Archive | November, 2014

Union Market: The Eastern Section

20 Nov
Eastern Section of Union Market

Eastern Section of Union Market

For the purposes of this post, the eastern section is defined as the area and buildings starting on the northern side of Florida Avenue, NE at 5th Street, going over to 6th Street, and then running up in between both streets until Penn Street (including Morse Street).  You can view our interactive map here (note: this is not perfectly drawn to scale and does not perfectly reflect lot lines, etc).  The properties are colored by owner; the color purple indicates that the property is not owned by one of the large development companies.

The eastern section of Union Market is the area that has seen the most development recently thanks to Edens’s construction of the Union Market building.  This section is also likely to see significant additional development in the coming years thanks to two owners controlling the majority of the real estate: Edens and Gallaudet University.  Edens has elaborate plans to add to the existing Union Market building, while Gallaudet University has an elaborate vision for redeveloping 6th Street to add retail and to integrate Union Market with Gallaudet’s campus that is currently somewhat isolated.  Recently Gallaudet University chose JBG–a major DC developer that controls several parcels in NoMa–as the firm it would partner with to develop its land.

Starting at Florida Avenue in between 5th and 6th streets (view interactive map here):

500 and 520 Florida Avenue

500 and 520 Florida Avenue

  • 500 and 520 Florida Avenue (purple on map): this land that comprises the entire block of Florida Avenue is controlled by one owner.  Currently, 520 Florida Avenue houses a Hess gas station.  No plans have been announced for any kind of redevelopment.

Turn left down 6th Street and walk north (view interactive map here):

Large Section of 6th Street Owned by Gallaudet University

Large Section of 6th Street Owned by Gallaudet University

  • Right (east) side of the street (yellow on map): all of this land on 6th Street is owned by Gallaudet University, all the way up to Neal Place (across the road from the Edens’s Union Market building).  In the coming years it will be developed by Gallaudet working with JBG.  Past Neal Place, the land is part of Brentwood Park and will not be developed.

Turn left onto Morse Street and head west (view interactive map here):

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DC Harvest Debuts Late Night Happy Hour

19 Nov

DC Harvest (517 H Street, NE) is debuting a late night happy hour that will run from 11 pm to 1 am on Friday and Saturday nights.  All draft beers and wines by the glass will be $5 and specialty cocktails will be $6.  They will also have happy hour food specials including lamb sausage sliders for $3, an arugula and grilled radicchio salad for $4, and a local cheese plate for $4.

*This post is revised from an earlier version because there was a last minute menu change due to the availability of certain ingredients.

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Ocopa’s Peruvian Ceviches and Chicken Satisfy All Tastes

19 Nov
Classico (Mahi Mahi) Ceviche at Ocopa

Clasico (Mahi Mahi) Ceviche at Ocopa

When we first learned about Ocopa (1324 H Street, NE) several years ago, we heard that it would be a Peruvian rotisserie chicken place called Chicken Tortilla by the owners of a restaurant by the same name on Barracks Row.  Over time the plans changed and when Ocopa opened earlier this year, Chef Carlos Delgado debuted a Peruvian menu featuring a variety of ceviches, chicken dishes, and other Peruvian dishes.  Delgado’s diverse creations assure that everyone in your party will be able to find something that they like.

Open Kitchen at Ocopa

Open Kitchen at Ocopa

Our favorite is the Clasico Ceviche, featuring a fish of the day with a pool of leche de tigre (literally tiger’s milk but really a fruit juice marinade) and diced sweet potato.  If Mahi Mahi is the fresh fish of the day, consider yourself especially lucky.  The ceviche is prepared fresh in front of you if you are sitting at the bar and contains a citrus tangy taste that perfectly compliments the tender fish.  If you want to try a variety of seafood, check out the Mixto Ceviche that has calamari, crab, shrimp, and octopus.  Delgado also serves a variety of tiradito and Peruvian maki on his menu.

Continue reading →

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Union Market: The Middle Section (Updated)

13 Nov

Overview of Middle Section of Union Market

 

For the purposes of this post, the middle section is defined as the area and buildings starting on the northern side of Florida Avenue, NE at 4th Street, going over to 5th Street, and then running up in between both streets until Penn Street (including Morse Street and Neal Place).  You can view our interactive map here (note: this is not perfectly drawn to scale and does not perfectly reflect lot lines, etc).  The properties are colored by owner; the color purple indicates that the property is not owned by one of the large development companies.

***Update: after this post went live, the Washington Business Journal reported that Edens used a series of hidden LLCs to purchase much of the property on the western side of 5th Street in between Morse Street and Neal Place.  This would seem to indicate that Edens has plans to purchase all of this property for a future development.  The post has been updated below to reflect Edens’s ownership of these parcels.**

The middle section of Union Market is the area least likely to see significant change in the coming years, with three exceptions.  Unlike the areas to the east and west, most of the middle section does not have large parcels of land owned by major developers.  Instead, much of the middle section is owned by a variety of independent owners and the buildings are broken up into smaller shops.  This diverse ownership makes it difficult for anyone to consolidate ownership and make major changes quickly.

