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Thompson Hotel ('20)
West Half ('19)
Novel South Capitol ('19)
Yards/Guild Apts. ('19)
Capper/The Harlow ('19)
New DC Water HQ ('19)
Yards/Bower Condos ('19)
Virginia Ave. Tunnel ('19)
99 M ('18)
Agora ('18)
1221 Van ('18)
District Winery ('17)
Insignia on M ('17)
F1rst/Residence Inn ('17)
One Hill South ('17)
Homewood Suites ('16)
ORE 82 ('16)
The Bixby ('16)
Dock 79 ('16)
Community Center ('16)
The Brig ('16)
Park Chelsea ('16)
Yards/Arris ('16)
Hampton Inn ('15)
Southeast Blvd. ('15)
11th St. Bridges ('15)
Parc Riverside ('14)
Twelve12/Yards ('14)
Lumber Shed ('13)
Boilermaker Shops ('13)
Camden South Cap. ('13)
Canal Park ('12)
Capitol Quarter ('12)
225 Virginia/200 I ('12)
Foundry Lofts ('12)
1015 Half Street ('10)
Yards Park ('10)
Velocity Condos ('09)
Teague Park ('09)
909 New Jersey Ave. ('09)
55 M ('09)
100 M ('08)
Onyx ('08)
70/100 I ('08)
Nationals Park ('08)
Seniors Bldg Demo ('07)
400 M ('07)
Douglass Bridge Fix ('07)
US DOT HQ ('07)
20 M ('07)
Capper Seniors 1 ('06)
Capitol Hill Tower ('06)
Courtyard/Marriott ('06)
Marine Barracks ('04)
 
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JPI's 70/100 I and 909 New Jersey, Updated
Three weeks is way too long to go between updates when a building skeleton is on its way up, so seeing 909 New Jersey now starting its 11th story is a bit of a shock. The latest photos on the project page capture the building from all angles (and show that the facing work is already starting on the lower floors), and the Expanded Gallery includes photos from farther away showing the impact 909's rise is having on the Near Southeast skyline. This 237-unit rental building will have 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and is expected to be completed next year.
And, on the pages for both 909 NJ page and its siblings 70 and 100 I, I've now added a few more "old" photos of the lots before they were bought and cleared. I've been so focused on matching before-and-afters, which is simplest when done standing at intersections, that I've forgotten how many mid-block photos I used to take, especially waaaaaaaaay back during 2003 and 2004 (heh). As always, let the icon be your guide for the latest additions to the project pages, and use the Click to see all available photos of this location. icon wherever you see it to view all photos in the archive from a certain vantage point.
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More posts: jpi
 

The Plaza on K: New Web Site, Fence Ad Renderings
During two looooong photo treks today I found a new fence draping on First Street between I and K, advertising the three-building office-and-retail project on Square 696, now dubbed The Plaza on K. It indicates, as I was gleaning a few weeks ago, that DRI/Transwestern are indeed planning to move forward with 88 K, the first phase of the project, later this year, with delivery in mid-2010. There's now an official ThePlazaonK.com web site, for those of you looking to lease office or retail space.
Thankfully the nice sunny day allowed me to snag really good photos of the two renderings on the fence sign, which are shown above but which you can see in non-micro version on my Plaza on K page (scroll down a tad to see them--you have to be looking pretty close to realize they're not digital files). Both renderings show the planned 8,000-sq-ft public plaza on K Street just west of First Street. The project page also has lots of photos showing how much Square 696's "neighbors" have changed in the past few years.
Now we're just waiting to see when the old cab garage at First and K gets demolished....
(And--lots more photo updates coming over the next few days, so keep checking back.)
 

Navy Yard Metro Chiller Site Developer Selection Pushed Back Again
It's now becoming almost a monthly occurrence, watching for the WMATA Planning, Development, and Real Estate Committee agendas to be posted, to then find that the agenda item for naming a developer for the Navy Yard subway station's 14,000-sq-ft "chiller plant" site on the southwest corner of Half and L has been pushed to a "subsequent agenda"--and it's now happened again, with a July 24 date now attached to it. (It was last marked for June 26.) This site would be a joint development between WMATA and whoever gets chosen, and beyond that there's no hints as to what sort of development it could be, or whether they'd try to acquire the Empire Cab company next door on L. You can read all my previous entries on the chiller plant here--and I bet you didn't know that the blog has such a spiffy search interface!
 

