Category Archives: Neighborhood Development

TBT: WaPo profile of neighborhood

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development, Neighborhood Profile

The Washington Post did a profile on the neighborhood back in 2010. I think that feature provides a bit of context for the latest neighborhood profile published by the Post yesterday. Where the previous article highlighted the stable, established aspect of the community, this newer article focuses more on the development and “transition” taking place. The author took a tour of the neighborhood with Barbara Rogers, president of the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association, and interviewed several residents. Readers will see the blog mentioned.  I agreed to speak with the reporter and we talked about different aspects of the neighborhood for maybe 30 minutes. I was not sure what narrative the reporter was interested in pursuing, but I did know she wanted to speak to residents who had moved into the neighborhood in the past five years.

Rereading the previous profile, it is interesting to consider what has and has not changed since 2010, at least from my perspective.

Civic participation

“Among all of the neighborhood association meetings I attend, Lamond Riggs always has the most people — 50 to 60 folks” – then ward 4 councilmember Muriel Bowser in the Washington Post in 2010

The level of civic participation has not changed. I became involved in community affairs through an invitation by a resident to attend a community meeting . When I invited a DC agency official to discuss a city program at a recent civic association meeting, I advised him that around 70-80 people would likely attend. I think he was surprised to find out I was not exaggerating. Recently, many newer residents have signed on to committees to contribute to the work of the civic association.

Respect and appreciation for longtime residents

“The stable of longtime residents is complemented by a bevy of young families looking for affordable single-family homes in the city. Many of them say the longtime residents helped draw them to the neighborhood.” – Washington Post in 2010

I love talking to my older neighbors who have lived in the neighborhood for 40, 50 years. As I mentioned in my comments, they sincerely ask how I am doing and how my family is doing. People stop and chat as I work in my garden. I know I am not unique in that aspect. As new residents move in, they ask about the history of the neighborhood. For the most part, there is a level of engagement between newer and long-term residents that fosters mutual respect and allows us to work for the things we would like to see in the neighborhood.

Desire for more amenities

“Residents are hungry for more amenities, such as upscale retail stores, coffee shops and sit-down restaurants, said Gwen Cofield, co-chairman of the citizens association’s development task force.” – Washington Post in 2010

Residents still want amenities and some of them are on the way.  In 2010, both Art Place at Fort Totten and Fort Totten Square (FTSQ) were in a lull phase. Now, FTSQ is pretty much done and construction is in full swing at Art Place. When I started the blog, I decided to publish a neighborhood wish list. Not much has changed since I first published it and the present as newer residents move in. Residents want quality sit-down restaurants, neighborhood bar, coffee shop, bookstore, bank, home goods store, pharmacy, gym, pet store, neighborhood pool, lots of folks would like a Trader Joe’s, and a number of other amenities.

Appreciation for what we do have

“‘We’re lucky to be close to many of the things we need . . . If we want groceries, there’s a Giant close by. If we want to go downtown, we’re close to public transportation. We aren’t isolated at all.'” – Lawrence Martin in the Washington Post in 2010

I told the reporter the neighborhood has a low crime rate, it is affordable, and it is close to a metro station and you usually do not get all three of those features in one place. Maybe two, but not all three. It has been easy to live without owning a car for three years and that is a lifestyle that is important to me. We now have a bikeshare station at the metro station, as well as Enterprise carshare (and before Enterprise there was Zipcar). Car2go vehicles can be spotted here and there. Planning is underway to finish the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) between Brookland and Takoma.

Ultimately, I think what has made this neighborhood a desirable community is the collective effort of residents over many, many years to make it a good one. I know some express wariness about the evolution of the community. Some worry about more traffic, more opportunities for crime, and being priced out of the neighborhood. Those are real concerns. I certainly do not wear rose-colored glasses. I think it will be the continued collective efforts of all residents that will ensure we keep the community flavor people enjoy even as development draws new residents to the neighborhood.

