First Look at Parcel N at The Yards

Parcel N at The Yards. Image: Robert A.M. Stern

New renderings have been released of "Parcel N," one of two new apartment buildings planned for Forest City Washington's The Yards mega-development in DC's Capitol Riverfront neighborhood.

Robert A.M. Stern is the primary design architect on the "Parcel N" project, WDG is the architect of record.  Planning for the building is still in the design stage, although architects said they expect permits for the 340,000 s.f. structure to be secured by May 2013, with a groundbreaking set for August of 2013, according to WDG.

Parcel N at The Yards. Image: Robert A.M. Stern

Forest City broke ground this summer on the other project, "Parcel D", directly catty-corner to Parcel N.  That building is being designed by Shalom Baranes.

The Foundry Lofts, a 170-unit adaptive re-use project and the first residential building in the group, completed last year.  In June Forest City secured funding for an adaptive reuse project called The Lumber Shed, described as the The Yards' "retail centerpiece".  Another adaptive reuse of a century-old building into retail and restaurants, The Boilermaker Shops, is set for opening this spring.

Parcel N at The Yards. Image: Robert A.M. Stern

Plans for parcel N include an 11-story, 325-unit building at 310 Tingey Street with ground floor retail, two courtyards, a rooftop pool, a small green roof, and a LEED target of gold.

Peter Garofalo, architect with Robert A.M. Stern in New York, said the building's design references the area's industrial architectural tradition.  There used to be an old foundry on the site, Garofalo said, but it was torn down in the 1970's.

"What we are striving to do is build a building that references historical essences, but updates them in a playful and modern way and stitches those two vocabularies together..." Garofalo told DCMud.  He said the design features glass on top of a traditional base.  Materials include glass, concrete, and dark metals.

Parcel N at The Yards. Image: Robert A.M. Stern

Garofalo said the building's design also features a zig-zag pattern across the east face of the building.  "That was done so that in the future, when the rest of the parcel is being built out, it will create diagonal views up and down 4th street for those residential units."

Designers anticipate one and two-bedroom units that Garofalo called "standard DC-sized," and don't foresee any micro-units.  "There is some debate about it, but I doubt that is going to be included," he said.

Parcel N at The Yards. Image: Robert A.M. Stern

Washington D.C. real estate development news

Onward, Upward for Mega-development in Pentagon City

Arlington is set to gain more height as Kettler moves forward on the Acadia, a 19-story residential building in Pentagon City.  Construction on the Acadia has already begun, according to Virginia-based Kettler.   The building, located at 575 12th St. South in Arlington, is the latest project to break ground in Kettler's mixed-use mega-development called Metropolitan Park.

The Acadia, Rendering: Kettler

A LEED Silver-designed building, the 677,154 s.f. Acadia will include 433 residential units, 16,350 s.f. of ground floor retail and three below-grade parking levels.  The granite and limestone skinned building also will have a gym, a cafe, a business center, and other amenities including a pet grooming room and an innfinity edge, saltwater rooftop pool. Dorsky Yue International (DYI) is the project architect.

When completed, the eight-stage, planned unit development (PUD) will include ten buildings, a nearly historic size when added together. Architect Robert A.M. Stern is the master planner for the grandiose project, which developer Kettler describes as a "16-acre urban village in Pentagon City."  Work on the project, which has already delivered the 300-plus residential buildings The Gramercy and The Millennium, marks the continued upward development of this land at the nexus of Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Pentagon Row.  The Acadia will make a triad out of the duo of mega-buildings already on the site, which also includes a park and is bounded by 12th, 15th, Eads, and South Fern Streets.

The Acadia, Image: Kettler website

The Gramercy was completed in 2008 and the Millennium in 2010.  The planned development will be the largest of its kind in the DC area and, step by step, is replacing the parking lots and six warehouses that once occupied the site.  Kettler bought the 11 acres of land for phase 1 through 3 of the project from Vornado in 2007 for $104.4 million.  Vornado is another developer and the firm behind many recent development in Arlington, including what will be the tallest building in Crystal City.

 Kettler this week announced KBR Building Group as the general contractor.

“KBR Building Group’s commitment to providing quality construction services is affirmed as we begin work on the third phase of this important mixed-use development,” a press release quoted Mike Sloan, executive vice president, as saying. “Having collaborated with the project’s developer, Kettler, since the inception of this project, we will continue to manage this project to the utmost standards as KBR Building Group progresses towards completion of Metropolitan Park.”

Arlington VA, real estate development news