District Selects Tensquare-Chapman Proposal for Redevelopment of Parcel 42

Parcel 42
[click image to enlarge]

The District's Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development has selected the development team of Tensquare Group and Chapman Development for the redevelopment of Parcel 42, according to an email from ANC Commissioner Kevin Chapple. 

Details on Parcel 42 and the development proposal are after the jump.

District Releases Concept Plan for Improvements to Outdoor Play Areas of Kennedy Recreation Center

The District's Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) has released its plan for improvements to the outdoor play areas of the Kennedy Recreation Center at 1401 7th Street, NW, as part of its Play DC program.

The Kennedy play areas currently include a baseball field, basketball courts, tennis court, and play equipment.

Agenda Announced for April 3, 2013, Meeting of ANC6E; Includes Sunday Parking and New Jersey Avenue Improvement Project

The agenda has been announced for the Wednesday, April 3, 2013, meeting of ANC 6E. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the RH Terrell Recreation Center at 155 L Street, NW, in the multipurpose room.

Agenda items for the meeting include a request for relief from Sunday parking restrictions in certain "No Parking" areas and a presentation by the District Department of Transportation on the New Jersey Avenue improvement project from H Street, NW, to N Street, NW (which includes converting New Jersey Avenue to two-way traffic below New York Avenue).

The full agenda is after the jump.

Carter G. Woodson Park Plan Moving Forward; Public Meeting to Be Held on March 26, 2013

It looks like Carter G. Woodson Park, planned for the triangle park at the corner of 9th and Q Streets, NW, may soon — finally — be becoming a reality.

The project is a tribute to the founder of Black History Month, Carter G. Woodson,  whose historic home is less than a block from the park. The park has been in some stage of planning since at least 2005, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation issued a call for artists seeking a sculptor to create the sculpture of Woodson that will be the park's centerpiece.  There have been no improvements to the park since that time.

Special ANC 6E Meeting to Be Held on March 25; Agenda Includes ANC 6E06 Special Election, 5th and I Project, and Small Area Plan

A special meeting of ANC 6E has been announced for Monday, March 25, 2013. The meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Community Church at 474 Ridge Street, NW. (Note the changes from the usual time and location.)

Agenda items for the meeting include an announcement of a special election for the ANC 6E06 seat; a discussion of recommendations by the Commission on the 5th and I Streets, NW, project [see Washington Post article "D.C. drops Donohoe as developer of Mount Vernon Triangle hotel"]; and a presentation by the District Office of Planning on the Mid-City East Small Area Plan.

The full agenda is after the jump.

NewsBite: Developers to Purchase Scripture Cathedral at Eighth and O Streets, NW, for Expected Mixed-Use Project

The Washington Business Journal (WBJ) reports today that a "partnership of Four Points LLC and The Warrenton Group has the 16,000-square-foot Scripture Cathedral Church at 810 O St. NW under contract."  The WBJ article states that the church site "would likely be part of a mixed-use development, assuming the developers can acquire a handful of adjacent parcels, including a D.C.-owned vacant lot at Eighth and O streets."  View the Washington Business Journal article here.

Agenda Announced for March 6, 2013, Meeting of ANC 6E

The agenda has been announced for the Wednesday, March 6, 2013, meeting of ANC 6E. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Shaw Library, 1630 7th Street, NW.

Agenda items for the meeting include a request for relief from Sunday parking restrictions in certain "No Parking" areas; a presentation by the District Department of Transportation on the New Jersey Avenue improvement project from H Street, NW, to N Street, NW (which includes converting New Jersey Avenue to two-way traffic below New York Avenue); and a presentation by the District Office of Planning on the Mid-City East Small Area Plan.

The full agenda is after the jump.

District Issues Short List of Potential Developers for Parcel 42; States Final Developer Selection Will be Made by the End of April

Parcel 42
[click image to enlarge]

The District's Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced today that it has requested Best and Final Offer (BAFO) proposals from three development teams that had submitted proposals for the redevelopment of Parcel 42.  DMPED stated that the teams "were selected due to the quality of their proposals, adherence to the RFEI criteria, and community support."