 

WaPo: How to spot a neighborhood on the rise

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development

The Washington Post has an article about buying in neighborhoods for their potential value in five to ten years. The author suggests that buyers look at areas surrounding desirable neighborhoods. On this point, our neighborhood gets a nod:

• Buy in the middle of surrounding hotspots. Adjacent neighborhoods matter just as much as the one where you buy.  There’s a saying to look for the “triple ripple” to find the neighborhoods with the greatest potential for price gains. In other words, look to buy in a location surrounded by at least three (or more) established, sought-after neighborhoods.

In D.C., we’ve seen this happen with places like Eckington and NoMa. Here, the push from Shaw and Mount Vernon met the growth from Union Station/ H Street and the expansion around the Rhode Island Avenue Metro. The intersecting blocks in the middle of all these neighborhoods became viable neighborhoods in their own right.

Looking further into the future, Fort Totten is a strong contender to be a beneficiary of the “triple ripple.” It sits between the areas of Takoma D.C. and Catholic University, and is at the cusp of the development push moving eastward across the city.

This is certainly not the first article to mention the neighborhood in this context (see our post here) and we have also discussed the value of living in between Brookland and Takoma in a different context (see color commentary in this post). Color commentary still stands.

A few words on community benefits

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development and tagged with

Now that negotiations have again started between Fort Totten Square developers and District officials over the sale of District-owned land for the second phase of Fort Totten Square, it is a good time to talk community benefits. In previous posts covering the sale of the land, I described some of the community benefits that were previously included by District officials in the land disposition agreement that eventually expired. During last summer’s public hearing regarding the surplus designation by the mayor’s office, the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association submitted testimony containing proposed community benefits. I was involved in the LRCA process to draft a community benefits agreements. I also submitted testimony in my individual capacity: Comments for Hearing on Surplus Designation for Parcel (pdf).

Inclusion of community benefits in land disposition agreements is a bit controversial in some quarters. Part of the reason for advocating for community benefits in this particular transaction is that any sale that is approved would give the developers District-owned land at a hugely discounted price. District officials believe they have some justification for approving below market rate sale of land. The land consists of expansive grass with mature trees. During last summer’s hearing, some residents said they use the land to walk their dogs. For District officials, it is probably seen as a win if they can get even a nominal amount for land at a major intersection that does not currently generate any tax revenue, if that land will be developed and generate tax revenue for years to come. Whatever the justification, it is not a stretch to ask District officials to include community benefits in the land disposition agreement.

With that background, what do you think? Now is the time to be creative. What types of community benefits do you think the neighborhood could use?

Change of plans to second phase of Fort Totten Square

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Square and tagged with , ,

I wrote about a proposed second phase to Fort Totten Square a few times last year. The development would be built on land across the street from the nearly completed first phase. Part of the land is owned by Lowe Enterprises and part of the land is owned by the District. Originally, JBG and Lowe proposed to build more apartments with ground floor retail.

Previous Fort Totten Square Phase II rendering

Previous Fort Totten Square Phase II rendering

Now, they are proposing to partner with EYA to build 170 multi-story townhomes with approximately 27,000 square feet of ground floor retail. Twenty percent of the homes would be set aside as below market rate affordable homes.

Because part of the land is still owned by the District, the same process we described before (surplus process) still needs to happen. The mayor’s office must declare the land surplus and hold a public hearing. Then the council will hold a hearing and vote on whether to approve disposition of the land. Interested residents will have an opportunity to testify and comment on whether they believe the land should be reserved for public use rather than sold to the developers.

Surplus property site

Surplus property site

Early consensus seems to support townhomes over more apartments. It is still early in the process though and we have already seen this project go through fits and starts in different administrations, so we will have to wait a few months to see what happens with the negotiations.

