Clark Realty Requests Revision with WMATA's Tenley Property

Yet another version of the redeveloped Safeway in Tenleytown could be in the works if the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority Board approves a proposal to sell an adjacent .25-acre site to Clark Realty Capital. Clark offered to purchase the "chiller site" as an addition to the Safeway redevelopment plan that includes residential units above the new grocery store.

For WMATA, the purchase is a chance to repurpose underutilized land, get a new air conditioning unit for two Metro stations, and possibly bank extra cash. If the sale goes through, Clark will develop the land and put a new chiller plant in the building. The air conditioner for the Friendship Heights and Tenleytown Metro stations is already about halfway through its 20-year life cycle.

“This is an opportunity for us to get some value from the real estate holdings while improving our service,” said Steve Teitelbaum, senior real estate adviser at WMATA.

For Clark, purchasing the extra land means a continuous street front on Wisconsin Avenue and more space for development by increasing the lot to 2.75 acres from the roughly 2.5 acres it now covers. Clark's John Sunter said additional residential or retail space will be created "generally in proportion to the increased size of the site."

Current plans show four floors of residential space above the new Safeway on 42nd Street. Both the lot and the building slope back toward 43rd Street. Other residential units include townhouses and free-standing houses around the property. Sunter said the team is working on revised plans using the WMATA lot and that they "look forward to sharing any changes with the community at the appropriate time."

Elevation along Davenport Street

Redevelopment of the Safeway site has been a hot topic for some time now. Clark, Safeway and Torti Gallas presented revised plans in January to mixed reactions from residents. Among the concerns were issues of height and density in the primarily single-family community. Another presentation in March showed height reduced by one story, among other alterations.

Jonathan Bender, chairman of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 3E, said that while some residents' concerns were addressed in the revised plans, there still was room for improvement regarding the impact of increased density on the community.

"I, and I believe most of my fellow commissioners, do not object per se to the level of density Safeway/Clark proposes," he said in an email response. "Instead, several of us are concerned that Safeway has not committed to the steps necessary to minimize the burden that such density could occasion. Perhaps the biggest concern is parking in the neighborhood."

He said the ANC has asked that the new residents be ineligible for Residential Parking Permits (RPPs). The project is intended to encourage public transportation in lieu of using personal vehicles.

But the ANC likely would support using the WMATA site, especially if it facilitates the incorporation of other ANC suggestions.

"I and other commissioners actually suggested that Safeway/Clark look into purchasing this property long before we knew they had been talking about doing so with WMATA, and perhaps before they actually had done so," Bender said. "I would especially like to see the WMATA plot used in part for additional retail offerings and enhancements to the streetscape."

The WMATA board will vote on the sale proposal April 26.

Washington, D.C. real estate development news

Read More

First Piece of Arboretum Place Puzzle: The Flats

On Wednesday Clark Realty Capital broke ground on the first phase of Arboretum Place. Amidst the late morning downpour, developers plunged shovels into the muddied earth at at 1600 Maryland Avenue, NE, signifying the start to the first phase of construction, set to yield 257 "high-end apartments." The initial phase has been dubbed "The Flats at Atlas District," and developers expect the residences along with 5,000 s.f. of ground-floor retail to deliver in two years time. Originally expected to initiate construction back in 2009, the market downturn put a significant dent in developer's optimism. But HUD's 221(d) financing program and now Wednesday's ceremony has brought some relief to those who've worked on the project. "We are thrilled to have finally broken ground on The Flats and become part of the exciting Atlas District community," said Project Manager Tracey Thomm at the groundbreaking, explaining that "Without the involvement of HUD, none of this would have been possible."

The proposed multifamily luxury apartment community that will eventually total some 674,757 s.f. and 430 units, is located on a ray of the newly improved "Starburst" intersection (still way less delightful than an actual Starburst), directly across the street from Hechinger Mall; some apartments will have views of the Capitol. According to the developer, the long-awaited complex will bring "high-quality housing to an area that has not benefited from new residential development in many years." In addition to the growing number of retail options in the Atlas District, future residents will plenty of amenities right outside their door - a pool, a business center, a gym, indoor half basketball court, entertainment space, and landscaped gardens complete with fireplace and "meditation courtyard" are all in the works.

Georgia based Preston Partnership brained the architectural aesthetic that fuses sharp angles and a modern facade of dark red brick, cement, and large glassy bays, conveying both a sense of sophistication and an industrial-tinged simplicity. The interiors are equally classy, the renderings of the common spaces inviting the eye to superimpose an image of a lady-wooing 007 onto the leather ottomans. Another Clark subsidiary - Clark Builders Group is charged with making the architectural drawings a reality, and will begin work just in time for the winter months.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News

Read More

Clark Breaks Ground on Arboretum Place

The Maryland Avenue ray of the officially completed and freshly paved Starburst Intersection has a brand new mixed-use, multi-family development in its future. Like most developments, Arboretum Place, a planned apartment community at 1600 Maryland Avenue, NE, has been continuously delayed by financing complications, originally hoping to break ground in early 2009. But Clark Realty spokeswoman Joy Lutes has confirmed that construction on the project broke ground earlier this month, making the ratio

of hipsters to construction workers in the Atlas District a bit more even.

This will be the first major residential project to get underway in the H Street
vicinity. "We are excited to undertake this project in an area of the city that has continued to experience growth even during the economic downturn and be able to contribute to this historic and vibrant neighborhood," says Clark Development Executive Tracey Thomm.

Originally billed as a 430-unit condo/apartment project, only a smaller initial phase is officially in the works. For the first phase, the $36 million development will deliver 257 apartments, a 250 space parking garage, and 5,000 s.f. ground-floor retail. Units will be offered in a variety of types and sizes: studios as well as one and two bedrooms. According to the developer, the project will bring "high-quality housing to an area that has not benefited from new residential development in many years." Respecting the eclectic and independent nature of the Atlas District, developers say they intend to link up local businesses with the new retail spaces. Clark Realty will also serve as general contractor as the development team aims to deliver the first residencies in the spring of 2012.

Georgia based Preston Partnership provided architectural designs that call for sharp angles and a busy, modern facade of dark red brick, cement, and large glassy bays. The liberal use of glass will offer extensive sight lines into the large central courtyard. Aside from supplying enjoyable outdoor public space, the courtyard helps to disrupt the massing of the buildings, allowing interesting interplays of space, and also blending the development more smoothly with the character of the surrounding residential neighborhoods. Like most residential developments these days, developers have qualified the project with the "luxury" tag, meaning a pool, a business center, a gym, indoor half basketball court, entertainment space, and landscaped gardens complete with fireplace and "meditation courtyard" are all included.

Although H Street currently offers a growing plethora of chic boutiques, trendy bars, and hip restaurants, the area still retains some grittiness: an overabundance of suspect take-out Chinese food spots, liquor stores, and boarded store-fronts. Adding to the aesthetic blight of the area is the scarred H Street, ripped up and littered with orange cones and Jersey barriers while it awaits the ever-delayed streetcars. The only other major residential development on the strip, The Rappaport Companies' large mixed-use redevelopment project running on the south side of H Street between 8th and 10th has been in the works for over three years now, but won't be moving forward soon. Arboretum Place may serve as a beacon of hope, like the Atlas District, a dark horse neighborhood that might challenge 14th & U (or Midcity, if the branding sticks) for the title of most artsy alternative 'hood.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News

Read More