Keep Poplar Point Green?; Hill East Land Transfer Snagged; City Paper on 'Nats Flats'
* The Washington Business Journal says in today's print edition: "The debate about whether Poplar Point should include a soccer stadium could take a back seat to whether Poplar Point should be developed at all. A coalition of environmental groups wants to stop a $2.5 billion, 40-acre mixed-use project by Clark Realty Capital LLC and transform the 110 acres along the Anacostia River into an urban public park -- "a Rock Creek Park for residents of Southeast," one of the coalition's leaders calls it. The coalition plans a June 24 announcement to kick off its campaign to derail the development." The Earth Conservations Corps is one of the groups. Meanwhile, this effort "comes on the heels of a Government Accountability Office report that raises questions about how quickly the site, owned by the federal government, can be transferred to D.C. and how much environmental cleanup will be required. The June 13 report estimates it could take three years before the transfer, which was established by a 2006 law."
UPDATE: WBJ now also reports that the groups plan "to sue D.C. and the federal government for failing to clean up toxic waste on Poplar Point after the city received $3.4 million from the federal government to do so in 2002."
* Also in the WBJ, word that the transfer of 67 acres of federal property along the Anacostia in Hill East is snagged because the Architect of the Capitol has rejected DC's four proposed sites for a new AOC mail-sorting facility.
* This week's City Paper is a huge "Hoods and Services" issue, giving cutesy names to various areas of the city (Capitol Hill becoming C-Spanistan, for instance) and ranking them on various categories. Near Southeast and Southwest become one area called "Nats Flats," though it's not clear from the accompanying essay that they really understand that most of the streets right by the ballpark are actually in Southeast and not Southwest.
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Scoreboard Walk Bar Officially Opens Tonight
From the Nats, word that the new bar(s) located in the wide-open area behind the scoreboard will be officially opening tonight: "The Miller Lite Scoreboard Walk Bar will open on Friday, June 20, prior to the Nationals 7:35pm Interleague contest against the Texas Rangers. The Grand Opening, beginning at 5:30pm, will feature live music, Miller Lite giveaways and the opportunity to win Nationals prizes. Located on the Nationals Park Club Level in Center Field, the 1,000-square-foot bar is open to all Nationals fans during home games. The area will feature local bands before each Friday home game from 6:00pm to 7:30pm." I hope this doesn't now mean that there will be a bunch of tipsy knitting hooligans running around....
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First Peek at Elevations for 900 M
With thanks to architect Gregory Powe, I've got the early elevations for the planned renovations of 900 M Street, the beige one-story building that is being converted into a retail space. (You can see a larger version here, showing both the M Street and Ninth Street facades, which you can compare to current photos of the building). As I wrote a few days back, this building that was once a Hudson automobile dealership and more recently a dialysis unit is looking to become home to "three national tenants," though none have been named. Historic Preservation Review Board staff have now approved the design, and it's also been presented to the Capitol Hill Restoration Society and ANC 6B's Planning and Zoning Committee. Building permits for the exterior renovations are expected to be applied for this summer.
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More posts: 900m, Retail
 

Earth Conservation Corps Reaching Out to Fans
Today's Post has a profile of the Earth Conservation Corps, noting how the environmental awareness group "aims to have events in the children's play zone at Nationals Park as soon as this week. The ballpark plans include having young corps members interacting with an owl and a hawk, and having members facilitate educational games and activities. The group will also encourage fans to walk to its facility in the Old Capitol Pumphouse, steps from the ballpark, at Diamond Teague Park, after games." The ECC is also the recipient of a three-year grant totaling $120,000 from the Nationals Dream Foundation. The article says that the city is still planning to build the new docks at the pumphouse this summer or fall, to enable water taxi service to begin there by the opening of the 2009 baseball season. You can see my ECC/Diamond Teague Park page for photos and renderings of the plans for the park.
 