Fort Totten Square Construction Update

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Square

From JBG:

The Fort Totten Square project is 98% complete. The first and second floors of the residential including the units, courtyards and amenity spaces have been inspected and are substantially complete. Inspections of the units and corridors continue on the 3rd and 4th floors of the building. The furniture for the main lobby, leasing office and clubroom areas has been delivered and the outdoor furniture for the pool and courtyards is scheduled to arrive towards the end of the month. Site work is wrapping up along 3rd Street from the main residential arrival to Riggs Road and will continue along Riggs Road over the next month.

We’re beginning to lease the apartments and are marketing studios at approximately $1,600, one bedrooms starting around $1,750 and two bedrooms starting around $2,400. The full property website (www.forttottensquare.com) is live and has more information about the units that are available including rents and floor plans.

The build out of the Walmart space is ongoing. The retail on the corner of Riggs Road and Chillum Place is ready for tenant build out and construction of the interior spaces will begin soon. Although we haven’t announced them yet, we are excited to report that we’ve entered into negotiations with two neighborhood serving retail tenants, a national pet store and a new, locally owned restaurant concept.

Fort Totten Square Construction Update

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Square

From JBG:

The Fort Totten Square project is 95 % complete. Completion inspections are well underway on all of the apartments. The main residential entry arrival court off of 3rd Street will be finished up in April. Streetscape and site work activity will continue for the next two or three months around the perimeter of the entire site. Punch list in the amenity areas of the building is underway as well as final installations in the courtyards. The retail at the corner of Riggs Road and Chillum Place is in the final stages and interior retail construction of these spaces will start next month. The build out of the Walmart space has started with completion expected in the Fall of 2015.

 

Neighborhood development roundup: We still have questions

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten, Fort Totten Metro Development, Fort Totten Square, Neighborhood Development, North Michigan PArk, The Hampshires

With the announcement of WMATA’s selection of a joint developer for the park-and-ride lot at Fort Totten metro station, now is a good time to look at the state of development in the neighborhood. Even as the first major development nears completion, questions remain about how retail will ultimately shape up for the neighborhood.

1. Fort Totten Square

Fort Totten Square Phase I with potential Phase II rendering

Fort Totten Square Phase I with potential Phase II rendering

Developer: JBG & Lowe Enterprises

Location: Riggs Road between 3rd Street and Chillum Place NE

Expected delivery: Mid- to late-2015

  • Mixed use development anchored by 117,000 square foot Walmart
  • 10,000 square feet of ancillary ground floor retail
  • 345 rental apartments

Fort Totten Square emerged the winner to be the first major development in the neighborhood. The Walmart anchor will be joined by Subway and Five Guys. There are two other retail spaces that have not been leased. Residential leasing personnel are being hired for the luxury apartments, so this development will be ready to accept residents without all of the pieces to the retail puzzle in place. Early in the development process, the developers indicated they were hoping to sign a coffee shop or a sit-down restaurant to the development. We cannot give the odds on either of those happening at this point.

In addition, talks are said to have begun again between District officials and the developers for sale of District owned land across the street from Fort Totten Square in order to build a second phase to the development. The developers provided an initial concept plan for the mixed use development for the second phase with less housing and more retail. We cannot say with any certainty though what will happen with the negotiations or the concept plan.

First to deliver, Fort Totten Square still leaves questions about what type of retail and amenities we can expect for the neighborhood in the near future.

2. Art Place at Fort Totten (Building A)

Art Place at Fort Totten Building A

Art Place at Fort Totten Building A

Developer: Cafritz Enterprises

Location: South Dakota Avenue between Galloway Street and Kennedy Street NE

Expected delivery: 2017 (though construction is undoubtedly behind schedule)

  • Mixed use development
  • Over 100,000 square feet of retail
  • 520 rental apartments

Art Place at Fort Totten is a multi-phase planned unit development (PUD).  The only tenant we know about for the first phase (Building A) is X-Sport Fitness. We are pumped about potentially having a gym in the neighborhood, but we are really interested in knowing what other anchor retailers are being targeted for Building A. The development team indicated early on that Building A would be constructed with the potential to locate three restaurants there. We also know the building will also have space for an ANC office and a daycare center.

