The 3 Proposals for WMATA’s Navy Yard Site

• April 15, 2014

by Lark Turner

Three developers are vying for a site owned by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) near the Navy Yard Metro (map), and the competing proposals were presented at the ANC 6D meeting on Monday night.

Currently, the site is occupied by a WMATA chiller facility for the Metro, which the selected developer would integrate into the development. WMATA is requesting that developers provide ground-floor retail to “activate” the street. The mixed-use and office proposals would all come in at over 120,000 square feet, and WMATA has mandated that the buildings be built to a minimum of LEED Silver standards. Here’s a quick rundown of what the three teams are proposing.

An 11-Story, 126-Unit Project With Ground-Floor Retail

MRP Realty and CAS Riegler are proposing an 11-story, 126-unit project with 6,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. At 163,000 square feet, it is the largest of the three proposed projects. The project would be built to LEED Silver standards.

A 126,000 Square-Foot Office Building

Akridge is proposing an office building with 126,000 square feet, including 3,000 square feet of retail on the first floor. The office building would rise 10 stories high and built to LEED Gold standards.

127,000 Square Feet, with a Bit Less Retail Space and Slightly More Units

Trammel Crow proposes a similar building to the MRP/CAS Riegler option, just with fewer square feet. The 127,000 square foot proposal would also rise to 11 stories with 4,000 square feet of ground floor retail. It would be built to LEED Silver standards and have about 135 units.

Because two of the buildings are very similar — 11 stories of residences and retail — WMATA said if it narrowed the proposals down to those two, its decision would ultimately depend on other factors, namely one. “Price is very important to us,” WMATA’s Stan Wall, who heads up real estate and station planning for the agency, said. “We want to maximize revenue from this project.”

But he added that the developer’s capability to provide financing and get started on the project as soon as possible would also factor into WMATA’s decision, as would the chosen developer’s ability to engage with the community, though that will come later.

“During the entitlement process” — about a year down the road for the “fairly straightforward” project — “there will be time for community engagement,” Wall told the ANC.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the_3_proposals_for_wmatas_navy_yard_chiller_site/8361