DC: The Ground Up

Daily Photo & Links:

2008-01-15T15:00:00.001-08:00

Foggy Bottom(s) metro station, originally uploaded by JamesCalder.

Broadcast Center One Moves Forward [For The Love of Growth]

D.C. offers up $200M in tax incentives for Southwest waterfront project [WBJ]

Back to Blogging After (Extra Long) Holiday:

2008-01-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

This is just to announce that I will be resuming posts today after my hiatus. I'm looking forward to any comments to my future posts.

Daily Photo & Links:

2008-01-08T19:56:00.001-08:00

Downtown Glow, originally uploaded by Eye Captain.

A 2008 Transit/ Transportation Planning Wish List for DC [Rebuilding Place]

Pound Coffee Coming to NoMa [Eckington DC Living]

Too Darn Many New Photos, Including N Street, At Last [Ballpark and Beyond]

Rendering of the Day:

2008-01-08T19:35:00.001-08:00

This is 300 New Jersey Ave. It is being designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. I really like the modern structure and the cool atrium. Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners is also designing 1201 K St (as seen at DCMud).

Daily Photo & Links:

2007-12-28T19:21:00.001-08:00

IMG_0393, originally uploaded by voteprime.

(More) Cycling is cool [Rebuilding Place]

Another Photo Update - Ballpark West Side, 55 M [Ballpark and Beyond]

Grandview Estates Now Selling [for the love of growth]

Rendering of the Day:

2007-12-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

Today's rendering is of a new 30-story skyscraper, set to be completed in Rosslyn in about two years. This building has a very different feel that most buildings in Rosslyn. It's clean, modern, and green! Located at 1812 N. Moore St., it will be one of three recently approved skyscrapers in Rosslyn, including the Central Place project, which will include an office and condominium building. With these three towers, along with the Waterview and Turnberry Tower, Rosslyn is finally getting a classy skyline.

Links:

Pyramid-Capped Tower to Rise in Rosslyn [Express]

With Approval Of FAA, a Final Tower Is Set To Rise In Rosslyn [WaPo]

Rendering of the Day:

2007-12-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

Today's rendering is of the Metropole. The 7-story building is in the heart of Logan Circle, at 15th & P St. NW. The building's ground floor retail will include a Vida Fitness and Bang Salon.

Daily Photo & Links:

2007-12-21T15:41:00.001-08:00

Organized 1887, originally uploaded by Eye Captain.

SW: School is Out, Condos are In [DCMUD]
The New Future @ DCAC [DCist]
A Peaceful Mount Pleasant

[DC Metrocentric]

Daily Photo & Links:

2007-12-20T20:30:00.001-08:00

Into the Great Wide Open, originally uploaded by Hoffmann.

Ben's Chili Bowl in Talks With Nationals Stadium [DCist]
Metro Pushes to Curb Eating, Drinking in System [Express]
Bush OKs Bill for Capitol's Emancipation Hall [Express]

Rendering of the Day:

2007-12-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

I'm kicking off this feature with The Lacey, a new condominium building under construction at 11th & Florida Ave. NW, about 3 blocks from the U St. The building has an ultra-modern design by Division1 Architects. The four story, 26-unit building is being constructed on a former parking lot for the Florida Avenue Grill, which will remain right next to The Lacey.

Daily Photo & Links:

2007-12-19T16:11:00.001-08:00

Aerial View of Thomas Circle, originally uploaded by dctourism.

District to Get Its Own Quarter [DCist]
J Street takes shot at Florida Ave. Market project [WBJ]
Eastern Market Rehab to Begin Soon [DCMUD]
MLK Library to Become [DCist]

Links:

2007-12-18T09:03:00.001-08:00

Wrapped in Light, originally uploaded by Eye Captain.

City, developers agree on financing plan for old convention site [WBJ]
A Common Building for Petworth [DCMUD]
Arlington board approves massive Rosslyn building [Examiner]
Holy Cow: Marvin Expanding [POP]

The Project That Will Change... Anacostia:

2007-12-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Project That Will Change... is a series that I'm starting to highlight big projects. Really big projects. Projects that will change the way people think about and view the neighborhood it's in, as well as contribute to changing the way the world views DC. To do this, of course, it will actually have to positively change that neighborhood, and the city.

The first project in this series is the Poplar Point redevelopment project. The four development teams presented their proposals yesterday. And Now, Anacostia has the scoop from the meeting.

Let's start with the good:

With Clark Realty's plan, Poplar Point truly looks like an extension of Center City DC. The crazy modern looking building extending slightly into the Anacostia is the National Hall of the Environment, where "a cluster of companies focused on the environment creates an international business hub". This proposal also connects Poplar Point to the rest of the community. It proposes a "deck" over three city blocks of 295, along with air-rights development, as seen in the sight plan below:

I just love this proposal. Great density, great park design, great urban design. I love the circle at the the South Capital Bridge, along with the development surrounding it (although I don't believe Poplar Point includes west of the circle), and the canal that slices through the park. The proposal offers the option of the DC United Stadium.