At the ANC 5A08 SMD meeting on March 18, we learned that negotiations are taking place to have the children’s museum occupy the warehouses located at 5458-5462 3rd Street NE, rather than in Building B of Art Place as originally envisioned by the development team.

We will have to wait and see what happens with this development. The development team has long said they will be looking at the effect of Walmart’s opening on the retail landscape for the neighborhood, so they cannot provide any updates on future phases of the development. We still have questions about Building A though that also cannot be answered at this time.

3. WMATA/Donatelli Fort Totten Joint Development

Developer: Donatelli Development

Location: Existing park-and-ride lot on 1st Place NE

Expected construction start date: 2017

  • Mixed use development
  • 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail
  • 345 rental apartments
Donatelli bid

Donatelli bid

WMATA is up to its usual MO with the joint development of the park-and-ride lot at Fort Totten metro station. There were two proposals for the joint development. WMATA initially indicated they would make both proposals public. They presented the two concepts to ANC 5A’s commissioners (Fort Totten – Presentation to ANC 5A (Feb 11-2015)), but did not present at an ANC meeting. WMATA ultimately selected Donatelli.

We know the other bid was submitted by Jair Lynch.  That proposal was more arts-focused to piggyback on the concept of the Arts Place development. However, that bid proposed fewer apartments than the Donatelli bid (302 versus 345).

Jair Lynch bid

Jair Lynch bid

We have long had the sense that WMATA is not too concerned about placemaking in its development projects, despite the inclusion of a placemaking element in the RFP.

Given that there has always had long been vacant ground floor retail space at Aventine Fort Totten (another WMATA joint development project at Fort Totten), we definitely have questions about the type of retail Donatelli anticipates bringing to this project.

Residential Development

The uneven retail landscape is interesting give the huge interest from homebuyers in the neighborhood. Median home sale prices have increased and homes have sold more quickly. The Hampshires, a subdivision of detached single family homes and townhomes by Comstock Homes, has attracted a lot of interest. A PUD application was recently submitted for the Totten Mews, another project of Comstock Homes, in nearby North Michigan Park. Several newly constructed homes by independent developers have also popped up in the neighborhood.

It is clear that many people love what the neighborhood has to offer: large open park space, relatively affordable homes with outdoor space, close proximity to a major metro line and downtown, low crime, civic-minded neighbors. Newer homebuyers are certainly attracted to the potential development coming to this established neighborhood. The small area plan identifies even more potential development sites. As we can see from development in the pipeline though, the state of retail for the neighborhood remains a big question mark.

Donatelli selected for Fort Totten joint development

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Metro Development and tagged with ,

Update 3/13/2015: Post updated with photos

Update 3/11/2015: The Washington Business Journal published an article with renderings.

Original post

WMATA (Metro) announced yesterday afternoon that Donatelli Development has been selected to develop the park-and-ride lot at Fort Totten metro station. The proposed development will have 345 residential units and 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail and will be designed to achieve at least LEED Silver certification. The existing 422 parking spaces will be replaced in the new development. If the project receives final approval from Metro’s Board of Directors, construction is anticipated to begin in 2017.

We have not seen any renderings of the proposed development (see update at top of post). At ANC 5A’s February meeting, commissioners reported that they received an update from Metro that a selection was pending and that Metro would encourage the selected developer to present its plan to residents and solicit feedback. One commissioner stated her top concern is retail. We too are interested in potential retail, but we are really interested in the design as well. As we can see from the still vacant ground floor retail space at Aventine at Fort Totten (also a Metro joint development), design and retail success go hand in hand.

This proposed development follows large-scale neighborhood developments in progress, Fort Totten Square (scheduled for completion this year) and the first phase of Art Place at Fort Totten (anticipated 2017 completion).