DC Metrocentric

We reported back in September on the controversy over the future of the Stevens school property in Northwest, and while there still isn’t really a resolution, we wanted to take a look at the plans from the two developers involved in the controversy.

While both designs preserve the historic school structure, one plans for residential (pictured) while the other is a boutique hotel from Peebles. The rendering of the plans from Peebles after the jump…

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They sure are not wasting any time over at 2345 MLK Ave. They only broke ground last week, but they have already made major progress on the utilities and foundation. Looks like they are not messing around with the five month timeline!

[Photo: ehoweler]

The history of bringing a turkey to the White House goes back decades, but one part of the tradition that seems to have been lost is the decorative box used to transport the lucky turkey. Pictured here is the Turkey from 1920 presented in a replica of the Texas State house… looks like that turkey is trying to stage a “Coop” d’Etat and breakout!

[Photo: National Photo Co]

All of us here at DCMetrocentric wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. What are we thankful for? Living in a city where  everywhere you look there are new developments, construction continues, and people are hard at work! We love this photo of a house in Alexandria where clearly Thanksgiving is an important holiday!

Ever since we heard back in September that the District had finally desided what to do with the old printing warehouse in Southeast, we were interested to see what the refurbished design was going to look like. Well hot from the tip line we got these renderings of how the old Washington Star printing warehouse is going to look.

Developer Stonebridge Carras will be leading the effort to turn the building into the new headquarters for the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency, the Office of the Chief Technology Officer and the Commission on the Arts and Humanities. For this being a refurbishment, it sure doesn’t look like much of the historic original building will be visible in the design.

Another rendering after the jump…

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Remember back when news about new condo construction was a common occurrence? Well the folks a Bonstra think it’s time to start building again. On the vacant lot at the corner of 14th and R street, this new condo building will be “patterned after the showrooms of the former 14th Street Automobile Row.” Interesting… based on the rendering below it doesn’t exactly look like that’s the case does it? [via 14th & You]

[Credit: Bonstra]

Shaw - One of the first pieces of the new Northwest One project, the Warrenton condos (pictured below), has apparently had issues pinning down their developers office location. [In Shaw]

Southwest - The green roof at Waterfront Station is growing! [SWDC]

MV Triangle - The conversion of the office building at 425 Eye street is getting close to completion and the new glass walls are starting to go up. [The Triangle]

[Rendering: Warrenton Group]

A bi-weekly take on the area from our friends at UrbanTurf.com

Best New Listings: Columbia Heights, Chevy Chase, Bethesda

This week’s best new listings in the DC area include a two-bedroom, two-level condo in Columbia Heights owned by an NFL player, a four-bedroom farmhouse in Chevy Chase DC and a three-bedroom split-level home with a great living room in Bethesda.

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Apparently according to a new study the Washington area’s office buildings are being abandoned in droves. Grubb & Ellis is saying that about 15% of office space is vacant across the Washington area, but some major business corridors are seeing vacancies as high as 25%.

Seems to us much of this is the empty speculative office buildings built over the last few years, because we havn’t heard many instances of companies moving to smaller offices. What do you think?

[Photo: Boxley]

We have heard about the problems the construction along H Street has been causing for local businesses, and it looks like the work is still having an effect. The work is to install trolley tracks from the intersection of Oklahoma Avenue and Benning Road along H Street to Union Station and unfortunately won’t be finished until July 2011.

[Photo: M. V. Jantzen]

It sounds like the new convention center hotel isn’t going to be happening any time soon, a judge has given JBG the go ahead to proceed with its suit to block construction of the Marriott hotel complex next to the new convention center.

The judge issued a decision denying the motion to dismiss but interestingly didn’t rule on if the city’s conduct violated D.C.’s contracting law. We have a feeling this is going to be a long legal drama!

[Rendering: Cooper Carry]

Ok take a look at this rendering of the view along H Street of what the new City Center Development on the old convention center plot is going to look like. It is striking how much this looks just like any other block in the city. Having a plot of land to develop that is this large in the middle of such an urban area is a once in a life time opportunity to create a focal point that draws people in and this clearly from the street isn’t going to have that effect. What do you think?

[Rendering: Shalom Baranes Associates]

A bi-weekly take on the area from our friends at UrbanTurf.com

Best Open Houses: The Logan Circle Edition

In anticipation of UrbanTurf’s article on Logan Circle in this Saturday’s Washington Post, we focus our open house picks this week on the varying price points for two-bedroom condos in the Logan Circle neighborhood.

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Once the dust settled from the furious bidding, Federal Capital Partners has walked away with the winning bid on the new Allegro Apartments in Columbia Heights. The building, which is currently 60% leased, couldn’t continue to operate because the debt holder needed liquidity, thus forcing the auction this week.

Interestingly we heard that almost no one who is currently living in the building even knew a sale was taking place, but it shouldn’t have an effect on residents. We expect to see some major deals in the near future as the new owners try to get the building completely leased and profitable.

[Photo: Sean Robertson]

As you can see, the dirt is now starting to move at the site of the old Adams Square Shopping Center in Arlington. The new higher density development is being call Penrose Square and will bring almost 300 new residential units along with a Giant grocery store and additional retail space all around the nice looking central plaza we talked about last year.

[Photo: Seton Droppers]