DC Metrocentric

The cities ever expanding density of burger purveyors continues with the announcement that the (very tasty) New York import Shake Shack is adding its third location right in the heart of downtown as part of the Spy Museum block right across from the Portrait Gallery. Shake Shack will occupy 3200 square feet at the corner of 9th and F Street, NW with an expected opening of mid-2013.

Till then Shack lovers will have to hoof it to Dupont of Nationals Park or you could always make your own at home!

[Credit: Douglas Development]

Having broken ground last year, the 360° H Street project along the the Western end of the NE H Street corridor is well underway. The development is transforming what was a long vacant lot into a big mixed use development with 212 residential units, over 46,000 sq-ft of retail and 270 below grade parking spaces.

The corner space is hopefully going to be the planned grocery store, check out the rendering of what the finished building is going to look like after the jump…

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The answer is “A Lot” with news coming out this week related to the Corcoran’s 1700 block of New York Ave NW… first Carr Properties broke ground on the SmithGroup designed glass cantilever office building to be attached to the historic Corcoran building. Then the Corcoran Gallery floated word that they were considering selling their landmark Beaux-Arts building which takes up the corner at NY Ave and 17th St.

The office building should be complete by next year, but no time frame at all for the adaptive reuse of the Corcoran gallery (if anyone even wants it). Check out another rendering of the office building expansion after the jump…

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We got all excited a few years ago when the District announced plans to completely redevelop the Hill East area into a cohesive new mixed use neighborhood, but since then with the contracting development market unfortunately not much has happened. As a result, the District is scaling back the plans and now plans to issue a new smaller solicitation for a much smaller section of the 62 acres site nearest to the Armory and Stadium.

This type of segmentation makes sense, but hopefully they will take into consideration a larger master plan to allow for the eventual redevelopment of the entire area without many constraints from the incremental first phase. In fact there is still an opportunity to do this since all the proposed developments included a phased approach. Plans are to get the new solicitation out by the end of the Summer, so at least things are starting to roll again!

[Renderings: Vornado/Charles E. Smith]

We’ve been watching the brand new 2201 Pershing development in Arlington rise over the last year across from Fort Myer and now we have gotten word that the project will be delivering this July with leasing now underway. The new luxury apartment will have 188 residences and 31,000 square feet of ground floor retail.

Is it too much to hope that some of the retail will be a place with Karaoke like the Royal Lee? The neighborhood standby dive bar was demolished to make way for the new building and the areas late night Karaoke scene is still recovering!

With construction underway over the last two years, things are finally starting to finish up at 425 L St in Mt Vernon with the exterior and windows all but finished. Once complete, the building designed by the Architect’s Collaborative will feature 390 Meridian branded rental units and significantly add to the areas night time population.

[Photos: DCMetrocentric]

A look at the areas most interesting and impressive outdoor spaces.

This nice looking field stone colonial in Observatory Circle has a lot going for it on the inside but it’s what is outside on the 14,000 sq-ft lot that is really impressive! The property has some great looking outdoor space including gardens, a new pool, fountains, and a pergola.

Much of the surrounding outdoor space is conveniently accessible from multiple rooms on the first floor. The property has been on the market for about two months and is holding steady at the list price of $4,125,000.

Check out a bunch more great shots after the jump…

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A look at the areas most interesting and impressive outdoor spaces.

On the market for a just over four months, this 1950s Georgian has a lot going for it with seven bedrooms, a conservatory, and a hand painted dinning room mural… but what’s really impressive (and worthy of the multi million dollar price tag) is the outdoor space! Straight out of the pages of home and garden is an amazing stone terrace leading to an exquisite garden and koi pond.

In warmer weather this would make one heck of a party space! A bunch more envy worth photos after the jump plus the floorplan for good measure…

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With construction only having just started last year, the developers of Progression Place in Shaw are already putting the unfinished building on the market. Given the location and size they are looking to get around $130 million for the property which will eventually include offices, 200 units of residential and a significant amount of retail space along 7th st.

Hopefully the sale doesn’t slow down the progress because we can’t wait to see how this project ends up looking, especially the restoration of the facades along 7th St (shown in the rendering above).

The 66 unit condo development in Shaw at 7th and P Streets has now got the approval it needs to move forward on the initial concept presented to the ANC this week! So of course that means it’s time to take a look at the renderings… at first glance we think the facade composition is fairly interesting but it is all going to come down to what materials they settle on using in the final design.

[Rendering: PGN Architects]

Once again, the Washingtonian is reporting out on the Top Home Sales for the area and in addition to the two big huge record setting estate sales in Georgetown, there was a lot of big deals this past year!

Our fearless Redskins helped generate some real estate deals with former Redskin Clinton Portis selling in McLean for $1.7 million (at a loss no less since he bought it seven years ago for $2 million). Current Redskin Oshiomogho Atogwe bought a five-bedroom, seven-bath home in Leesburg for $1.1 million (pictured) after signing a five year deal with the team in March.

Controversial former attorney general John Ashcroft and wife Janet sold a four-bedroom, three-bath townhouse on Colonial Terrace in Arlington for $1.1 million.

Former Obama appointees Shere Abbott and James Steinberg sold a four-bedroom, four-bath Colonial on Morrison Street in Chevy Chase DC for $1.2 million.

Former DC based Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby closed for $2.2 million on the sale of his brick four-bedroom, five-bath Federal row-house in Georgetown.

Still on the market though for a cool $5.2 million… the Georgetown home of embattled former head of the International Monetary Fund Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

[Photo: Washingtonian by David Pipkin]

One of the busiest pedestrian intersections in town is one step closer to finally being redeveloped. Earlier this year the building at the corner of H and 7th street NW in the heart of Chinatown was pulled out of foreclosure by McCaffery and Douglas Development and the latest plans got the thumbs up from the Historic Review Board.

As you can see it is certainly smaller than some of the previous plans, but any progress towards filling back up the boarded up street retail on that corner is a step in the right direction in our book (as long as it isn’t filled with a bank).

[Rendering: Douglas Development]

The empty lot at 1932 9th Street, NW right off U Street has sat empty for a few years with plans like the one below for artist lofts circulated but to no avail. Now we got word that the developer is again taking a swing and going before the Historic Preservation Board with a new slightly smaller scale design for the project.

We just hope it maintains the colorful appeal of the old design which will fit right in on a street that has many brightly colored and interesting facades. What do you think? [Rendering: Inscape Studio]

Former DC based Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby closed last month for $2.2 million on the sale of his brick four-bedroom, five-bath Federal row-house. The Q Street home is located in the East Village of Georgetown across from historic Tudor Place, and apparently Jacoby took a bit of a hair cut from the price he paid when the townhouse was bought in 2007 for $2.7 million during the real estate markets peak.