Jun 18, 2008 1:47 PM
Link Roundup - Catching Up Edition
I'm back. Here are some news and links that came down the pike during my respite:
* Tonight (June 18) the Capitol Hill Restoration Society is having a community forum with DDOT director Emeka Moneme, at which DDOT staff will be "prepared to discuss all the various transportation initiatives that are being planned or implemented that affect Capitol Hill, including the Anacostia River and Reservation 13 areas, the 11th Street bridge expansion, H Street light rail, and other issues relating to streets, parking, commuter traffic, and mobility on Capitol Hill." The program will begin at 7:45 pm, after refreshments at 7:15 and CHRS business at 7:30. It's at St. Peter's Parish Hall at 2nd & C Streets, SE
* The Post profiles Robert E. Boone, the founder of the Anacostia Watershed Society, and looks at the strides that have been made in cleaning up the river over the past 20 years: "Boone did not make the Anacostia clean, but he made it visible again, reconnecting it with a city that had used the river and then forgotten it."
* City Paper updates the status of Positive Nature, the program for at-risk kids housed at 1017 New Jersey Ave., SE. A few months ago, legislation was introduced that would have exempted the property from real estate taxes as long as Positive Nature was there; but the bill has never had a hearing. Apparently the city is still looking for a space to move the program to.
* The DCMud blog interviews Capitol Riverfront BID executive director Michael Stevens about the changes happening in Near Southeast and the development planned for the area.
* Voice of the Hill looks at the changes to the parking rules along Pennsylvania Avenue and Eighth Street. And also brings up the problem with credit card transactions often not working with the multispace kiosks. Cellular transmission interference of some kind, DDOT says, with the hope that it should be fixed within a few weeks. (Those of you who receive CIA broadcasts through the fillings in your teeth might notice the same issues.)
* This weekend's Nats homestand against the Texas Rangers includes "Thanksgiving in June," the third-annual food drive in partnership with the Capitol Area Food Bank. Bring nonparishable food items (canned proteins, fruits and vegetables; pasta and sauces, soups, cereals, apple sauce, rice and flour) to Friday's, Saturday's, or Sunday's game, and drop them off outside the Center Field Gate. Heck, you don't even have to go to the game to donate.
* On the other hand, the planned Youth Jersey Giveaway at Sunday's game has been canceled due to circumstances beyond the Nats' control. But the first 10,000 children 12 and younger to attend the 1:35 pm game will receive a voucher for two tickets to any future 2008 regular season Nats game.
 

Jun 16, 2008 12:24 PM
70 I Now Open for Business
Taking a break from my break to pass along word from JPI that, as of today, the first three floors and the clubhouse of the 70 I Street/Jefferson at Capitol Yards apartment building are complete and officially open for business, so visitors can stop by and see the spaces for themselves. They'll be working on the rest of the building with plans to have it completed in the fall; its official web site is at JeffersonCapitolYards.com. Sibling 100 I/Axiom will be following suit in the next month or so.
(PS: Looks like the jdland.com server has been taking some vacation time itself today--hopefully it'll be mended soon.)
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More posts: jpi
 

Jun 15, 2008 2:09 PM
Light Posting for a Few More Days
No, I haven't disappeared--there just hasn't been a lot of news, and rather than doing some hard-core scrounging I decided to just take a short vacation. Will return to scrounging later this week.
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Jun 13, 2008 3:22 PM
More on Neal/GVA Adventis Deal; Monument Impact?
From today's print edition of the Washington Business Journal (subscribers only): "Since announcing his takeover of GVA Advantis, Monument Realty co-founder Jeffrey Neal has remained mum about his future at Monument, one of the region's largest developers. [...] [P]rivately, several insiders said it is also an indication that Neal is parting ways with Monument, the 50-person company he formed with business partner Michael Darby in 1998. [...] For almost three months, Monument's equity partner in 15 transactions, Lehman Bros., has been seeking to sell its interest in the Monument projects it has backed, according to sources close to the deal. Lehman announced on June 9 it expects to lose $2.8 billion in its second fiscal quarter, its first loss since going public in 1994. Since April, Lehman has shed some $130 billion in assets to raise capital and to reduce its exposure to mortgages and loans used to finance leveraged buyouts, according to The New York Times. Lehman has invested about $620 million in Monument projects, according to Monument's Web site, including The Chase at Bethesda, a failed condo conversion. The Chase partnership's loan was 'transferred to special servicing on Feb. 4, due to maturity default,' according to Fitch Ratings." The article doesn't specifically mention any of Monument's Ballpark District projects.
 

Jun 12, 2008 2:08 PM
20 M Street Certified LEED Gold
From GlobeSt.com: "20 M St. SE, a 190,000-sf office building developed by Lerner Enterprises and designed by WDG Architecture, has been awarded LEED Gold certification--the first in the city to achieve this certification level for Core & Shell Development, according to the US Green Building Council. [...] Green features include roofing that reduces heat island effects, plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption, high-efficiency HVAC systems and humidity control, extensive use of recycled materials and locally manufactured products, low-emitting paints, carpet, adhesives, and sealants, monitoring systems for environmental comfort, advanced stormwater management measures and easy access to public transportation." The blurb also states that 20 M is expected to be 50 percent occupied by the end of the year. But so far, no tenants have been announced. (Although perhaps Wachovia's moves toward opening a branch at 20 M hint toward some tenants coming soon.) 20 M is the big silver building at Half and M, visible to most everyone in the upper decks at the ballpark.
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More posts: 20 M, Retail
 

