DCMud's AWESOME 2010 Year in Review

2010 may not have been a chart buster for real estate, but by most accounts it beats2009. DCMud presents its annual report of what happened, and what didn't, in the world of real estate.

The Coast Guard Headquarters received a thumbs up (Jan 7) from NCPC for the WDGArchitecture and HOK designs.

Silver Spring will get its arts venue now that the county has reached an agreement (Jan 15) with developers to swap land. Lee Development Group intends to build a hotel, office building, and 2,000 person music hall in the CBD. Another church sold out to developers (Feb 2), as Lakritz Adler planned to build 200 apartments in place of the First Baptist Church of Silver Spring, just across the street from the library that just got going. Right next door, the county asked developers to submit bids (Feb 3) foranother residential project. Progress crept forward on the purple line when the county decided to place it next to the bike trail. The Moda Vista finally took off (Nov 8).

Wheaton could be transformed, now that Montgomery County and WMATA have asked developers to submit bids (Jan 21) to control 10 sites downtown, with a B.F. Saullead team chosen for most of it (July 29). Patriot Realtysubmitted formal plans (April 13) for 500 apartments above a new Safeway downtown (pictured).

EYA began plans to demolish the James Bland Additionpublic housing project in Old Town Alexandria, which it followed through on, to make way for a mixed-income housing project, now for sale.

The Takoma Theater was the subject of a showdown between its owner, who wanted to tear it down and build apartments, and the Historic Preservation Review Board, which liked it just the way it was.

The District pushed forward with plans for Skyland, pushing out owners to make room for a developer, testing constitutional boundaries (March 12), even after a national trend by states to stop such practices.

Middle Georgia Avenue boomed this year, while the northern and southern ends were a bust. Middle Georgia got a new restaurant (Jan 27), and a new apartment building byChris Donatelli (March 21), now that both have started construction and are well on their way to completion, as well as a new CVS. NDC got underway on The Heights (May 24), and proposed The Vue (Dec 12). On the lower end, redevelopment of the Bruce Monroe school fizzled (Aug 10), and the planned Howard Town Center went nowhere.

L'Enfant Plaza stands a chance of becoming less frightening, now that a cabal of federal planners and developers are in cahoots (sort of) (Jan 29) to rebuild the '60's era mass of concrete into something less awful.

Not quite ready for prime time: a 14th Street condo project in Logan Circle promised for 2009 failed to get underway in 2010, despite ongoing predictions things were "imminent".

The Arts at 5th and I took one step forward and two steps back, as Donohoe Companies and Holland Development, which won the rights to develop the site in 2008, admitted they were not ready and turned the Mt. Vernon site into a parking lot (Feb 9). Holland later said (Nov 18) that they were getting "closer."

Alexandria pondered how to make the King Street Metro less unfriendly to pedestrians (Feb 10).

The District began a long process (Feb 12) of reshaping Dupont's underground trolley station into something useful, long after it failed as a restaurant venue. The District eventually selected an arts coalition (Oct 21) to build out the space.

The Corcoran, which had partnered with Monument Realty to convert southwest's Randall School into a large apartment building, gave up the ghost and sold the project to private investors (Feb 18).

Senate Square was sold at auction (Feb 22) to its mezzanine lenders, relieving New York's Broadway Development of one its DC debacles. Broadway had already defaulted on the Dumont, and soon Arbor Place, its investment in Jim Abdo's New York Ave project-that-wasn't, would also fall apart (May 14).

M.M. Washington High School was given to a team of local developers who planned to turn it into subsidized senior housing (March 15), construction is expected by mid 2011.

A Woodmont Triangle church has been trying to morph into an 8-story, 107-unit apartment building along with a new church, moving through approvals and looking for a partner after Bozzuto backed out (March 16).

DC and the feds gave money ($7.2m from DC) to Urban Atlantic and A&R Development Corp. (March 18) for the 8.5 acre Rhode Island Station, which then broke ground May 18th.

Greenbelt Station gets more hopeless by the year (March 24).

H Street swelters: The Rappaport Companies got ANC approval (March 26) for its Torti Gallasdesigned, 400-unit building on H Street, heating up the retail corridor just as the trolley lines are finishing up. Clark Realty broke ground on Arboretum Place(Sept 15) at the eastern end, and new supermarkets are planned for the east (Aldi) and west (Giant) ends.

