condos

Rosslyn Condo Up for HGTV ‘Doory Award’

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn might not quite be Manhattan on the Potomac, but a loft-style condo that’s up for an award from HGTV does have a certain SoHo vibe to it.

A penthouse condo at Rosslyn’s Wooster and Mercer Lofts condo building (1600 Clarendon Blvd) is one of eight finalists for an HGTV “Doory Award” under the “Urban Homes” category. The two story, 1,111 square foot, 1 bedroom/1 bathroom condo features Brazilian cherry hardwood floors, 25 foot ceilings, a kitchen island, private roof deck, two walk-in closets and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances like a Wolf gas range and a Sub Zero refrigerator. The building was built in 2007 and the condo is priced at $791,000.

The condo’s competition in the HGTV contest includes units from other trendy multifamily properties in big cities like San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Seattle — and New York City itself.

You can vote for Arlington’s hometown entry in the contest on the Doory Awards website.

Disclosure: John Eric, an ARLnow.com advertiser, is the listing agent for the condo.

 

County Nixes Condo Plan for Buckingham Village

By ARLnow.com

The original plan, as approved in 2009, was to take 48 units of the 140-apartment Buckingham Village 3 affordable housing community and sell them as condos to moderate-income households. Last night, that plan was officially scrapped after the Arlington County Board was told that the condos would be a tough sell.

Buckingham Village 3, a series of 16 low-rise apartment buildings along the 300 block of block of N. George Mason Drive, was purchased by the county for $34.5 million in March 2009 as part of its ongoing effort to increase the supply of committed affordable housing in Arlington.

The initial goal for the community was to renovate the buildings, lease 92 apartments to households earning below 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), and sell the remaining 48 units to households making 60 to 80 percent AMI. The condo component was part of a county initiative to increase home ownership among moderate income households.

The condo plan, however, eventually became the victim of grim market realities, according to a staff report. As determined by two market studies commissioned at the request of the county, selling the condos to households in the target income range would have required “significant price reductions” due in part to the onerous affordability restrictions that would come with such a purchase. Also hurting sales: the difficulty in securing a mortgage for households in the income range. In the end, the market research suggested it could have taken up to four years to sell all 48 units, with a county subsidy of nearly $230,000 per unit.

Last night, the County Board reluctantly but unanimously voted to keep the 48 would-be condos as committed affordable rental apartments.

“This is not the outcome the Board had hoped for when we set this project in motion in 2009,” County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. “However, the Board’s action today ensures that these 48 Buckingham 3 units will be preserved as affordable rentals for decades to come.”

The Board also directed staff to find new ways to help lower-income residents to buy a home.

“We also have given staff clear direction to devise a funding strategy to help qualified, low- and moderate-income, first-time vested Buckingham home buyers the chance to buy — either in the Buckingham neighborhood, or elsewhere in Arlington,” Hynes said.

New Commercial Tenant for Bromptons at Cherrydale

By Katie Pyzyk

A commercial tenant will soon move into a building that’s been the center of a years-long controversy in the Cherrydale neighborhood. A Subway restaurant is coming to the Bromptons at Cherrydale building (3800 Lee Hwy), now known as 3800 Lofts.

The residential space above the restaurant was supposed to be sold as condos, but multiple issues prompted the developer to convert the units to rentals over the summer.

Subway will be the first retail tenant in the building. The space, including the residential portion, sat empty for years due to problems with the building’s structural soundness, multiple lawsuits and a faltering economy.

Work has already begun on the restaurant, but there’s no word yet on an opening date.

Cherrydale Condo Development Converted to Rentals

By ARLnow.com

The Bromptons at Cherrydale condominium development — a.k.a. 3800 Lofts — is now being marketed as rental apartments.

The move comes about two months after another Arlington condo project, The Myerton, was converted to rentals. Local Realtor Laura Rubinchuk says that the history of the Bromptons project — construction was stopped after the building was declared structurally unsound in 2006 — probably came back to haunt it.

“Slow sales for the Myerton definitely played a part in their decision to convert back to rentals,” she said. “But I think the 3800 Lofts are always going to carry the past with it — buyers are going to be nervous about investing in something that was once on unstable ground, regardless of County clearance and any actions taken to remedy the situation.”

Rubinchuck contends that the Arlington condominium market is “on the mend,” and that The Myerton and 3800 Lofts both represent conditions that were building-unique, not market-wide.

For interested renters, 3800 Lofts is offering 22 large 1- and 2-bedroom apartments with stainless steel appliances and 9-foot loft ceilings. The building is located at 3800 Lee Highway in Cherrydale.

Condo’s Elevator Shaft Damaged by Quake

By ARLnow.com

Drive around Arlington and you’ll be hard-pressed to find much “earthquake damage.” But perhaps the most significant damage in Arlington from yesterday’s quake happened inside a building.

The quake reportedly damaged the elevator shaft at the Columbia Knoll condominium building at 5111 8th Road S. in Columbia Heights West. The building’s two main elevators were cordoned off last night and the county Fire Marshal was on the scene to assess the damage.

Other than the damaged elevator shaft, however, no other major structural damage has been reported in Arlington.

Update on Large Residential Developments in N. Arlington

By ARLnow.com

A drive through parts of Lyon Park, Clarendon and Rosslyn today revealed significant progress on three large residential developments, as well as clean-up work on one ill-fated project.

