Development

“Help to save the 14&U Farmers Market — and the Post Office at the Reeves Center”

By Prince Of Petworth

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14th and U Street, NW

Thanks to a reader for sending:

“We need your help to save the 14&U Farmers Market — and the Post Office at the Reeves Center at 14th and U.

You may have read that the Reeves Center will sold to a developer (to pay for a soccer stadium at Buzzard Point). There is a very important meeting TUESDAY DEC 17th at 6 pm at the Reeves Center to hear from the community about what we want in that new development. We need you to come and tell the city that we want the farmers market to be able to be at that site, that we want the Post Office at that site, and that we need to replace this office complex with offices –not residential — that will create daytime traffic.

The Reeves Center is a huge office complex that supported local daytime business for our retail and restaurants. It needs to be replaced with something else that would support daytime business. We have a very lively nightlife and weekend life, but our businesses and restaurants need daytime traffic.

Thank you for you help and I hope to see you Tuesday, December 17th at 6 pm at the Reeves Center. Please spread the word.”

Apartments Above New Petworth Safeway to be called The Swift – Opening in Summer 2014

By Prince Of Petworth

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Georgia and Randolph St, NW

New signs went up yesterday announcing the name of the apartment building going up over the new Petworth Safeway – The Swift:

“Get with it. It’s brand new apartments right above the new Swift Safeway and just a block from the Metro in Petworth, Washington, DC. It’s the city at your feet. With panoramic views of the Washington Monument and National Cathedral—and easy access to all of DC. It’s jam-packed with amenities, from the downstairs Safeway and concierge services to a fitness center and a rooftop terrace. It’s designed to give your way of life a boost, styled with modern finishes and fully equipped with sleek appliances. It’s more than just a floor plan. It’s yours to make your own—just pick your apartment size from studios, one, and two bedrooms.”

Ed. Note the website says coming Spring 2014, but the sign out front says Summer 2014.

So I guess they hope the new nickname for the Safeway will be the Swift Safeway? I guess it’s better than Stinky Safeway…

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Looking north on Georgia

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Previously, the Stinky Safeway:

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3830 Georgia Ave, NW

Demo of old Warehouse Starts at 5th and New York Ave, NW for Future Condos

By Prince Of Petworth

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460 New York Ave, NW

“Dear PoPville,

It was my understanding that the old warehouse was going to be preserved and incorporated into the design of the new structure. Perhaps it still is, but they sure are eating away at a good chunk of it. You wonder if it’s even worth it.”

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460 New York Ave’s website says (and you can see more renderings there too):

“460 New York Avenue

With its metal and glass tower rising above a preserved historic warehouse, 460 New York Avenue is worlds above common urban condos. This boutique community puts you right in the heart of the city, with your fingers on the pulse of modern style and convenience.”

Previous rendering:

460_new_york_ave_development

Serious Demo Starts at Van Ness Square

By Prince Of Petworth

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4455 Connecticut Avenue, NW

You can see a rendering of the planned development here.

“Park Van Ness (formerly Van Ness Square) has a prestigious and convenient Connecticut Avenue location, as well as a quiet park-like setting normally found only in the suburbs. The Company recently received demolition permits and expects to raze the existing structures beginning in the fourth quarter 2013.

The Company has entered into an arrangement with a general contractor and intends to develop a 271-unit residential project with approximately 9,000 square feet of street-level retail, below street-level structured parking, and amenities including a community room, landscaped courtyards, a fitness room and a rooftoop pool and deck. Construction is projected to be completed in late 2015.”

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Farewell Shanghai Garden:

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Dear PoPville – What Development is happening on Wisconsin Ave in Tenleytown?

By Prince Of Petworth

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4600 Wisconsin Avenue, NW at Brandywine

“Dear PoPville,

They’re ripping down some long abandoned buildings on the corner of Brandywine and Wisconsin! Do you happen or can you find out what (if anything) is going to be put there???”

This is the former Babe’s Billiards space. It is going to become Tenley View from Douglas Development:

“Tenley View is the most exciting mixed-used apartment project to hit Washington DC’s Tenleytown neighborhood in years. Located at the bustling intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Brandywine Street, the new building will include a modern, mid-rise atop the former Babe’s Billiards building. The property will feature over 19,000 square feet of retail on the lower two levels and five levels of apartment units. This project was the first new construction residential development in the District of Columbia to receive approval to be built without any parking at all. The new building will be marketed to residents who rely on the close proximity to Metro service just one block away.

