The future fate of the EPA Towers at the old Waterside Mall has been the object of much neighborhood curiosity and speculation. The towers are located behind each of the new buildings currently under construction along the new section of 4th Street by the Waterfront/SEU Metro Station. According to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Waterfront Station Project from June, 2008, Phase Two of the development consists of the renovation of the two existing towers. The structures will be stripped of their exterior concrete covering and re-draped with glass and other materials. The interiors will be renovated and converted to approximately 360 residential units for a total of 438,000 gross square feet (GSF) of space. Twenty percent of the units will be set aside as affordable housing to those earning 80% of annual median income (AMI). The addresses of the renovated buildings will be 1150 and 1151 4th Street.Unfortunately, according to a report at a recent ANC6D meeting by Gordon Fraley of Vornado, partner in the Waterfront Station development, the current national economic situation does not allow for financing of the project at the moment. It is not clear when the second phase of the development will begin, and if the residential units will be rental or condominium. For now, the doors and broken windows will be boarded up, and temporary repairs will be made to the sections damaged by the demolition of the mall. The Southwest community will have to wait for financing opportunities to arise before seeing any change in the iconic EPA Towers.
Image: Sunset rendering of the potential project from Waterfront Station Request for Proposals.
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8 comments:
Major bummer. That is an important piece of the SWDC puzzle, in my opinion.
Agreed. They are some of the tallest buildings and the most visible (and will have some the the best views in the SWDC puzzle.
"Iconic" is a bit ironic is their current state, but it is an apt description.
I certainly hope the boarded up buildings will have more than plywood in the windows and other openings. Really going to look unsightly with two new buildings adjacent to the decaying old buildings
I agree with the commenter who noted that he/she hopes something other than plywood will be used to board up the windows & doors in the buildings. I don't see how the new buildings will be much of an aesthetic improvement to the area if they are adjacent to crumbling, vacant, boarded up old buildings. While I can understand that the developers wouldn't want to sink too much money into those buildings until financing can be secured, surely there's something relatively inexpensive they can do that would look better than boarding up the windows. Meanwhile, let's hope the economic stimulus starts to work some magic soon.
Yeah, these are 130 feet, basically the tallest buildings you can put up in DC. How can you not turn them into apartments with the strong rental market?
The developers should have torn down these towers in the first place. There's nothing more unattractive than an abandoned building. Furthermore, our new and improved Arena Stage and Waterfront Station deserve better.
I want one!!! Stupid economy.... ruining things for me all the time.
If they do use plywood to block up the broken windows in the short-term, it can usually be painted and stuccoed over to be consistent with the building's stonework, so let's hope for the best. It seems like at least one of these towers would also be an ideal location for a mid-priced hotel, such as a Hampton Inn or Courtyard by Marriott, so close to the Federal area, Ft McNair, the stadium, Arena Stage, and right on the Metro. Do we really need subsidized housing in SW with projects surrounding us on all sides---isn't that subsidized enough?
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