The Ground Floor

The Dancing Crab, the iconic crab house at 4611 Wisconsin Ave, NW, has closed for "renovations."

William Steward, the former owner of Dr. Dremo's in Arlington, is opening a new pub and outdoor bar in Trinidad at 1200 Bladensburg Rd, NE. (Titan of Trinidad).

Satellite Room, the newest restaurant venture from the Hilton Brothers located at 2047 9th St, NW, is opening this week.  (Thrillist)

The Coupe - Constantine Stavropoulis's newest creation after the Tryst and Open City - opened last night.

Aroi, a Thai and Japanese restaurant, opened at 1832 1st St, NW.  (POP)

Morning Real Estate Fix

DC housing market appears to be cooling (Washington Post)  DC isn't doing badly compared to the rest of the nation, but the fall market appears to be cooler than expected.

Vornado's edifice complex (CNN Money) The NYC-based commercial real estate giant has gone big by operating some very high profile buildings, as well as having a hand in traditional retail giants.

Fed's Beige Book shows modest uptick in real estate numbers (HousingWire) Expanded economic activity surrounding real estate is reported throughout the country since the last report in late August.

The best times to buy or sell a house (Time Moneyland)  The big picture of what to do when you are thinking of getting in - or out - of real estate.

The end of the Purple Line?  (Washington Examiner)  Maryland lawmakers are fretting that the Purple Line, the light rail from Bethesda to New Carrollton, might never be built due to lack of state funding, even though the federal government will pick up half the tab.

Grosvenor, Skanska Close on Ballpark Site, Hope for Construction Next Summer

The Capitol Riverfront neighborhood got another shot in the arm today as developers announced a new project adjacent to the Nationals ballpark.  Developers Skanska USA and Grosvenor Americas closed yesterday on their purchase of the long block on 1st Street, SE, between M and N Streets, just north of the ballpark, and hope to begin construction by next summer.

The site, known as Square 701, will hold four buildings with more than 650,000 s.f. in total:

-An 11-story, 224,000 s.f. office building (built by Skanska, designed by Gensler, see rendering below),

-A 170-room hotel (by Grosvenor),

-Two residential buildings with a total of 285 units and connected by a "trellised glass bridge" (by Grosvenor, designed by Hickok Cole).

In all, the site will offer up to 55,000 s.f. of retail space.  The land had been owned by Potomac-based Willco Companies since 1948, and was cleared of buildings several years ago; in a simultaneous transaction Grosvenor purchased nearly the entire block from Willco and Skanska purchased the northernmost portion of the site from Grosvenor.  The site is adjacent to the hole Monument Realty excavated in 2007 and has left sitting ever since.  Rob Ward of Skanska says that while Grosvenor and Skanska are not technical or financial partners on the project, they will be working in tandem to unify the site.

Ward tells DCMud that while Willco had its own plans for the site, both Skanska and Grosvenor are developing new building designs, which have been wending their way through DC's zoning process throughout the summer.  Ward expects that under the most optimistic circumstances work could be underway on either the residential or office component as early as next summer; to date the developers have been in discussion with the ANC and zoning officials but "don't have enough design to pull permits yet."  Ward says the project is "basically by-right zoning" and "consistent with what the city has in mind for the site."

The new building is being designed to earn a LEED Gold platinum rating.  McCaffery Interests will be representing Grosvenor on construction elements of the project, which include the alley (Cushing Place) between this site and Monument's land.  The alley is expected to be reopened, though Ward notes that he has no news on Monument's projections for work to resume.  Below is a site plan - north is up.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

10 Questions with ... Eric Colbert

10 Questions is a new weekly feature in which we interview some of the leading District figures in real estate, architecture, development, and planning. This week's subject ... architect Eric Colbert.

As much as any architect working today, Eric Colbert is responsible for the look and feel of contemporary D.C.  Once called "the architectural god of 14th Street," Colbert and his firm, Eric Colbert & Associates, is known for his subtle but artful aesthetic, and his projects are everywhere.  Whether you know it or not, when you think about District architecture, you're thinking about Eric Colbert.

1.  What’s a typical day for you?

Wake up at 5:45 and am on the Potomac River by 6:20 am in my kayak doing a workout near Brookmont.  In the office by 9:00 am.  Most of our projects are local and I often make a site visit to one of our construction sites during the day.  As the owner of the company, it is my responsibility to distribute work to the employees and insure that our resources are being used efficiently.  At least 3-4 times a week potential clients come to me with possible projects that they want me to analyze.

I normally work through lunch.  Leave office around 7:30 pm.  I have no TV and usually read a couple of hours in the evening.

2.  What or who is your biggest influence?

When I started my company, for many years I shared offices with the developer, Sandy Wilkes.  He taught me a lot about how to organize and run an office, and remains a close friend and client.  Gary Squire is another long-time client that has taken a strong interest in my company and has been an effective mentor.

3.  What neighborhood do you live in?

I have lived in numerous DC neighborhoods, including Adams Morgan, Eckington, Penn Quarter.  I currently reside in Chevy Chase, DC.

4.  What is your biggest DC pet peeve?

Phobia about building height.

5.  What is the #1 most played song on your iPod.

I play a lot of songs from Cold Play’s “Mylo Xyloto” album and Leonard Cohen’s “Old Ideas” album.

