Blog | Photos | Projects | Nats Park | Time Machine Photo Archive | Project Directory | Nats Park | Search | About | Contact JD
Please note that JDLand is no longer being updated.
peek >>
Near Southeast DC Past News Items: The Yards
See JDLand's The Yards 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)
 
Go to Full Blog Archive


504 Blog Posts Since 2003
Go to Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 ... 51
Search JDLand Blog Posts by Date or Category

PN Hoffman Announces Financing for Yards Condo Project
Last week developer PN Hoffman announced the completion of a $20 million financing deal that will allow its 138-unit condo project at 4th and Tingey in the Yards to break ground in the first quarter of 2016.
The building, seen on the left side of this rendering, will have about 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail as well as below-grade parking, and is expected to be finished in 2018. It was designed by Handel Architects and WDG, and it's not hard to see brick-and-glass echoes of Arris, its cousin across 4th Street.
The financing was provided by Grosvenor Americas' Structured Development Financing program, for those of you keeping score at home.
According to the sign erected a few weeks back, sales are supposed to start this spring.
And at the same time Hoffman's condo project is being built, Forest City will be building its own rental building immediately to the south, with 190 units in two towers (as seen on the right side of the rendering and in other renderings on the project page).
This is the site where the trapeze school has been camped for the past few years, and it's why they are moving to their new digs at New Jersey and Tingey Any Minute Now.
Hoffman's building (technically known at this point at as Parcel O-1) will be the first condo project in the Yards, and will also be the first condo project to get underway in the neighborhood since Velocity started its construction in 2007--and looks to be on the vanguard of a mini-wave of condo offerings, as both developments at Half and N just north of Nats Park are slated to have condos, along with perhaps a future project at Half and L and one on Square 767 on the old Capper footprint.
 

Project Updates: The Getting-Closer Lineup
While the appearance of a canopy over a front entrance does not signal that an under-construction apartment building is ready to start welcoming residents next week, it's still an interesting progress point to see at both the Park Chelsea and Arris residential projects. There's also landscaping starting to go in along the Park Chelsea's sidewalks on both New Jersey and would-you-just-open-already I Street--plus the leasing countdown clock has remained set for January 2016 for a few months now. As for Arris, the latest word remains "early 2016" for when it will open--and 2016 just isn't as far away as it used to be.
To the east, the not-minor project to do the masonry work and the siding at the 195-unit mixed-income Lofts at Capitol Quarter at 7th Street continues--apologies for only showing the rear of the building when I take a wide shot, but with the trees and the narrowness of L Street it's basically impossible for me to get a good photograph of the front. (Plus the low sun angle from late October through early March makes southern-facing photos a pretty miserable experience with a pretty miserable outcome, anyway.)
At 5th and K, the Capper Community Center's exterior isn't changing too much at this stage, but I'd get the shakes if I tried to not photograph it.
At New Jersey and Tingey, the new trapeze school building's blue-and-white exterior is mostly finished, though I'm such a bad blogger that it didn't occur to me to walk up to the big opening and peek in--but TSNYDC has posted a photo of the inside.
As for the Brig, the beer garden-to-be at 8th and L, the building itself looks pretty well finished now, though the "garden" portion of the venture does not appear to have gotten underway yet. And with two pit bulls on guard (!), I wasn't about to poke my camera through the fence for a better view.
And while I had designs on pressing my camera up against the glass at Buffalo Wild Wings on Half Street, they were having a staff training session when I arrived, and so I chickened out (Bad Blogger Data Point #2). But the gentleman I spoke with there confirmed again the Nov. 16 opening date, saying that the doors will open that day at 10 am--and that they generally have people camping out over Sunday nights to be among the first 100 customers through the door, who are then winners of the free-wings-once-a-week-for-a-year prize. Hope y'all have warm sleeping bags!
Still to come, the skeletons-and-holes report.
 

