Art Place Construction Notice 07/27/2020
Art Place Construction Notice 07/27/2020-08/10/2020
Category Archives: Neighborhood Development
Art Place Construction Notice 7/13/2020-7/27/2020
24 Hour Fitness Still a Possibility at the Modern
Just got word from Art Place counsel that 24 Hour Fitness has actually not rejected the lease to anchor the Modern at Art Place at this point. Even though the company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief, there is still a possibility the gym will come to the Modern.
Updated 7/7/2020 to clarify that counsel for the developer provided this information
EYA St. Josephite Townhome Project Gets Green Light
Bisnow DC reports that the DC Court of Appeals upheld the Zoning Commission’s order approving the St. Josephite townhome project in Michigan Park. I mention it here only because that project, which will be about one mile from the neighborhood at 12th Street and Allison Street NE, was previously the subject of several ANC 5A meetings. And EYA, which is developing Riggs Park Place here in the neighborhood, is also the developer for the St. Josephite project.
The article notes that townhome sales for Riggs Park Place began in June and EYA already has contracts on 20 of the 90 homes for sale. Construction for Riggs Park Place is anticipated to begin this month.
Social Justice School Charter Fully Approved
On June 29, 2020, the DC Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) voted to fully approve a 15-year charter for the Social Justice School, effective July 1, 2020. School officials have attended several ANC 5A meetings over the past year to inform residents about plans. The school will be located at 5450 3rd Street NE. The school has a three year lease agreement with Rocketship Public Charter School to co-locate at the site, with a one-year option to extend. Construction to renovate the old warehouses at this location to house school facilities is ongoing.
According to documents on file, Social Justice School will operate a middle school serving grades 5 through 8. For its first year of operation in school year 2020-2021, the school has a target enrollment of 65 students–maximum 75 students–in grades 5 and 6. Its goal is to grow the student population to a total of 300 students in grades 5 through 8 by school year 2023-2024. On June 16, 2020, the day after the school enrollment deadline, the school had 41 enrolled students. Because enrollment lags target, the DCPCSB required the school to develop a contingency budget. See the contingency budget here and the contingency budget narrative here. The DCPCSB determined that the school will be financially viable with an enrollment of 41 students and that the school will have sufficient resources to deliver its programs:
Based on the review of the contingency budget, DC PCSB staff concludes that, at an enrollment of 41 students:
● The school will be financially viable. The budget shows a positive net income of $59,558 and 112 days of cash on hand. To help offset decreased revenue, Social Justice PCS has secured a $500,000 credit enhancement from the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) and a $250,000 loan from CityBridge for facilities-related costs if required. Also, NewSchools Venture Fund has promised an additional $160,000-grant pending its full charter approval (see Attachment B).
● The school will have sufficient resources to deliver its program. The budget maintains appropriate levels of staffing, including one English language arts teacher, one math teacher, one science/wellness teacher, and one liberatory design thinking teacher. Some key personnel positions have been reimagined. For example, the executive director will assume the responsibilities of the principal, while the previously identified principal will serve as the founding math teacher. Also, the director of student supports with [sic] oversee both case management and service delivery for the projected four English learners and nine students with disabilities.
It is still too early to know what school will look like for DC students in the fall. If in-person classes are scheduled, with Rocketship, AppleTree, and Social Justice School at the campus at 3rd Street and Kennedy Street NE, we will have quite a few new students in this corner of the neighborhood.
Ramdass Pharmacy & Health Equity in Washington Post
Dr. Anthony Ramdass, owner of neighborhood pharmacy Ramdass Pharmacy, discusses his work assisting vulnerable residents during the COVID-19 pandemic in this column by Courtland Milloy in the Washington Post. Dr. Ramdass visits homes of seniors to deliver prescriptions and vaccinations. This is one column by Mr. Milloy that I am happy to promote. Learn a bit about our neighborhood pharmacist and why health equity is so important.
Art Place Construction Notice 06/29/2020-7/13/2020: 4th Street Closing July 2
Art Place Construction Notice 6/29/2020
Note 4th Street NE between Ingraham Street and Kennedy Street will be closed starting July 2, 2020.
Chick-fil-A Curb Cut Closures Approved with Conditions
On June 25, 2020, the District Department of Transportation’s Public Space Committee approved by a vote of 4-0-1 Chick-fil-A’s application to close two curb cuts for its planned new restaurant at 220 Riggs Road NE. Recall Chick-fil-A plans to tear down the KFC/Taco Bell located at the corner of 3rd Street NE and Riggs Road NE along with the former Dakota Liquors building next door and build a new 3,900 square foot Chick-fil-A restaurant with 42 interior seats and outdoor seating. Chick-fil-A wants to close two curb cuts on 3rd Street, including the curb cut closest to the 3rd Street/Riggs Road intersection, as well as one of the curb cuts by the Dakota Liquors building. It will retain a curb cut on 3rd Street and reconfigure the curb cut on Riggs Road. I wrote about Chick-fil-A’s traffic study in this post.
