Utopia project set to get going as businesses, Freemasons move out

Last week, we snapped the photo below of employees from local Tex-Mex restaurant El Paraiso packing up their belongings for greener pastures. (In this case, their sister restaurant, El Paraiso II in Alexandria.)



Soon after, the City Paper's Lydia DePillis reported on the sale of the United Supreme Council National Headquarters and Archioves building, located next door to El Paraiso at 1924 14th Street NW, to JBG for $5 million. With the recent exodus of the fast food restaurants further up the block, that moves things a step closer for JBG's groundbreaking of the Utopia project, which is anticipated this fall.



The Utopia project will bring 220 rental units and over 20,000 sf of retail to the intersection that serves as the inspiration of this blog's name, which is also one of the busiest in DC. Originally announced back in 2008, the financial market calamity took its toll on JBG's ability to finance the project. However, financing is now on track, and the recent departures pave the way for the commencement of construction of the 90 foot high, Eric Colbert-designed building.

Utopia will be JBG's second large construction project along that stretch of 14th Street, with their District Condos project in full swing two blocks south at 14th and S. And it will be one of many projects currently ongoing in and around 14th Street, all set to deliver at some time during the next one to three years. (Not included in that post, BTW, are Giorgio Furioso's office project near 14th and P, and the recently announced--and HPRB rejected--Level 2 development at 14th and Wallach Place.)

In other words: get used to seeing a lot of upturned dirt along 14th Street over the next few years.

Residential project at 15th and V adds to growing list of area projects

Last month, we noted the announcement of a forthcoming residential project at 14th and T set to bring new residents, retail, and some really staid architecture to the 14th Street corridor. Although, as recently launched blog U Street Dirt (welcome to the blogosphere, guys) reported, the Historic Preservation Review Board didn't look to fondly upon architect Eric Colbert's plan for the building, and basically sent him back to the drawing board.

Earlier this week, the Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association blog broke the news that yet another large (by DC standards) residential project is forthcoming, this one for the parking lot of the Paul Revere Dunbar Apartment complex at 15th and V streets.



The project, which is being developed by Jair Lynch Associates and was designed by WDG Architecture PLLC, is proposed to stand 9 stories tall and will contain 96 units. It does not appear that any ground level retail will be included as part of the plan, but two levels of underground parking will be included.

Pardon us, if you will, but the rendering for this project looks remarkably similar to a number of residential buildings that have either been proposed, are under construction, or have been built throughout the neighborhood in recent years. In fact, it doesn't look tremendously dissimilar to the Colbert-designed building that was just rejected by HPRB (although, it should be noted, HPRB personnel had other, specific reasons for rejecting the 14th and T building--namely, its size in relation to nearby structures.)



According to Jair Lynch, the senior citizen residents of the Dunbar building have given their full support to the project, which will also include a complete renovation of the existing Dunbar building.

The plans for the building are currently with HPRB, who could discuss and vote on the matter as soon as their July 28 hearing.

In case you missed it: Monument Realty exploring massive Logan Circle redevelopment

While we've been away on a bit of a blogging hiatus (much like the city itself, the 14thandyous slow down a bit during the summer months), there has been a steady stream of news coming into the neighborhood. The most intersting, in our opinion, was the story broken last week by Lydia DePillis at the City Paper regarding Monument Realty's potential acquisition and redevelopment of two massive sites in the Logan Circle area.



You probably know the Frontiers developments (one located at 14th and Riggs, the other at 11th and N): the series of bland brick townhouses built in that oh-so-lovely 1970s style, each featuring an almost comically massive (by urban neighborhood standards) parking lot. Originally built as public rental housing by the city, the units were eventually sold to private owners in the late 1990s. Today, the units that were originally purchased for around $125,000 are now appraised at upwards of half a million.

But in Logan Circle, where new developments are going up practically every day, developments such as the Frontiers aren't exactly aligned with the rest of the neighborhood. So in steps Monument Realty to address that issue.

DePillis takes readers through a recent meeting Monument representatives held with members of the Frontier condominium associations about a potential acquisition of the properties. In short, it would look something like this: 80% of the 54 unit owners in the east and west Frontiers associations would have to vote to dissolve the master condo association, and then the east and west associations would have to vote unanimously to dissolve themselves. If that unlikely series of events occurs, Monument is prepared to pay each unit owner over $800,000 for their respective units, along with an assurance to make units available in the new development(s) available to owners who wish to remain in the neighborhood.

In all, Monument could end up with one, both, or neither parcel, and end up paying upwards of $40 million to acquire both. (Which tells you how profitable the condo market is these days.)

Initially, it's easy to take a cursory look at this situation and proclaim it the clearest example in an ever-lengthening list of perceived attempts to purge Logan and the 14th Street corridor of low- and moderate-income residents. Undoubtedly, if this sale goes through, there will be those pining for the redevelopment of the buidlings along the 1400 block of R street as well.

But as with most such issues, the situation is a bit more nuanced than that. After all, receiving an amount equal to 175% of the value of your home is a deal that many people would take. $800,000 would grant you pretty wide latitude to purchase a new property in many areas throughout the city. And, since all units are privately held, and with the complexity of the condominium association governing documents, each individual owner literally has final say as to whether the deal moves forward. And based upon comments made by Monument representatives, they appear prepared for the very real possibility that it won't.

