Showing posts with label RTKL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RTKL. Show all posts

Thursday, February 24, 2011

This morning marks groundbreaking at 1776 Wilson Boulevard in Arlington, a self-financed Skanska development of a five-story office building with 108,000 s.f. of rentable space and 26,000 s.f. of retail. Skanska is shooting for completion in a year and a half.

Skanska purchased the site for $10 million in 2010 from George Contis, whose property had housed Medical Service Corporation International. Skanska will build out the RTKL-designed plans, having stepped into the shoes of this and several stalled DC area projects like the PN Hoffman office project at 10th & G and Opus's southeast office project at M and Half Streets.

The ground breaking ceremony begins on site at 11:30 A.M.

Arlington, Virginia Real Estate development news

Thursday, October 28, 2010

As Skanska continues to build up at 10th and G Streets NW, approaching "concrete topping out," developers expect the current buildings at their project site on the west side of the Potomac to come down very shortly. Rosslyn's Medical Service Corp. International office, Arlington Motor Cars, and Fashion Dreams, purchased from George Contis for ten million dollars in early 2009, are set to be razed in early December. Already approved development plans were included in the deal, and Skanska will follow through on the original RTKL-inspired vision of 142,000 s.f. of office space with a full ground floor of retail at 1776 Wilson Blvd. Although construction won't be coming "out of the ground" until February, with an official groundbreaking happening shortly after, Jessica Murray of Skanska assured DCMud that "you'll see activity happening before then." While Murray was able to promise impending explosions (figuratively not literally) and subsequent dirt-pushing, she could not report any lease agreement for the office or retail space at this time. "You'll know when that happens," she added.

Meanwhile, Skanska reports that construction crews are "currently placing concrete on the seventh floor" at 733 10th Street NW. Masonry work should begin next month and curtain wall glass is anticipated to begin at the end of November. Murray also confirmed that developers expect the 3,946 s.f. purchased from the First Congregational United Church of Christ's (originally the owners of the property) stake in the ground-floor of the building will likely feature a "white tablecloth" dining establishment as well as a cafe. The Church will maintain its presence in the new building with a freshly designed 25,000 s.f. of worship and office space. Substantial completion of the building is expected in September of 2011.

Correction: Skanska representatives wish to impart to DCMud and their readers that in fact NO EXPLOSIONS will actually happen during demolitions in Rosslyn. Furthermore, the restaurant space going there is not white tablecloth, quite the opposite, as the style of eatery will be either "fast casual" or a café. Jessica Murray explained that this is an important distinction given the zoning issues at hand.

Washington, D.C. Real Estate Development News

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Skanska USA announced on Friday that it would turn a pair of single-family homes-turned business into a 5-story Class A office building in Rosslyn at 1776 Wilson Boulevard. The self-financed project will turn one of the increasingly scarce development cavities on Arlington's main boulevard into 108,000 s.f. of office with a full ground floor of retail, designed to meet LEED Gold standards. Skanska says demolition of the existing buildings will take place within the next few months.

Skanska purchased the site for $10m this summer from George Contis, who had planned and received approval to scrap his own Medical Service Corporation International and build a medical office building on the site, a project Contis intended to start in early 2009. Skanska will take over Contis' plans, including the "virtually column-free" RTKL designed building, adapting it to much sought-after office space (oh wait, we got it confused with 2005 for a minute). Executive Vice President Rob Ward called it "an extraordinary site" in a statement, and promised completion in about a year and half. A 231 space, 3-level parking garage beneath the building will service tenants. It also appears that Skanska will honor Contis' plans to extend N. Quinn St, connecting Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards, breaking up the "super-block" and adding a pedestrian plaza.
Skanska touts that green credentials will be achieved with a vegetated roof, "energy-efficient windows" (those crazy Swedes), power outlets in the garage for electric vehicles, and improved air quality "to enhance worker productivity." Future employees take note. Skanska's speculative office endeavors include an office building under construction at 10th & G in Penn Quarter; its construction arm is finishing up work on an office building at Half and K Streets, in southeast DC.

Arlington Virginia real estate development news