PN Hoffman, Struever Bros to head $800 million D.C. waterfront project

The 47-acre southwest waterfront redevelopment in Washington will include a diverse mix of cultural, residential, retail, office and hospitality spaces.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new look will soon wash over D.C.'s southwest waterfront courtesy of PN Hoffman and Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse. The team was selected by the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. Sept. 28 to lead an $800 million redevelopment of the 47-acre site.

The master plan calls for an active mixed-use urban waterfront and park system that features cultural, residential, retail, office and hospitality developments. Groundbreaking on the first projects is expected in 2009 with completion no sooner than 2014.

"Our philosophy is 'neighborhood first,'" said Monty Hoffman, CEO of PN Hoffman. "While we plan to create a world-class waterfront destination, appealing to visitors from around the globe, our first commitment is to the people of Washington, D.C., and the existing southwest waterfront community. First and foremost, this project will reconnect Washington with its waterfront."

Washington-based PN Hoffman and Baltimore-based Struever Bros. will lead construction of a mix 650 units of market-rate residential units; 290 units of affordable housing; 150,000 sq. ft. of cultural space; a 360-room hotel; 230,000 sq. ft. of retail space; 157,000 sq. ft. of office space; and 14 acres of parks and open space.

Smoot Construction of Washington and Gilford Corp. of Beltsville, Md., are both partners in the construction team.

The vision includes the development of three districts that link an expansive pedestrian promenade along the Washington Channel.

The City Pier District, on the northwest end of the site near the historic fish market, will include the majority of restaurant and retail spaces as well as the hotel.

The waterfront's core will be the Esplanade District, which will feature condos, apartments, office, small restaurants and a gourmet grocery store.

The Cultural Park District, at the southeastern end of the development, will include a 5.5-acre park and cultural spaces such as the National Maritime Heritage Foundation.

PN Hoffman and Struever Bros. beat out the team of Madison/KSI Waterfront Partners in the final selection. The two development teams were selected to the final round from a short list of five teams in June.

New $212 million Episcopal Academy campus under way

MERION, Pa. - After nearly three years in design, one of America's oldest educational institutions is being ushered into the 21st Century by a team of leading architects in the region.

Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates of Philadelphia, Bohlin Cywinski Jackson of Philadelphia, Hillier Architecture of Philadelphia and the Gund Partnership of Cambridge, Mass., crafted the new $212 million 123-acre campus of Episcopal Academy in Newtown Township, Pa.

The new campus will bring together Episcopal Academy's two existing campuses in Merion, Pa., and Devon, Pa., which span nearly 70 acres combined. The new campus features seven major buildings, including a campus center; athletic complex; chapel; science center; and new lower, middle and upper schools. Combined facility space will increase from approximately 350,000 sq. ft. to 380,000 sq. ft.

Official groundbreaking was in late September. Completion is scheduled for fall 2008. Brailsford and Dunlevy of Washington, D.C., is the project manager. INTECH Construction of Philadelphia is providing construction management services for the entire campus project. The majority of work on the major structures will be carried out simultaneously.

Philip Dordai, managing principal of Hillier Architecture, said the project represented a unique opportunity for teaming among architecture firms.

"The opportunity to design from a clean sheet of paper, shoulder to shoulder with some of the most respected names in architecture, proved a powerful draw for myself and my peers to work as one to create an institution that will prevail for another 200 years," he said.

Hillier Architecture is leading the group. Master architect Robert Venturi, a 1944 graduate of Episcopal Academy, designed the new chapel. The Gund Partnership developed the original campus master plan and designed the new Campus Center.

The Campus Center will include a 600-seat multipurpose courtyard-style theater, a black-box theater, dining rooms, library and visual arts center.

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson designed the Athletic Complex, which includes a gymnasium, three court field house, 10 squash courts, fitness center, dance studio and indoor pool.

Norfolk light rail reaches final design stage

NORFOLK, Va. - Plans for the Norfolk Light Rail project have moved on down the line. The Federal Transit Administration approved the $232.1 million project to enter final design in September.

Once the project meets the requirements of final design, Hampton Roads Transit officials anticipate execution of a full funding agreement in 2007 to provide the federal funds to begin construction.

Federal funds make up $128 million of the project cost. The rest will be picked up through state and local channels. HRT plans to have the new line operational by late 2009 or early 2010.