Owners also seem to be aware that they're in an advantageous position: the developers came to them, and they basically hold all of the cards. But Monument is unlikely to have endless patience (or pockets) for pursuing the acquisition of the properties. In the meantime, there are 54 condominium owners in Logan Circle who have a lot of thinking (and meeting) to do.

14th and R Bikeshare station moved to make way for construction

In a further sign that construction on the PN Hoffman project at the Verizon building at 14th and R is about to get underway, Capital Bikeshare workers this morning relocated the station across 14th Street. the station now resides at the northeast corner, in front of the Whitman-Walker clinic.



The PN Hoffman project is one of two significant development projects set to get underway at that corner this summer--the other being the Bonstra | Haresign-designed condo project at 1638 14th Street, next door to the AYT Auto Shop.

Unfortunately, Bikeshare is not adding any docks to the 14th and R station, despite the fact that it--like most area stations--is devoid of bikes by 8 AM most weekdays.

Details emerge of plans for Verizon building at 14th and R

Last night, the ANC2f community development committee met to review plans for PN Hoffman's renovation ofthe Verizon substation building at 14th and R streets. A few interesting details emerged from the meeting that shed some light into what the project will entail.

The biggest piece of news is that PN Hoffman acquired only the smaller south building for their project, not the larger building to the north. Verizon will retain that building, as well as a small amount of space in the renovated south building to store equipment.



The image above depicting the building as it appeared in its former life decades ago was provided by the PN Hoffman team and their architect, Eric Colbert. While the renovation will not be an exact replication of how the building once appeared, it provides a good indication of where Colbert and the development team are taking the project.

Chief among the alterations will be the reintroduction of the large storefront windows on the first floor of the building, and the repair/replacement of existing windows, along with the installation of new windows throughout the building. The image below shows the architectural rendering of the building along the R Street-facing side.



The building will have room for one ground-level commercial tenant, most likely a restaurant. (The developer has plans for the eventual installation of some kind of sidewalk seating.) The building will have four levels of residences, including a penthouse level with private rooftop decks/gardens for each unit, along with a communal rooftop area. The penthouse structure will very closely resemble the rooftop structure at the top of the Room and Board building at 14th and T streets.

There was discussion of what would happen to the SmartBike rack at that corner during construction, particularly since the construction of the condo building across the street will be underway at the same time. PN Hoffman representatives indicated that they weren't certain whether the station would be able to remain where it is, but that they have been scouting possible nearby alternatives (the ZipCar lot was mentioned.) It's worth noting that, once both of these projects are built, it's unlikely that there will be a bike to be found at that station after 8 AM on weekdays. Just sayin'.

PN Hoffman is looking at an agressive timeline for construction, with an anticipated delivery of mid-late 2012. All in all, it's an exciting development for the neighborhood, and by all rights appears to be a very thoughtful design of a woefully underutilized building.

PN Hoffman puts signs on Verizon building

When PN Hoffman announced recently that they had acquired the Verizon building at the northwest corner of 14th and R streets, they indicated that they wanted to move swiftly with the project, and hoped to deliver by late 2012.

They weren't messing around.



I snapped this photo this morning of Hoffman's signs wrapping around the base of the building. In addition, they will be coming before the ANC's Community Development Committee this evening seeking support for their plans--presumably for exemptions or exceptions they will be seeking before BZA and historic preservation.

Verizon Building @ 14th and R Sold, Redevelopment Plan in Works

Big news for the Logan Circle neighborhood today from PN Hoffman:

We have learned that last week, PN Hoffman purchased the Verizon substation building on the northwest corner of 14th and R Streets (1401 R Street). They are planning to redevelop the existing five-story structure into a residential building with ground-floor retail.



The architect for the project is Eric Colbert, who also designed the Room & Board store and is working with Giorgio Furioso on the commercial project he is building on the east side of 14th Street, NW, between P and Q Streets.

I don't have any further details at the moment, but this is a significant development for the neighborhood. For years, the Verizon building has bee a so-called "block killer", in that it was basically dead space at a prominent corner along an otherwise vibrant thoroughfare. It will be interesting to see what plans are drawn up for the redevelopment of the building.

Development-palooza: It's 2007 All Over Again at 14th and U

The pace of development activity along 14th and U Streets has picked up immensely over the last few months, harkening back to the "boom years" between 2003-2008. And with several new projects coming online soon, the scale of development will only continue to increase.

Last year, we wrote about what looked to be a busy summer of development in the Shaw neighborhood, with many anticipated projects set to come online. Some, such as Progression Place at the Shaw Metro Station and the Howard Theater restoration project, did get off the ground (if a bit late). Others, notably Roadside Development's CityMarket at O project, remain little more than a set of blueprints.

This summer, the development focus shifts back west, as a number of high-profile projects either are or are set to get underway along the U Street and 14th Street corridors. The photos you see below are ones I took yesterday (Saturday) so as to give visual representation of where each project stands--sometimes words don't tell the full story.



