Long thought to be another dormant development, stalled even after Domus Realty presold nearly half of 85 units in 2008, the Ecco Park project in Takoma, at 235 Carroll Street, is now reported to be back on track. Ellisdale Construction, responsible for mixed used developments such as Moderno and Riggs Place, announced earlier this week that they had been awarded the $13 million contract to build the four-story building, containing roughly 80 units, 5-6 thousand s.f. of retail, and 70 below-grade parking spots. The building was designed by Bethesda-based SGA Architects and will include some environmentally friendly features such as a green roof and recycled materials, but is unlikely to receive a LEED certification. Even without the rating, architect Sassan Gharai confidently described Ecco Park as “the building equivalent of a hybrid car.” Financiers are hopeful that it sells better than a hybrid car.

No tenants for the retail space have been selected, and the development team is still undecided on whether the building will be built and marketed as entirely rented units or for-sale units. Dan Ford at Ellisdale said a mix of rentals and for-sale condos is technically possible but not exactly the most attractive option from a marketing standpoint; however, their team has accounted for each scenario in their budgeting strategies. Patios or balconies are planned for a majority of units; and a combination of brick veneer, metal and glass paneling, and stucco siding will make up the palette of materials used in creating the exterior fenestration. The building will be a wood frame structure secured over podium slab. Ellisdale President Kevin Ash explained, “We’re really excited about this project; it really is what we do best. With the economics of construction what they are today, wood-frame buildings really hit the sweet spot between density and cost. We’re finding this building type to be the most able to be financed right now.” Dan Ford insisted that the wood frame technique has been perfected by their construction engineers to mitigate common problems such as fire safety and noise transference, enabling them to build safely to code and keeping their budget soundly slim.

A popular technique on the West coast for some time, podium slabs are now becoming a more common occurrence on East coast construction sites. An efficient design solution for 3 and 4-story residential projects with covered parking below grade, like Ecco Park, this special type of foundation system effectively distributes the weight-load from the wood-frame above the slab to walls and pillars below. This technique is not only cost effective, but also environmentally responsible, reducing concrete usage. The cement industry is considered to be one of two principle producers of CO2, accounting for as much as 5% of worldwide emissions.

The site, adjacent to the Takoma Metro, formerly home to a truck rental facility, and a gas station before that, needed loads of contaminated soil displaced and the excavation of several rusted-out oil drums before it was properly suited for construction. That preliminary work was done over two years ago, and the dirt there has had plenty of time to sit idly by, pondering its future. But ground is expected to finally be broken this fall (somewhere between October and January). Constructions is anticipated to span approximately fifteenth months, meaning a delivery date cannot be expected until at least early 2012.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development

According to the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development‘s webpage, Parcel 42 on Rhode Island Avenue should be a dangerous and uncomfortable place to set up a camping tent, since the District had planned a mixed-use affordable housing project and expected to be well on its way to a summer 2011 completion. But there was no construction equipment, much less a foundation or semblance of a physical structure, to stop OneDC, Take Back the Land, and other organizers from sponsoring a marched protest that ended with a symbolic takeover of the land, located across from the Howard/Shaw Metro. Unfortunately, the presence of the protesters’ makeshift tent city over the last several days has been the only entity to occupy the empty dirt lot in many years.

In 2007 the District selected Parcel 42 Partners, LLC to construct a $28 million mixed-use affordable housing project on the city-owned vacant lot. OneDC, now turned protester, had lobbied aggressively for the original plans. And community leaders, ANC officers, as well as local citizens were encouraged by the project when it was first unveiled. The initial renderings called for 94 housing units, affordably priced for those making no more than 60% of the Area Media Income (AMI). This qualifies as “affordable housing” according to the District, but some residents and protesters continue to argue that “low-income” not “affordable” housing is what the area desperately needs. For now, it’s simply “no” housing for Parcel 42.

The District and the developers recently announced that the original plans were being scaled back to make the project more financially and logistically feasible: from eight floors down to five, 52 units as opposed to 94, half of the parking spaces, only 6.5 of the 11.5 million dollars in subsidies promised by the District, and 50% AMI instead of a stratified 20%, 30%, 60% AMI. The project is also now designated as a matter-of-right development, alleviating some of the frustrating Zoning Commission hurdles that a normal PUD must clear for its exemptions. While this makes it slightly less painful for the development team to get rolling, it doesn’t exactly make the prospect of this project going through any more likely, as no formal paperwork for the proposed development has been submitted to the Zoning Commission as of yet.

Mayor Fenty has looked to Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans for direction, but Evans has chosen to defer to the community, which seems to be in strong opposition to the new plans. Protesters over the weekend made it clear that they feel betrayed by the mayor, and are angry at what they consider to be a broken promise. Additionally, many outspoken ANC2C members now oppose the more conservative offerings, feeling it would be advantageous to simply wait out the lingering effects of the recession in hopes that an improved economy down the road may reignite the possibility for the larger project the area and residents were eagerly awaiting. But the clear lack of unified community support casts serious doubt on the prospect of the empty lot being occupied by anything more than another organized rally in the foreseeable future.

Parcel 42 Partners is a joint venture between Metamorphosis Development Group, Metro Partners, and Sunrise Development Corp.

Washington DC real estate development news

Overheard on metro:

Via cell phone, a parent dutifully tries to prepare the disorganized teen for the day:

"You have no money? I have money with me, but that won't do you any good. Go into Grandma's room and get her purse. It's better than an ATM."

Global Chameleon – a series of “posts inspired by place.”

Overheard on metro:

Via cell phone, a parent dutifully tries to prepare the disorganized teen for the day:

"You have no money? I have money with me, but that won't do you any good. Go into Grandma's room and get her purse. It's better than an ATM."

Global Chameleon – a series of “posts inspired by place.”

It’s been awhile. I’ve had a very busy summer, though we did manage to make our annual trip to Chincoteague (see above).

I’ve also gotten quite a bit of writing done. Below is one of several poems I have finished over the course of the last couple of months. Comments welcome as always.

Torn From a Notebook

if it rained an ocean, I’d drink it dry
and lay me down dissatisfied –Townes van Zandt

… how in the middle of the night
it sits on your chest
like inert gas and seeps
through your pores
and caresses your nerve ends
until they quiver like wires.

When you get up
the coffee tastes of
metal and awakens but
imparts no energy.

Plowing your way
through a metro station
like a small boat overladen
in a crowded harbor you
are still utterly alone.

On the train you are
jostled, shaken, a dry
stick fallen away
from the bundle.