Facts

68,500 rentable square feet (18,783 sf retail; 49,717 sf residential)
Historic building built 1949; Acquired 2009; Redevelopment 2013-2014
Seven-story building
60 rental apartment units
Metro Access: One block from Tenleytown (Red Line)”

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Rendering via Douglas Development

DC’s Recommendations to Change Height Master Plan Sent to Congress

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user mosley.brian

Washington Business Journal notes:

“The commission, the congressionally-charted planning panel for the national capital region, rejected a recommendation from its own staff to retain Height Act limits inside the traditional L’Enfant City while allowing the District to determine height maximums on the city’s outer edges through the Comprehensive Plan process.”

From the DC Office of Planning:

“The DC Office of Planning (OP) announced the release of the District of Columbia’s final recommendations for the congressionally-requested Height Master Plan. The District is recommending reasonable and modest modifications to the Height Act that would give the District more autonomy to set different building height maximums through a collaborative future Comprehensive Plan process with the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), local citizens and the Council of the District of Columbia in limited areas in the city – while respecting the significant federal interest within the L’Enfant City.

This approach shifts more decision-making to local control – especially in areas where the federal interest is less significant – in order to accommodate future population growth while at the same time protecting prominent national monuments, memorials, and the unique character of local neighborhoods. Doing so will ensure a more prosperous, diverse, and vibrant District of Columbia, where District residents enjoy a diversified, stronger, and more resilient economy and the District’s social and economic diversity is protected. The alternative—of retaining unchanged a century-old law that artificially constrains the city’s ability to accommodate growth—will place the District on the path of becoming a city comprised primarily of national monuments, surrounded by exclusive neighborhoods affordable only to the very few.

The District received a number of public comments expressing concerns about or opposition to raising heights now. The District’s intent is not to raise height with its recommendations. Rather, the District is asking Congress to give it the ability under the Height Act to make these determinations in consultation with its residents in the future.

The District proposes the following final recommendations to modify the Height Act (more…)

Lyric 440K Begins Leasing Wed. – Have a Look at one of the Units and See Some of the Retail they are Hoping to Get

By Prince Of Petworth

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440 K Street, NW

From a press release:

“Quadrangle Development Corporation and The Wilkes Company announce the completion and opening of Lyric 440K, a 234-unit, 14-floor luxury residential building, and the team’s fifth building in the two million square foot, mixed-use community in the Mount Vernon Triangle. Lyric 440K offers a mix of 182 one-bedroom, 26 one-bedroom with den, and 26 two-bedroom apartments along with resort-inspired amenities.

Lyric 440K features a porcelain rain screen exterior, creating a stylish street presence as well as energy efficiency. A distinctive architectural element designed as an ALPOLIC metal “fin” graces the façade of the building. The high tech prismatic finish creates an iridescent effect similar to dragon fly wings, with the color of the fin evolving through shades of blue, pink, green and violet as the light changes depending on your vantage point.

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Lyric 440K includes:

Elegant lobby with 24-hour front desk service
Two-tier pool with lap lane
Elegantly landscaped roof deck with fire pit, water features and large indoor social space
Second floor secluded tranquility garden and outdoor fireplace
State-of-the-art fitness center with cardio theater
WiFi available in all common areas
Valet dry cleaning service
Pet-walking service
Gated access to underground garage parking and bicycle storage room
Exclusive on-site ZipCar

Apartment features include:

Floor-to-ceiling windows and abundant natural light
Italian Atlas Concorde tile flooring
Gourmet kitchens with double sinks, granite countertops and espresso cabinetry
Built-in wine racks and stainless steel appliances
Full-size washer and dryer
Balconies and private courtyards
Pet friendly”

As for the retail part they are looking for:

“a small-format gourmet market, artisanal coffeehouse, specialty wine shoppe as well as a full-service restaurant with market and butcher or bakery component.”

Lots of photos after the jump. (more…)

National Capital Planning Commission – Executive Director’s Recommendation on the Heights Master Plan

By Prince Of Petworth

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Photo by PoPville flickr user mosley.brian

NCPC’s Height Master Plan Draft Final Recommendations Released:

“The following recommendation is proposed onlyfor areas outside of the L’Enfant City. The purpose of this recommendation is to balance the long-term potential growth needs of the city with the importance of protecting the integrity of the form and character of the nation’s capital, including federal interests and local communities.

The limits currently established in the federal Height Act should remain in place unless and until the District completes an update to the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan where targeted area(s) that meet specific planning goals and also do not impact federal interests that are identified. Under this recommendation, building heights in targeted areas may be proposed to exceed the maximums under the federal law; and these may be authorized through the existing Comprehensive Plan process, pending Congressional approval. Should such targeted exceptions be authorized through the Comprehensive Plan, the Height Act would remain in place for all other areas both inside and outside of the L’Enfant City.”

You can read the full report below:

NCPC_Height_Master_Plan_Recommendations (PDF)

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