Parsons Brinckerhoff of Norfolk is overseeing the project. URS Corp. of Virginia Beach, Va., is under a subcontract with Parsons Brinckerhoff to provide final design services. The contract includes a three-year base period and an additional two-year option period. URS' five-year contract has a maximum value of $10 million.

The light rail project is proposed to extend 7.4 mi. from the Eastern Virginia Medical Center through downtown Norfolk along the Interstate 264 corridor to Newtown Road in Norfolk. Eleven stations will be constructed along the alignment with four proposed park-and-ride locations that provide access to the system in major areas such as Norfolk State University, Harbor Park, City Hall, MacArthur Center, Tidewater Community College (Norfolk Campus) and the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.

The system would use a combination of city streets and the existing rail corridor to be purchased from Norfolk Southern. It will carry between 6,000 and 12,000 people per day.

Tishman expands pharmacist association space tenfold

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Tishman Construction of Washington, D.C., has broken ground on a new $100 million addition to the headquarters of the American Pharmacists Association in Washington.

The new 10-story building will expand the APhA's space on the National Mall from the existing 31,000-sq.-ft. structure to a total of 322,555 sq. ft.

Hartman-Cox Architects of Washington is the architect and The JBG Cos. of Chevy Chase, Md., is the developer. Completion is scheduled for late 2008.

The new building will include offices, conference space, a history hall and exhibit gallery to showcase educational exhibits, and a rooftop "Potomac View" terrace. Two subgrade levels of parking are being built to accommodate 184 parking spaces. There will also be an outdoor botanical garden.

The existing building was designed in 1934 by John Russell Pope, who also designed the Jefferson Memorial and National Gallery of Art.

The new structure's marble, granite and precast concrete facade extends symmetrically to either side of, and above, the Pope building in a way that is respectful of the historic structure and within the context of Constitution Avenue,

Forrester finds favor in Maryland highway buildings

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Forrester Construction of Rockville, Md., is getting a lot of highway-related work in Maryland these days without laying miles of asphalt.

In September, the company broke ground on a new facility for the Maryland State Highway Administration that will house the Office of Materials and Technology Consolidated Laboratory and the Office of Construction.

The design-build project in Hanover, Md., includes a 93,000-sq.-ft. main building, 7,200-sq.-ft. vehicle storage and calibration building, and a new pavilion. The main building will be a combination of office space and materials testing laboratories. The office space will house two MSHA organizations - the Office of Materials and Technology and the Office of Construction.

The materials testing laboratories are part of the OMT and will use approximately 48,400 sq. ft. of space. The remainder of the building will include general office space, training, and meeting rooms.

Forrester's Design/Build Partner is Kling of Washington, D.C.

Construction is scheduled to finish in March 2008.

Meanwhile, Forrester is working on the $13.5 million Maryland Department of Transportation/Motor Vehicle Administration Operations and Information Resources building in Glen Burnie, Md. The project broke ground in July and is expected to complete in 2008.

The project features an 87,000-sq.-ft., five-floor, phased renovation of an occupied building, including complete mechanical, electrical and interior architectural renovations and high-end finishes. The architect is Morris & Ritchie Associates, Inc. of Towson, Md.

PB studies alignment options for DC rail lines

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In what could be the first steps toward major future rail line work in the area, Parsons Brinckerhoff of Washington is evaluating alternative alignments for a new replacement freight railroad line that would bypass Washington, D.C.

A freight railroad line currently runs through the heart of the District, posing potential security concerns because hazardous materials pass close to the U.S. Capitol, federal offices and residential neighborhoods. The rail line also creates a bottleneck in the east coast railroad network.

Parsons Brinckerhoff is working with the District of Columbia Department of Transportation in cooperation with its regional partners and the National Capital Planning Commission. The study is expected to complete in early 2007.

The study will identify potential alternative alignments, evaluate their impacts, analyze their benefits and costs and rank their suitability. The objective of the study is to determine an alignment that can enhance security, improve both passenger and freight rail operations in and through the region, and allow for redevelopment of the existing railroad right-of-way.

MedImmune expands with $250 million Frederick project

FREDERICK, Md. - Crews have officially broken ground on the $250 million expansion of MedImmune's manufacturing operations into Frederick. The project, which is being overseen by Parsons of Washington, D.C., is the first of four potential phases at the site.

The current phase will provide two additional commercial-scale bioreactors used to manufacture monoclonal antibodies and will also include 331,000 sq. ft. of office, laboratory and manufacturing space. Phase one is expected to by complete in late 2009.

The remaining phases could include approximately 379,000 sq. ft. of additional space.