The Public Space Committee voted to approve the application with conditions. DDOT noted that the traffic study indicated adequate space for queueing on site except for Saturday afternoons. The agency stated it was satisfied with the proposed overflow queue lane. The agency requested that Chick-fil-A observe and collect data on movement and ingress and egress around the site for three months after the restaurant opens, particularly with respect to U-turns on 3rd Street near Walmart’s driveway. Before obtaining its permits, Chick-fil-A will need to collect a bond in order to ensure payment for any traffic mitigation measures, such as adjustments to the median on 3rd Street, signage, and striping. In addition, Chick-fil-A will have to work with DDOT’s Urban Forestry division on tree protection and to determine the best placement for new street trees around the site. Chick-fil-A agreed to these conditions.
ANC 4B supported the application. The ANC has also requested removal of one parking space near Walmart’s driveway along with installation of flexiposts to prevent future illegal parking in order to improve sightlines and traffic circulation.
It will be helpful to see how traffic circulates when the restaurant opens. Removal of a parking space will also be helpful. But I still think additional improvements are necessary and maybe it would make sense to wait until the restaurant opens. As already noted, there will be a lot of U-turns around the area. The immediate area would benefit from improved sidewalks and marked crosswalks. The 2nd Street/3rd Street intersection needs to be adjusted. Though Chick-fil-A stated that DDOT indicated the 2nd Street/3rd Street intersection is too far from the restaurant to have an impact on traffic circulation, that intersection still needs to be addressed. Some people will eventually figure out that it might be easier to travel down 3rd Street from Chillum Place to the restaurant rather than trying to make a U-turn into the site. The intersection at Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue, reconfigured in 2011, needs to be reconfigured again because it is poorly designed.
In any case, approval of the public space permit application gets the neighborhood one step closer to having a Chick-fil-A.
24 Hour Fitness out at Art Place (UPDATED)
Update 7/2/2020: The developer contacted me to let me know that 24 Hour Fitness has not rejected the lease and still might be coming to the Modern.
Original Post
At last night’s ANC 5A public meeting, ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) announced that 24 Hour Fitness has backed out of its contract to anchor the first phase of Art Place at Fort Totten due to the financial impact of COVID-19. The first phase, called the Modern at Art Place, was completed in fall 2017. As noted in this post, the company has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy so this result is not too surprising, though disappointing. Notably HR Retail, the leasing agent for the development, has an updated brochure and site plan for Art Place that do not list 24 Hour Fitness (though 24 Hour Fitness is still listed as a confirmed tenant on HR Retail’s website). It looks like those marketing materials were updated on June 23, 2020.
With DC’s move into Phase Two of reopening on June 22, 2020, gyms are now permitted to reopen at reduced capacity. But this comes after months of being closed. Other gyms and fitness companies have also filed for bankruptcy or permanently closed locations.
I for one was really looking forward to having a decent gym in the neighborhood and I still am. I thought perhaps one benefit of not having the gym built out at Art Place at this point would be that by the time the gym finished building out the space, we would be further along in managing COVID-19, so we would have the benefit of time. It is unclear if the developer is now negotiating with another gym.
Officially Official: Riggs Park Place Deal Closed
Press release from the mayor’s office announcing long-awaited closing on financing for Riggs Park Place:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 19, 2020
CONTACT:
LaToya Foster (EOM) – (202) 727-5011; latoya.foster@dc.gov
Jessica Carroll (DMPED) – (202) 550-6845; jessica.carroll@dc.gov
Mayor Bowser Closes Deal on Long-Awaited New Housing Community in Fort Totten Neighborhood
New Development in Ward 4 to Deliver Homeownership Opportunities, Apartments for Seniors, and Retail Options
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser, along with Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), announced the closing of financing on Riggs Place Park in Ward 4, a long-awaited 171-unit housing community of townhomes, apartments, and retail located at the intersection of Riggs Road and South Dakota Ave, NE.
“These types of projects are helping to continue our commitment to delivering a variety of housing options – rental and home ownership – for all different income levels and family sizes across the District,” said Mayor Bowser. “Despite the current financial challenges, we are pressing forward with economic development opportunities and creating new affordable housing further setting up the District up for an equitable recovery.”
The first phase of Riggs Park Place will feature 90 new townhomes for sale, five of which will be designated as affordable homeownership opportunities. Phase two will be a mixed-use senior apartment community with at least 30 affordable units. The 90 townhomes will be modern, two, three, and four-bedroom floor plans close to Fort Totten Metro Station, a café and shopping across Riggs Road, the newly renovated Lamond-Riggs Library, as well as cultural and art experiences at Art Place, an adjacent mixed-use development offering apartments, retail, a new fitness center, a children’s museum, and more.
