition and Build-Out

Earlier this week, demolition began at the Hogate's building, located along the Southwest Waterfront at 800 Water Street. At this month's ANC 6D meeting, David Roberts from the District government said permits would be pulled the week of December 14th to demolish the building and it would be gone by mid-January. Judging by the photo at the top of this post, they are on schedule. Demolition will pave the way for an event space at the site next Spring, including the possibility that the Washington Kastles World Team Tennis organization will have a temporary "stadium" and play there in July. The event space will be temporary, of course, since the section of the waterfront from 7th Street to 9th Street is slated for construction by the end of 2012. The first event scheduled for the new event space will be festivities surrounding the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which will take place from March 26 - April 10, 2011. In prior years, the Prelude to the Fireworks festival and fireworks show have taken place on the Southwest Waterfront.

Meanwhile, work continues at Waterfront Station to build out spaces for Station 4 and Z-Burger, which will open at the 1101 4th Street building in the first quarter of 2011. Station 4 will occupy the southeastern corner of the building and will be approximately 4,000 square feet. Six large glass doors have been installed to allow access to the outdoor seating planned for the restaurant. In total, there will be space for about 200 diners. Z-Burger will be located on the southwest corner of the building. Lots of glass has been put up at both restaurants, so it looks like there will be ample natural light in those spaces. After these two restaurants open, there will still be four retail spots available at the first phase of Waterfront Station - one of which will be for a bank.

Exterior Demolition of Old First District Underway

I noticed on Monday that a part of the old MPD First District headquarters building has been demolished by Whiting-Turner to make way for the new Consolidated Forensic Lab (CFL). Interior abatement began last month. At Monday's ANC 6D meeting, it was revealed by Bill Vosburgh, project director of the CFL, that five mature oak trees along E Street cannot be saved during the construction process because their root systems will be severely disturbed as 10'-22' trenches are dug for utilities removal and replacement. As a result, the trees will be cut down and replaced by eight oak trees. In total, there will be 19 new oak trees around the perimeter of the CFL - eight trees on E Street, four trees on 4th Street, and seven trees on School Street. The trees will be 2-3 inches in diameter, which is much smaller than the trees currently on E Street, but they will grow as time passes and were chosen at the suggestion of the city's Arborist as street trees. The tree boxes for the new trees will be connected to the cistern system for the CFL, so storm water can help water them, which will contribute to the LEED-Gold certified rating the project is pursuing.

On another note, a construction camera was set up this past Friday on top of NASA headquarters to track progress at the CFL.

Market Inn Demolished

I took a different route to work today which brought me down E Street and to my surprise, I noticed that the Market Inn had been demolished. Readers have also been commenting today that the long-time establishment was indeed gone. On New Year's Eve 2008, John Mandis' Market Inn Restaurant closed its doors for the last time after being in business since 1959. The site will most likely remain an empty lot for a while until the economy improves and redevelopment becomes financially feasible. Above is a photo of the demolished site that I took this morning.

Here's a photo of the Market Inn I took back in October.

Ceremonial Demolition of Old First District HQ

Last week, DC Metrocentric reported that the case a rival contractor had against Whiting-Turner, the contractor the city chose in May to build the new Consolidated Forensic Lab (CFL), was dismissed by the city appellate board. The city wasted no additional time once the case was dropped, because today, the mayor announced once again that Whiting-Turner has been selected to build the CFL with a $133 million contract, six months after the original announcement. At the press announcement, the mayor ceremoniously took down a portion of the rear wall of the old first district headquarters, which is located at 415 4th Street. However, interior abatement must occur first before the old hq building can be demolished to make way for the CFL. The CFL will be home to MPD's Crime Lab, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, and the DC Public Health Lab. A total of 300 - 350 employees will be housed at the facility. The Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, PC-designed building will aim for LEED-Gold certification and will cost $220 million to build. It will be 287,000 SF and 6-stories tall, will accommodate 160 underground parking spaces and 60 street-level spaces. Construction should now be complete by 2012, due to the delay, instead of the original fall 2011 deadline. Above is a rendering of the CFL from the CFL website.

Demolition at 1101 South Capitol

A reader pointed out to me that the old KFC/Taco Bell at 1101 South Capitol Street is in the process of being demolished. Once I get back into town from a mini-Labor Day weekend vacation, I'll get some updated photos of the site. The Ruben Companies owns this site and another one on the other side of South Capitol. Plans seem to be further along on the SE parcel, but the last we heard about 1101 South Capitol was in February, when the developer was seeking a variance and an exemption from the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). However, the application was withdrawn in July. On the Ruben Companies website, a project page for 1101 South Capitol has reappeared, but not much information is available, besides a rendering of the planned office building (displayed above.)

Update: Below are a couple of photos showing demolition work at the site. It was pretty cloudy on Monday, but you can still see that the remnants of the KFC/Taco Bell building will disappear soon.

(Left) Here is a photo of the partially demolished building along South Capitol Street. At the far left of the photo is the 7-Eleven, which is owned by Vornado, along with the parking lot behind 1101 South Capitol.