Starting in the north, Level 2 Development UDR has started work (above) on the Nehemiah Center project, with site clearing and preparation for construction of the project. When completed, the nine story development will feature over 250 apartments ranging in size from 500 sf to 1,600 sf, along with over 18,000 sf of retail space, which the developer hopes to lease to neighborhood-serving retailers such as a grocery store, dry cleaners or bank. No timetable for a completion date has been shared that I am aware of.



Farther south at 2241 14th Street, local developer tycoon Douglas Jemal is planning a groundbreaking this summer for a 30 unit apartment building with ground-level retail at the corner space formerly occupied by the Latino Auto Sales dealership. There's no development activity yet at the space (above), which only recently completed the planning and approval process. Interestingly, the building will house only 10 parking spaces--a seeming indication of both the city's and developer's transition away from parking-oriented developments. With a Metro station only a few blocks away, several bus lines (including a Circulator line), and many destinations within short walking distance, this makes tremendous sense.





Things are much farther along a block south at Perseus Realty's 14W development (above), where a construction crew has been hard at work on the construction of the mixed-use project. The development, which currently has an (optimistic) delivery projection of mid-2012, will include 231 residential units, a new YMCA, and over 12,000 sf of retail. A small number of the units in the building will be "affordable" units for individuals making 60% or less of the AMI (Area Median Income).



Across the street, a two story restaurant (tenant currently unknown) will fill the currently vacant space at 2208 14th Street. As DC Mud notes, the building has an interesting and varied history, serving previously as the home of the New School of Afro American Thought, as well as a base of operations for Stokeley Carmichael and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the 1968 riots.



At the intersection of 14th and U Streets, Georgetown Strategic Capital is on track to begin construction of the long-awaited Utopia Development, set to consume most of the block on 14th between Wallach Place and U Street. When the project kicks off this fall, the buildings currently housing Taco Bell/KFC and ChiDogs will be demolished, while the buildings housing El Paraiso, Ace Check Cashing andf McDonalds will remain intact due to their historic designation. When complete, the 90 foot building (monstrous by DC standards) will feature over 230 rental units and 20,000 sf of retail (large enough for another furniture store, one hopes). Currently, the plans call for a one year construction timeframe, with delivery of the project in fall 2012. And yes, this is where we add our standard disclaimer that such projections appear optimistic.



Also on tap at the corner of 14th and U streets is the imminent opening of Cafe Society, the latest venture from Local 16 owner Ayman Ayoubi. And considering that the signs are now up and talk of soft openings is rampant, we're inclined to believe them this time. The ground floor of the building will house a Dunkin Donuts and a Subway. No word on whether the "Subway smell" might infiltrate the Cafe Society space...



A block east, plans have apparently been ressurected for JBG's on-again off-again hotel project. When we last heard of this project a couple of years ago, nearby residents were flipping out at the prospects of a 10 story building blocking their views of The Ellington, and the financial market crash was putting a serious dent in JBG's plans to construct U Street's first boutique hotel in generations. However, according to DC Mud, JBG has indicated that the project is "actively in the design phase"--which implies that the project may in fact not be dead after all. Having knocked a story off of the structure, JBG now plans to offer a LEED-silver certified four star hotel replete with over 250 rooms, 23,000 sf of retail and 4,000 sf of conference space. Under the most optimistic of timelines, groundbreaking might commence as early as late 2012--but don't hold your breath.



While we're on the subject of 13th Street, the renovation of the building at the northeast corner of 13th and U streets, which seemingly has been undergoing renovation since the dawn of time, recently completed and tenants are starting to move in. First among them is Boundless Yoga, which opened this weekend on the U Street-facing side of the building. Also announced as tenants of the building: a frozen yogurt spot, and dry cleaners Georgetown Valet.



Heading south long 14th Street, work is underway at JBG's District Condos project at 14th and S (note photo above, taken mere seconds before a torrent of hail rained down). We've written about this project quite a bit here, but to quickly rehash the details: 125 residential units, 18,000 sf of retail, summer 2012 delivery date.



A block farther south, according to Borderstan work is finally set to get underway on the mixed-use project at the southwest corner of 14th and R streets. The 31 unit condo building, which was designed by Bonstra and Haresign architects, will also feature ground level retail. The project has been a veeeeery long time coming, as the ANC first reviewed the project back in 2004. Project delivery is anticipated at some point in mid-2012 (aren't they all?).

And finally, down the street a couple of blocks, developer Giorgio Furioso continues to work on the develpment and construction of an office building to fill the vacant space between the Posto restaurant building and the Great Wall Chinese restaurant. No groundbreaking has yet been announced for the 55,000 sf project.

Trouble brewing for 14th Street office project?

Back in October, DC Mud reported that the Historic Preservation Review Board gave a thumbs-up to developer Giorgio Furioso's plans to contruct a six story, 55,000 sf office building along 14th Street, in the vacant lot between Posto and the Great Wall restaurant. According to the poposal the building, which will extend across part of the building which houses Posto and the art galleries Curator's Office and Hemphill Fine Arts.



However, at the February ANC2F meeting, Furioso encountered some pushback from residents of Kingman Place, whose homes run behind the proposed site.

