DC Metrocentric

Starbucks addicts have cause for alarm! There may no longer be a Starbucks on every corner and you may have to go to one of those “independent” local coffeehouses next time you want to get your caffeine fix. Starbucks announced that it will be closing 600 stores in the US this year.

The stores that will be closing though are the ones that are under-performing, and judging by the lines we see at most shops in the metro area, it most likely will not keep you from getting that low-fat-no-whip-Caramel-Macchiato any time soon. We suspect it will be mostly kiosks and rural locations. [Photo: Furcafe]

Check out this cool master plan design that we just got from a tipster for the area around the Eisenhower Station in Alexandria. This is apparently a master plan created by EE&K Architects to guide the future development of the 280 acres of land surrounding the Eisenhower Ave Metro station. It’s interesting because you can see a proposed new street grid that creates more of an urban environment and replaces what is currently mostly parking lots.

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The Pittsburgh based bank PNC just revealed their plans for a new regional headquarters at 17th and H Street just a few blocks from the White House. The new 12 story glass structure (pictured) will replace three existing buildings on the block and should be completed by 2010. 

The project is designed by Gensler Architects and what has to be the most interesting building feature we have heard of in a long time is the “eco lobby” with a three-story climate wall that cools the lobby with flowing water. Sounds amazing! [Rendering: Gensler]

The Northwest One project in Ward 6 is comprised of five low-income housing complexes that have historically been an epicenter of crime in the city. This project represents a rare opportunity to undo decades of poor urban planning in an area bound by North Capitol Street on the east, New York Avenue on the north, and New Jersey Avenue on the west.

When it’s complete, Northwest One will include 1600 units of mixed-income housing, 40,000 SF of retail, and 220,000 SF of commercial office space. The coolest part of the project is that One Vision Development Partners has promised to replace each subsidized housing unit with a new unit and provide roughly two times as many new market rate and workforce units.

The District is also investing about $45 million to rebuild the nearby Walker-Jones Elementary School, incorporating a new recreation center and public library. These are the type of projects that can truly change a neighborhood for the better, all while avoiding the trend of pushing out the current residents like some of the other hot developments in the District have done.

  Poplar Point Stadium Benefits Questioned - A bunch of economists (none of whom are from this area) are questioning the public benefit of a new stadium at Poplar Point in Southeast. [WBJ]

Look familiar? Amazingly over the last 70 years the buildings at the corner of 18th Street and Columbia Road NW have remained mostly unchanged other than the Peoples Drug Store being replaced by a McDonald’s. The name Adams Morgan actually didn’t come into use until the 1950s from the names of the two area High Schools.

[Photo Credit: LeRoy O. King Jr.]

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The Mayor announced some promotions today but turns out it’s really just a case of musical chairs. Try to follow us here…

Erik Moses, the city’s Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) Director, moves over to be the CEO of the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission while its current CEO Greg O’Dell has been named CEO of the Washington Convention Center Authority, and Nicole Becton replaces Moses as the director of DSLBD.

These changes probably wouldn’t have much of an effect, but clearly the direction of economic development in the District is in capable hands. [DC.gov]

How was your commute yesterday Washington? With driving rain, lightning, thunder, and tornadoes… anyone who went anywhere last night must have felt like it was Armageddon!

Lucky there were no reports of storm damage to any buildings downtown, though the metro suffered some damage along the Orange line. 

Any fun commute stories? [Photo: DCMetrocentric]

Today’s mailbox is a case of something we find all to often in our city, making a trip to a business only to find it shuttered.

“Hiya. I was just curious. There used to be a big carwarsh on New York Ave. near where the ATF bldg. currently stands. I went there, expecting to wash it, but it was shuttered. Someone told me that the block has been purchased, and they’ll be building some big office bldg. there soon. Any idea on what may be up? Cheers! - Hans”

Well Hans you are not the first to be tricked by the huge sparkly sign along New York Ave Northeast.  The New York Ave Car wash was at one time one of the areas great and affordable car washes, unfortunately as you suspected, changing times have pushed them out the door. The phone number is now disconnected and the building currently sits empty.

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The former Adams Square Shopping Center in Arlington is finally ready for it’s transformation into Penrose Square. 

It’s exciting because the project is the largest development approved so far on Columbia Pike since the adoption of the Form Based Code back in 2003.

The four acre project will include 299 residential apartments, a new Giant grocery store to replace the old one, and 36,000 square feet of additional retail space. However the real focus will be the new community plaza (pictured) which is planed to feature some great looking landscape design as well as a central performance/gathering space. There is even talk of the potential for ice skating!

We just got word that the commercial section of the Watergate complex has finally been pulled off the market after the property attracted little interested from potential buyers. The section of the complex was bought by BentleyForbes in 2005 for $90 million and includes the  Soviet Senior Safeway as well as the site of the famous Nixon burglary.

The Watergate Hotel and the COOP Condos lived in by Condi Rice and Bob Dole are owned seperatly and were not included in the failed sale. It seemed obvious that they would be unable to sell the commercial space at an acceptable price in the current market. The real question though is when will Monument Realty get their act together and get moving on the refurbishment of the currently closed Watergate Hotel tower. That’s prime property that is just sitting around empty.

  DC United’s Poplar Point Stadium - Members of the D.C. Council are putting together a bill that could provide $100 million  dollars in subsidies for a D.C. United stadium at Poplar Point. Is this the momentum they need to get this thing built? [WBJ]

Among the numerous construction sites along K Street NW we think the most hotly anticipated project has to be 901K.

We sent our crack team out to the site (pictured left) and it looks like the foundation is ready and the building is set to rise from the ground! We spoke to the design team and we liked everything we heard, but the one design feature we still don’t understand is the feature the developers are calling ”Spa like” restrooms. We have no idea what that means… will there be masseuses waiting for you in there or something?

Of course spa bathrooms aren’t all 901K has going for it, the building has a lot of other cool features that haven’t been seen in this area including a luminescent glass curtainwall as well as a unique European-style terra cotta façade. Though the best part of the building has to be the roof, which as you can see below is a green oasis in a city of concrete, oh and it will have views of the city. How amazing does this rendering look!

The old GWU Hospital site by Washington Circle has sat empty for the last four years, but now the developers are finally ready to start moving dirt. The mixed use development called Square 54 will have housing, offices, and most importantly a grocery store. 

The project, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects and Sasaki and Associates, is definitely not going to win any awards for architectural excellence. We are especially curious about the street level of the design, which uses a different material than the rest of the building, and looks a little strange to us. 

Though there isn’t any student housing in the project, the kids from GW must be super excited for the planed grocery, though probably only the freshman will get to benefit because the project isn’t scheduled to be complete till 2012. Guess they will have to make due with the lame Watergate Safeway for the time being. [Rendering: Pelli Clarke Pelli]