202_cyclist says: (3/19/16 12:51 PM)
Woo-hoo! I am looking forward to the opening of the Brig. Are they planning on serving food, because a food truck or two on the curb next to the Brig would be great.

JD says: (3/19/16 1:01 PM)
They are planning for food trucks--there's a driveway on the eastern side of the Brig footprint, and the plan has been to pull trucks in there.

smitty2k1 says: (3/19/16 2:56 PM)
If the owner of the Brig reads this - you need to advertise to the DOT employees. Every single one of them needs to know about this. $$$$$$$$$$$$

MJM says: (3/19/16 7:09 PM)
So they meant June 2016 not 2015.

JD says: (3/22/16 8:13 AM)
So, the restaurant I was hinting at the other day in the comments is still unnamed, but it appears to be coming to the space next to Buffalo Wild Wings in Half Street. (I was being cagey for reasons related to the end of public access to in-progress building permit applications, and we'll just leave it at that.)

It's 1,972 square feet.

NavyYardGuy says: (3/22/16 8:44 AM)
Can we get another hint? I'm dying w/curiosity.

JD says: (3/22/16 8:45 AM)
I don't know a thing beyond that.

Alan says: (3/22/16 10:08 AM)
Unrelated: The large construction crane at the Homewood Suites site was dismantled this weekend. And the circular Red Loft has been Bud Light Blue in anticipation of their new advertising agreement with AB.

JES says: (3/22/16 10:22 AM)
There's 1,972 square feet there? Must be deep, it sure isn't very wide...

JD says: (3/22/16 3:25 PM)
The Adams Morgan Philz opened today, and DCist says the Arris location is expected to open in May:

link

In other news, I've now heard a rumor of a restaurant coming to one of the under-construction buildings (so, different from the 55 M news). Too much of a rumor and too second-hand to actually speak of it, but it is a building that hasn't been "heard from" up to now, so people who might be scared that retail leasing isn't going on, it's more likely that it's just that no one's announcing things yet.

JES says: (3/23/16 10:56 AM)
My money's on Dock 79, but I have zero inside information behind those guesses.

jdc says: (3/23/16 11:27 AM)
JD - is the Homewood Suites being built with any ground floor retail space planned, like a small starbucks or other coffee-type shop?

JD says: (3/23/16 11:28 AM)
@jdc - My project page says 4,800 sf retail for the Homewood Suites, which really surprised me. (Off the top of my head I was going to say no, none!)

JES says: (3/23/16 1:10 PM)
I'd assume that Homewood retail could actually house a decent restaurant or bar, given the high-traffic Half and M corner it sits on.

jdc says: (3/23/16 3:40 PM)
thanks JD! I was walking on L today and, for whatever reason (maybe the perspective?), I was shocked at how tall the hotel is and how it's nearly finished. I previously had noticed that they had finished the corner at Half and M, which mirrors the roof line of the building next door, but it wasn't until I was on L near the warehouse that I noticed the HVAC units had been delivered. So, I am wondering how soon we'll hear about retain on the first floor.

JD says: (3/24/16 10:44 AM)
I didn't really mean to go silent this week, just nothing big enough to really capture my fancy enough to post on it.

But this Bisnow story is interesting, wondering if the recent commercial real estate boom is over:

link

Enjoy all the cranes while you can--while I think most (?) of the projects that have gotten their zoning approvals of late will move forward, I'm guessing the torrid pace of the past two years will not continue. And that's not necessarily a bad thing--for me, anyway. :-)

202_cyclist says: (3/24/16 12:02 PM)
Regarding the Bisnow article, the commercial real estate boom might be slowing or over but I think there is still a lot of momentum left for residential development, with prices for one-bedroom apartments in the Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard going for $2,500 per month and population growth continuing to remain strong.

BLT says: (3/24/16 8:23 PM)
Excited to see how Spooky Park turns out. They have been working like crazy over the past two weeks.

The new Cap Riverfront banners on the light poles are nice; better than the last ones.

smitty2k1 says: (3/25/16 5:49 PM)
I may have found our 'unnamed' new eatery next to BWW: link

Section314 says: (3/25/16 9:58 PM)
Can you help with "what projects have gotten zoning approvals of late"? I would greatly appreciate it!

It's hard to follow what has gone for review as opposed to what has been approved. It seems like this would include the Half Street Projects and the S. Capitol and M building but I'm sure I'm missing some.

JD says: (3/26/16 9:27 AM)
@Sect314 Well, let's see.

There's the combinational National Association of Broadcasters HQ and 10 Van Street residential project, at South Capitol and M (zoning approved, building permits in process):
link

There's the Half Street Hole residential (zoning approved, building permits in process):
link

There's the combo PN Hoffman condos & Forest City rentals at the Yards on Parcel O (no new zoning case after original Yards one, building permits in process):
link

There's JBG's Half Street project (zoning about to be approved):
link

There's the movie theater (though not the accompanying residential yet):
link

There's the new DC Water HQ (zoning approved):
link

There's the 25 M Street office building (zoning hearing next week):
link

There's Lerner's 1000 South Capitol Street residential building (zoning approved):
link

There's the residential on the McDonald's site (zoning approved):
link

Unfortunately, DCRA has taken down the database where you used to be able to check on building applications in process--until that reappears (and I doubt it's anytime soon), it'll be much harder to know about apps in process until they are actually approved. Just because zoning approvals have been received, doesn't mean they are immediately going to start digging. (Let me show you the zoning approvals for the Half Street Hole from 2007 and for the Fairgrounds site from 2009, just to prove the point.)

I think if all of those projects get underway in the next, let's say, two years, I think you are going to see a pause after them. The amount of residential in the neighborhood is basically doubling *now*, with 3,000ish units under construction/just completed (Park Chelsea, Bixby, Dock 79, Ore 82, F1rst, Agora, 909 Half, 1244 South Cap)--the list of ones that could start relatively soon would add another 2,000+ units on top of the 3,000ish which is on top of 3,500ish already built. That's a lot of inventory to absorb.

JD says: (3/26/16 9:32 AM)
Oh, and probably add the Square 769N mixed-income building at 2nd and L starting within the next year and adding another 171 units to the count:

link

(That's separate from the Square 767 condo and mixed-income apartment dual project, which still hasn't filed for zoning)

Section314 says: (3/28/16 11:16 AM)
Hearing nothing regarding zoning for Toll Bros. Parc Riverside phase 2? Nothing on The Garrett from WC Smith?

JD says: (3/28/16 11:46 AM)
Not every building has to go to zoning (either the Zoning Commission or the Board of Zoning Adjustment). Buildings like Toll and the Garrett are both probably "by right," meaning that unless their design requires a "special exception," they may not need zoning approvals at all. Other buildings in other spots end up in front of the Zoning Commission because they are required to have a Capitol Gateway Overlay Review, but that's only for buildings on M, South Capitol, and south of M by the ballpark. A lot of the buildings north of M and west of New Jersey never needed any zoning reviews.

JD says: (3/28/16 12:49 PM)
I expect to finally have a new post up tomorrow, and one Wednesday. But wander through the project pages for the various active construction sites--and check the Sliders too--if you are jonesing for new content. I took a ton of photos on Saturday.

FromTheTurret says: (3/29/16 3:46 PM)
...we're waiting.

JD says: (3/29/16 3:47 PM)
You posted that the SECOND I pulled the trigger on today's post!

FromTheTurret says: (3/29/16 3:54 PM)
Well then, voila!