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Near Southeast DC Past News Items: F1rst Residential/Hotel
See JDLand's F1rst Residential/Hotel Project Page
for Photos, History, and Details
In the Pipeline
25 M
Yards/Parcel I
Chiller Site Condos
Yards/Parcel A
1333 M St.
More Capper Apts.
Yards/DC Water site
New Marine Barracks
Nat'l Community Church
Factory 202/Yards
SC1100
Completed
Thompson Hotel ('20)
West Half ('19)
Novel South Capitol ('19)
Yards/Guild Apts. ('19)
Capper/The Harlow ('19)
New DC Water HQ ('19)
Yards/Bower Condos ('19)
Virginia Ave. Tunnel ('19)
99 M ('18)
Agora ('18)
1221 Van ('18)
District Winery ('17)
Insignia on M ('17)
F1rst/Residence Inn ('17)
One Hill South ('17)
Homewood Suites ('16)
ORE 82 ('16)
The Bixby ('16)
Dock 79 ('16)
Community Center ('16)
The Brig ('16)
Park Chelsea ('16)
Yards/Arris ('16)
Hampton Inn ('15)
Southeast Blvd. ('15)
11th St. Bridges ('15)
Parc Riverside ('14)
Twelve12/Yards ('14)
Lumber Shed ('13)
Boilermaker Shops ('13)
Camden South Cap. ('13)
Canal Park ('12)
Capitol Quarter ('12)
225 Virginia/200 I ('12)
Foundry Lofts ('12)
1015 Half Street ('10)
Yards Park ('10)
Velocity Condos ('09)
Teague Park ('09)
909 New Jersey Ave. ('09)
55 M ('09)
100 M ('08)
Onyx ('08)
70/100 I ('08)
Nationals Park ('08)
Seniors Bldg Demo ('07)
400 M ('07)
Douglass Bridge Fix ('07)
US DOT HQ ('07)
20 M ('07)
Capper Seniors 1 ('06)
Capitol Hill Tower ('06)
Courtyard/Marriott ('06)
Marine Barracks ('04)
 
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40 Blog Posts Since 2003
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Shortest Post Ever: Roti Open, Chix Closed
I am not in a proper blogging situation and getting terribly behind, so need to get a fresh thread up for the commenters who are doing such a great job keeping the conversation going. The headline basically says it all, but I guess I have to type SOMETHING more:
* Roti is now open in the ground floor of F1rst, on 1st Street SE between M and N.
* Unfortunately, one block away, on Half Street, Chix has already closed, not even a year after opening. (Their third location on 11th Street has closed as well, leaving just the original one on 14th, and their online presence has gone quiet, so something must be amiss.)
Enjoy the conversation below!
Comments (23)
More posts: chix, Development News, F1rst Residential/Hotel, Restaurants/Nightlife, roti
 

Tidbits for Tuesday: Chop't Preview at F1rst; 769N Groundbreaking
Two items being posted Monday that are literally Tuesday Tidbits:
* The first retail offering at F1rst has almost arrived, as salad purveyor Chop't is opening its doors on Tuesday for a "preview," from 10:30 am to 2 pm and again from 5 pm to 7:30 pm (or until they run out of food). It's a "Chop't Gives Day," meaning that for a $2 donation to the DC Central Kitchen, guests will receive a complimentary salad.
I do not have a recent photo of the Chop't exterior, but here's what @JRogers202 sent out on Twitter last week. Also, the official address for Chop't is 1257 1st Street, SE, if yiou are needing exact coordinates.
* A press release has gone out announcing a ceremonial ribbon cutting on Tuesday at the still-as-yet-unnamed DC Housing Authority mixed-income residential project on the south side of L Street between 2nd and 3rd known for now as "Square 769N."
The glitterati will be there to wield shovels to herald the "start" of construction on the next phase of the Hope VI redevelopment of the old Capper/Carrollsburg housing project, which will bring 179 rental units including 36 affordable apartments immediately to the east of the Canal Park ice rink block. (Pay no attention to those piles already in the ground.)
(Also note that in the above drawing, the 769N apartment building is the one on the left, as seen from Canal Park--to the right is the long-planned but still in limbo 250 M Street office building.
Comments (76)
More posts: chopt, F1rst Residential/Hotel, Restaurants/Nightlife, The Harlow/Capper
 

