Friday, February 06, 2009

Interns Replace Condos Downtown (A NOMA House)


The Washington Center (TWC) has announced plans to give Washington just what it needs: less condos and more…interns. The local non-profit has selected Paradigm Development Company to build out a new “mini-campus” for college students spending their summer at TWC-arranged, metro area internships. Though Paradigm, the Arlington-based development company, is perhaps best known for its Parc Rosslyn and Buckingham Village residential projects in Northern Virginia, the TWC project will mark Paradigm's first foray into from-scratch development in the District.

The $38 million dollar project will transform a NOMA parking lot at Third and K Streets, NE into a 345-bed dormitory complex, just around the corner from the Northeast BID’s only other ongoing residential projects thus far: the Cohen CompaniesUnion Place.

The development will be sufficient to provide for approximately 80% of the thousand plus interns drafted by the TWC each year, who are currently housed in sundry apartment buildings throughout the area. Current plans call for the usual college-style accoutrements like shared kitchens, high speed internet and the nostalgia-inspiring “common area.” Though Paradigm representatives were unwilling to divulge the architects or general contractor attached to the project, they did say that “groundbreaking is imminent” and could begin before the end of the month.

The rise of the TWC’s student housing center does, however, signal the death knell for another project once planned for the same site: Greenbaum & Rose’s Capitol Cab Condominiums. Once slated to deliver another 112 residential units to the NOMA corridor, the project never got off, or out of, the ground. Greenbaum & Rose did not respond to DCmud’s inquiries regarding the project.

UPDATE: Washington Center representatives have confirmed that the architect on the project will be Davis Carter Scott and that a groundbreaking ceremony will be held on April 14th.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think this plan is actually good. Instead of 100 condos there will now be 350 housing units, even if they are just interns. It will add some vitality and foot traffic to that area. Also, it would have taken years for the condos to break ground- and this sounds like it will happen very soon, which is good.

Nathalie on Feb 7, 2009, 12:42:00 PM said...

Ground is now broken. Any idea where we can see some sketches of the project?

Anonymous said...

i live kitty corner from that site, and MOVED is right. the ground has been broken.

Nope on Feb 9, 2009, 10:34:00 AM said...

the site is being cleared of debris, but, as of friday, no construction had yet begun.

Anonymous said...

oh. i meant the ground is literally broken. they've been hacking up large chunks concrete in what appears to have been a parking lot.

Anonymous said...

Why is the developer unwilling to divulge the general contractor's name?

DCJaded on Feb 17, 2009, 1:25:00 PM said...

They are about 25% done with the pile driving. I was shocked that the construction company didnt talk with my neighbor who's house's foundation is 10 ft from the pile driving. Hopefully there will be no ground shifting that will damage his house.

Post a Comment

Commercial ads will be deleted, so don't even think about it.

 

DCmud - The Urban Real Estate Digest of Washington DC Copyright © 2008 Black Brown Pop Template by Ipiet's Blogger Template