Two local developers are competing for the rights to develop a key site in Herndon's sleepy downtown into something more vibrant.
The land, about seven acres, is mostly owned by the town and is home to a variety of things, including a car dealership, a small office building, empty lots and an abandoned electrical substation.
A team that includes Norton Scott LLC of Great Falls and Centex Homes of Dallas wants to build a project called Herndon Station there. The project would include a 141-room hotel, 120 condominiums, a three-story office building, and 50,000 square feet of retail space.
Its competitor, Clark Ventures, an affiliate of Clark Construction Group LLC of Bethesda, has proposed a project on the site that would include about 32,000 square feet of retail space and almost 300 condominiums. Clark is pitching its deal as a public-private partnership, with the developer building public amenities such as sidewalks, road improvements, parking, an amphitheater and an outdoor plaza in exchange for the development rights.
The one thing both competitors agree on is building a community arts center, something town and community leaders have requested. Herndon officials are expected to choose a developer by the end of the year.
"What we've proposed in these two projects is 180 degrees different, but it shows that Herndon is one of the few places you can come in and do a large mixed use," William H. Sawicki of Clark Ventures said. "The town is ripe for something like this."
Hotel Renovation
The Lincoln Suites Hotel at 18th and L streets NW is to undergo a $2 million renovation. RLJ Development LLC of Bethesda, a hotel company owned by Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson, recently bought the hotel. Johnson's RLJ Development, a five-year-old company, owns four other hotels in the District.
RLJ bought the Lincoln Suites Hotel from the Donohoe Cos. for $8.4 million, said Thomas J. Baltimore Jr., president of RLJ Development. The renovations are likely to start early next year.
Closings
D.C. developer Douglas Jemal sold a building at 2131 K St. NW for $20.1 million to a New York real estate investor. The building's largest tenants include George Washington University and the American Society of Civil Engineers. The buyer, JOSS Realty Partners, also paid $34.5 million for 1776 Massachusetts Ave. NW, a building that is owned by a partnership that includes local investors.
Joe Stettinius, 43, took over as senior vice president for the Washington area in the local office of Equity Office Properties Trust, a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns about 113 million square feet of office space in 18 states and the District. He replaces Tom Bakke, who served in the position for five years and is now doing national leasing.