The three development teams are:

• Baywood Hotels and Dantes Partners
• Neighborhood Development Corporation
• Tensquare Group and Chapman Development 

New Townhouses Coming to the 1300 Block of 6th Street, NW

Two new townhouses are under construction on the 1300 block of 6th Street, NW, and will replace three now-demolished rowhouses that were located at 1341-45 6th Street, NW.

The two new buildings will be identical three-story structures.  Each will have a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor and a three-bedroom apartment on the top two floors.  In addition, there will be an outdoor patio and parking for both units in the rear.

The former buildings have been demolished, and construction is expected to be complete at the end of June or early July.  A rendering of the new building is after the jump, along with a photograph of the buildings that are being replaced.

The buildings are owned by the United House of Prayer and were designed by Suzane Reatig Architecture.

Agenda Announced for ANC6E Meeting on February 6, 2013

The agenda has been announced for the Wednesday, February 6, 2013, meeting of ANC 6E. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Shaw Library, 1630 7th Street, NW.

Agenda items for the meeting include two requests for relief from Sunday parking restrictions (including a request to allow parking in certain "No Parking" areas); a request for support of a public space plan for the planned condominium project at 460 New York Avenue, NW; and discussion of a proposed moratorium on the issuance of new liquor licenses within 1,800 feet of 1211 U Street, NW (generally spanning two to three blocks north and south of U Street from 15th Street to 6th Street).

The full agenda is after the jump.

Lincoln Westmoreland II to Exit Section 8 Program in May

The Lincoln Westmoreland II (LW-II) apartment complex will end its participation in the project-based Section 8 program starting on May 1, 2013, according to a representative of the complex's owner. 

Under the Section 8 program, all of the LW-II apartment units were set aside for low-income households (generally those earning 50% or less of the area median income).  After May 1, the income restriction will end and units can be leased out at the market rate.

2013 Groundbreaking Planned for Lincoln-Westmoreland Expansion

Plans for the expansion of the Lincoln-Westmoreland remain on track and groundbreaking is planned for later this year, according to a representative of the building's owner.

The Lincoln-Westmoreland is a 108-unit, ten-story apartment building at 1730 7th Street, NW, near the corner of R Street. The owner of the building plans to use a parcel of land to the south of the existing building — currently a single-story concrete parking shelter — to construct a new, 8-story apartment building with 56 residential units.  The building will have 3,100 square feet of ground-floor retail and approximately 35 underground parking spots.

Interactive Map of Historic Properties in Central Shaw

The Shaw neighborhood is home to a number of historic properties — the central portion of Shaw alone has over 20.  To provide more information on them, I put together a map of those properties in central Shaw that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It's Time to Redevelop the Shaw Junior High School Site

Freeing the Shaw Junior High School site for redevelopment would eliminate a large neighborhood eyesore, bring greater vitality to the 9th and 7th Street corridors, and help improve the adjacent recreation areas and dog park

As has been widely reported, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) has proposed the closure and realignment of 20 schools throughout the District.

In the Shaw area, DCPS has proposed closing Garrison Elementary School (1200 S Street, NW) and transferring the current Garrison students to Seaton Elementary School (900 block of Rhode Island Avenue, NW).  DCPS has also proposed closing Shaw Middle School at Garnet-Patterson (10th and U Streets, NW) and establishing a Shaw Middle School at Cardozo High School (1200 Clifton Street, NW).  Cardozo is is currently undergoing a full renovation, and it would house both a high school and a middle school after the renovation is complete.

This plan has one major flaw: the already-closed Shaw Junior High School building at 925 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, would remain mothballed, rather than being freed for redevelopment.

