Falkland Apartments Plan Up for Review, Again

Today, Home Properties of New York, owner of the Falkand Apartments, finds itself once again in front of the Montgomery County Planning Department concerning the site plan for a multi-building, mixed-use development at the northeast quadrant of the intersection of 16th Street and East-West Highway near the Silver Spring CBD. The 9.7-acre site, split into three parcels, is within walking distance of the Silver Spring Metro and the MARC station.

In 1985, the area was denied eligibility for the designation in the Master Plan for Historic Preservation, but in 2007 all three parcels were found eligible and the Board “directed the Planning staff to initiate an amendment to that Master Plan,” according to the MCPD report on today’s hearing to approve the site plan. In 2008, the south and west parcels were added to the plan, but the north parcel was added to the Locational Atlas, which was created in 1976 and identifies potential historic sites.

That particular restriction called for the removal of the north parcel from the Atlas upon approval of the site plan.

"Faced with the challenge of weighing the benefits of historic preservation with those related to other planning objectives, the Board found that greater public benefit would be achieved through the redevelopment of the north parcel than by the parcel's designation in the Master Plan," according to the Staff report.

Being part of the Master Plan comes with eligibility for financial incentives for qualified rehabilitation and maintenance projects as well as certain protections.

The designation led Home Properties to revise their development plan and follow a few provisions, including 4.72 percent of the dwelling units to be subject to the County’s Workforce housing law for 20 years and the same amount provided for off-site Workforce housing.  Home Properties must beautify the stream on the South parcel, and all buildings must be rated LEED-Silver.

The proposed plan is for a 1.2 million s.f., mixed-use development that includes 70,000 s.f. of retail and 1,250 townhouse units with 12.5 percent MPDUs and 4.73 percent Workforce Housing units.

The project consists of four buildings, oriented to a perimeter public street or a proposed private internal street. The buildings on the East-West Highway include ground-floor retail.

The proposed development provides 65,091 s.f. of public use space, 20 percent of the lot area. This includes a public plaza, garden and pedestrian area.

Staff recommends approval of the proposed plan today.


Maryland real estate and development news

Lumber Shed Construction at the Yards Begins this Week

Construction begins this week on the Lumber Shed, an adaptive reuse component that will become the retail centerpiece of the Yards, a Forest City project. The Shed is set to be completed in the third quarter of 2013, according to a press release.

The Yards, which is one of the largest projects in Southeast D.C., has been named the best new public space by City Paper. Seven restaurants and a Harris Teeter were announced this past year in the boilermaker shops, and recently, the Alatmarea Restaurant Group of New York City announced a new Osteria Morini restaurant to open in The Yards in summer 2013.

The area was formerly the Navy Yard Annex then the Naval Gun Factory. Forest City Washington received the chance to redevelop the 42-acre riverfront property site in 2004, and construction began on several parcels within the yards in 2007.

When finished, the Yards will be a 5.5 million s.f. development, completed during three phases during the next 10 to 20 years.

The Lumber Shed - formerly owning up to its name - is located on the edge of the Yards park overlooking the Anacostia River.  The Shed will be a 30,000 s.f., two-level, retail, glass pavilion, which will temporarily house Forest City’s offices on the second floor and include five restaurants.

The inclusion of Osteria Morini and Forest City’s offices means the building is 60 percent leased.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

The Ground Floor

Tom Power, owner of Corduroy restaurant, is moving forward with renovations to 1124 9th St., NW. Plans are for a 6,200 s.f. restaurant and bar.  As reported previously, it will be a more casual concept with a "raw space feeling with exposed brick, a sky light and a big bar."  Permits are pending.

3 Stars Brewing Company, a DC brewery offering hand crafted artisanal beers, is opening their brewery at 6400 Chillum Place in northwest DC.  They hope to release their first batch for public consumption in early July.

Noodles and Company, the national chain that serves all things noodles, is coming to 1815 Wisconsin Ave, NW., into 3,000 s.f. of new space next to the Georgetown (is it still Social?) Safeway.

Louis' Rogue Club, a gentleman's club at 476 K St, NW, has closed for updating.  Current plans call for renovations of 8,000 s.f. on the second and third floors of the building.