As noted in the Dupont Current, Furioso was at the ANC meeting to seek support for several zoning variances that he is requesting. Among them is a request to have cars who wish to park in a 12 unit garage underneath the building enter through an alley entrance. Kingman Place residents appeared to have two complaints about this proposal:

The first issue is that the volume is spaces is too low, and that office tenants ill instead park on nearby residential streets, taking up valuable parking spaces. Due to the daytime residential parking restrictions in place, this does not appear to be a matter of significant concern. After all, one cannot park for more than two hours without an appropriate residential parking permit.

The second issue is that the volume of spaces, and the cars it would attract, is too great, leading to additional congestion in the alley behind the building. I might be inclined to be more sympathetic to this argument if the projected volume of the parking garage was higher--say, 30 or 40 spaces, rather than 12. After all, it can't be ignored that people who purchased homes on Kingman did so knowing that the rear of their property abutted a commercial corridor.

These complaints may be viewed as being in opposition to each other (too many spaces vs. not enough), but I don't necessarily think that they are. Ultimately, I think the resdient's parking concerns can be summed up as being opposed to anything that would bring additional cars to the alley or to their street.

However, what is apparent is that certain residents of Kingman Place aren't particularly amenable to seeing this project built, particularly if it involves adding more of the dreaded "t" word to the neighborhood. (t = traffic) And thus, we find ourselves basically where every proposed project ends up at some point: opposed by a small group of residents who simply don't want to see the project go up, for varying reasons.

The ANC decided to take no action at the February meeting, meaning that action will be postponed until at least the March meeting. There is no requirement in place that the Board of Zoning Adjustment follow the advice of the ANC, but by District law ANC opinions must be given "great weight"--meaning that a vote by the ANC to not support the proposed parking plan could be a potential setback for Furioso's plans.

There's no anticipated groundbreaking date yet for the project, which requires BZA approval before it can go forward.

JBG breaking ground on District Condos this Monday

According to James Nozar of JBG, the raze permits finally arrived for the span of low-lying buildings along 14th Street between S and Swann, meaning that demolition can commence and the long-anticipated District Condos project can finally get off the ground.

Clark Construction will handle the demolition, which is expected to last between 15-20 days, after which Bovis Construction will commence excavation and construction. All told, construction should last approximately 18 months, placing an anticipated delivery date sometime around summer 2012.

Nozar mentioned that JBG will be planning a community meeting to discuss the details of the construction process--access, loading, parking, etc.--once those details are finalized. In the spring, JBG will be setting up a sales cente rin the neighborhood to commence condo sales for the building.

And no, for those wondering: no info on potential commercial tenants yet.

Additional info can be found at the District Condos website.

Douglas Development sitting on 5 million square feet of vacant space

You know how you walk around DC and see all of those "Douglas Development" signs in empty retail windows?  If you think you're seeing a whole lot of that, and that Douglas must be sitting on a great deal of vacant properties, you're quite right.  But it's probably worse than you think.

According to a recent tweet from WCP's Housing Complex reporter Lydia DePillis, 50% of the square footage owned by Douglas is vacant.  This amounts to over 5 million square feet of empty space.  To make matters worse for the city, Douglas is failing to pay property taxes on much of its vacant portfolio.

This news came up in a discussion at last night's ANC2C meeting, where two new potential Douglas projects were discussed, both in the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood near 6th and New York:  a 200 unit apartment building, and a massive 300,000 sf office building with ground level retail.  One of the reasons Douglas executive Paull Millstein was before the ANC last night was to request relief on the "blighted" designation of one of their Mount Vernon Square properties, which under the District's blighted property tax rate would cost Douglas $92,000.

According to Millstein, Douglas could incur costs of up to $30,000 to renovate the property to the point where it was no longer blighted, but with redevelopment of the parcel "imminent," he was requesting an exemption altogether.  Millstein argued that the lack of development on the site was a result of the ongoing economic turmoil, and thus Douglas shouldn't be faulted for that.  The ANC agreed, voting 2 to 1 to support a one year tax relief for the site.

That's fine and dandy, but with 5 million square feet of vacant space spread throughout the city, I would not hold my breath for either of these developments to break ground anytime soon--in spite of assurances from Millstein that they will.  And Mount Vernon Square residents will be forced to contend with a blighted property for at least another year, while the District continues to fail to collect on unpaid property taxes from properties among Douglas's holdings.

The wheels on the bus go round and round...

2011: A Look Ahead

By now, hopefully you have shaken off your post-New Year's hangover, you've cleaned out the remnants of the holiday feast from your fridge (and no, I don't mean Thanksgiving) and you haven't yet broken any of you new year's resolutions.



As we move into the new year, I thought we'd take a brief look at what's to come in our neighborhood during 2011. Call them predictions, prognostications or wishful thinking, here's what's on my list for 2011:

• District Condos will finally break ground.  I know, it seems like JBG is simply teasing us recently with talks of an "imminent" groundbreaking for their new mixed-use development at 14th and S streets.  But, sooner or later, the demolition of the site's current buildings will commence, and earth really will start getting pushed around, and we'll finally start to see real progress after years of discussions.  And once that happens, the real fun can commence; by which I mean, the hemming and hawing over who the project retailers will be.  Who wants an IHOP?



