DC Metrocentric

Looks like Virginia Tech wants to join in on the fun of the amazing new development on the site of the old BoB Peck Chevy dealership. The Virginia Tech Foundation is planning to build a major research center in Ballston as part of the new Cooper Carry project at 900 N Glebe Rd. The project will include labs, offices, and conference space for education and scholar in residence programs.

VT will be in good company in Ballston which has the highest concentration of scientific research agencies in the country, including the National Science Foundation HQ and numerous other universities.

Now the project has some signed such a big tenet, we have a bit more confidence in the developer JBGs planed occupancy date of 2010. [Rendering: Cooper Carry]

Remember that colorful Master Plan of Eisenhower East we showed you a few weeks ago? Well we got some fancy renderings to show you what the projects going to look like in 3D when the massive retail, housing, and commercial development is all finished up!

Pictured above is what is tentatively being called Block 9 and is in direct proximity to the Eisenhower metro station. The buildings will include a hotel and commercial offices, as well as street level retail obviously. With the Carlyle development and Old Town right around the corner, that neck of the woods sure is getting awfully urban!

Seeing that above ground metro in the rendering makes us wish they would put that thing underground! A very nice interactive map with a million more sketches and renderings can be found here.

Last Wednesday we got invited to the beautiful Reagan Trade Center for the AIA’s Design DC 2008. The three day peer-to-peer conference was filled with exhibits and lectures for the areas top architects and design professionals, but we were just excited about getting free conference swag (you can never have enough pens and stress balls).

The conference was kicked off by a keynote address by Marshall Purnell, AIA’s 84th president, and design principal at Devrouax & Purnell. Throughout his career, Marshall has been instrumental in the creation of a number of notable Washington landmarks, including the Nats’ new stadium, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, and the New Convention Center.

Purnell spent most of the address reviewing some of the greatest hits from his firm over the last 30 years, but it was his comments on diversity that were the most poignant. He showed a map of downtown DC and said that in the cities core “Golden Triangle” only one building in the entire area was designed by an African American Architect, illustrating how much further the profession has to go. 

The keynote was followed by a “lavish” reception in the exhibit hall. There were a bunch of interesting exhibits but we will get to those in some posts later this week.

[Photo: DCMetrocentric]

If you have been watching GW’s planned Square 54 on the site of the former  hospital in Foggy Bottom, you may have noticed that they have recently brought in the heavy machinery. 

Initial site-work is being done to prepare the plot before the major foundation work begins. During the summer they plan to prepare all the electrical hookups before the real work begins later this year. The project is still on track for a 2012 completion, but maybe if we all cheer them on, they will finish it faster! [Photo: A Threadbear]

Since the building at 14h and T street across from Café Saint Ex was vacated a few years ago there have been many ideas floated about what to do with the space, but now finally some solid plans are starting to emerge. This evening the developer Constantine Stavropoulos (of Tryst and The Diner) is presenting plans to the Dupont Circle ANC 2B.

The new place will be a true blending of the coffeehouse/lounge that is Tryst and the 24-hour eggs-shakes-and-alcohol that is The Diner. Sounds good to us! [Credit: Metrocurean]

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.

We love to hear from you, send us your tips, questions, gossip, and photos to DCMetrocentric@gmail.com

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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