New Office Tower Near Capitol Blocked
By
Debbi Wilgoren
Senior members of Congress have quashed a D.C. zoning
board's decision to allow a 130-foot private office
tower across the street from the U.S. Capitol complex,
blocking construction after unsuccessful attempts to
convince zoning officials that the building would pose a
security risk.
The
deal forged in a House-Senate conference Tuesday voids a
zoning variance allowing JBG Cos. to build 20 feet
higher than the 110 feet automatically permitted on the
unit block of Louisiana Avenue NW. It prohibits the city
from granting a new variance unless congressional law
enforcement officials and the House and Senate
leadership agree that doing so does not create a
security threat.
"We
did not want to get involved in trying to overturn D.C.
zoning decisions, but we had no choice," said Senate
Sergeant-at-Arms William H. Pickle Jr., whose concerns
about the project led Senate leaders to propose the
language approved by senior House and Senate
Appropriations Committee members. "We want to be good
neighbors, but we're in a time of war."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072702161.html
Cropp Likes What She's Hearing
By
Lori Montgomery
Linda W. Cropp says she's going to wait until September
to declare her intentions for 2006. But the two-term
council chairman who not so long ago was daydreaming
about retirement is sounding more and more like a
candidate for mayor.
Cropp (D) denied rumors that she's planning a formal
announcement for Labor Day. But in an interview in her
office in the John A. Wilson Building this week, Cropp
said she is leaning toward a run for the city's top job.
"I
really have been talking to people all over the city,
letting them know I'm thinking about running for mayor,
and asking them, if I did, would they support me. And I
have been very encouraged," she said. "Just today I went
to an event in Ward 8, and they were saying, 'You gotta
get out there. You know the city. You've paid your dues.
You've done an excellent job as chairman. And you could
continue to move this city forward.' "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072700930.html
Activist Starts A Long Walk Toward D.C. Mayor's Office
By
Lori Montgomery
Marie C. Johns, a former telecommunications executive
and longtime civic activist, launched a campaign for
D.C. mayor yesterday, becoming the third candidate to
officially enter the race to replace Anthony A.
Williams.
A
relative unknown who has never held elective office,
Johns (D) declared her candidacy before a gaggle of
reporters outside the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance,
where she filed an official statement of candidacy.
Then, under a broiling sun, she knocked on doors in one
of the largest precincts in Northeast Washington, the
start of a year-long "walking tour" to introduce herself
to city voters.
Johns made no speech, and she declined to answer many
questions, saying she has yet to work out "really solid
policy positions." For now, she said, voters should
evaluate her on the basis of "where I've been," saying
that her activism and tenure as president of Verizon
Washington have prepared her for the mayor's office.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/22/AR2005072201652.html
Team
Plans $200M Mixed-Use Project for Former Wax Museum Site (To
read more on the multifamily market,
click here.)
WASHINGTON, DC-The former home of Washington, DC's Wax
Museum is all set to begin a new life. A team steered by
Lowe Enterprises will orchestrate the site's rebirth
with the creation of CityVista, a mixed-use development
of 678 residential units and approximately 117,000 sf of
retail space.
The
development team, selected by property-owner the
National Capital Revitalization Corp, includes Bundy
Development Corp, the Neighborhood Development Co. and
CIM Group. The project will cost $200 million to
realize.
CityVista
will sit at 5th and K streets in the Mount Vernon
Triangle area, about one-third of a mile from the new
Washington Convention Center. The residential segment of
the development will feature 243 apartments and 435
condominiums contained in three structures, with 20% of
all the units reserved as affordable housing. The retail
portion will offer a 55,000-sf Safeway grocery store
containing a Starbucks, Bergmann's Dry Cleaning and
SunTrust Bank; and there will be an additional 62,000 sf
of retail.
http://www.globest.com/news/332_332/washington/136488-1.html
Building Freeze Plan Assailed
Montgomery Resolution Doesn't Specify an Ending Date
Washington Post Staff Writers
The
Montgomery County Council's attempt Tuesday to address
problems in its planning system has generated more
confusion and mistrust, several key players in the
debate said yesterday.