“Ward 4 is known as one of the most desirable places to raise a family, live, work, and shop with a vibrant and diverse community,” said Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon T. Todd. “The city’s public private partnership with EYA brings for-sale townhomes and senior rental housing for a broad range of incomes and supports neighborhood revitalization.”
The Lamond Riggs Citizens Association and ANC4B expressed support for the project, particularly for senior affordable apartments and neighborhood-serving retail.
“This project is a long time coming – in fact, Mayor Bowser was working towards this goal when she was an ANC Commissioner herself,” said Acting Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “Who would have thought that in these uncertain times, our team would push this over the finish line bringing new housing opportunities to families of all income levels in Ward 4. It’s a proud day for DC.”
Other financial partners for Riggs Place Park include EYA, JBG Smith and Paramount Development, with its lender, Eagle Bank.
“Riggs Park Place and our partnership with the city exemplifies EYA’s ability to effectively work with residents, local jurisdictions, and our financial partners to both create value and bring meaningful projects to life,” said Aakash Thakkar, EVP at EYA. “We are moving forward even in these uncertain times because there is tremendous demand for high-quality, attainably priced new housing in the region. The public-private nature of the project, its revitalization impact on the neighborhood, and its delivery of missing middle townhomes that address a broad demographic are all core tenets of our mission. We appreciate the partnership with JBG Smith, the District, and the community that enabled us to move the project forward.”
The closing of Riggs Place Park follows other recent closings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, including Spring Flats, The Hartley on the Parks at Walter Reed and the Karin and Anna Cooper Houses. Mayor Bowser reaffirmed her commitment to investments in affordable housing with her Fiscal Year 2021 budget proposal, recognizing that both short- and long-term efforts must be ongoing to preserve housing affordability and stability for all District residents. The Mayor’s FY21 budget proposal includes an investment of $100 million in the Housing Production Trust Fund – for the sixth consecutive year – and a $1 million investment in the Housing Preservation Fund.
Art Place Construction Notice 6/15/2020-6/29/2020
24 Hour Fitness Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
24 Hour Fitness has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, seeking restructuring with plans to close approximately 130 locations. This move was not unexpected. The CEO released a statement to members in April acknowledging the financial impact of COVID-19 on operations, in response to media reports that the company was considering seeking bankruptcy relief. At that time, I reached out to the developer of Art Place at Fort Totten to find out if they expected any impact on the opening of 24 Hour Fitness at Art Place. The developer stated that to their knowledge, plans for the 24 Hour Fitness at Art Place had not changed. The thinking was that the gym would seek reorganization and close some gyms, but newer facilities under construction would not be impacted.
The gym is supposed to anchor the first phase of Art Place in Building A. Residents know it has been a long slog to get the first phase of retail off the ground. X-Sport Fitness was originally slated to anchor the first phase, but that company had its own problems and could not make adequate progress towards opening, so the developer struck a deal with 24 Hour Fitness. Just when it looked like interior buildout for 24 Hour Fitness was finally making progress, the COVID-19 public health emergency hit.
I have reached out again now that the company has officially filed for bankruptcy relief to find out if there will be any impact to Art Place.
Explore! Children’s Museum Sandbox Activities
Check out Explore! Children’s Museum new Sandbox portal. The site contains free hands-on activities and resources for children nine years old and younger.
Welcome to the Explore! Sandbox, our curated list of online, at-home, and hands-on activities and resources. Find “your” inner artist, performer, scientist, musician, chef, and storyteller in this exciting collection of hands-on art activities, science experiments, cooking lessons, storytelling, creative movement, theatrical, and musical performances. Travel around the globe for virtual tours of museums, aquariums, botanical gardens, zoos, concert halls, theaters, and cultural centers that highlight special experiences for children, ages 0-9, and their families.
Zoning Commission votes to approve Art Place Block B modification
At its public meeting on June 8, 2020, the DC Zoning Commission voted 5-0-0 to approve slight changes requested for Block B of Art Place at Fort Totten (case number 06-10E). We described that Modification of Consequence application in this post.
ANC 5A supported the request; the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association offered no objection; and ANC 4B did not participate (as they did not in the underlying case). Zoning Commission member Peter May noted that this project is a complicated one that always felt unsettled so it was not surprising that the developer was returning with changes. At least there is agreement that these are changes for the better.