• 14th Street north of U Street will go gangbusters.  With both Perseus Realty's 14W development and the long-awaited Nehemiah Shopping Center development breaking ground, and Jemal's project across the street, it's shaping up to be a busy couple of years north of U Street for new development.



• O Street Market will/will not break ground.  This long-anticipated project remains frustratingly in a state of suspended animation.  In spite of a pronouncement in September 2010 that the project was set to commence, there's been little activity at the site in the four months since.  We keep looking out for signs of earth-moving equipment and an official announcement from the Giant at 9th and P that it is closing, but nothing yet.  At least nearby Progression Place finally broke ground:  it, along with the O Street Market, Howard Theater restoration and Marriott Convention Center hotel threaten to dramatically remake the Shaw neighborhood in the coming years.



• The Hiltons will continue adding to their DC restaurant/nightlife empire.  Marvin, The Gibson, ESL, U Street Music Hall, Patty Boom Boom, American Ice Co....brothers Ian and Eric Hilton have, seemingly overnight, turned into the kings of the DC lounge and nightlife scene.  Expect that to continue into 2011 with the soon-to-open Blackbyrd Warehouse near 14th and U, along with a new restaurant/lounge on Georgia Avenue in Petworth at the former Billy Simpson's House of Seafood and Steaks.  The Hilton's aren't the only ones with expanding ambitions along 14th and U Street, however.  Expect to see a new steakhouse and lounge from the Local 16 crew at the currently vacant building at 14th and U streets, and--perhaps--the opening of Local 14 along 14th Street between T and U.
  
  A little farther south along 14th Street, look for the opening of burger-and-fries eatery Standard at the former Garden District location at 14th and S, a new taqueria from the Masa 14 team next to the Black Cat on 14th between S and T, and maybe the new location of hamburger purveyors Rogue States near 14th and U (assuming there are no lawyers in the building).



• Transit:  A temporary reprieve from the streetscapes.  Don't expect too many headaches transit-wise throughout the mid-city area.  Although DDOT is nearing completion of its design for the 14th Street Streetscape project, actual construction remains years away.  And with the recently completed 17th Street Streetscape project, and the soon-to-be-completed 18th Street project (the Dupont portion, at least), the jackhammers and paving machines should be relatively quiet throughout our neighborhood.
  
  However, beginning soon (January or February) look out for major headaches in Adams-Morgan, as a reconstruction project for 18th Street between Florida Avenue and Columbia Road commences.  In addition, look for an announcement at some point in the first quarter of 2011 regarding the completion of the U Street Streetscape design.



• Housing prices will continue to rise.  Oh yes they will.  And in other shocking news, Ward Three residents remain unconvinced of Vince Gray's mayoral capacities.



• Hank's Oyster Bar will finally expand into their adjacent space.  Prepare your fallout shelters now, because I have it on good authority that this development will most certainly lead to a cessation of all human life within a four block radius of Hank's.  Oh the humanity.



• The 14th Street arts corridor will look a little less artsy.  Never mind the recent branding campaign to raise awareness of the so-called "Arts District,"the single greatest issue facing arts organizations and related businesses--spiraling commercial lease rates--remains unresolved by the city.  And with the District facing a mounting budget deficit and a continuing soft economy, don't look for the road to get any smoother for neighborhood arts institutions.  Longtime jazz club HR-57 has already packed up its Steinway and headed east to H Street, where the commercial tax rate is lower.  Who's next?



• 14th Street will get a decent sandwich shop.  Actually, that already happened.

Happy 2011 everyone.

14th Street Facelift Continues: Commencement of 14th and W Project Imminent

2004-2008 saw a resurgence in development along 14th Street, particularly north of U Street. And while the 2008 financial collapse saw indefinite holds placed on several key developments (including the redevelopment of the since-demolished Nehemiah Center), there are signs that the development freeze is beginning to thaw.

Last week, it was announced that Perseus Realty, which since 2008 had planned to develop a project--the so-called '14W"--at the intersection of 14th and W streets had sold the project for $7.5 million to Jefferson Apartment Group (JAG), and that the project should commence within the month. Perseus will stay on as developer for the project.

To recap, the 14W will include 231 housing units, a 44,000 sf YMCA and 12,000 sf of retail. 18 of the housing units will be offered as affordable units for individuals and families making up to 60% of the area's AMI. (Note: This equates to roughly $62,000/yr. I remain unconvinced that these so-called affordable units function as they should, as though said units are indeed less expensive than their full-priced cousins, they're rarely what one could consider to be inexpensive. The recommended maximum monthly amount that should be spent on housing expenses is roughly 30% of gross income, or around $1,550/month. It's challenging, but not impossible, to cover all of your housing expenses, even with an "affordable unit," on that. But that's another discussion for another time.)

Assuming the project begins as quickly as they are hoping it does, expect a delivery sometime in mid-late 2012.

The 14W is but one of several projects set to come online along 14th Street. A few blocks south, JBG continues to await demolition permits in order to commence its mixed-use project at 14th and S. And last month, developer Douglas Jemal announced plans to construct a 30 unit apartment building with groundfloor retail at the decrepit and vacant former home of Latino Auto Sales at 14th and Florida (along the same block as the 14W project). Under the most optimistic (read: unlikely) of scenarios, Jemal hopes to break ground on that project by next summer.