And the bad:

WTF?! Archstone Smith & Madison Marquette, what the hell were you thinking?? It seriously IS a suburban town center! Parking structures? Seriously... I'm at a loss for words. This rendering says enough.

There are two more development teams, Forest City Washington (which is developing The Yards across the river) and Mid-City Urban/ General Growth Properties. Check out Poplar Point Finalists Unveiled at And Now, Anacostia for the rundown of all four teams.

Also of note, according to Washington Business Journal Victor MacFarlane, president of the company that owns DC United, was in attendance at the meeting and that he said that he liked Clark Realty's proposal. When all of this settles, this project will change Anacostia and DC as a whole.

Linkage:
Poplar Point Finalists Unveiled [And Now, Anacostia]
Stadium Still in Mix Under 2 Poplar Point Plans [Express]
Visions of Vibrancy [WaPo]
Developers sketch out competing plans for Poplar Point [WBJ]

Shot of the Day:

2007-12-10T15:30:00.001-08:00

Washington, DC Metropolitan Police in front of a fire hydrant, originally uploaded by Triborough.

Well... what else is there to say...

W goes to Washington:

2007-12-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

So this is kinda old news, but the Hotel Washington is closing to be renovated and reopened as a W Hotel. According to the press release, the W will open in 2009, and will include 317 rooms, as well as a bar/terrace, restaurant and spa on the rooftop. From the press release:

" “In our relentless pursuit of the unexpected and the extraordinary, W goes to Washington with W Washington D.C., offering an enticing blend of warmth, wit and whimsy in one of the world’s most delightful destinations,” said Ross Klein, President of Starwood’s Luxury Brands Group. “From D.C. to Doha, Bangkok to Barcelona, W is going global as the influential and innovative lifestyle authority.”

W Washington D.C. will feature rooftop bar and terrace with unprecedented views of Washington D.C. and the White House, and a world-class signature restaurant and spa. Guests can indulge in W’s exclusive Whatever/Whenever service, the hotel’s 24-hour concierge that provides whatever guests want – from a pair or running shoes to a private jet service – whenever they want it. "

With this and the rumored aLoft hotel at Monument's Half Street project in the Ballpark District, as well as the already established Hotel Monaco, Ritz-Carlton, and Mandarin Oriental, I'm wondering how long it will take for us to get a Standard Hotel, although since they are just arriving in NYC's Meatpacking District, it may take a while for them to notice us...

Onyx on First:

2007-12-10T14:20:00.000-08:00

A newish rendering of Onyx on First (a 14-story, 266 unit residential building two blocks from Nationals Stadium) in the Ballpark District that I found while flipping through DC Real Estate. All the info you can possibly imagine about Near Southeast DC is at Ballpark and Beyond.

On the Fly:

2007-12-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

Need to grab something quick to eat on the go that isn't crap?* On the Fly looks to solve that problem. I went to their prototype location at 8th & H St. NW.

From the press release:

"In partnership with the Washington D.C. Government,
Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) and local food providers, On The Fly zero-emission SmartKarts,
will be placed in strategic locations throughout Washington D.C. beginning this week. The first
vehicle features Latin food at 8th and H Streets NW in the District’s Downtown Business
Improvement District (BID). Future expansion will focus on equally dense neighborhoods offering a
range of quick and easy meal choices from natural snacks and beverages to Asian fusion and Latin
American fare."

Not only are the smartkarts electric, the bags they use are bio-degradable, and they feature food and drink from local favorites such as Teaism, Julia's Empanadas, and others. On the Fly hopes to have three locations by the end of the month and 18 locations next year. Here's to hoping they become a DC staple.

Links:
On the Fly [Official Site]
New Vendor Offers Eco-Friendly Fast Food [NBC article & video]
D.C. entrepreneur goes from Zipcar to vending carts [WBJ]
On the Fly Near Gallery Place [WaPo]

*The above comment was not to disrespect other local food vendors. Just fast-food chains.

NoMa Top Design List:

2007-12-04T19:32:00.000-08:00

The vision of tomorrow's NoMa:

1111 North Capitol:

Details:
Office: 500,000 SF
Retail: 20,000 SF
Cultural: 5,000 SF
I love this building. The reuse of the historic warehouse meets a modern glass structure. The movement of the glass structures is beautiful.