Developers are frustrated with the county because it is
unclear how long County Executive Douglas M. Duncan's
freeze on the issuance of building permits will last.
Council members, facing reelection campaigns in 2006,
are skeptical that the agencies that oversee planning
are up to the job. Community groups said their concerns
about how the county will grow were lost in a marathon
of political posturing by elected officials.
On
Tuesday, the council, in an attempt to address
widespread violations of height and setback rules in
Clarksburg Town Center, rejected proposals that could
have extended the freeze of permits imposed last week by
Duncan (D).
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072702576.html
Montgomery Council Backs End to Building Freeze
By Tim Craig and Miranda S. Spivack
Washington Post Staff Writers
The
Montgomery County Council cleared the way yesterday to
lift a freeze on issuance of building permits, imposed
last week when questions arose about the county's
oversight of the planning system.
The
council rejected stringent short-term controls on
development, but only after a heated debate that
reflected political tensions over the recent discovery
of building code violations at Clarksburg Town Center
and the 2006 elections.
In
the end, it unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution
endorsing what county officials had already agreed to
do: add staff and more clearly define the
responsibilities of the two agencies that oversee
development, the Planning Board and the Department of
Permitting Services. The agencies have promised to
provide regular reports to the council about their
efforts.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072700002.html
County Planners Propose Changes
Montgomery Council May Tighten Controls
By Tim Craig and Miranda S. Spivack
Washington Post Staff Writers
The
two Montgomery County agencies that supervise
development say they have worked out a way to prevent
lapses in oversight and allow the county to quickly lift
a freeze and resume issuing building permits.
But
some County Council members say they are hoping to use a
session today to impose tighter controls on the system
that allowed widespread building violations in
Clarksburg to go undetected. The proposals could slow
the pace of residential and commercial development once
the freeze is lifted.
Council member Steven A. Silverman (D-At Large) wants to
strip planners of their authority to make changes, no
matter how small, once the Planning Board approves a
proposal. Silverman would instead have the board vote on
all changes until early next year, when a permanent
solution could be considered.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/AR2005072501567.html
If this is a Social Security omen, woe betide retirees
The
Montgomery County Council wants Ben Stein's money
-- $7,332.76, to be exact.
Council Vice President George Leventhal sent a
reminder to two groups advocating Social Security
privatization to pay for the rental of the
The
bill remains unpaid by the National Retirement Planning
Coalition and the National Association for Variable
Annuities, which share the same address in
http://www.gazette.net/200530/weekend/a_section/287266-1.html
NAR
Hails House Approval of Small Business Health Plan Bill
http://www.realtor.org/PublicAffairsWeb.nsf/Pages/HouseApprovesSBHPBill?OpenDocument
Economic Reports Continue To Show Quickening Growth
By
Nell Henderson
U.S. factories booked orders more briskly and new-home
sales rose to a record high last month, the government
reported yesterday, adding to other recent signs that
the economy is gaining momentum.
New
orders for big-ticket manufactured goods rose 1.4
percent in June, the Commerce Department said yesterday.
It also increased its previous estimate of May orders
for such durable goods -- items expected to last at
least three years, such as computers, machinery and
appliances -- to a 6.4 percent increase, reflecting in
part some big aircraft orders.
Sales of new single-family homes increased 4 percent
last month to an annual pace of 1.37 million, the
department said in a separate report.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072700588.html
D.C. Area Housing Market Cools Off
By
Kirstin Downey and Sandra Fleishman
Washington area temperatures may be sizzling, but the
once-torrid real estate market seems to be cooling off
as houses stay on the market longer and the number of
homes for sale rises.
Home sales tend to slow in the summer, but the number of
houses for sale in the Washington area has climbed by 50
percent in recent months. The available inventory has
risen to about 35,300 homes, up from an average of about
23,000 in the past three years, according to
Metropolitan Regional Information Systems Inc., which
runs the local multiple-listing service.
