Trump Emphasizes Preservation in Plans for Old Post Office

Old Post Office building

From the top, 315 feet above the street, a visitor is greeted with sweeping 360 degree view of the city.  The Capitol Building dome rises in the near distance, airplanes appear to graze the Potomac, and the city's radial streets fan out in all directions. In the far distance, the Washington Cathedral and the Pentagon anchor opposite skylines.

The Old Post Office Building and tower, the third tallest structure in DC (behind the Washington Monument and the Basilica), at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, with its cavernous atrium and spectacular architecture, is finally getting deserved, if delayed, attention as a destination venue.  Long underutilized as nondescript federal offices and a food court to match, details of a new design have finally emerged.

In February, the General Services Administration (GSA) selected the Trump Organization to overhaul the building.   Thursday night theTrump team presented in-depth plans for the overhaul of the Old Post Office Tower building at the annual membership meeting of the DC Preservation League.

Bird's-eye view of existing floor plan

David Horowitz of the Trump Organization told the preservation group - the very group that that helped save the building over 40 years ago - that the Trump group sees the hotel as its top project and that the project will place a heavy emphasis on preservation.

"Our goal for this property is to build the best hotel in Washington, DC, and realistically, the world," Horowitz told the crowd. "We see an important role as the caretaker of this historic building on our nation's Main Street."  He emphasized that the plans are still in development.

Architect Hany Hassan, FAIA, partner at Beyer Blinder Belle in DC, presented the vision for the building.  He sketched a tentative plan that would extend the original ground floor level in the building's central cortile - bringing back the "slab" on which the first post office workers sorted mail - and then open it up to public entrances from all sides.

Hotel drop-offs are penciled in for 11th and 12th streets, with retail and cafe space with outdoor seating on C Street and on Pennsylvania Avenue. "The building will finally be accessible to the public from all directions," Hassan said.

Idea to extend ground floor. Image: Trump Org. presentation

The south side is where the Trump Organization would locate the public entrance to a lobby leading to the tower elevators and the Clock Tower Museum, which first opened to the public in 1985.

The existing mezzanine will likely be expanded for a restaurant or cafe, Hassan said.  He asked the audience to imagine Grand Central Station in New York.  "The only difference here is that while you are at this mezzanine level you are not only appreciating the ground floor, you will also be able to look up to the north and see the clock tower, which is one of the most beautiful features of this building," Hassan said.

Hassan said that, for him, the restoration was a dream project to be approached with humility. He said the project entails a great responsibility to preserve and enhance the building "and the synergy and energy that it will bring to Federal Triangle and connecting the National Mall and the monumental core to the downtown."

Hassan said the glass annex that was added to the building in the 20th century would house banquet rooms, conference rooms, and public event spaces. The upper levels will house guest rooms that will preserve the building's original room layout. The larger, postmaster general's office on the fifth floor, for example, might become a suite, Hassan said.  Some windows might be added on the ninth floor to "give incredible views of the city."

In Hassan's eyes, “the building has these incredible bones and all you have to do is work with it and respect it.” The Trump team - with Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump heading the DC project - has set a timeline for breaking ground in 2014 with delivery of a 250-room hotel in 2016.

Tentative rendering. Image: Trump Organization presentation

The building, dating back to 1892, was almost torn down in 1926 when construction on the neo-classical Federal Triangle began and the building went out of style.  Demolition permits were again issued in the 1970s, but a small group of protestors formed the "Don't Tear it Down" movement to save the building.  That group later turned into the DC Preservation League.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Furioso Starting Logan Office Project

Giorgio Furioso plans to begin construction on his 14th Street office project on December 10th, the developer announced this morning.   The 42,000 s.f. office building will take the place of the empty lot at 1525 14th Street, NW, wrapped around the adjacent building Furioso already owns that holds Posto.

The Logan Circle-based Furioso Development has worked for years on the development, known now as 1525 Fourteen, but after weighing various options for the site concluded that the underserved office market was the most viable for the site.

Furioso told DCMud he sees the future building as an anchor of 24/7 neighborhood activity, bringing more feet to 14th Street during day to balance the throngs that populate the nighttime hotspot.

Furioso said several office tenants are already lined up, but no announcements have been made yet on the 3,600 square feet of street-level retail.  The project was nearly ready for construction this summer, with only "last minute" issues hindering construction.  The design for the six-story LEED gold building, which includes a green roof, geothermal heating, and solar panels, is by architecture firm Eric Colbert and Associates.  Two underground floors include 28-small-car parking spaces, accessible by car elevator, and a charging station for hybrids.  The building also includes a bicycle room complete with showers.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Morning Real Estate Fix

Archstone sale leaves CityCenter DC in limbo (Washington Business Journal)  AvalonBay and Equity Residential picked up the pieces from Archstone, but neither has seemed to claim its share of the downtown DC project.

A look at the Trumps' new Old Post Office (Washington Post) New renderings of the DC landmark show a preservation-oriented approach to repurposing the building into a hotel.

New FHA rules may prompt more condos than apartments (New York Times) Recently enacted FHA rules allow government-backed mortgages for mixed-use projects, allowing developers to better sell condos in their multi-family buildings.

Housing construction pulls commercial builders back on track (Costar)  With new home construction strong in both multi-family and single-family, commercial construction is being pulled from its torpor.

Tanger and Peterson break ground at National Harbor (PR Newswire) DC's "premier waterfront resort destination" sees groundbreaking on factory outlets.