At Last: A Look Inside Building 202 at the Yards
When the news hit in recent days that Forest City is entertaining offers from developers interested in renovating the massive Building 202 at 5th and M, a long-dormant ember deep in my brain was re-sparked: would someone ever take pity on the JDLand camera and allow some interior "before" photos of the 1941 building also known as the Broadside Mount Shop and the Gun Assembly Building?
It turns out that sometimes the best way to do something you've wanted to do for 12 years is to actually ask.
Last week I was given a tour of the 215,000-square-foot building, often by flashlight since there is no power currently on inside, and here is a gallery of photos for your perusal. There were some areas I was not allowed to depict here: I guess when I finally write a book about all of this in 2030 or so I will get to unveil that particular mystery.
However, you are still able to see a pretty astonishing space, even given its current run-down state, and it's easy to see why developers would be eyeing it as a potential high-risk high-reward rehabilitation of a historic building. The inner atrium runs the complete length of the building and up to the roof, while the sides of the building (where the four narrow strips of windows are in the above photo) offer the sort of industrial/exposed-brick goodness that plenty of architects spend a lot of time trying to emulate.
As mentioned above, Forest City does not have plans for the building anytime soon, and decided to market it to see whether another company might potentially have a vision for it that meshes well with the general direction of the Yards--and one that of course would be willing to pay more than a few pennies to buy the building.
Here are some of the photos, but look at the gallery to see the complete set.
Comments (10)
More posts: Development News, Factory 202/Yards, The Yards
 

One Picture Beats a Thousand Words: Trapeze School Construction
I've written a whole bunch of times in the past few years about how Trapeze School New York's DC location would be moving from its current home on 4th between Tingey and Water to the southeast corner of the old NGA site, aka Spooky Park. But given the number of folks I've heard from in the past few days asking about the construction underway at New Jersey and Tingey, I figured I'd better do an illustrated version.
(Though, to be fair, it did not occur to me--because I never, you know, asked--that there would be a far more substantial structure than the tent that the school has been operating out of since early 2010.)
And, if you are having trouble picturing the location, perhaps a comparison with the previous view might help:
Comments (4)
More posts: trapezeschool, The Yards, Parcel A/Yards
 

Construction on Yards Marina Set to Start, Opening Spring 2016
The long-planned Yards marina, spanning much of the waterfront of The Yards from the pedestrian bridge east to the border with the Washington Navy Yard, is moving forward, Forest City is announcing today.
On-site work is set to begin within the next few weeks, with completion expected in spring 2016. (Fabrication of some of the marina's components has apparently been underway off-site for a few months now.)
There will be approximately 50 slips, half of which will be "designated for short-term transient use" (i.e., less than 10 days), and the other half will be for long-term use on a seasonal contract basis. As for sizes, Forest City says that most slips will be able to handle boats up to 60 feet long, but that "there will also be limited dockage for boats up to 125 feet in length." Slips will have electrical outlets and water supply hookups.
And the marina won't be just for boat owners: there will also be a water taxi dock, a "paddler dock" for kayakers and other "human-powered watercraft," and an "education dock for use with river-focused experiential instruction." The walkways and dock surfaces will be floating concrete structures.
The marina was designed by Moffatt & Nichol and is being built by Bellingham Marine.
Comments (2)
More posts: boats, marina, The Yards, Yards Park
 

Forest City 'Entertaining Offers' for Building 202 at the Yards
Near the northeastern edge of the footprint of the Yards, on the southeast corner of 5th and M, stands the old Gun Assembly / Broadside Mount Shop building, also known as Building 202, built in 1941 and waiting its turn as the next historic building in the neighborhood to be "adaptively reused."
When plans to redevelop the old Southeast Federal Center into The Yards were unveiled, Building 202 was included in the lineup of the project's first phase, and was said to be on the boards to be redeveloped by PN Hoffman as a 270ish-unit condo building. But other than some very basic renderings and a few tentative dates that quietly came and went, the building has remain untouched.
But perhaps that is about to change, as the Washington Business Journal is reporting that "numerous developers have approached Forest City about buying and redeveloping" the 215,000-square-foot building, prompting the decision to now actually market the site for sale, with offers due on Oct. 15. ("Price not disclosed.")
(This second image of Building 202 was taken from the roof of the old Capper Seniors building in late 2007, shortly before its demolition and long before Twelve12 and its Harris Teeter arose next to 202.)
The building is described as having potential "as an industrial loft-style office space, a boutique hotel, high quality condominium units or cultural use." The sales flyer also mentions the central atrium that "extends the full height of the building" and that 202 is part of the Washington Navy Yard Historic District, which means that any buyer will have quite the steeplechase of approvals to get before doing anything to the building. (One would also imagine that Forest City would want any future plans for the building to fit in with the rest of the tableau at the Yards.)
As for PN Hoffman, the developer did not forsake the Yards--the company purchased the "Parcel O" site at 4th and Tingey last year and is moving forward with a 130ish-unit condo building on that site, with a new Forest City rental building planned immediately to its south. Both buildings are expected to begin construction early in 2016, and in fact just today a reader alerted me to a new sign on the lot announcing "Condo Sales Spring 2016/PN Hoffman."
Comments (5)
More posts: Development News, Factory 202/Yards, The Yards
 