After years of litigation, Ed Peete's Bromptons project made a comeback in Arlington (March 27).

Alexandria skyline rising: The Hoffman Company will put 1,200 new rental apartmentsand upwards of 70,000 s.f. of retail adjacent to the beltway in Alexandria, rising up to 31 stories (March 30).

An Arlington church cleared its last legal hurdles (April 16) and began building the Views at Clarendon (pictured), a mixed church and residential project, which other urban churches eyed with interest (Oct 11).

Arlington kicked off Long Bridge Park (April 21), its 46-acre isolated brownfield on the edge of Pentagon City that it hopes will become a major attraction.

DC opened its riverfront park next to Nationals Stadium (April 27). Canal Park got underway in Southeast's Capitol Riverfront (Aug 26), a neighborhood that added more than a thousand new residents in 2010.

Hopes of Utopia were raised, then deflated, as a U Street developer predicted imminent progress (Apr 22), then got a 2-year extension (June 26) to build his apartment building and retail project.

LCOR broke ground on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission building in North Bethesda (April 28).

The MBT bike trail opened a new leg in Northeast DC (May 3).

Georgetown's Social Safeway reopened, newer, bigger, better (May 4), as did theGeorgetown Library (Oct 14) after a devastating fire burned it down in 2007 on the same day that Eastern Market smoldered.

The Cohen Companies floated plans for a large residential project at 14th Street and Virginia Avenue, SE (May 5).

Brookland had a great year, breaking ground on Dance Place and Artspace, EYA broke ground (May 6) on 237 townhouses, and Bozzuto and Pritzker Realty Group partnered up to build Jim Abdo's project mixed-use project (Aug 20).

Abdo's other grand plan, Arbor Place on New York Avenue, got no such reprieve, and faded away (May 14).

The District broke ground on Sheridan Station, a 344-unit public housing project in Southeast, hoping to cure its crime and upkeep problems (May 10), as well as a host of other affordable housing projects.

Construction got underway on the Martin Luther King Memorial (May 14).

Louis Dreyfusdemolished a block of historic homes (May 20) on the edge of Capitol Hill, ostensibly to buildCapitol Place, with 302 apartments, but so far have only turned it into a parking lot.

Columbia Pike sawseveral apartment buildings open (May 23) as development of all kinds took hold, but no trolleys yet.

The Loree Grand opened to residents (May 31) just after Paradigm opened its doors(May 28) as the first new housing in NoMa in a century. Archstone broke ground onmore residences for NoMa (July 21), 469 apartment units (pictured, right) designed byDavis Carter Scott, on track for a mid 2012 opening.

DC reached the 100th anniversary of the act of Congress that gave the District height limits (June 1).

Southwest passed several milestones, as theSouthwest station reopened (June 3) along with a new Safeway. It made nominal progress on the Waterfront (Aug 18) with its first demolition and release of early designs (Sept 30), but construction is not expected any time soon.

Capitol Hill's Old Naval Hospital began the rebuilding process on its way to becoming a community center (June 10).

The Monty, a long-planned Bethesda high-rise, got a new owner (July 1) and soon aftergot ready to break ground (Nov 5).

Work got started on 1000 Connecticut Ave, perhaps DC's most visible office building (July 12).

Post Properties got underway (Aug 9) on phase two of its Carlyle Square apartment project in Alexandria, 344 new apartments designed by SK&I Architectural Design Group.

Park Morton got another public injection of cash, likely clearing the way for a large affordable housing project. Developers should break ground on the 500 units during 2011.

JBG found a financing partner (Aug 15) for its 14th Street condo project, gave it a new name (Oct 27), and said it was ready to break ground this year, though that hasn't happened yet.

A 42-acre parcel in Northeast was planned by Trammell Crow for a big box destination(Aug 17).

Capital One proposed a more urban remake of 23 acres (Aug 19) in downtown Tysons Corner. TheBonstra Haresigndesign, however, is expected to be built only a few bits at a time, if at all.

A long time coming, theHoward Theater began a transformation that should help restore some if its former glory (Sept 1).

The Smithsonian unveiled revised plans for the the Museum of African American History and Culture, to take up the last free spot on the Mall (Sept 3).

Reston Station got underway as the public garage component began construction (Sept 6), and Comstock Partners planned an early 2011 groundbreaking on their portion, more than a million s.f. of development at the end of phase 1 of the Silver Line Metro extension.