9th Street New Stores Update: Reformation Fitness, 9th & Beats, Simon Vintage, A&D, Darryl Carter, Xtend Barre DC, Cause, and Old City Green

A number of new stores and bars have opened on 9th Street in the past two months.  Since I haven't posted about them individually, I put together a round-up of the openings (including Reformation Fitness, 9th & Beats, Simon Vintage Furniture and Homegoods, A&D, and Daryl Carter), which you can read below.

Agenda Announced for ANC 6E Meeting on January 2, 2013; New ANC Boundaries; Officers to Be Elected

The agenda has been announced for the Wednesday, January 2, 2013, meeting of ANC 6E. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Shaw Library, 1630 7th Street, NW.

This meeting is the first of the newly redistricted ANC 6E, which includes the majority of the Shaw neighborhood.  (The rest of Shaw remains in ANC 2F.)  The ANC 6E portion of Shaw was previously part of the former ANC 2C. 

ANC2C Votes to Support Baywood Hotels Project for Parcel 42

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2C voted this evening to support the proposal of Baywood Hotels for the redevelopment of Parcel 42, a District-owned property located at the northeast corner of 7th and R Streets, NW.  The Baywood Hotels proposal consists of a 102-room hotel, 22 units of affordable housing, and ground floor retail which is expected to be occupied by Milk & Honey Market.

The ANC vote was 2 in favor (Chairman Alex Padro and Commissioner Kevin Chapple), 1 opposed (Commissioner Rachelle Nigro), and 1 abstention (Commissioner Doris Brooks). The main factors that appeared to weigh in support of the Baywood proposal were the number of jobs the project would create and the sense that a 24-hour hotel operation would increase security at the corner.

Agenda Announced for December 5, 2012, Meeting of ANC2C

The agenda has been announced for the Wednesday, December 5, 2012, meeting of ANC 2C. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Shaw Library, 1630 7th Street, NW.

Agenda items include the Commission's consideration of its recommendation to the District government regarding the proposals for the redevelopment of Parcel 42.

The full agenda is after the jump.

Mayor's Agent Rejects Church Request to Demolish Buildings at 1232, 1234, and 1236 New Jersey Avenue, NW

1232-1236 New Jersey Avenue, NW
and adjacent parking lot

The Mayor's Agent for Historic Preservation has rejected the request of the Third Street Church of God to demolish three rowhouses at 1232, 1234, and 1236 New Jersey Avenue, NW.  The church wanted to demolish the buildings, which are located in the Mount Vernon Square Historic District, as part of a project to expand its parking lot.
The church's request was initially brought to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), which supported partial demolition of the rear of the structures but rejected the church's proposal to demolish the structures entirely.

The church appealed the HPRB decision to the Mayor's Agent, claiming that failure to issue a permit to demolish the entire structures would result in unreasonable economic hardship to the church.  In a decision issued in early November, the Mayor's Agent rejected the church's argument, stating the following:

While the Church surely finds these rowhouses to be a burden, it cannot be said that their preservation imposes on it an unreasonable economic burden within the meaning of the [Historic Preservation] Act. ...  The cost of complying with the compromise to which it agreed in 2011, $77,420, which involves partial demolition and structurally securing the remainder of the buildings, does not seem prohibitive in light of the Church’s revenues and assets. The Church is engaged in an expensive expansion of its facilities, estimated at $1.8 million, but the cost of stabilizing these rowhouses, part of the expansion plan approved by the HPRB in 2011, is small in comparison to the cost of the overall project.

The Church can avoid even this expense ... by selling the rowhouses, which it does not wish to occupy. ... [W]hen an owner can sell protected property at a price that is not confiscatory, no unreasonable economic hardship can be shown....  Here, the Church can sell the buildings for at least four times as much as it paid for them....