The
average number of days a house stays on the market has
crept up by two days in Fairfax County, to 16 days in
June from 14 days a year earlier. In Montgomery County
it has risen to 20 days from 18 days, according to MRIS.
Those are, however, still short turnaround times by
historic standards.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/24/AR2005072401133.html
With or Without A Housing Fund?
By
Annys Shin
Eight years ago, Margaret Dabreau was a single parent
earning $20,000 a year as a day-care worker. She signed
up for a home buyer's class with the nonprofit ACORN
Housing Corp., received down payment assistance to buy
an $84,000 rowhouse in the District, and credits the
organization for the fact that she is earning equity in
the area's housing boom.
Owning a home "makes you feel like you're worth
something," said Dabreau, who appreciated the assistance
so much she vouched for ACORN Housing in a 1999 briefing
for congressional staff.
Dabreau's stake in the home market may be a success when
viewed as an economic issue, but it also helps explain
the political struggle underway over a low-income
housing fund proposed as part of the effort to overhaul
regulation of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/26/AR2005072602033.html
A Boost for Buying
By
Mark Chediak
Jose Lopez, an immigrant from El Salvador who holds down
two low-wage restaurant jobs, started house-hunting last
September. After building up a decent credit rating and
being approved for up to $140,000 in mortgage loans, he
thought he would have a good shot at buying a house in
Prince George's County.
"When I finally found something, somebody offered
$10,000 more," Lopez said. Frustrated by being outbid,
Lopez gave up.
Now
Lopez, who works as a busboy and food-runner at the
Capital Grille steakhouse downtown, says he is ready to
renew his search. Last Saturday, he attended a
homeownership event at the restaurant, where he and his
co-workers heard from real estate professionals, lenders
and government officials about how to get help buying a
home. That convinced him that there are ways he can
qualify for a bigger loan and a better shot at a house.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/22/AR2005072200921.html
In Schaefer, Ehrlich Has Ally Across The Aisle
By
John Wagner
The
two Democrats who would be governor had just finished
making the rounds in a large banquet room when Maryland
Comptroller William Donald Schaefer took the stage.
Minutes into his rambling talk, Schaefer (D) committed
what would have been considered a major faux pas coming
from most any other politician: He showered praise on a
Republican his party is trying to unseat next year --
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.
"He's done a marvelous job," Schaefer told the crowd of
about 500 municipal officials. "He's done a marvelous
job."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/24/AR2005072401151.html
Ivey Disavows Reports He Will Run With O'Malley
For
the record, State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said he has
not agreed to run for lieutenant governor next year on a
ticket headed by Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley (D).
The
Prince George's County prosecutor also said last night
that he has not decided whether his 2006 campaign will
be for statewide office or for reelection.
"Martin hasn't offered the lieutenant governorship, and
I haven't made a decision about what I want to do," Ivey
(D) said last night, speaking from a fundraiser he was
hosting in Baltimore.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/21/AR2005072102210.html
Young Lions Roar
By Tiesha Higgins
Justin D. Ross remembers watching the election returns
on television in November 1980: Victory for Ronald
Reagan.
"I remember feeling very sad," said the Democrat, who
was only 4 years old at the time.
It's the earliest political memory for the Prince
George's County delegate and potential state Senate
candidate. His family "talked about public service
around the dinner table," he said; when he was dating
his future wife, Nancy, at the University of Maryland,
College Park, party affiliation was one of the first
things he wanted to know about her.
http://www.gazette.net/200530/weekend/a_section/287274-1.html
Va. Realtors Committee Backs Kilgore for Governor
RICHMOND, July 27 -- The political action committee
representing Virginia's 35,000 Realtors endorsed
Republican Jerry W. Kilgore for governor Wednesday,
reversing its position from four years ago when it
supported Mark R. Warner for the state's top job.
The
group's chairman said its members believe that Kilgore
will promote a better environment for their industry and
the state's homeowners than Democratic candidate Lt.