Photo Tour of F1rst and Residence Inn; Solidcore Signed
On Monday the JDLand camera took another spin in the neighborhood, this time heading to 1st Street SE to visit the F1rst apartment building and its sibling the Residence Inn, which both of which are now open.
The photo gallery is a big one, with so much newness for me to capture. The official F1rst web site and the Residence Inn site has all of the details you probably want, and so I am just let the photos do most of the talking.
But before I get to those, there is some news, which is that it's been announced that fitness studio Solidcore is the latest retail tenant now signed, joining Chop't, Taylor Gourmet, Chipotle, Roti, Rasa Indian Grill, and Declaration. Solidcore is expected to open in the latter stages of 2017. (For those of you salivating at the rest of the lineup, it looks like Chop't will be the first to open, perhaps next month, followed by Taylor, Chipotle, and Roti in late summer/early fall.)
With that, onto the photos of both the apartment building and the hotel. This is a sampling--see the gallery for the full narrated tour.
Comments (3)
More posts: Development News, F1rst Residential/Hotel, solidcore
 

Restaurant News: Declaration to F1rst; Cava Grill to 50 M; Bardo Latest
* The first sit-down restaurant at the F1rst development has been reported by WBJ: Declaration, a 3,500-square-foot restaurant from the Presidential Restaurant Group, which is Lincoln and Teddy & the Bully Bar as well as the first Declaration at 8th and V NW. WBJ says that it will be in the ground floor of the Residence Inn next door to the actual F1rst apartment building, and will have entrances from both the street and the hotel lobby. It also will apparently "be significantly larger and therefore offer a broader menu" than the V Street location, including "Philadelphia-oriented menu items." This location "aims to open by the end of 2017." It joins the previously announced F1rst lineup of Taylor Gourmet, Chop't, Rasa Indian Grill, Chipotle, and Roti.
* Also reported by WBJ, Cava Grill has signed a lease to open in the Homewood Suites on the northeast corner of Half and M, SE, which expectant taste buds may also know as the location-to-be for Shake Shack.
* Bardo says that its new riverfront brewery location on Potomac Avenue across from Nats Park "will open sporadically" between now and April, based on the weather, on a weekend-by-weekend basis.
My food map shows the full lineup of offerings, both open and announced. In addition to the coming-soons mentioned above, 2017 should see the opening of The Salt Line, All-Purpose, Bethesda Bagels, Slipstream, the Juice Laundry, and District Winery.
Comments (35)
More posts: Homewood Suites, bardo, cavagrill, declaration, F1rst Residential/Hotel, Restaurants/Nightlife
 

Roti Joining Chop't, Taylor, Chipotle, and Rasa at F1rst in 2017
The headline about says it all, but for the sake of fleshing out a full post I'll write that it's been announced this morning that Mediterranean-style fresh-and-wholesome purveyor Roti will be coming to the apartment project in the block north of Nats Park known as F1rst in 2017.
It joins previously announced food offerings Taylor Gourmet, Chop't, Chipotle, and Rasa Indian Grill, and this morning's press release says that the retailers are all expected to open in Spring 2017 at the same time the F1rst residences will be completed.
F1rst will have 325 rental units, and a Residence Inn is being completed next door at the same time.
The official F1rst web site has floor plans and additional information (plus the hours of their now-open leasing center trailer at 1st and N), and my project page gives more details and history of the site. And my Food Options page shows you the lineup of everything that's in the pipeline (scroll way way down).
Comments (11)
More posts: F1rst Residential/Hotel, Restaurants/Nightlife, roti
 