Jun 12, 2008 11:21 AM
Knitting with the Nats on June 20
From the Nats: "The Washington Nationals will host fans who enjoy both baseball and the needlearts for the second annual Stitch N' Pitch event on Friday, June 20 when the team takes on the Texas Rangers at 7:10pm. Hundreds of fans will sit in the stands and knit, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch and embroider as they root for a Nationals victory. Fans interested in learning more about the needlearts may visit demonstration tables located in the Conference Room Four on the Mezzanine Level of Nationals Park. The National Needlearts Association will partner with 26 Major League Baseball teams for Stitch N' Pitch events this summer.
"Tickets for Stitch N' Pitch may be purchased for $13 by visiting nationals.com and selecting the group events page. Tickets are also available through the Mid-Atlantic Needlearts Retail Association website, manra.net. The first 300 people to purchase advance tickets to the event will receive a complimentary Nationals Stitch N' Pitch gift bag filled with needlearts items donated from local stores.
"Fans attending Friday's game are encouraged to participate in the Nationals fourth annual Thanksgiving in June canned food drive to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. The team will collect non-perishable food items throughout the weekend series with the Rangers."
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Jun 11, 2008 2:30 PM
Updated Views from the Freeway
It's almost hard to believe that in 2001 there were only two buildings taller than five stories in Near Southeast; gazing now across the neighborhood from the vantage point of the Southeast Freeway gives off a decidely different vibe, with 14 taller-than-five-stories buildings completed or under construction. (And there's a baseball stadium, too.)
You can see the changes via the Photo Archive, where I've just added updated photos from the freeway at South Capitol Street that you can browse by looking at just the oldest and newest shoots or by including all the photos in between. And, in honor of 909 New Jersey now being visible from the freeway, I've added photos starting in late 2005 of the view down New Jersey Avenue while zooming east on the freeway at [redacted] mph.
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More posts: 909 New Jersey, jpi
 

Jun 10, 2008 1:04 PM
Tweaking My Capitol Quarter Page(s)
As I was walking on Third Street toward the ballpark last night, I squinted east down L Street and thought I spied construction equipment on the south side of the street east of Fourth, which is where work is supposed to be getting underway on Capitol Quarter's first townhouses. This spurred me to finally give some long-needed TLC to my Capitol Quarter page: I've now split out onto separate pages the before-and-during photos of the Phase I blocks (between Fourth and Fifth and L and Virginia), the Phase 2 blocks, and some additional photos of the sales center and its street-layout model.
If you're somewhat of a newcomer to Near Southeast, or if you've forgotten what Capper/Carrollsburg used to look like, these pages have a lot of images from 2003 and 2004 that you might find of interest, showing the months when the eastern end of the Cappers was slowly boarded up and then demolished.
If the Phase I page isn't enough for you, I've also created a Capitol Quarter Phase I Expanded Photo Archive, showing every view in the archive of the blocks that make up Phase I. I took a lot of photos last week of the Phase I blocks, so look for the icon, and also remember to click the Click to see all available photos of this location. icon to see all photos between the oldest and the newest ones (especially if you like demolition photos). I'll now be taking photos every few weeks of the Phase I blocks where construction is underway. (This area is substantially larger than the 21-acre tract where I almost killed myself trying to keep track of the ballpark's construction, but hopefully it will be a bit easier to handle.)
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More posts: Capper, Capitol Quarter
 