Urban planners began thinking through a full makeover of Mt. Rainier nearly a century after the city peaked as an inviting community (Sept 22).

Washington Property Company started work on its 16-story residential building in Silver Spring's Ripley district, designed by the Lessard Group (Sept 29).

After decades in the making, Marriott's development team began site prep (Oct 20) next to the Washington Convention Center, thenbroke ground on the 1175-room hotel.

Equity Residential bought the plans for a Lyon Park project in Arlington and expected to break ground soon on the new apartment building and retail (Oct 5).

Arlington selected Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing as the developer of the residential portion of Arlington Mill, a subsidized residence and community center (Oct 6).

In Rosslyn, the Artisphere opened, adding a touch of nightlife to the 9-5 neighborhood,
a new office building and street gotunderway courtesy of Skanska (Sept 18), and JBG nearly started work on Rosslyn Commons (Oct 3), 454 new units of housing. Monday Propertiesbegan work (Oct 12) on theirspeculative 35-story, 390 foot office building (pictured), what will be the region's tallest building when completed. The Davis Carter Scott-designed structure will rise above the new Rosslyn Metro station.

Developers of CityCenter DC said they would be ready to fill the gaping hole downtown by next spring (Oct 22), despite the apparent lack of an anchor tenant.

Paradigm Development began work on more than 400 apartments in Mount Vernon Triangle (Oct 27).

Carr Properties and architects at SmithGroup came up with plans to add an office building onto the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Nov 5).

The cash-strapped Perseus sold 14W to JAG, which said it could start building the 14th Street project almost immediately (Nov 24). Next door, work began on UDR's apartment building after delays and extensions (Dec 15).

In the last item of note, Shaw's Progression Place started up (Dec 22), though the more meaningful O Street market got nowhere, despite an official groundbreaking(Aug 30).

Article Source: http://dcmud.blogspot.com/2010/12/dcmud-2010-year-in-review.html

Federal Government Interior Design Specialist Tony Maher Rejoins SmithGroup in Washington

Tony Maher, AIA, LEED AP, has rejoined SmithGroup in Washington, D.C., bolstering the firm’s national Federal interiors portfolio and strengthening the Workplace Studio in Washington. He rejoins SmithGroup from RTKL where he served as Principal.

Maher was previously employed by SmithGroup from 1997-2007, working on major projects for the Department of Defense, Department of State, and General Services Administration. He was interior design principal for the 482,000 SF expansion to theDefense Intelligence Analysis Center at Bolling AFB, and project manager for the modernization of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a national landmark adjacent to the White House. Maher also assisted the Smithsonian Institution as they relocated and reorganized 18 different divisions into 225,000 SF at Capital Gallery in Washington.

“Tony has been a proven leader for us in the past, and his return increases our capacity in this critically important market,” stated Russell Perry, FAIA, LEED AP, SmithGroup’s Washington, D.C., Office Director.

Over the last few years, Maher has been working on a new headquarters for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Ballston, VA, and the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) headquarters facility in Silver Spring, MD.

The hiring of Maher and other designers completes a very strong year for SmithGroup’s Workplace Studio. The firm has been honored with multiple national and local interior design awards for projects such as Microsoft Corporation’s Sales and Health Solutions Group Relocation in Chevy Chase, MD, the New York Law School in Tribeca, and the LEED-CI Platinum space for theBurgess Group in Alexandria, VA.

New assignments include 200,000 SF at 90 K Street, NE, for the Department of Homeland Security, 285,000 SF of swing space for the Department of Veterans Affairs at 425 Eye Street, NW, and the creation of visioning and space standards for Credit Union National Association.

SmithGroup is nationally recognized as a leader in the planning and design of sustainable environments. SmithGroup is composed of client industry-focused practices serving the workplace, healthcare, higher education and science and technology markets. With 346 LEED Accredited Professionals and 60 LEED certified projects, SmithGroup is a national leader in sustainable, environmentally intelligent design.

Article Source: http://stockmarketsreview.com/pressrelease/2010/12/22/federal-government-interior-design-specialist-tony-maher-rejoins-smithgroup-in-washington/

IPD Project News!

Balfour Beatty Construction Team Completes Project via Innovative Integrated Project Delivery Process

Represents one of only a few dozen IPD projects to reach completion in U.S.

FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Applying all five of the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) key principles of integrated project delivery (IPD), Balfour Beatty Construction and its IPD team recently delivered 26,000 square feet of interior space in Lincoln Property Company’s Bridgewater Corporate Center in Fairfax, Virginia. The project represents one of only a few dozen “true” IPD projects to reach completion, according to the AIA.

“Team collaboration and client engagement—they’re key in delivering successful projects for our own clients”

IPD is a cutting-edge project delivery method structured around a highly collaborative team of owner, architect, contractor, and other key stakeholders, a process characterized by more reliable information and open sharing of project goals, risks, and rewards. The result is increased value to the owner and reduced waste and inefficiencies through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction.

Completed within budget and on schedule for timely occupancy, the space—which covers the entire fifth floor of the Class A building—purposefully showcases sustainable features to help educate employees and visitors about the sustainable, collaborative, efficient, and state-of-the-art office environment. Designed and built to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification, the area serves as Balfour Beatty’s new North Region headquarters and achieves the goal of a sustainable work environment that supports the efficient teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration inherent to successful team-based project delivery.

An IPD case study

Because Balfour Beatty Construction’s business philosophy and construction practices align so closely with the IPD process, the company chose IPD as the contract delivery method for design and construction of the new space. The IPD team formed during the summer of 2009, with Balfour Beatty approaching the project in the unusual role of owner and tenant, as well as contractor, selecting as partners FOX Architects of Washington, DC, for planning, programming, and architectural design, and Engineered Systems Alliance of Virginia for turn-key MEP design and construction services.

“Team collaboration and client engagement—they’re key in delivering successful projects for our own clients,” explains John Tarpey, CEO of Balfour Beatty’s North Region. “IPD requires collaboration, engagement, transparency, and shared risks and rewards. It’s an extraordinary process that is transforming behaviors and project delivery.”

The team used early process mapping, established project goals, and identified maximum allowable budgets in key scope areas. Program development and validation phases benefited from digital program analysis and alternate study, which then populated early building information models. The models were supplemented with full-floor digital laser scanning to match existing conditions with as-planned design status and coordination.

The project was truly a “learning lab.” Demonstrating their commitment to maximizing small business participation, the IPD team awarded more than 40% of design and construction contracts to under-utilized businesses. Other project goals included safety, sustainability, and process efficiency. To capitalize on the learning opportunity, the team chose to pursue LEED Innovation and Design pilot credits 5 and 6, which encourage use of the IPD process to achieve sustainability goals.

Sustainable work environment

In support of a Balfour Beatty global sustainability initiative, the IPD team designed and installed features and systems that advance the firm’s sustainable business practices such as tracking scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions. Sub-meters were installed in the space to measure the office’s electrical usage, which will be benchmarked against an established baseline. This will allow Balfour Beatty to track actual performance of energy-saving strategies and seek ways to continue reducing energy consumption. The team focused on LEED 2009 for Commercial Interiors credits including daylight harvesting; reuse of existing furniture; regionally sourced materials with high recycled content; recycling programs for paper, plastic, and aluminum; efficient manufacturing processes with a “zero waste” goal; green housekeeping; educational outreach; material and equipment recycling program; and GREENGUARD-certified furniture. To help educate employees and visitors, signage and materials identify and describe the key sustainable materials and features in the space.

Efficient teamwork and interdisciplinary collaboration

While the new, 26,000-square-foot space has approximately 2,000 fewer usable square feet than Balfour Beatty’s previous office space, the efficiencies in layout is a dramatic improvement. The previous space consisted primarily of enclosed offices, each in excess of 150 square feet, and included five meeting spaces. In contrast, the new space features an open plan layout with custom-designed workstations, accommodating 25 more employees and featuring 13 meeting spaces. A large employee kitchen/lounge area was created as a critical space for both work-related and personal interactions among employees, supporting Balfour Beatty’s philosophy of sponsoring cross-functional interactions, idea exchange, problem-solving, and engagement.