The first exception is the western side of 5th Street in between Morse Street and Neal Place where Edens has purchased several individual parcels over the past couple of months.  Edens has yet to purchase several of the properties in this block, but the company appears to be aggressively buying the properties in an attempt to consolidate ownership of the entire block for a potential future development.

The second exception is the land along Florida Avenue in between 4th and 5th streets because Edens owns all of the block except for one parcel.

The final exception is the Choi family which owns many pieces of land in the middle part of the Union Market area.  In the mid-2000s, Sang Oh Choi developed a plan with several members of the DC City Council where his company would consolidate ownership of Union Market and redevelop it.  The plan was very controversial as many of the landowners feared they would be pushed out, and it ultimately fell apart.  However, the Choi family continues to own land in the area and could be a major player in the years ahead (Sang Oh Choi worked with Edens on the Gateway Market project).

Instead of seeing change that is driven by large developers, the middle section is more likely to see slow change as independent owners begin to renovate and freshen up their buildings as the rest of the area redevelops.  It is also possible that the large developers could buy a bunch of the small properties (as Edens is actively doing), but this strategy would take time as there are so many owners.

Starting on Florida Avenue in between 4th and 5th streets (view interactive map here):

Florida Avenue Between 4th and 5th Streets

  • Corner of 4th Street (red on map): Edens owns from the corner of 4th Street up until 416 4th Street.  The plans for this land are unknown.
  • 416 Florida Avenue (purple on map): this land is currently occupied by Yum’s Carryout.  Edens has attempted to purchase this land from Yum’s in the past but has been unsuccessful.  However, this parcel represents the only land on the block that Edens does not own.
  • 418 Florida Avenue (red on map): Edens owns this parcel.  Plans unknown.

Turn left down 5th Street and then turn down Morse Street (view interactive map here):

Morse Street in Between 4th and 5th Streets

 

  • 416 Morse Street (red on map): this property is owned by 416 Morse Street NE LLC, which Washington Business Journal reports is an LLC that is likely owned by Edens.
  • The properties to the south are owned by a mix of independent owners and the Choi family.  The corner unit on 5th Street is independently owned, followed by 419 that is owned by the Choi family, followed by 417 that is owned by another independent owner, followed by 413-415 Morse Street that are owned by the Choi family, and then the rest of the block is owned by independent owners.

Walk down Morse Street and turn right on 4th Street, heading north (view interactive map here): Continue reading →

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Union Market: The Western Section

12 Nov

For the purposes of this post, the western section is defined as the area starting on the northern side of Florida Avenue, NE by 3rd Street, going over to 4th Street, and then running up the western side of 4th Street until Penn Street.  You can view our interactive map here (note: this is not perfectly drawn to scale and does not perfectly reflect lot lines, etc).  The properties are colored by owner; the color purple indicates that the property is not owned by one of the large development companies.

Union Market Western Section

Union Market Western Section

The western section of Union Market is the area most likely to see significant changes soon.  This area has several large warehouse buildings that are either owned by major developers or are for sale currently.  Plans have already been announced for three of these parcels, and one will break ground soon.

Before moving on to individual properties, it is important that we provide some background context on Edens, the company that operates the new Union Market building and that owns much of the land in the area.  Edens, a South Carolina company, specializes in large retail projects across the United States.  They usually focus on retail, but many of their projects include large portions of residential or office space.  Some of their nearby projects include Jenkins Row in Southeast and the Mosaic District in Fairfax.  Edens completely renovated the Union Market building and has a vision for how to revitalize the entire area that includes significant housing and food-oriented retail.  The company also has the money to buy properties and redevelop them quickly; the company got a $1.5 billion investment late last year and, according to The Washington Post, plans to expand the value of the properties in its portfolio from $4 billion to $7 billion.

Now for the specific properties, beginning in the southwest corner on Florida Avenue (view interactive map here):

320 and 350 Florida Avenue

320 and 350 Florida Avenue

  • 320 Florida Avenue (green on map): this land is currently occupied by a Burger King but was purchased by Level 2 (Level 2 is working on the residential aspect of Edens’s 1270 4th Street project).  The company plans around 200 apartments and retail for the space but has yet to file formal plans.
  • 350 Florida Avenue (red on map), Gateway Market: this lot starts on Florida Avenue and moves up 4th Street.  The land is currently empty.  The land was purchased by Edens after it had already gone through the zoning process under different ownership (the Choi Family, also major landowners in the area, previously owned it), and Edens recently modified the plans.  Now Gateway Market will feature 170-216 residential units, including 20% affordable housing, and will also have major retail space on the ground floor.  Edens initially had planned to break ground this year but has now stated that it will be early next year.