Constitution Square (1st St. NE between M & N):

Details:
Office: 1,300,000 SF
Residential: 1000 Units
Hotel: 200 rooms
Retail: 100,000 SF

One block. 1500 residents. Grocery store. A whole lot of retail and office. What more can I say? (The estimate of 1500 residents is based on the equation that 50% of the units will have one occupant and 50% will have two)

111 K Street:

Details:
Office: 90,000 SF
Retail: 1,500 SF

This triangular building is on a supersmall lot next to the metro tracks. An based on certain documents, this development may one day have a direct connection to the MBT/ Burnham Spine/ Union Station air rights development.

1100 & 1150 First Street:

Details:
Office: 670,000 SF
Retail: 30,000 SF

Clean and simple. I like the subtle nature of the slanted twin buildings.

Capitol Square:

Details:
Office: 575,000 GSF
Residential: 650 Units
Hotel: 250,000 GSF
Retail: 200,000 GSF

It seems like a slightly slimmer version of the Constitution Square development. Hopefully the McDonald's and smaller building will be razed for a more mixed-use structure.

Noma BID Site Redesign:

2007-12-04T11:55:00.000-08:00

So NomaBID has been redesigned. It is fresh with new renderings, more info and a new interactive map. There is also a great rundown of projects with renderings in a pdf found on the Resources page. I must say, there is some great modern architecture coming to Noma. I will post a rundown of my favorites with renderings later today.

10th + G Office/Church Combo:

2007-11-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

As reported at DCMud, the project at 10th & G NW is now office/church instead of condos/church. There's also a decent amount of commentary at PQLiving, not that I agree with any of the comments. Here are the latest renderings, as found at the website for Cunningham + Quill Architects. I don't find the architecture to be inspiring, however I do think its decent. I'm looking forward to see how this projects develops.

Development Update | 1099 NY Ave. Gets More Glassy:

2007-11-20T09:06:00.000-08:00

Photo from last Friday:

From two weeks prior:

1099 New York Ave. will be an 11-story office building directly across from the Old Convention Center site, with 8,000 sq ft of ground floor retail, for a high-end restaurant, bank, and convenience store.

Links:
WBJ

Chinatown/ Gallery Pl. Coca Cola Video Billoards:

2007-11-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

GP Video Billboards Update:

2007-10-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

As you can see in this photo, the structural support is installed and electrical wiring is ran:

So the video ads can't be too far away. This has caused quite a bit of arguement at PQ Living, as can be seen in the 38 comments ranging from "this seems insane" to "big deal" to comments about color and vibrance. But with the AT&T flagship taking the retail space at the same time of the video billboard news, I was wondering, could the videoboards just be signage for the store? I haven't seen anything saying that the videoboards will be used specifically for ads. Just a thought... I could be wrong.

New Aveda Signage:

2007-10-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

So the Aveda Institute finally has some decent signage. It went up a couple weeks ago, I just never got around to posting it.

Update:

2007-10-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

So I've been SO busy moving into my new apartment. I haven't had any time to blog. So I will be posting regularly in the next day or so.

Chop't Signs Up:

2007-10-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

The neon signage is up at Chop't. The man on the left is actually putting up the Chinese characters on the windows. They will apparently be opening in another week or so, due to some delays. Sorry for the bad picture (cameraphone!). I'll post a better one soon!

Stomp:

2007-09-26T20:09:00.001-07:00

Stomp, originally uploaded by esshots.

Cool mural in Dupont.

Harman Center for the Arts Finishes Facade:

2007-09-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

I passed by the Harman Center and noticed that the lighting and lettering on the facade has been completed. It looks great. The bottom lettering of "Shakespeare Theatre Company" is backlight, which will look great at night, and even better when there's an actual performance going on. As you can also see there are now tables and seats visible.

New Restaurant in CH:

2007-09-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

Columbia Heights News reports that Royal Blue Mediterranean Bistro will be taking the final retail space at Kenyon Square. From the press release:

"Two long-standing local restaurateurs, Khalid Raji and Jawad Laouaouda, have teamed up to create the all-new restaurant, which will feature – as its name implies – the foods and atmosphere of the Mediterranean region. Both hail from Morocco, but the cuisine offered at their restaurant will not be limited to their home country; items from northern Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East are to be found on the menu. The wine list will be international as well, with wines from southern Italy to northern California and everywhere in between."

Cool Coffee Shop:

2007-09-25T20:59:00.001-07:00

IMG_4347, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

Prince of Petworth has a nice write-up on a local, independent coffee shop that plans to expand soon.

Hello

2007-09-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

What's the purpose of this blog? Why another DC blog? Well I wanted a place where I can combine all of the information I keep track of, as well as create original updates. I feel like there isn't enough about the good things in DC, the unique things here, the crazy things here. My focus will be on local independent retail and urban development, although sometimes I will talk about very cool non-independent retail (no Starbucks, please), as well as other DC news. This blog is also a place for discussion. Commenting is highly recommended. I'm currently still designing the layout, so just wait for the final design.