The Church has been forthright that it does not want to sell these properties primarily because it wants to demolish the buildings and use the land for parking. ...  Of course, the Church’s desire to make its physical plant serve its mission deserves great respect; parking for urban religious communities is challenging. But like all property owners, the Church must pursue its facility goals within the constraints of the Historic Landmark and Historic District Protection Act, which benefits both the surrounding neighborhood and entire District of Columbia. The Mayor’s Agent does not have authority to simply prefer the Church’s plan to what the Act requires. That preservation of a contributing building makes carrying out worthwhile plans more inconvenient or more expensive does not constitute an unreasonable economic hardship within the meaning of the Act.

Parking lot adjacent to
1232-1236 New Jersey Avenue, NW

Third Street Church of God
(small portion of existing parking lot visible to right)

The full text of the Mayor's Agent's decision, a history of the raze permit request, and links to prior HPRB documents are after the jump.

Check Out the Six Proposals for Parcel 42's Redevelopment

The six proposals that the District government is considering for the redevelopment of Parcel 42 (located at the northeast corner of 7th and R Streets, NW) were presented to the community in a public meeting held on November 14, 2012. The proposals are described below, with a link to each of the developer's presentations.  More information on the parcel and the solicitation process is available here.


BAYWOOD HOTELS

Developer: Baywood Hotels (lead) and Dantes Partners

Architect: OPX

Proposal: 102-room hotel with residential and retail components

Hotel component: 102 rooms (floors 4 through 9)

Residential component: 22 affordable housing units (floors 2 and 3).  The units would be affordable to households at 50% of the area median income; of the 22 units, 3 would be efficiencies and 19 would be one-bedroom units.  No market rate units.

Retail component: 5,689 square feet (floor 1)

Retail tenant: Milk & Honey Market (Milk & Honey Market describes itself as "Your convenient neighborhood source for delicious locally produced foodstuffs, from farm fresh produce, dairy and sustainably raised meats to local and imported specialty cheeses and charcuterie. From artisanal baked goods to essential groceries.")

Parking: 74 spaces

Total square footage: 89,918 total square feet (including 54,492 square feet for the hotel and 5,689 square feet of retail),

Height: 9 stories (90 feet)

Small parcel component: Community playground [Note: Parcel 42 includes the main parcel at 7th and R Streets, NW, and a small (1,700 square feet) secondary parcel across an alley from the main parcel.]

Developer's presentation: Click here.

FOUR POINTS AND WARRENTON GROUP

Developer: Four Points + The Warrenton Group

Architect: studio upwall

Proposal: 109-unit residential building with two levels of retail

Residential component: 109 units; 10% of the units will be affordable (affordability level not specified).  The units would be affordable to households at 80% of the area median income (per  City Paper article).

Retail component: Two levels of retail.  (The City Paper article describes the retail component as follows: "[The developers] envision two levels of retail, with a public stair at the corner of 7th and R leading up to a second-floor courtyard with greenery, shops, and townhouses.")

Retail tenant: Not yet determined.

Parking: Number of spaces note specified.*

Total square footage: 109,960 square feet (comprised of 77,820 residential, 15,260 commercial, 15,280 square feet of parking, and 1,000 square feet of common space)

Height: 90 feet

Small parcel component: Three townhomes.

Developer's presentation: Click here.

* Not specified in developer's PowerPoint presentation and not described in the DC Urban Turf or City Paper article.

NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

Developer: Neighborhood Development Company

Architect: Wiencek + Associates

Proposal: 81 unit residential building with ground-floor retail

Residential component:  81 units (62 one-bedroom units and 19 two-bedroom units).  17 of the 81 units (20%) would be affordable dwelling units (ADUs).  Half of the ADUs would be affordable to households with incomes of 80% of the area median income (AMI) and half of the ADUs would be affordable to households with incomes of 30% or 60% of the AMI.

