DC Metrocentric

File this one in the “not going to happen for a while” drawer. The history of the Dryfus development at 200 H Street is a long one, but at the end of the day all residents have right now is an empty lot. Unfortunately the demolition of some great looking row homes had already taken place before the project got put on the back burner leaving a barren empty parcel.

Given the other recently finished up project in the area and current vacancy rates, it would be hard to justify starting back up on this project. We really liked the roof line details on this design too! We put a call in just to see if there is any possible new progress, and got a “no comment”, but we will keep you posted if we hear anything more.

Built back in 1818, the Decatur House on Lafayette Square is one of the oldest homes still standing in the District. The namesake was naval hero Stephen Decatur who commissioned the house as his “Southern” residence. We always wondered about the bricked over windows, but from the picture it looks like even back then they were blocked off.

[Photo: vpickering and DCPL]

Do you like to write? Are you interested in writing about the issues and have an extreme addiction to everything architecture and new developments around town? We are looking for a weekly feature writer with a sense of humor who wants to join the DCMetrocentric team. Sound interesting? Details and requirements after the jump…

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Your weekly chance to take a stab at real estate appraisal.

Well your guesses are in and counted, and the actual list price on the newly renovated Colonial in the Palisades is $3,195,000. It’s all about the pool on this one.

We have been big proponents of improving our cities streetscape on this site, so we were happy to see the recent press release from the DC Commission on the Arts to bring more art to Columbia Heights. The release got us thinking about what other areas around town are in need of more public art and streetscape improvements…

We think just about every neighborhood could use more benches and bike racks, but big pieces of installation art need to be more targeted and specific to the site. There have been some great new pieces installed recently, some (pictured) better than others, but we would like to see even more in other neighborhoods.

What do you think?

[Photo: Sean Smith via Fourth and Eye]

Best New Listings: Adams Morgan and 16th Street Heights

This week’s Best New Listings include a two-bedroom penthouse co-op in Adams Morgan with parking and a three-bedroom row house in 16th Street Heights for under $475,000.

Read the rest of this entry on UrbanTurf.com »

It’s official, the District has selected the proposal from EastBanc for the redevelopment of the Police station and library in the West End (pictured). The design had mixed reviews when we looked at the proposals back in January, but now we know what we are going to get.

The main criticism of both the winning proposal and the one from Toll Brothers centered on the scale of the building with the surrounding properties, so it will be interesting to see if there are any revisions to the design or increases to the set back. Also the question still remains on what will occupy the the first floor, other than the library of course.

The library broke ground last year but now we are finally getting to see how the brand new Freelon Group designed Anacositia library is shaping up. The distinctive green from the renderings seems to already be present on some of the structural elements. And Now, Anacostia has more of the details of the progress, it should be finished up this Spring.

[Photo: And Now Anacostia]

Capital Riverfront - Update on 11th St bridge [Barry Farm Remixed]

Near Southeast - The bill for 225 Virginia Ave? $400 M. [JDLand]

Columbia Heights - Abandoned house watch on the boarded up property at 1334 Irving street. [New Columbia Heights]

Anacostia - Could a new full service restaurant be coming to the neighborhood in an old building on Good Hope Rd? [Congress Heights on the Rise]

Your weekly chance to take a stab at real estate appraisal. Submit your guesses in the comments and closest guess gets the PriceChecker crown for the week. This weeks PriceChecker is a newly renovated Colonial in the Palisades NW.

Being in such a tony neighborhood, it take a lot to set yourself apart. This five bedroom, 6,300 square ft home in the Palisades is fairly standard from the front but it is what is out back that really makes us envious! The backyard is finished with over 4,500 sq-ft of stone terraces, has an outdoor kitchen built to entertain, and a killer infinity pool!

So take your best guess in the comments and we will crown a winner next Tuesday afternoon. Should you need some additional help, we got more info including the realtor spin and photos after the jump, including that pool…

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Best Open Houses: Dupont Circle and Columbia Heights

In this week’s edition of Best Open Houses, we feature a one-bedroom condo in Dupont Circle with plenty of natural light and a parking space and a three-bedroom row house in Columbia Heights that has a rentable in-law suite.

Read the rest of this entry on UrbanTurf.com »

Historical photos don’t have to be black and white to be cool right? In this photo from 1968 looking out over Foggy Bottom towards the Potomac and Georgetown, there are all sorts of interesting things. Most fascinating to us though is the Kennedy Center which was under construction, surrounded by red scaffolding. Also isn’t it amazing how the Rosslyn side of the Key bridge looks practically unoccupied!

[Photo: Roger4336]

If there is any group out there that should be able to get a Green Roof right, it is the people at the American Society of Landscape Architects, and that is just what they have done at their headquarters building on Eye Street NW. From the looks of it, the implementation of the design by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates has really kept true to the original “green” vision.

The picture on the left even is filled with people just like the rendering!

[Credit: Landscape Architects]

Lately we have been getting requests for an open thread for people to discuss whatever is on their minds, so we figured we would give it a try and see how it goes. Like these buildings along the 2000th block of 9th street NW, this post is empty but ready to fill, so DC what’s on your mind when it comes to construction, development, and architecture?

[Photo: rockcreek]

The famous Subway/Delhi Dhaba building along Wilson Blvd in Arlington has seemingly grown up over night. We noticed over the last few months workers have added an additional two stories on top of the building. Considering every other block in this area has a curb to curb 5 story or taller building, the added density isn’t surprising, but building on top of the building without starting over is a little unusual.

Building on top of an existing building can be tricky so you don’t see it often, but when done right it certainly is a good way to save money, and keep the current businesses open during construction. Which is good because Arlingtonians can only go so long without good Indian (and Tandori Nights just doesn’t cut it!).

[Photo: DCMetrocentric]