Major Renovations Scheduled for Crime-Addled NoMa Neighbor

NoMa may be rapidly becoming a gleaming playground for the city’s young professionals, but some of its lower-income neighbors are about to get an upgrade, too. Tyler House, a 284-unit subsidized apartment building located at the southwest intersection of New York Avenue and North Capitol Street, will soon be undergoing a $25 million top-to-bottom renovation.

“You know the term God’s rehab?” asked owner Israel Roizman, a Philadelphia resident who runs Roizman and Companies, a management and development firm that owns mostly low-income properties on the East Coast. “We’ll be taking everything out from the inside and putting everything in brand new.”

The comprehensive upgrade will include a new building-wide HVAC system, new plumbing, improved elevators, and new kitchens—cabinets, appliances—for residents. To boot, the community center spaces will be improved and the building will include a new computer learning center.

But possibly the most important element, at this point, might be the change in lobby structure. Currently, the building has three towers but only one entrance. To improve security, Roizman will build three separate entrances, one for each tower—and each with its own security desk. “We’re trying to organize better the traffic of the building,” said Roizman. “That creates better overseeing, management, security—you won’t have kids running around all over.”

In this case, the security issue is a crucial one: last month, that corner was the site of an astounding seven shootings that occurred within seven days. “It’s the surrounding area,” claimed Roizman, who’s owned the complex for 17 years. “It didn’t happen in our building.”

Renovation plans have been drawn up by Architectural Alliance, which has offices in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and will be carried out by The Bozzuto Group. Construction should begin in February and will take about 18 months; most of the building’s almost 1,000 residents will remain the building throughout.

As for the complex’s proximity to one of the District’s most up-and-coming neighborhoods, Roizman says he isn’t planning on selling—or upgrading the building to luxury status—anytime soon. “I’ll keep it low-income,” he said. “Why shouldn’t people with less income live in a nice area?”

Washington D.C. real estate development

Morning Real Estate Fix

JBG targets empty grocery for Rockville mixed-use project (Citybizlist) JBG intends to replace the empty Giant grocery store as a complement to Rockville Town Center next door.

Rents to keep rising (National Association of Realtors)  After posting gains of 4.1% this year, rents are expected to go up even more next near, with the NAR predicting 4.6%.

DC tries to lease upper Georgia Ave building, site of failed condo project (Washington Business Journal)  A decrepit building at 6428 Georgia is for lease by the District after it foiled a condo project in order to build a fire station, then left the building sitting vacant since 2006.

Pace of home sales flat in October (National Association of Home Builders)  With lending standards remaining tight, existing home sales showed no new energy last month.

Architects' billings are up for 3rd straight month (Architect Magazine)  The upward numbers show construction in housing remains strong.

10 Questions with Deborah Ratner Salzberg

10 Questions is a weekly feature in which we interview some of the leading District figures in real estate, architecture, development, and planning. This week's subject ... Deborah Ratner Salzberg, President of Forest City Washington, Inc.

For Deborah Ratner Salzberg, real estate runs in the family.  As President of Forest City Washington, Inc., Salzberg oversees the local branch of billion-dollar development giant Forest City Enterprises Inc., the company her family founded in 1920.  A former attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, Ms. Salzberg also holds leadership positions with many community, arts, and philanthropic organizations, including The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, the Washington Ballet, and Arts for the Aging.

1. What's a typical day for you?

Wake up and head to the gym. Go into the office. Check emails. Spend the day balancing Forest City Washington work with community/nonprofit activites. Check emails. I generally have a lunch meeting and after work often head to a fundraiser or nonprofit event.  Head home and check emails. Get an advance start on tomorrow’s headlines on my iPad. Go to sleep and start again.


2. What or who is your biggest influence?

My biggest influences are my relatives. I work with my relatives, and they influenced my decision to join Forest City. I was surrounded by strong independent women growing up. My mother, paternal grandmother and three aunts all worked outside of the home. My father has always been my advisor, biggest fan and supporter. To this day I've never given a speech without running by him first. Although, I didn’t run these answers by him!


3. What neighborhood do you live in?

The Edgemoor area of Bethesda.


4. What is your biggest DC pet peeve?

We can’t see stars at night due to the bright lights.  It’s time to convert to directional street light fixtures.




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

Born to Run….I play it when I’m working out.


6. Favorite DC haunt?

Sterling.  My gym.


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

Yoga


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

Here, but I wouldn’t mind a second home in NY, SF, Paris or Tel Aviv.


9. If you couldn't be a developer, what would you be?

An international flight attendant. I love to travel.


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

I took a semester off from college my sophomore year and moved to Hawaii where I ended up working in security for McInerny Department Store.

Today in Pictures - Wonder Bread Building

One of the few true industrial buildings in DC, the Wonder Bread building in Shaw has long captured would-be architects' and developers' interest.  After the attractive but decrepit building sat vacant for years, Douglas Development put the structure through a nomination to be included in the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites in August of last year.

With that out of the way, work began on the refurbishing the building in June, and work crews have now gutted the interior, lowering the floor, and making way for more than 50,000 s.f. of space, with 24,000 of retail on 2 levels.  Designed by R2L:Architects, the building's revival is part of Shaw's commercial rebirth, ironically just as the building's namesake declares bankruptcy.  Despite the raw look of the shell, Douglas expects to turn the building over to the first tenant in January. 

Washington D.C. real estate development news