On Saturday, October 14th, ULI members headed to Lorton, Virginia for a free event that introduced them to the redevelopment of the Lorton Reformatory that housed prisoners from Washington, DC. Lorton was operated by the District Department of Corrections. Originally commissioned by Theodore Roosevelt in the early 20th century, the Lorton Reformatory defied prison norms from the beginning. Natural light, fresh air, and open green space were all items that Roosevelt felt were important in rehabilitation, leading to the dormitory-style buildings being constructed in a manner akin to a college … Read More

On September 27, ULI Washington held a case study for members to learn about a residential development in the Life Sciences Center area of Montgomery County.  Camden Shady Grove is a model of the next generation of suburban-to-urban development: converting traditional suburban office parks into more urban and lively 24/7 mixed-use communities. By being located at the DANAC Stiles Corporate Campus, Camden Shady Grove is designed to evolve and accommodate the rapidly changing Montgomery County suburbs by providing horizontal integration of uses. The community is comprised of 457 apartment units, … Read More

On the evening of June 21st, ULI members gathered to learn how West Broad Residences’ made a game changing mark on the City of Falls Church development process. Most notably examples of how a collaborative community method can produce outstanding results. While this process involved over 30 rezoning, special exception and site plan meetings with the City Council, Boards, Commissions and Neighbors, the balance of input made substantial benefits for both public and private stakeholders. A mutual understanding of the value of time and the potential impact of this project … Read More

Over 50 attendees gathered in the “Cellar” at the Hecht Warehouse on the evening of May 18. The unique venue, complete with pinball machines, pool tables, SkeeBall, a bridge, fancy bar, canoe, comfy couches and chairs and many other eclectic elements, is one of the common spaces available to tenants of the 340 unit Hecht Warehouse. The development also includes 250,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and a 1,250 space parking garage. The warehouse was built between 1937 and 1948; it was acquired by Douglas Development in 2011 … Read More

Attendees at the ULI Washington Case study at the NYU Global Academic Center at 1307 L Street NW were treated to a juxtaposition of the fabulous sunset painting the evening sky on October 8 with the glow of the unique architectural “fins” on the building’s exterior.  About 75 attendees heard a fascinating and comprehensive discussion of the Center, describing how it was conceived, funded, built, and is currently operated.  The program was moderated by Phil Feola, an attorney at Goulston and Storrs, the firm that secured the entitlements for the … Read More

Event PowerPoint Presentation link. The Urban Land Institute’s Washington Chapter recently held a Members Case Study visit to the initial phase of Mosaic at Merrifield, a 1.9 million SF urban infill redevelopment project located in Merrifield, a rapidly urbanizing development area of Fairfax County, VA, about 3 miles from Tyson’s Corner.   The Mosaic project represents a successful 15 year public/private partnership between Fairfax County government and EDENS, a $4 billion dollar development company based in Columbia SC and active in markets from Boston to Miami. Formerly the 31 acre site … Read More

On January 16, almost 100 ULI members were on hand to get a first look at the new National Public Radio headquarters at 1111 North Capitol Street, NE.  The new NPR HQ incorporates the historic former C&P Telephone warehouse and is located on the not-yet-redeveloped edge of the emerging NoMa area.    A portion of the funding for the project was realized from the sale of the existing NPR headquarters.   The building’s interior design is completely mission driven, allowing all NPR functions to work together cooperatively. The design theme features interpretations of … Read More