The Dry Bar, a hair salon that only provides blow outs: no cut or color, is opening two locations in the DMV.   The DC salon will be a 1,458 sf space located at 1815 Wisconsin Ave, NW.  The Bethesda salon will be 2,005 s.f. space located at 4840 Betheseda Ave.

Buddha Bar in Mt. Vernon Triangle has closed.


Jen Angotti is a DCRE agent licensed in DC and VA.  She also writes Concrete Jungle DC, a blog about real estate and design.

Morning Real Estate Review

GOP highlights empty federal buildings in DC (AJC) Republicans will hold hearings to discuss vacant federally-owned buildings in the District of Columbia, such as the Georgetown heating plant, which the GOP estimates cost an extra $1.7b annually to operate.

Marion Barry tries to stop H Street streetcar line (Washington Post)  A week after Mayor Gray announces a contract for the turnaround of the streetcar line, Barry says he's protecting the taxpayer.


Single family housing starts rise 3.2% in May (Realestaterama) May marks the third straight month of increased permits for single-family homes.

Wesley Seminary Residence Hall to Break Ground Next Month

The first new housing in over fifty years for the Wesley Theological Seminary is set to break ground next month, after an almost six-year planning and approval process.

"We just went in for permits a couple weeks ago," said Paul Taylor of general contractor Vantage Construction.  "We hope to break ground in July, if everything goes through as planned.  Construction should take about a year, so they'll be finished by next summer, and ready for the fall semester.  Right now it looks like the final building will encompass 74 beds in about 56 units."

Back in 2006, the Zoning Commission approved an ambitious Wesley Seminary Campus Plan that would've added over seventy thousand square feet of residential, academic, and chapel space to the campus.  But the economic downturn forced a reevaulation of this plan, and in the end, this residence was the only new planned structure that survived the process.

The three-story thirty thousand square foot residence hall, designed by Falls Church-based MGMA, will feature a facade of brick veneer and contrasting concrete panels, to match the rest of the campus, and will house plant facilities for the entire campus on the lower levels.  The design has evolved over the past year, after consultations with citizens groups, to produce a more visually dynamic, varied structure.  Designers pulled out stairwells, added elements to the roof, stepped back precast elements, and "reduced the institutional feel" by strategically adding window, to create a "more interesting and more residential" building.

Wesley Seminary was founded in 1882 in Westminster, MD, and has been at its present Spring Valley location since 1958; according to the latest Campus Plan, the campus, though "outwardly tranquil and relaxed is, in reality, a place of great energy and excitement."

Washington, D.C. real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Review

Shakespeare Theatre Company sues landlord Landsburgh Theatre (DCist) STC says its rent went up 700% in violation of the agreement that created the venue in the first place.

Mayor Gray brings back Michael Kelly to run Dept. of Housing and Community Development (CityPaper) Kelly had left DC for a similar position in NYC, but Kelly has been brought back to replace John Hill, who moves to DMPED.

New Dodd-Frank rules could limit mortgages to plain vanilla offerings (HousingWire)  A study by K&L Gates says that Basel III rules could causes mortgage lenders to shy away from all but the simplest loans.

Builder confidence edges up in June (HousingWire) The NAB has issued a report saying that lower interest rates has given a push to buyers across the country, giving builders a better feeling about the market.

WPC Breaking Ground on Wheaton Residential Project

Washington Property Company breaks ground on the Solaire, a 232-unit residential building at 10194 Georgia Avenue, next week.  Located on the former site of the First Baptist Church, WPC acquired the 1.65-acre parcel in 2005 and, as part of the deal, relocated the church to Olney, adding to the long list of projects approved in a quickly developing Wheaton town center.

Montgomery County approved the site plan last October for a Preston Partnership-designed six-story, u-shaped structure, opening to the south, with a swimming pool and greenspace in the interior courtyard.  Designers used a "variety of masonry and glazing" as well as "small parapets and height variations ... to minimize the sense of building mass." Beneath, developers will build a two-level parking garage with 230  spaces. A public statement notes such ubiquitous amenities as "granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, fine cabinetry, wood laminate flooring."  

According to a WPC press release, the developer owns more than eight million square feet of commercial space in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and currently has over 1.6 million residential square feet under development.Clark Builders Group is the General Contractor, Gables Residential will provide property management and leasing services.  Leasing is expected to begin in September of 2013.

Wheaton, Maryland real estate development news