6.  Favorite DC haunt?

9:30 Club.

7.  What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?

Be outdoors, kayaking, hiking, etc.  I just returned from a 2 week, 227 mile kayak trip through the Grand Canyon on the Colorado River.

8.  If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I travel quite a bit and always enjoy returning to Washington, DC.  There is no place else that I would rather live.

9.  If you couldn’t be an architect, what would you be?

If I couldn’t be an architect, I would probably want another type of job in the construction or design industry.  I love all aspects of creating a building, furniture, or any built form.

10.  Name one thing most people don’t know about you.

I am addicted to crime novels.

Morning Real Estate Fix

Should the market determine parking requirements in new buildings? (Atlantic Cities)  A new study says that parking minimums in new residential developments subsidize the car and create more car traffic than the market would deliver on its own.

DC puts Hill East up for bid again (Examiner)  After several failed attempts to get 50 acres around the old hospital plot going, the DC government is trying again with a smaller parcel near JFK stadium, opening development up to bidders.

U.S. sues Wells Fargo (Wall Street Journal)  A federal prosecutor sues the bank for mortgage fraud in its allegedly overly aggressive tactics to make loans.

Consumer confidence in housing market gradually climbs (Fannie Mae)  In its survey, the mortgage buyer finds that despite what people think about the overall economy, the public is seeing a larger silver lining around the housing market.

High-end Hyattsville condos headed to auction after years without a sale (Washington Post) The condo project, near PG Plaza, were completed 4 years ago as part of a new town center, but developers were never able to sell a condo.

CAS Riegler Development on 9th to Break Ground Early Next Year

After years of tiptoeing towards growth, Shaw’s 9th Street NW is taking a big step in that direction in 2013, and one more project is now officially in the pipeline.

Adam Stifel, one of the founding principals of development company CAS Riegler, says the group, in partnership with Douglas Development and CityInterests, is close to construction on a residential project at the corner of 9th and N streets designed by PGN Architects. The partners say they hope to choose a general contractor by the end of October and plan to break ground early next year.  "We’re all set and it’s pretty much entitled,” said Stifel, explaining that the project has received approvals from the local ANC, the Boart of Zoning Adjustment, and the Historic Preservation Review Board. “Now we’re working on getting it priced out from general contractors.” Stifel would not name the four or five companies bidding on the consruction project.

The development site includes a lot at the corner of 9th and N streets that’s currently being used by garden center Old City Green, as well as an existing historic building at 1264 9th Street and a building located on Blagden Alley inside the block which formerly served as Fight Club DC, a privately-owned skateboarding/art/music space that closed in 2010. The corner lot is owned by Douglas Development, while CAS Riegler and CityInterests own the property around it.

Earlier estimates had placed groundbreaking in late 2012, but waiting until early 2013 to begin construction means that Frank Asher, owner of Old City Green, doesn’t have to vacate the property until after the lucrative Christmas tree season. Asher has spoken out more broadly about independently-owned businesses being forced to leave an area once it begins to develop.

The project's design has come a long way since its initial renderings, which featured a "Portland-esque" (as Stifel put it) aesthetic that was big on wood and steel. After multiple changes following meetings with neighborhood stakeholders and historic preservation officials, the design is now a little more conventional, giving a nod to the nearby row houses with its varying facade and incorporating--but not mimicking--the historic façade at 1264 9th Street.  The building will back up to Blagden Alley, but Stifel says the connection along the alley will be too small to incorporate any alley amenity or streetscape.

The development will include roughly 70 apartment units; most will be one-bedrooms, with some two-bedroom units scattered throughout and a few larger units located on the building’s penthouse level and its corners. The project will also include a level of underground parking and about 8,000 square feet of ground floor retail. "I think we'll end up with a restaurant taking most of it," said Stifel. "I think it's a really good corner space that's meant to be a restaurant or café."


Stifel, who himself lives in one of the company's Shaw buildings, says he thinks the area has a huge amount of promise. “Shaw has a lot to offer, and a lot of beautiful building stock,” he said.  “As a guy who lives and breathes this stuff, I have a lot of confidence in this market.” He said that he envisions the development will have an urban feel similar to The Hudson, PN Hoffman’s boxy, high-ceilinged apartment building located across from the P Street Whole Foods in Logan Circle.

Washington, D.C., real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Fix

FHA mortgage insurance premiums may double (Dan Green Mortgage Reports)  In accordance with a bill having passed the U.S. House and headed for the Senate that would help keep it self-funded, the FHA may soon be raising rates from 1.2% to more than 2%.

Construction workers losing jobs across the country (Architect magazine)  Construction jobs numbers have been weak for months, contradicting - or mirroring - the most recent unemployment figures.

Battle lines drawn over zoning update (CityPaper) While the DC Council debates updates to the 1958 rules, the public is given a chance to weigh in on the process and on development, and some are making the most of the opportunity.

$100m hotel and mixed-use project coming to Rockville (Gazette)  The development by Duball will incorporate 140 hotel rooms and 485 apartments.  Construction is set to begin this year.

Cassidy Turley names DC exec new CEO (BizJournal)  Joseph Stettinius named CEO, which technically means the company is now headquartered in DC.