After Gateway Market, imagine turning left down Morse Street and walking to the end of the street (view interactive map here):

300 and 350 Morse Street

300 and 350 Morse Street

Continue reading →

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Union Market: Edens Has Major Culinary Retail Tenant for 1270 4th Street

11 Nov
1270 4th Street

Site of Future Edens Apartment/Retail Building at 1270 4th Street, NE

Union Market developer Edens has a major retail tenant for its future retail/residential project at 1270 4th Street, NE in the Union Market area (top red box on map).  Speaking at a meeting of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6C Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee last week, representatives for Edens gave a presentation on their plans for the 1270 4th Street parcel that is to the southwest of Edens’s existing Union Market building.  Edens is planning an apartment building with major retail on the first and second floors.  According to Edens, they already have a culinary retailer who will occupy the retail space and who will create a Union Market-style eatery space.  The retailer is apparently a significant name in the culinary world that people will recognize, and this project is the first of its kind for this person in the United States.  However, the identity of the retailer is not being released because the project is several years away from breaking ground.  When an ANC Commissioner joked that it was Eataly (there have been rumors that Eataly is coming to a different part of town for years), Edens joked that it was a good guess but not correct.  We reached out to Edens after the meeting for additional comment but did not hear back.

View our interactive Union Market map here.

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Union Market Series: A Preview of the Future

10 Nov

Almost everyone knows about the new Union Market–the massive indoor culinary market that opened two years ago and currently features over 40 different vendors and small restaurants.  The Market building previously housed the D.C. Farmers Market until a serious fire destroyed the building several years ago.  At that point, Edens, the owner, decided to completely remodel the building and reposition the concept to become the premiere culinary destination for foodies across the District.  Located between 5th and 6th streets and bounded by Neal Place in Northeast, the Market has been come a magnet for people around the area.  For the past two years, Edens has held a ton of different events ranging from beerfests to ice cream parties to musicfests to drive-in movies to put Union Market on the map for people across the District.

The Market itself and the surrounding area have a fascinating history dating to the 1800s (click here to see the progression through the years) and has been called Florida Avenue Market, Union Market Terminal, and Capital City Market.  The largely warehouse district previously was a hub for food distributors around the area, partially based upon its proximity to the railroad.  However, over time many of the buildings have lost their previous tenants and much of the area has become rundown.  At one point in the late 2000s, there was a plan to consolidate ownership of the Market area and push through a massive redevelopment project; however, this plan fell through.  Regardless, this deterioration of the area stands in very stark contrast to the new Union Market building that holds some of the most upscale food stores around town and that is packed with people and families every weekend.

While you know about the new Union Market building, what you probably don’t know about are the impressive plans for a revitalization of the area in the years ahead.  In this series, we will be taking a look at what is in store for the Union Market area in the future.  We will begin with several posts looking at the area in a series of geographical chunks: the west section, the middle section, the east section, and the upper section.  Finally, we will examine two existing spots in the Market that you are probably overlooking right now (A. Litteri Italian market and Angelika Pop-Up Theater).  Questions or comments?  As always, please feel free to use the comment section.

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Pursuit Wine Bar Debuts Pasta

10 Nov

Two weeks ago, Pursuit Wine Bar (1421 H Street, NE) debuted housemade pasta on its menu.  Initially, they offered fettucini with lamb and pork ragu and have since added both butternut squash and goat cheese ravioli and rabbit sugo pappardelle.  The owners tell us that the pasta dishes will be a permanent feature on the menu and that they plan on adding an additional pasta dish every week or two.

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Sixth and H Bar and Grill Aims to Be Sports Bar and Neighborhood Hangout

4 Nov
Future Home of Sixth and H Bar and Grill

Future Home of Sixth and H Bar and Grill

We had previously reported that Sixth and H Bar and Grill would be coming to the corner of 6th and H Streets (523 H Street, NE), but details were sparse.  Two of the owners of the restaurant presented at the ANC 6C Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee meeting Monday night to provide some more details.  Sixth and H Bar and Grill is owned by three members of the Defour family who also own the building.  According to Leslie Defour, the family has owned the building for awhile and has been considering what to do with it to make it a positive addition to the neighborhood.  They settled on opening a sports bar that would be a “nice and happy place” for neighbors to hangout.  They plan on serving a mix of light snacks and bar food that will include sliders, salads, and a variety of appetizers like spinach artichoke dip.  On the drink side, there will be a mix of different beers, wines, and mixed drinks.  The inside of the building has several TVs for sports, and they will also have a (planned) twenty two person patio.  The restaurant will also have free WiFi for people who want to do work there.  Sixth and H Bar and Grill will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, although they have not applied for a liquor license before noon, so it appears unlikely that they will serve alcohol for brunch service.

The Alcoholic Licensing Committee was appreciative that the owners came before the Committee and were amenable to working with the Committee to address any potential concerns.  The main concern was that the owners had applied for a liquor license that would enable them to operate the outdoor patio well past midnight.  The owners agreed to end outdoor service on the patio at 10 pm both during the week and on weekends.  Initially, there had been plans for a rooftop deck; however, the owners were unable to get building permits for that part of the renovation.

Continue reading →

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