Chipotle Confirmed, Coming to F1rst in 2017
Another fast casual dining option is being announced today, with word from the developers of the F1rst apartment building that Chipotle has signed a lease and is expected to open in Spring 2017, alongside previously announced options Taylor Gourmet, Chop't, and Rasa Indian Grill.
A new rendering accompanying the press release appears to show that Taylor, Chop't, and Chipotle will be in the three spaces on 1st immediately north of the residential entrance to F1rst.
Also speaking of F1rst, there is now a leasing center at the corner of 1st and N, nestled in the "L" of the Hampton Inn. Residences are also expected to be available in spring 2017.
It's getting hard to keep up with the 2017 lineup of offerings, so check out my Food Map to stay up to date.
Comments (29)
More posts: chipotle, F1rst Residential/Hotel, Restaurants/Nightlife
 

Rasa Indian Grill Slated for F1rst in 2017
The Washington Post is reporting that Rasa Indian Grill will be coming to the ground floor of the F1rst apartment building on 1st Street SE between M and N in "summer 2017."
Says Food writer Tim Carman, "Patterned after fast-casual powerhouses such as Sweetgreen and Cava Grill, Rasa will try to fill a gap that the owners identified in the Indian dining market. While there are refined Indian restaurants (think: Rasika, Passage to India and Masala Art, among others) and mom-and-pop joints (Indigo, Bethesda Curry Kitchen, Tiffin, etc.), there are few places to order chicken curry in a hurry (outside such counter-service operations as Merzi in Penn Quarter and Spice 6 in Hyattsville and Fairfax)."
The article says that the restaurant isn't expected to "tone down the spice blends" for non-Indian palates, and that it will "emphasize vegetables as much as meats."
Read the Post piece for more details, including the back story on the two owners, who are the sons of the co-owners of Indique in Cleveland Park and Bombay Bistro in Rockville.
Rasa joins previously announced offerings Taylor Gourmet and Chop't at F1rst, which is the middle building in the above not-quite-so-recently-taken photo. A Residence Inn is being built next door. My F1rst project page has more photos and details.
If you're having a hard time keeping track of what restaurants have been announced, my Food Map page shows them (especially if you scroll down to the "Announced, But Not Yet Open" section). Next year looks to have a lot of new arrivals, including a second outlet of All-Purpose, just named this week by the Post's Tom Sietsema as the #1 restaurant in the area. Also announced as coming to the neighborhood in 2017 and beyond are Shake Shack, Salt Line, Bethesda Bagels, Slipstream, District Winery, Circa/Open Road, and Due South "Dockside." And given how much retail space is in the pipeline, there's probably a lot more announcements to come.
Comments (2)
More posts: F1rst Residential/Hotel, Restaurants/Nightlife, rasa
 