About Balfour Beatty Construction

The growing Balfour Beatty Construction family—which today includes SpawMaxwell, Barnhart Balfour Beatty, and Charter Builders—provides commercial construction services through 2,100 professionals across the U.S. Through strong regional offices, the company provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services for public and private clients nationwide. Balfour Beatty Construction is a Top 10 Green Builder and was named one of the 2010 100 Best Companies To Work For® in the U.S. by Fortune magazine. The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc, a global leader in professional services, construction services, support services, and infrastructure investment, with more than $18 billion in annual revenues. To learn more about the business and its subsidiaries, visit balfourbeattyus.com, spawmaxwell.com, barnhart-balfourbeatty.com, or charterbuilders.com.

About FOX Architects

Fox Architects, LLC is a nationally recognized design firm specializing in Architecture, Interior Design, and Graphic Design with offices in Washington, D.C. and McLean, VA. www.fox-architects.com

About Engineered Systems Alliance

Engineered Systems Alliance was created by the mid-Atlantic’s premier mechanical contractor, electrical contractor, and engineering design firm to provide turn-key, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and tele/data design and construction services to general contractors and owners. www.esadb.com

FROM Daily FIX @ 

Exhale Pavilion Opens at Art Basel Miami Beach

As the sister event of the prestigious Art Basel in Switzerland, Art Basel Miami Beach has been coming into its own steadily for just about a decade, and just last year launched its first Oceanfront exhibition site. The 2010 installation, designed by Phu Hoang Office andRachely Rotem Studio, will play host to the show’s nightly Oceanfront performance, multimedia, and music programs from December 1 to 5.

Article Source: http://dailyfix.interiordesign.net/events/tradeshows/2908/exhale-pavilion-opens-at-art-basel-miami-beach

Occupying an entire waterfront city block, the 25,000-square-foot pavilion is dubbed “Exhale”—fitting, as it both figuratively and literally breathes. Inspired by the bioluminescent glow of algae in the region’s waters, the design features a composition of phosphorescent and reflective ropes, appearing almost like a study of logarithms and geometry. This open-air, flexible structure allows for winds to breeze through and shift the overall look of the structure throughout the art festival. The phosphorescent glow comes courtesy of the installation’s wind sensors: when clocking a particular wind speed, it will momentarily activate ultraviolet lights. But the pavilion’s designers encourage human interaction as well by placing wind sensors in some spots at human height level, affording visitors control of some of the glowing ropes.

Staying eco-friendly, Hoang and Rotem say that after the event, the seven miles of rope will be donated to a nonprofit, while the installation’s concrete bases and steel will be donated to the Department of Environmental Resources Management in Florida for reuse as an artificial reef in the waters off Miami Beach.

Donohoe plans Marriott at Ballston’s Founders Square

REPORTS....

The Donohoe Cos. Inc. plans to construct a $50 million Residence Inn by Marriott at the Founders Square project in Ballston. D.C.-based Donohoe will break ground on the 183-room hotel in the third quarter of 2011, pending Arlington County approval. The hotel, which could be the first in Arlington to start since 2008, would be finished in 2013.


The 150,000-square-foot project would be part of The Shooshan Co.’s Founders Square, a mixed-use project at Randolph Street and Clarendon Boulevard anchored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.


The Founders Square plans include 362 residential units in two towers, 650,000 square feet of office space and 26,900 square feet of ground-floor retail. Shooshan is seeking approval to convert one of the planned residential towers into a hotel. The Arlington County Board will make its decision in January. The hotel, which will include 2,000 square feet of retail, will be managed by Donohoe Hospitality Services, a unit of Donohoe. Donohoe will begin seeking construction financing next year. The developer, one of the largest independent operators of hotel rooms in the Washington area, opened a Residence Inn last year in the Court House
neighborhood of Arlington.


The most recent hotels to break ground in Arlington were the Renaissance Crystal City Potomac Yards and the Residence Inn Crystal City Potomac Yards, which are expected to be completed in the next few months. Shooshan is one of three Ballston property owners pushing to create a business improvement district as early as next year. One goal of the BID is to solidify Ballston’s identity as a hub for science and technology. Along with the incoming DARPA, other organizations in Ballston include the National Science Foundation and
the Ballston Science & Technology Alliance. Virginia Tech’s massive research center is under construction.


“Once that gets filled, more [hotel] rooms will be used,” said Pamela Kahn, executive director of the Ballston Partnership. “There are a lot of events and programs, and we will need more rooms when increasing that kind of programming for the public.”


Article Source : http://www.donohoe.com/LinkClick.aspx?link=pressreleases/Donohoe+plans+Marriott+Ballston.pdf&tabid=72&mid=418

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