Jun 10, 2008 10:55 AM
Ward 6 Family Day on June 21
From Tommy Wells: "All Are Invited to the 2nd Annual Ward 6 Family Picnic & Softball Tournament hosted by Councilmember Tommy Wells, Saturday, June 21, 2008, 11 am - 5 pm at the Rosedale Recreation Center, 1700 Gales Street, NE. Free Food and Fun for All Ages!!!" It starts at 11 am with a cleanup of the Rosedale Rec Center, followed at noon by the "Celebrity Softball Tournament," with swimming, soccer, basketball, tennis, music, and more between noon and five. Read Tommy's site for more, including how to sign up for the softball tournament. I've also added it to my spiffy new Google Calendar, so if you use Google Calendar you can easily view all Near Southeast calendar items along with your own appointments.
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Jun 9, 2008 12:46 PM
Monument's Neal Becomes Chairman of GVA Advantis
With interest high in Monument Realty's Half Street developments (and with recent speculation in WBJ as to Monument's financing situation), I'll pass along this portion of a press release I just received:
"GVA Advantis, a full-service real estate services company specializing in development, construction, property management and brokerage needs, announced today that it has completed a recapitalization with a private equity group based in Washington, DC, and controlled by Jeffrey T. Neal. Neal's firm will have controlling interest in GVA Advantis; providing equity, leadership, and strategic vision for the company. [...] Neal's private equity group is comprised of individual investors with specific real estate and other industry experience and expertise that will be instrumental to Advantis's future. The group was assembled to assist senior management with setting the strategic direction and leadership of the company. The most significant change will occur in the culture of delivering a full line of services. GVA Advantis will be able to take advantage of the intellectual capital within the company, as well as Neal's and his investors' diverse expertise, and strengthen its service and leadership to their clients. Immediate steps will be taken to size the company for growth within the markets already served by the company, as well as other markets in the United States. In addition, the headquarters of GVA Advantis will move from Atlanta to Washington, DC."
Neal is now GVA Advantis's newly appointed Chairman; I'm told that he remains a principal at Monument Realty and "intends to remain active" in Monument's business. Will update if there are news stories with additional information.
UPDATE, Minutes Later: WBJ says: "Neal declined to comment on the deal or on his future with Monument. He did say it's unlikely that GVA Advantis will merge into Monument."
 

Jun 8, 2008 7:18 PM
11th and M Exxon Closing; Retail at 900 M?
Within the past few days there has been some news from the eastern end of the neighborhood (and thanks go out to the folks who live up that way for passing along the information). Here's what I've heard:
* The Exxon on the northwest corner of 11th and M will apparently be closing this week, having been sold. There's rumors of development of some sort planned for the site, so I'm trying to find out if there's any details available yet, and will post if and when I find something out. This is the last gas station in Near Southeast, joining the departed Exxons on South Capitol at I and K, the Sunoco at Half and M, and the BP Amoco at South Capitol and N. Nowhere left for me to track gas prices anymore!
* The low-slung building at 900 M Street, which apparently was once a Hudson automobile garage and most recently was home to a dialysis unit, is going to get a facelift to become a retail space, with most likely "three national tenants" who presumably would be seeing the many Navy Yard employees across the street as an enticing opportunity. I'm told the plan is to reintroduce the historic storefronts that this building apparently used to have, and designs have been presented to the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, ANC 6B's Planning and Zoning Committee, and the DC Preservation Office; I'm hoping to get some renderings soon. The current expectation is building permits for the exterior renovations will be applied for this summer.
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More posts: 900m, M Street, Retail
 

Jun 8, 2008 9:52 AM
Building Permits Hint at Wachovia's Arrival at 20 M
My retrieval this morning of the DC Building Permits Feed (which has been on vacation for a few weeks) lets the cat out of the bag that Wachovia Bank is preparing to come to the first floor of 20 M Street. For most of 2007 there had been "Coming Soon" signs in the ground floor window of 20 M for both Wachovia and FedEx/Kinkos--when those disappeared earlier this year, there were concerns among observers (read: me) that the two retailers had bailed, but now it does appear that Near Southeast's Bank #2 will be opening before too long. (Bank #3--SunTrust--is expected early next year at 100 M.)
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More posts: 20 M, Retail
 

Jun 6, 2008 2:00 PM
Harry's to Ballpark? And Monument Responds to WBJ
Two articles from today's Washington Business Journal (online for subscribers only at this point):
* Arlington-based Harry's Tap Room has signed a partnership deal with concessionaire Centerplate that could include a plan to put a Harry's in at the ballpark where the Red Porch currently is. There could also eventually be Harry's outlets at FedEx Field and the DC Convention Center, both locations where Centerplate provides the concessions.
* After last week's piece that detailed what WBJ described as the "pinch" that Monument Realty is feeling in the current real estate climate, Monument principal Michael Darby has penned a WBJ Guest Comment, rebutting many of the points made in the original article. As for Monument's Half Street projects, where the southern part of the block has a deep hole where the hotel and residential offerings are planned, Darby writes: "We have not had trouble finding construction financing for the residential building in the first phase at our Half Street project. We could not start construction until we received construction pricing after the building design was completed. We received prices from three prominent Washington contractors last week. These prices will be incorporated into our financing package and sent to lenders. Once we agree to terms and complete the loan documentation, we can begin construction."
(This would be a good place for my mea culpa that I've not yet gotten around to writing a summary of last week's council hearing about the alley closing Monument is requesting for the BP Amoco site at South Capitol and N. I'm trying to pace myself.)
 
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