Lerner Enterprises announced today that construction will begin this summer on 20 M Street, a 10-story 190,000 sq ft office building, with completion scheduled for Summer, 2007. The property, designed to be "Green" and which will also have retail on its first floor, is on the northwest corner of the Half and M intersection (currently a parking lot), diagonally across from the Navy Yard Metro station and one block north of the new Nationals stadium site. No tenants have been announced. Whiting-Turner will be the general contractor. You can see a few photos on my M Street page, and I guess before long I'll be creating a 20 M page!

The Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling allowing local governments to seize properties via eminent domain for private development will give the District leverage in its quest to aquire the 14 acres of land needed for the new Nationals stadium, though most likely some landowners will still attempt to use the courts to prevent the seizures. The article also says that the city expects to begin making financial offers to stadium-area landowners in late July, with owners having 30 to 45 days to negotiate with the city; after that, the land will be seized, and a court will decide the sale price.