Art Place Construction Notice 6/1/2020-6/15/2020
Riggs Park Place Townhome Development Update
At ANC 4B’s meeting on May 26, 2020, EYA presented updated plans for Riggs Park Place (formerly known as Fort Totten South), the mixed-use townhome development proposed for the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE directly across the street from the Walmart. The project is located in the boundaries of ANC 4B, specifically ANC single member district 4B09. One thing EYA noted is that the project was formerly known as Fort Totten South. They had always planned to change the name. The project is now called Riggs Park Place because the project is located in the Riggs Park neighborhood (as is pretty much all of the development taking place around Fort Totten metro station). Edwin Washington, executive director of The Parks Main Street, was able to convey to EYA the importance of making sure development does not rename or rebrand the neighborhood, intentionally or not.
View the presentation to ANC 4B here:
EYA Riggs Park Place Community Update Presentation May 2020
As previously noted, the plans have changed many times over the past several years, with the latest iteration being for-sale traditional townhomes along with senior rental housing and retail. Part of land to be developed for the project is owned by the District so that meant jumping through a few more hoops than usual. EYA anticipates completely closing the deal with the District in mid-June 2020 with construction starting July 2020. Because the project involves disposition of public land, EYA also has a community benefits agreement with the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA). (Disclosure: I worked on and signed the agreement during my service on the board of the LRCA. I no longer serve on LRCA’s board.)
The project will be built in two phases. The first phase will be construction of 90 townhomes. These will be traditional townhomes with garages. Of the 90 homes, five will be offered below market rate. All of the below market rate homes will have three bedrooms, have the same exterior fixtures as the market rate units, and have the same interior features as the market rate units. Options offered for the below market homes will be the same as those offered for the market rate homes and will be offered at market rate. If things run smoothly from here, they anticipate having the first set of homes completed by mid-2021.
The multifamily portion containing the senior housing and retail will be constructed in the second phase beginning in fall 2022, with completion anticipated around fall 2024. This part of the development will front Riggs Road. Of the 84 senior rental units, 30 have to be designated affordable units. The developer wants to make all of the senior rental units affordable and is working through financing to make that happen.
EYA is going with a “contemporary industrial” look for the project. ANC Commissioner Alison Brooks (4B08) stated that the project does not look like anything in the neighborhood. There is a lot of brick facade in the project. Whenever a new development comes on board, some residents tend to state they want red brick because red brick is what people are used to in the neighborhood. As EYA has tweaked the design over the years, residents seem to be pleased with the design, but realistically no project is ever going to please everyone. EYA got in touch with a couple of the artists who designed some of the murals in the neighborhood and hopes to work with them to incorporate art into the project.
EYA held a virtual sales grand opening yesterday. Prices for the townhomes begin in the mid-$500,000 range. More information on the project is available on EYA’s website at https://www.eya.com/townhomes/washington-dc/riggs-park-place-fort-totten-metro
Art Place Construction Notice 5/18/2020 – 6/1/2020
Art Place Construction Notice 5/4/2020-5/18/2020
Slight changes to Art Place Block B plan
The Cafritz Foundation has filed a Modification of Consequence for Block B of Art Place at Fort Totten seeking approval for modifications to the residential, family entertainment zone, and landscaping components of the plan approved by the Zoning Commission. ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) will be having a single member district meeting at some point to discuss the proposed changes.
Proposed residential component changes:
- Modifications to the façade and fenestration treatment of the residential structure along the former 4th Street and Ingraham Street;
- Raising the proposed pedestrian bridge across the closed 4th Street one level – to the third floor;
- Creation of a central lobby for the residential building;
- Grouping of the 30 artist affordable units in the northern tower to create more of an actual artist community rather than having the units dispersed throughout two towers; and
- Creation of separate loading areas for each portion of the residential building rather than having one large loading area.
Proposed Family Entertainment Zone (FEZ) component changes:
- Increase in height of the drum and fins by eighteen inches to better screen the roof structure;
- Reduction in the massing of the structure above the Aldi grocery store along South Dakota Avenue; and
- Internal modifications that result in slightly modified square footage for the various uses.
Proposed landscape component changes:
- Redesign of the Kennedy Street Plaza – removing the previously approved circular drive and vehicular drop-off area;
- Relocation of the dog park to property adjacent to Block B on the west side of former 4th Street; and
- Enlarged 4th Street central plaza for additional restaurant seating
The plan previously included one remaining Riggs Plaza apartment building on the west side of 4th and Kennedy Street NE to accommodate remaining Riggs Plaza tenants. The filing states, “The building that was previously shown in this location is now vacant and is no longer necessary for tenant relocation purposes, as the remaining Riggs Plaza Apartments tenant has been provided relocation opportunities.” So it looks like that space can now accommodate the dog park. Eventually Kennedy Street will be realigned during a future phase.
The case number is 06-10E.
Images of proposed modifications
Next Stop...Riggs Park 