Town Center East Deemed Historic, Developers Back to the Drawing Board

• July 9, 2013

by Shilpi Paul

Town Center East

At Monday night’s monthly ANC 6D meeting, area residents learned that the two buildings and associated grounds at Town Center East, located at 1001 and 1101 3rd Street SW (map), were deemed historic landmarks by the Historic Preservation Review Board last month, putting a wrench in developer’s plans to build three new residential buildings at the site.

The two existing nine-story buildings, and a courtyard at the site, were designed by I.M. Pei in the early 1960s in a modernist style. The historic designation came just before The Bernstein Companies were able to finalize their plans to put two high-rise buildings and one smaller building on the site.

According to meeting attendees, the developers have been in talks with the Historic Preservation Office about how to move forward, and were told that their previous designs will need to be significantly revamped. Originally, they had planned to build the two high-rise structures on what are now parking lots, and to build the smaller residential project in between the existing buildings. Because the courtyard is now protected, the third building would not be able to exist as planned.

As they go back to the drawing board, the developers may return to the ANC in August to discuss their updated plans.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/navy_yards_town_center_east_deemed_historic_developers_back_to_the_drawing/7291