The Whitman-Walker Project: A Preview of What's to Come

Anyone who follows the pace of development around Logan and Shaw knows that the past couple of years has witnessed a tremendous slowdown in terms of new projects in the area. Several high profile projects, such as the Utopia at 14th and U, the Nehemiah Center redevelopment a few blocks north of that, and the U Street Hotel Project, have ground to a halt, with no immediate signs of progress.

This environment, in part, is what makes the forthcoming groundbreaking of JBG's mixed-use development at the former Whitman-Walker Development at 14th and S Streets all the more interesting. Spanning the length of a full block between S Street and Swann Street NW, the project will see 125 residential units and over 18,000 square feet of retail added to the corridor, the area's largest project in several years. Recently, 14thandYou had an opportunity to sit down with James Nozar, JBG's project manager for the development, to pick his brain about the project as well as his thoughts on what's to come along the 14th Street corridor.

Timeline: Demolition of most of the buildings on the block (save for the historic Whitman-Walker building at the corner of 14th and S, which will be incorporated into the project) will commence within the next two to three weeks, as the final permitting issues are being worked out. Demolition will take approximately one month, after which time foundation work and other pre-construction activities will begin. At this time, Nozar is anticipating that the project will deliver in Spring - early Summer 2012.

The close-to-final rendering of the building is shown above, with only a few minor tweaks remaining (such as the color of the terra cotta--yes, that's terra cotta on the front, not brick).

The Project: The development, which does not yet have a name ("We're working on that," says Nozar. "We'd like to have a name for the project within the next month or so.") will be one of the largest projects to go up along 14th Street in recent years. All told, the building will house 125 condo units, approximately 85% of which will be efficiencies and 1 BR units. The project will also feature over 18,000 square feet of retail, fronting both 14th Street and S Street. Although no tenants have signed yet, Nozar has some ideas. "We've been approached by many potential commercial tenants," he said. These include everyone from small, independent boutiques, to local and national chain furniture retailers and a variety of restaurants, including "practically every major chef and restauranteur in the region."

Although the exact retail size specs are still in flux, Nozar indicated that the project will most likely feature two restaurants--one larger, full-service establishment, and a smaller, casual cafe-type of space. (And to those clamoring for a bagel shop: James has heard your pleas, but can't promise anything yet.) A smaller space could also see an arts-related use, Nozar said. However, as much as they would like to ensure that local retailers are included in the project, there is no mandate for it. "We want retail that represents a best use for the neighborhood and the space, regardless of whether it's a local business or national retailer--but our preference is for local shops."

Condos or Apartments?: Nozar indicated that the residential units in the building would likely be condos, rather than apartments, although a final decision wouldn't be made until approximately 12 months before delivery. Why condos?

"Our analysis showed that there are not many condo units remaining in the 14th Street/Logan area, particularly the smaller units--studios and one bedrooms," he said. "The ones still on the market tend to be larger, more expensive units. The smaller units are selling much more quickly and are in higher demand." The term "smaller" is key here, because the units in the Whitman-Walker project are going to be smaller than the typical units available throughout the city. The average one bedroom will clock it at around 650 square feet, which is approximately 100 square feet smaller than the typical unit elsewhere. Two bedroom units would come in at around 1000 square feet. To compensate for the smaller square footage, JBG has contracted with a layout and interior designer Cecconi Simone to develop the layout for the space.

"I believe that most people, when comparing one of our floorplans to the floorplan of a slightly larger unit, would actually think that ours is the larger unit, simply because of the way the unit is laid out." Of the 125 residential units, six will be located in the historic Whitman-Walker building that is being preserved as part of the project, including one "premier unit" that will include over 2,000 square feet of space and two rooftop decks.

Although pricing still needs to be finalized, Nozar indicated that most studios and one bedrooms would be retailing in the "$300k - $400k range."

What's next?: Nozar lives in the Logan Circle neighborhood, which he feels is the "most exciting neighborhood in the city."

"Do you think we're ahead of a place like Georgetown now?" I asked him. "Well, Logan and Georgetown are two distinct neighborhoods, and difficult to compare" he replied. "But I can tell you that I hardly ever venture into Georgetown to shop or eat, and most people I know don't either--Logan and U Street seem to have come up more organically, and it's more interesting here. We've got a great diversity of retail, restaurants...we've got the "furniture row"-thing going. It's a really great place to be."

I asked if there were any other projects in the pipeline that he could tell us about.

"Not that I can tell you," he laughed, although he did indicate that JBG is currently looking at "several" other locations in and around the neighborhood as a potential location for a new project. As for JBG's proposed U Street Hotel project, Nozar doesn't seem to think we should be holding our breath for that one anytime soon.

"In addition to the problems with securing financing for a hotel project--which is very difficult these days--there is the issue of finding an acceptable location for the Rite-Aid (located at 13th and U)" he said. In other words, that one could be a ways off.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for the wrecking crew at 14th and S, as the next chapter of 14th Street's redevelopment continues.