Retail component: 7,600 square feet (ground floor) with outdoor seating/dining

Retail tenant: Yes! Organic Market 

Parking: 33 spaces (27 for residential units and 6 for retail)

Total square footage: 91,902 total square feet (79,380 square feet for residential; 7,600 square feet retail; 4,020 square feet common space)

Height: 8 stories

Small parcel component: 2 townhouses [Note: Parcel 42 includes the main parcel at 7th and R Streets, NW, and a small (1,700 square feet) secondary parcel across an alley from the main parcel.]

Alternate proposal: Neighborhood Development Company also presented an alternate proposal under which they would combine the two lots that comprise Parcel 42 (the main lot and the small lot across the alley from the main lot) by realigning the alley.  Under this proposal, the project size would increase to 102,048 square feet, with 85,043 square feet of residential, 9,500 square feet of retail, and 7,500 square feet of retail space. The number of housing units would increase to 99, with 20 of the units being affordable dwelling units.  The number of parking spaces would increase to 68, with 55 spaces dedicated to residential units and 13 spaces dedicated to the retail component.

Developer's presentation: Click here.


POUNDS

Note: POUNDS' PowerPoint presentation provided limited information on the specific elements of the proposal.  Some of the information below is derived from articles in DC Urban Turf and the Washington City Paper.

Developer: POUNDS (lead) and Jubilee Housing

Architect: Sorg Architects

Proposal: 100-unit residential building with ground floor retail and several live-work spaces (per DC Urban Turf)

Residential component: 100 units including live-work units for entrepreneurs to live in and set up shop in. Units range from studios to three-bedrooms, and 40 percent will be affordable. (per DC Urban Turf)  Average affordability will be 40% of area median income.  (per City Paper article)

Retail component: 5,000 square feet, in addition to live-work units

Retail tenant: Not yet determined.

Parking: Number of parking spaces not specified.*

Total square footage: Not specified.*

Height: Not specified.*

Small parcel component: Community garden. [Note: Parcel 42 includes the main parcel at 7th and R Streets, NW, and a small (1,700 square feet) secondary parcel across an alley from the main parcel.]

District financial subsidy:  The City Paper article notes that this is the only proposal that requires a District subsidy.

Developer's presentation: Click here.

* Not specified in developer's PowerPoint presentation and not described in the DC Urban Turf or City Paper article.

TENSQUARE AND CHAPMAN DEVELOPMENT

Note: The TenSquare/Chapman PowerPoint presentation provided limited information on the specific elements of the proposal.  Some of the information below is derived from articles from DC Urban Turf and the Washington City Paper.

Developer: TenSquare and Chapman Development

Architect: R2L Architects

Proposal: 105-unit residential building with ground floor retail (per DC Urban Turf)

Residential component:  105 units, mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units (per DC Urban Turf).  Affordable housing component not specified.*

Retail component: 5,000 square feet.

Retail tenant: Not yet determined.

Parking: Amount not specified.*
Total square footage: Not specified.*

Height: Not specified.* 

Small parcel component: Park space and bike racks. [Note: Parcel 42 includes the main parcel at 7th and R Streets, NW, and a small (1,700 square feet) secondary parcel across an alley from the main parcel.]

Developer's presentation: Click here.

* Not specified in developer's PowerPoint presentation and not described in the DC Urban Turf or City Paper article.


UNITED HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLE

Developer: United House of Prayer for All People

Architect: Suzane Reatig Architects

Proposal:  50-unit residential building with ground floor retail

Residential component: 50 units (mix of studios, and one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and three-bedroom units), of which 20% will be affordable dwelling units (income level not specified*); average unit size is 1,000 square feet

Retail component: 6,000 square feet

Retail tenant: Not yet determined

Parking: 18 spaces

Total square footage: 68,927 square feet

Height: 6 stories (60 feet)

Small parcel component: Community park space/garden.  [Note: Parcel 42 includes the main parcel at 7th and R Streets, NW, and a small (1,700 square feet) secondary parcel across an alley from the main parcel.]

Developer's presentation: Click here.

* Not specified in developer's PowerPoint presentation and not described in the DC Urban Turf or City Paper article.