DC Metrocentric

It’s one thing to complain about your condo building to your friends and neighbors, but the folks at EllisDenningSucks.com have taken their griping to a whole new level… and we love it! 

The site is only a few weeks old, but already they have managed to chronicle a series of problems they have experienced with their new home in the Fennessy Lofts built by Ellis Denning near Logan Circle. The problems range from the not such a big deal (doors that don’t close all the way and buckled wood flooring) to the very big deal (gas leaks and flooding).

It does seem like their efforts are paying off a little because they have gotten some response from the developers, but we still don’t think they will be registering WeLoveEllisDenning.com any time soon. The site is a must read for anyone considering the Fennessy (though we can’t imagine you will after visiting the site) or anyone else who enjoys a good well merited rant! [Rendering: EllisDenning]

Right off 14th Street Northwest in Columbia Heights is the Belmont, designed by Bogdan Builders.

There is so much construction going on in that area these days that it is difficult to keep track of things, and the big hole in the ground next to it (pictured forground with the Clark sign) is a separate project called the View14 Apartments.

As for the Belmont, its a boutique condo with 15 ft ceilings and is being billed as loft style living. We’re not sure how the design embodies their catch phrase “visionary elegance” but it’s a nice looking project none the less. Check out the rendering of what the finished project is going to look like. It will definitely fit into the area well. [Photo: DCMetrocentric]

The building pictured below is the Solea in Colombia Heights and the big thing that the developers have been playing up is the zero-commute” lifestyle. The idea is that residents will use their units to live and to work with a variety of floor-plans designed to accommodate various businesses which could fit into this type of arrangement from clothing designers to telecommuters.

It’s unclear if the sales team will discriminate against non-work-at-homers but to establish a community like this there will have to be some type of restrictions.

We’ve been watching this building go up over the last few months, and we couldn’t help notice that the majority of the structural support is wood. Now we know that not all mid-rise residential projects are built with all concrete shells, but we can’t get over it whenever we see a building going up stick style. It’s not that we’re questioning the structural integrity of the building, it just reminds us of the big bad wolf, and we know how that ended.

In all honesty though, projects like this have such thin walls that in general you can hear everything going on with your neighbors which, for all but the most nosey, is a negative. Maybe the developers can spin this as a positive though… thin walls make it easy to collaborate with fellow  entrepreneurs?

[Photo: DCMetrocentric]

On your left we have the newish Eleven Lofts, a 27 unit contemporary high rise with one and two bedroom units up to 1,600 sq-ft in NoMa NW. However despite the green roof and amazing open native wood staircase, we are more interested in Eleven’s red brick neighbor.  

The classic three story brick building has got new windows and looks to be going through a full refurbishment as part of the Eleven Loft project. The dumpster in front is Eleven Lofts’s but every day we have noticed signs of work still going on.

The problem is we can’t seem to find anything else out about it! Are these separate units or are they part of Loft Eleven? According to the floor plans we’ve seen they arn’t. So we put it out to you fine readers, anyone know what’s going on at the 1100th block of 11th street NW? [Photo: DCmetrocentric]

Last year banners went up along Virginia Ave Southeast announcing the Admiral condo building. Work had been slated to begin shortly there after but for months nothing happened.

The location is right on the other side of the highway from Barracks Row and Capital Hill and some units could have conceivably had views of the Capitol dome. It’s a great spot given all the new recent developments in the area.

However sources tell us the land is now back up for sale (after a previous try in January) and the Admiral, with it’s cool Mansard roof design (pictured), will apparently never get past the drawing board. The website associated with the project has also been taken down. Goodbye dear Admiral we hardly knew you! [Rendering: Bonstra Haresign]

Near Logan Circle, the Citta 50 on Church St NW is the small new condo building going up in the shadow of the larger 90 unit Metropole.  It’s being built by the small time developers DC Hampton LLC who’s only other project is the Hampton in Dupont Circle (it’s so cute when developers name themselves after their first project).

The Citta 50 will have 27 condos when complete and is situated in a restored 3 story old commercial building. They started selling the units at the beginning of the year, and like everywhere else, things are not going that well, but then again the building isn’t done yet and may well be coming to the market completed in a better real estate atmosphere then we are in right now.

The building was scheduled to be complete by the end of 2008, but we suspect it may end up being more like 2009 before people start moving in.