Now Official: District Winery Coming to New Pavilion at Yards Park
Rumored a few months ago after a liquor license application appeared in the pipeline, it's officially being announced today by Forest City Washington that the owners of Brooklyn Winery will be opening DC's first "urban winery" in a new 16,000-square-foot pavilion on the southwest corner of 4th and Water Streets SE in the Yards Park.
It will be named District Winery, and is to "feature the most popular components" of the Brooklyn version--it will be a full-service restaurant, and will also have a wine tasting area, a private events space with an open-air terrace, and, "of course, an impressive collection of wines, crafted and aged onsite." The Brooklyn operation is also apparently a quite popular venue for weddings.
The new pavilion's design will apparently be quite a wood-and-glass look that will echo the nearby Lumber Shed and the Yards Park itself. When I wrote about the rumors back in May, I included some 2009-era imaginings of what the pavilion could look like from when the Yards Park was going through its approvals process, but my understanding is that the design has evolved considerably, with District Winery's input. (No new renderings are being made available just yet, however.)
Forest City says it expects to start construction in the spring of 2016 and that the winery would open in the fall of 2017.
 

New Sidewalks and a New Parking Lot: A Literal On-the-Ground Report
If I've told you about the latest below-ground happenings, and the latest above-ground happenings, I might as well come full circle and mention a few things happening right at ground level.
First, at the large open space along 1st Street south of M that I've taken to calling Spooky Park in honor of the former inhabitants, the beginnings of the new foot paths through what will eventually be green space on the northern end of the block are in evidence, as is the new parking lot in the southwest corner, closest to the ballpark. (Not quite so obvious at the moment is that the southeast corner, at New Jersey and Tingey, is slated to be the new home for the trapeze school.)
These spaces are temporary uses for the site, which is expected to eventually be where the bulk of The Yards's office space inventory will be situated, perhaps as much as 1.5 million square feet.
Meanwhile, a few blocks to the north, a lovely sidewalk was laid down recently on the south side of the new one-block stretch of I Street between 2nd and New Jersey, which remains fenced off while WC Smith continues work on its Park Chelsea and 800 New Jersey apartment buildings.
Wouldn't it be keen if this lovely sidewalk could be opened for pedestrians and cyclists even while waiting for the stretch of road to come open? Especially for, say, all those neighborhood bloggers who are getting really tired of having to walk down to K Street and then back up to I Street while being tormented with the view of a fenced-off cut-through? Who will think of them??
Finally, it's nice to see a covered walkway being built along the Half Street frontage of the 909 Half Mystery Building construction site. Wouldn't it be keen if one could also be built on the north side, along I Street? (Dock 79 also gets props for its new covered walkway along Potomac Avenue, one I'm sure will be used by tens of people each week, but rules are rules.)
 

Out and About: The Latest Above-Ground Report
For posterity's sake, here's a quick survey of the late-summer state of construction at various sites--hope you like the Douglass Bridge-based views of the Arris and Dock 79 residential projects, for a bit of variety. Arris is close to having all of its exterior glass installed, while Dock 79 is just about halfway through to its eventual 10-floor height.
Otherwise, the masonry work continues slowly at the Lofts at Capitol Quarter (lower left), while the windows are in at the new Community Center (lower middle) and the Brig beer garden at 8th and L does show evidence of progress.
 

Due South Opening Softly, Then Opening for Real Next Week
They're still putting their makeup on, but after a soft opening over the next few days, Due South is planning to open its doors for real on Monday, Aug. 17 in the northwest corner of the Lumber Shed at 3rd and Water in the Yards.
The southern-themed restaurant is the latest from the Bo Blair empire, he of the Fairgrounds, and Jetties, and the Bayou, which is where Due South executive chef Rusty Holman made his home before moving to the Yards.
It will be just dinner service starting at 5 pm during the first few weeks, with weekday lunch and weekend brunch offerings coming probably in early September.
The official web site isn't up and running right this instant, but once it is, you should be able to see the menu and more details.
When I visited this morning, there was a lot of work still going on, but they were nice enough to let me take a few photos while I dodged the crowd of workers bringing in the cartons of eggs and stocking the bar.
 
504 Posts:
Go to Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 ... 51
Search JDLand Blog Posts by Date or Category




                  © Copyright 2026 JD.