(Right) This photo shows the construction equipment being used to demolish the former restaurant. In addition to 1101 South Capitol and 1100 South Capitol Street, SE, the Ruben Companies also owns a parcel on the 1000 block of South Capitol, which backs into the post office located along Half Street.

4th Street Demolition Underway

Yesterday, I noticed that some of the trees have been removed in the park behind Waterfront Station, where 4th Street will soon be reconnected. The newly reopened portion of 4th Street between I Street and M Street is scheduled to be complete before the 1st phase of Waterfront Station is opened in the 1st quarter of 2010. I would have taken photos of the demolition, but unfortunately, I lost my digital camera in a DC taxicab earlier this week. Hopefully, a good Samaritan will turn it in to the lost and found at the DC Taxicab Commission!

Update: Below are a couple of photos courtesy of reader DavidSW.

The first photo shows some of the trees that were removed from the park that used to be behind the old Waterside Mall. The trees were cut down on May 13th.

This photo shows what the southbound 4th Street right-of-way now looks like once the trees have been removed from the park.

They Paved Over Paradise!

Just as developer Vornado told Southwest...TLQTC back in February, Bernstein's Reliable Liquors, along with the other businesses at 1101 South Capitol Street (except for the 7-Eleven and the Taco Bell/KFC site) have been demolished and replaced by a surface parking lot in time for Opening Day at Nationals Park, which is tomorrow. The parking lot is temporary - once the economy improves, the lot will be developed into a mixed-use project. Below is a progression of photos showing the transformation of Bernstein's from a three-story building to a parking lot.

This photo was taken in December 2008. The liquor store was already closed and the ground floor of the building was boarded up.

This photo was taken in February 2009. By this time, the building was gutted and fencing was placed around the building.

This photo was taken last Sunday. The buildings have been demolished and the lot has been paved over. Since this photo was taken, parking spaces have been marked. The buildings in the background are new residential buildings recently completed and an office building under construction in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood in Near SE.

Coming Soon to a Corner Near You...a Parking Lot

Last week I noticed there were parts of the old Bernstein's Reliable Liquor site that was gutted, with fencing around the site (see photo). Now, as demolition has started at the site, which also includes the cab company around the corner, Southwest...TLQTC has learned from Vornado that the demolished buildings will be replaced temporarily with a surface parking lot, in time for Opening Day at Nationals Park. However, the 7-Eleven will remain open for the time being. There are no concrete plans yet for the site, located at the NW corner of SoCap and M Street, but most likely it will become a mixed-use project. By demolishing the buildings and creating a parking lot, Vornado won't have to pay a higher tax on vacant property, which was recently increased to about ten times the rate for occupied property, while they put together plans for the site and wait out the current state of the economy.

More Demolition Coming to Waterfront Station

The development manager at the Waterfront Station project, Gordon Fraley, sent the following email today regarding the reopening of 4th Street through the Waterfront Station site: "On or about October 9, 2008, the parking area between the Waterfront/SEU Metro Station escalator and the Bank of America located at Waterfront Station will be closed to vehicles and pedestrians to make way for the demolition and construction of 4th Street, SW. The Metro station escalators and elevators will not be affected by the change. Parking for Safeway will continue to be available in the lot adjacent to the Safeway store along M Street." The map pictured above shows the two areas that will be closed for demolition. You can read my prior posts about Waterfront Station here, here, here, and here.

Progress at Waterfront Station

In Wednesday's Real Estate Bisnow, the feature story is the progress at Waterfront Station, the redevelopment of the Waterside Mall at 4th Street and M Street. According to the article, the massive hole in the ground as seen from this web cam will reach grade in the next couple of weeks. So far, Safeway and CVS have signed long-term leases and the development team is working with Bank of America. Those same three tenants are the only ones that currently exist at the site. CVS and Bank of America were moved to temporary trailers in the parking lot in the wake of construction, while the Safeway is in a separate building that will be torn down once the new 55,000 SF urban concept Safeway opens in 2010. Demolition of the old Waterside Mall occurred on November 1st, 2007. Here is a photo of the stripped interior of the Mall the day of demolition:

Here's a photo of the gold-painted wrecking ball taking down a portion of the east side of Waterside Mall:

The first two office buildings that will house two DC Government agencies (the Office of the CFO and DCRA) are expected to open in 2010, along with two residential buildings. The residential buildings will be created from reskinning and retrofitting the existing office towers that once was home to the EPA. A reopened 4th Street will also run through the middle of the site.

Waterfront Webcam

Two webcams have been set up showing the excavation progress at the Waterfront site over the past eight months. Demolition looks to be just about complete at the old Waterside Mall, a failed town center development built in the sixties. Piledrivers are still on site as excavation is ongoing. The Office of Tax & Revenue and DCRA are already signed up as tenants in 500,000 SF of office space that will be part of phase one of this redevelopment by Forest City Washington and Vornado.