For more information about the Whitman-Walker development, visit JBG's website.

Couple of 14th Street Projects Stalled

To some, the pace of development along 14th Street shows no signs of slowing: Room and Board continues to plug away at their building at 14th and T, the Copperstone Building near 14th and N is prepared to host tenants in its rehabbed structure, and new restarants and other businesses continue to pop up all along the corridor.




















However, a few large scale projects are currently stalled, with no immediate plans for moving forward. Recently, we wrote about the problems being faced by the Central Union Mission and its efforts to find a new home in order to clear the way for a redevelopment of the massive 14th and R space. North of U Street, two additional projects are mired in the lack-of-financing quicksand, and show no signs of getting off the ground anytime soon.

Up at 14th and W, the long-awaited "14W" project remains little more than a pile of gravel surrounded by a chain link fence. The project officially broke ground in September 2008--which, for those keeping score, was right around the time the economy took a nosedive. As reported on DCMud, Brian DuBose, a spokesperson for Ward 1 councilmember Jim Graham indicated that "nothing is happening" with the project, since financing has not been obtained. The 236,000 sf apartment project was also slated to have in excess of 12,000 sf of retail space, along with a new YMCA.

While the plans for the building remain in place, it's looking increasingly unlikely that anything will move forward prior to the end of the year.

Almost across the street, the same fate has befallen the large, vacant space that once was the blighted Nehemiah Shopping Center. The Center--one of the most egregious examples of ill-advised urban development--was torn down in order to make way for the massive apartment project, which was to include over 250 units along with 17,000 sf of retail space. Unfortunately, financing problems here have also crept up and put an indefinite hold on the project.

You may recall that the lot was originally purchased by DC-based Level2 Development, the same team that is currently putting the finishing touches on View 14 at 14th and Florida. However, in 2009 they sold the development rights to Texas-based UDR in order to focus on the View 14 project.

A Blow to Shaw: Radio One Backs Out of Office Deal

Shaw residents pinning their hopes on neighborhood revitalization getting kicked up a notch with the Broadcast Center One may be waiting a while longer. It seems that Radio One--the tenant that was supposed to anchor the 100,000+ sf office project--is backing out of the deal to move from Lanham, MD into new digs at the corner of 7th and S streets NW.



Radio One hasn't yet provided a reason as to why they are backing out of the deal, but with a plummeting price in recent years it's reasonable to believe the decision had to do with profitability--or lack thereof. They might want to start thinking of an answer however, seeing as how the District ponied up nearly $30 million in incentives to bring them here.

The development team--Four Points LLC, Ellis Development Group and the Jarvis Co.--are insisting that the development will still move forward, but it's difficult to envision a project that has already been delayed moving forward without its most significant tenant. (Talks have been held to bring in the United Negro College Fund, but those are still preliminary.)

Broadcast Center One is a mixed-use development that, in addition to the aforementioned office space, will host over 25,000 sf of retail, 180 apartments and a massive underground parking garage. It is one of several projects in the Shaw/Mt. Vernon Square area to face significant delays. Roadside Development's Citymarket at O project remains on hold while financing concerns are resolved, while Marriott, JBG Cos. and the District government fight it out over the rights to develop the long-sought after Convention Center Hotel. Meanwhile, projects like the Warrenton Condominiums and Hartland Commons continue to exist more as pie-in-the-sky dreams than projects that have an actual chance at completion.

When/whether these projects ever get started is anyone's guess, but everyone can agree that these kinds of delays are frustrating.

No CB2 for 14th Street? Central Union Mission Move Delayed--Again

More and more, it's looking increasingly likely that the Central Union Mission will be staying put in its location at 14th and r streets for the foreseeable future.

As you may recall, the Mission struck a deal with developer Jeffrey Schonberger in 2006, agreeing to sell the property contingent upon their ability to find a new home. Originally, that home was to be on upper Georgia Avenue, but that move prove unpalatable to Petworth residents--and to the Mission's director, David Treadwell, who maintained that he would prefer to be downtown where the shelter's services would be in greater demand for its services.

Late in 2008, it was announced that the Mission was working on a deal to renovate and move into the currently vacant (and dilapidated) Gales School in downtown DC. However, a possible wrench was thrown into those plans when the ACLU threatened an action against the District on church/state grounds, essentially arguing that any deal by the city to allow the Mission (a Christian organization) to take possession of the school via any means other than a fair market deal or a competitive bidding process.



Throughout 2009, District leaders hemmed and hawed about how to resolve the situation. Meanwhile, in July 2009, Schonberger announced that talks were underway to bring CB2 into the Mission space once the Mission had moved into their new home, putting added pressure on both the Mission and DC to come to an agreement that would end the stalemate with the ACLU.

On January 20, 2010, in an attempt to move the process forward, the DC Office of Real Estate Services issued a solicitation for bids on the redevelopment of the Gales School into a homeless shelter, with a deadline to respond of February 16--a period of only 27 days. Sensing that something was amiss, the ACLU along with a second group, the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, filed a petition with the Office of Real Estate Services to extend the deadline to a full 60 days, arguing that the abbreviated period does not provide sufficient time for other organizations--namely, secular organizations--to respond.