Project Updates: Watching the New Neighbors Get Dressed Up
The output of the current official JDLand camera (an eight-year-old Canon 50D with a Sigma 18-200 lens) has been a bit less sharp of late (like me!), and given that the shutter has fired more than 110,000 times since 2008, I have been figuring it's probably time for a new camera. But since I knew I'd also want a new lens as well, I decided to buy that first and see if maybe the far cheaper component was the problem. I finally got the chance to take the new lens for a workout on Sunday, and the ruling after looking at the 730 photos I took is: I need a new camera. (Will probably be the 80D.)
All of that is just a time-wasting intro to a roundup of the progress photos I took.
Dock 79 is getting pretty close to the finish line, with the sidewalk along Potomac Avenue now open and work proceeding on the open plaza to its east. (Yes, those are sculptures.) There's also emerging placeholding signage for The Salt Line in advance of its 2017 opening.
ORE 82 now has some completed balconies overlooking New Jersey Avenue and I Street, but mainly I just wanted the excuse to post my rather striking shot (below left). And speaking of red buildings, the Homewood Suites at 50 M is making steady progress as well.
The walls of windows at 909 Half Street are making for some interesting reflections, not only from the reflected bright blue sky but from the patterns of recesses and bump-outs, as well as the windows that are left open to presumably give the poor workers a little air.
If you stand at New Jersey and M, you can get good views of Insignia on M to your north and the F1rst apartment/Residence Inn hotel project to your west.
Then we have the even newer neighbors, the ones who we can't quite see just yet, although the 1244 South Capitol apartment building now has one floor above ground level. (I admit, this is one I am looking forward to watching rise up.) Then there's the office building at 99 M, which seems to be slooooowly getting ready for vertical construction, though a peek down in the hole indicates that a skeleton is still some weeks away.
I also took photos of the Bixby, but nothing much is changing on the outside there. And I only took morning-light photos, which means I don't have any good ones of Agora, unless you like looking at its backside. (So to speak.)
Then there's Parcel O at the Yards, where one condo and one apartment building are to be built. Fences are up, and there is some infrastructure work going on along with breaking up the concrete pad that the trapeze school stood on until last year. I believe the shoring, sheeting, and excavation permit is approved, but whether the true Digging of the Dirt is underway, well, We Shall See.
There are more new photos than just the ones above--follow the links for additional shots, plus I've also updated a bunch of before-and-after sliders. And maybe soon I'll get out in the afternoon light to get photos of the western side of all of these projects--with a new camera!
(If you're thinking that these photos don't look that blurry, it's really more on the edges of the shots where the problem lies, plus I do some sharpening of all photos after I size them down for posting.)
 

Tidbits: A Roof View, a Brown Plague, the Barry Prep, and a Derby Day
F1RST VIEW: The 325-unit apartment building known as F1rst is still a number of months away from completion, but that hasn't stopped the developers from sharing a rendering of the eventual view from the roof, billed as the city's "first rooftop stadium-seating view into Nationals Park." (Which is true, though spoil-sport me must mention that there will eventually be another building between F1rst and the ballpark, with as-yet-unknown impacts on the F1rst line of sight.) It's expected to be ready by Opening Day 2017.
BROWN PLAGUE: I have said on a couple of occasions that it sometimes seems like every new resident of Near Southeast/Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard/#NeCaBaRY is issued a dog upon arrival, and there's now a colorful missive from the BID and Anacostia Riverkeeper about the impact of un-picked-up-poop on the neighborhood and the river. THIS MEANS YOU. (Signed, the owner of two indoor-only cats with zero patience for dog owners who don't clean up.)
BARRY PREP: The prep work for the May 7 departure of the USS Barry is now underway, and users of the Riverwalk should expect closures at various times between now and the departure date.
DERBY DAY: If you find yourself in need of a libation or two after waving goodbye to the Barry on May 7, Due South is inaugurating its first annual Derby Day, from 3 to 7 pm. There will of course be juleps (including mint, sweet tea, bourbon punch, and a bottomless frozen mint version for $40), along with Derby-themed food specials like Beer Cheese Crostini, Kentucky Hot Browns, ham and biscuits, "Kentucky Fried Chicken," and more. There's also going to be prizes and giveaways, and a hat contest for the ladies.
Comments (6)
More posts: barry, Capitol Riverfront BID, duesouth, F1rst Residential/Hotel
 

Windows.
The apartment projects F1rst and the as-yet-unnamed building at 909 Half aren't even waiting to be topped out before starting to put their faces on:
There's also now plenty of windows on the Homewood Suites at 50 M, where there is clearly No Time To Lose if they are going to make that October 2016 opening date on the signage. And I bet there will be some windows on Insignia on M before too much longer.
I've also posted updated photos of Agora, ORE 82, the Bixby, and Dock 79, in addition to new shots at the links above.
And there's lots of Slider updates, too, a few of which are previewed below.
 
40 Posts:
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