In Rosslyn, Clark Construction crews are busy cleaning up from last week’s retaining wall failure at the Sedona and Slate apartment site. Workers were busy reinforcing the adjacent Swansen Apartments building, which nearly collapsed into the construction pit after the failure.

Residents have still not been allowed to move back into the building, according to Arlington County Inspection Services Division Chief Shahriar Amiri. It’s hoped that the building may be ready for re-occupancy next week. The Sedona and Slate project, meanwhile, has been set back untold weeks or even months.

Also in Rosslyn, Abdo Development’s Gaslight Square luxury condominium building has a gleaming metal frame and teams of busy construction workers. The groundbreaking for the project was in January.

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Myerton Again Changes Course on Housing Project

By Katie Pyzyk

Just five months after announcing its units at The Myerton would be sold as condominiums instead of rented as apartments, JBG has reversed course on the project.

Realtor Laura Rubinchuk Schwartz tells us that slow sales and a hot rental market prompted JBG to stop selling the units at 108 S. Courthouse Road. The developer had made the decision in February to begin sales instead of renting the units.

All buyers are being offered $1,000 for their time and for agreeing to a contract release.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Groundbreaking for Lee Highway Condos — The Christopher Companies has broken ground on Dominion Heights, a 66-unit condo building at 3565 Lee Highway. Construction is expected to last 14-18 months. [Marketwire]

Suggestions for Field Near Ballston Mall — One writer has a suggestion for a barren quarter-acre field next to the Ballston Common Mall parking garage at the corner of Glebe Road and N. Randolph Street. The field should be turned into a public plaza, complete with specimen trees and a lunch kiosk, GGW’s Joey Katzen writes. [Greater Greater Washington]

It’s Accordion Awareness Month — One Arlington resident and hardcore accordion enthusiast describes how she’s celebrating National Accordion Awareness Month. [Patch]

BREAKING NEWS — One Killed in Ft. Myer Heights Fire

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 1:20 p.m.) A man was killed in a two-alarm fire at the Prospect House condominiums (1200 N. Nash Street) in Ft. Myer Heights last night, authorities have confirmed.

Fire broke out in a third floor condo around 11:20 p.m. Firefighters arriving at the scene reported heavy smoke and flames. One victim was found in the apartment and transported to George Washington University Hospital. He was later pronounced dead.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze relatively quickly, said ACFD spokesman Lt. Gregg Karl. There was significant damage to one apartment and some smoke damage to nearby units.

The victim has been identified as 77-year-old Frederick Cole, the sole occupant of the apartment that caught fire.

“The fire investigation is ongoing, but it does not appear to be suspicious at this time,” authorities said in a statement.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Trail Parking — This car chose an interesting place to park — on a stretch of trail between the county’s new Dept. of Human Services building and Washington Boulevard.

Snakehead Fish Invade Four Mile Run — Predatory snakehead fish have invaded the waters of Four Mile Run, between Arlington and Alexandria. There’s concern that the so-called “frankenfish” could kill off native fish in the stream, as it has decimated native populations of bass and shad in the Potomac. [WJLA]

Marymount Names New President — Arlington’s Marymount University has named a successor for retiring president James Bundschuh. Matthew Shank, dean of the business school at the University of Dayton, will take over as president in July. [Washington Post]

Cell Phones to Get Emergency Alerts — Soon, cell phones in the D.C. area will be capable of receiving emergency alerts via text message. [New York Times]

Gaslight Square Condos Selling Quickly — McWilliams|Ballard and Abdo Development have sold nearly $12 million worth of luxury condos at the still-under-construction Gaslight Square project between Rosslyn and Courthouse. [Marketwire]

Bromptons at Cherrydale Nears Completion

By Katie Pyzyk

The long, strange trip for the project dubbed the Bromptons at Cherrydale may soon be coming to an end. The building at 3800 Lee Highway has been nearly seven years in the making, but condos there could go on sale before the start of summer.

Originally, all of the 22 condo units were under contract in 2004. But progress stalled in 2006, when the county issued a stop-work order due to the building being structurally unsound. The developer, Ed Peete Company was given the opportunity to remedy the issues or demolish the structure. After some waffling, Ed Peete chose demolition, but the deadline for that came and went in July 2008.

While this was being hashed out, the building sat vacant for years. A flurry of lawsuits followed, including those against contractors and engineers hired by Ed Peete. Ultimately the developer decided to keep the structure and reinforce it as part of a settlement reached in 2009.

Now, passing by the site provides a view of work crews buzzing in and out of the building and signs advertising the first floor retail space. Gone are the flapping sheets of plastic and insulation on the façade, the torn-up sidewalk has been replaced, and balconies have been affixed to the front of the units.

Project Manager Neil Winsten with R15, formerly the Ed Peete Company, says many improvements have been made to comply with the county’s requests of fixing issues such as stressed beams and walls. He says steel beams and support slabs have been added for reinforcement. With the new additions, Winsten believes this should be “one of the strongest buildings around.”

Winsten says he hopes the building will be finished by the end of May. The 22 condos are set to go on sale immediately after completion. Winsten says they will start looking for tenants to fill the first floor retail space around the same time.

As far as working with the county for all these years, Winsten says it has “gone pretty smoothly once we put the new plan into effect.”

Neighbors have been grumbling for years about the Bromptons project being an eyesore and dragging down property values. In response to their frustration, Winsten says, “We’re just about done so thanks for bearing with us. We haven’t wanted it to take this long either.”

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