So, what does this mean? Well, it doesn't mean that the Mission is out of the running for the building, but it *does* make it increasingly likely that other organizations will compile an RFP response for the coveted property, which could affect the Mission's chances of securing the winning bid. If nothing else, you can be assured that the selection process will be carefully scrutinized by all involved. If anything appears off about the awarding of the bid to the Mission, you can bet that the ACLU and other organizations will quickly get involved.

For Logan, this means an indefinite delay in the renovation of a large, key property along the 14th Street corridor. Even if the Mission is able to secure the winning bid for the Gales School redevelopment, the process of renovating the facility (which is now merely an exterior shell) into a habitable property will take months, if not years. So those of you holding your breath for the arrival of yet another chain furniture store to 14th Street might want to rethink your strategy.

The Mission is likely to wind up somewhere else eventually, but probably not for quite awhile.

City Paper Looks at 1612 U Street; "Restaurant/Bakery" for 14th and Q?

This week's issue of the City Paper takes a look at the (recent) history of the building located at 1612 U Street NW. It's an interesting read about an interesting building (it used to house "E.B. Adams and Co.," a retailer of dining and cutlery items), and highlights how so much of the recent development in the 14th Street/U Street corridor revolves around the efforts of a handful of individuals.

Among them is David Von Storch, who purchased the building in 1995 with an eye towards creating a gay-oriented business center, including a gym. The story goes on to detail the (at times complex) relationship between Von Storch and Results gym owner Doug Jeffries, Universal Gear owner David Franco, and developer Jeff Blum.

Most interesting in the article are the tidbits of information gleamed about current--and forthcoming--developments in the neighborhood. Talks were held, but eventually fizzled, to bring a Results Gym into the ground floor of Blum and Franco's View 14 project at 14th Street and Florida Avenue. Results, it turns out, will likely be vacating their space at 1612 U when their lease expires in March 2011, clearing the way for Von Storch to redevelop the building. Among Von Storch's plans for the building include keeping the existing Bang Salon, making a home for the new flagship location of Penn Quarter-based Vida Fitness, a new restaurant, and a rooftop pool.

Jeffries for his part is currently scouting locations for his new venture "Stroga," which combines yoga with personal strength training. Von Storch is currently making the rounds at the neighborhood association meetings, seeking to obtain approval for the project.

It will be interesting to see what the next chapter brings for a building that has played a prominent role in U Street's renaissance.

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One other interesting nugget that came out of the aforementioned City paper article: David Von Storch has indicated that he has plans to convert the space at 14th and Q (former home of Candida's World of Books Shirt Laundry dry cleaners) into a "restaurant/bakery," and that lease negotiations for the project are underway. If these plans move forward, it would mean that the last available storefront on the east side of the 1500 block of 14th Street will have a tenant seems the space in question isn't Candida's old space, so that will remain vacant.

A New Condo Tower at 14th and R

Suddenly, it feels like 2006 all over again. Via Borderstan and the WBJ, news today that the vacant lot at the SW corner of 14th and R streets is going to be the home of a new five story, 30,000 sf mixed-use condo building. The project will rise on a relatively small patch of land adjacent to the AYT auto repair shop.

Building architects Bonstra and Haresign describe the building as "patterned after the showrooms of the former 14th Street 'Automobile Row'". They also describe the building as possessing an "iconic crown." Hmmm, I'm not so sure i'd call it "iconic". It looks more like a black fence on the roof that tipped over. The building is like no small number of others that have sprung up along 14th Street in recent years--rather bland and unattractive. (Go here and scroll down to see drawings of the new building.)

To say the project has been a long time in the making is an understatement. ANC2F first saw a presentation on the plans for the building back in April 2004. Since that time, the project has been held up by approvals by the Board of Zoning Adjustments and the Historic Preservation Review Board, changes in the scope of the project, and--yes--the economic collapse.

Interestingly, the project has changed rather substantially since it was first introduced over five years ago. Plans at that time called for six duplex apartments and one 3500 sf penthouse. The current plans now call for as many as 32 "luxury" (Aren't they all luxury these days?) apartments at the space. Let's see, 30,000 sf, 32 units...I hope your definition of luxury is "less than 1,000 sf".

At long last, though, one of the few remaining vacant lots along 14th Street will be developed, and we can now move on to the inevitable handwringing over what type of retail might make an appearance there. First person to call for a bagel shop wins the prize.

Plans at 14th and N Shaping Up

Many of you have no doubt noticed the renovation currently ongoing at the building on 14th between N and Rhode Island Ave. The work being done on the building is turning what was once a decrepit property into something truly stunning. Witness the "before" image:















...and the "after":


















Pretty amazing, huh?

While plans for all of the building's tenants are not final yet, we can tell you about two that are likely to come. Part of the ground floor retail space will be filled by a Korean restaurant, and another part by a Subway restaurant.

Now, I'll be the first one to complain about the lack of good, cheap eats in the neighborhood. But I can't say that a Subway was what I had in mind, and it's not exactly befitting a space such as the one above. Still, the sandwiches are cheap, you can smell it from several blocks away, and you can annoy the Subway employees. So maybe it's not so bad?

We'll post further details about the Korean restaurant once we have them.