Gov. Timothy M. Kaine or Sen. H. Russell Potts Jr.
(R-Winchester), who is running as an independent.
"It
was just more of a feeling that the group had that
Kilgore was probably closer to how they perceived
candidates should be toward our profession," said
Schaefer Oglesby, a Realtor in
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072702249.html
By
Elissa Silverman
Trimark Corp. is bringing the condo conversion craze to
the town of
The
Falls Church-based real estate firm plans to make the
six-story White Oak Tower on
In
recent years condominiums have "become the hot
commodity," said Trimark principal C. Russell Rowzie.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072701001.html
Both Sides Satisfied With Exchange of Land
By
Jerry Markon
A
developer owned property that
They traded.
The
land swap, an unusual arrangement announced earlier this
month, will give
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072700770.html
In the
By
Lisa Rein
From their tiny balconies, the residents of
"It's a lot more peaceful than many places," said Tiwi
Martinez, 27, an auditor who moved to
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072702205.html
Land
Zestron's
headquarters building, which will cost an estimated $5
million to complete, will feature office space as well
as laboratory facilities for activities such as the
cleaning of circuit boards. It will have the potential
for expansion by an additional 30,000 sf.
Zestron
currently operates out of a leased space at the nearly
700-acre
http://www.globest.com/news/335_335/washington/136674-1.html
Security
Specific
terms of Triple Canopy's lease agreement with property
owner
Situated
in the
http://www.globest.com/news/332_332/washington/136513-1.html
Investment Firm Preleases 24,600 SF at
1800 Tysons
MCLEAN,
VA-A new name will be added to the tenant roster at 1800
Tysons Blvd.--the newest development in the
five-million-sf mixed-use Corporate Office Centre at
Tysons II--now that Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin has
pre-eased a 24,600-sf space at the 320,000-sf office
structure. The building is scheduled to reach completion
this fall.
The
investment banking concern will relocate from its
current home of six years at
Houlihan
Lokey's planned move has generated another lease
commitment within the office park; Deloitte & Touche has
signed on to occupy the space Houlihan Lokey will vacate
at 1750 Tysons, thereby maintaining the building's 100%
occupancy level. Financial specifics of the long-term
lease have not been released; however, space at the
six-year-old 1750 Tysons is marketed for about $28.50
per-sf, according to commercial real estate data source
Black's Guide. According to Cushman & Wakefield's
Mid-Year 2005 Office Market Report, the average direct
asking rate for class A properties in the Tysons Corner
submarket is $30.07 per-sf.
http://www.globest.com/news/334_334/washington/136615-1.html
Decision by Members of Congress Rebuffs Zoning Board,
Angers D.C. Officials
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2005; Page B03
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2005; Page DZ02
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 23, 2005; Page B01
By
Barbra Murray
July 21, 2005 By Tim Craig
and Miranda S. Spivack
Thursday, July 28, 2005; Page B04
Wednesday, July 27, 2005; Page B06
Tuesday, July 26, 2005; Page B01
WASHINGTON (July 27, 2005) -- The National Association of
Realtors® hails the U.S. House of Representatives for
passing the Small Business Health Fairness Act, H.R.
525, late yesterday.
The legislation, which is one of NAR's top priorities,
will allow small businesses and self-employed workers to
band together through a trade or professional
association to negotiate lower health insurance costs
for participants. Small business health plans would
operate under the same rules as federally regulated
large corporate and union plans that provide group
health insurance to all participants regardless of where
they live.
The bill was introduced earlier this year by Reps. John
Boehner (R-Ohio), Sam Johnson (R-Texas), Nydia Velazquez
(D-N.Y.) and Albert Wynn (D-Md.) and by Sens. Olympia
Snowe (R-Maine), Jim Talent (R-Mo.), Kit Bond (R-Mo.)
and Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.). President Bush pledged his
strong support for the legislation in his speech at the
Realtors Midyear Legislative Meeting & Trade Expo in
May, generating a standing ovation from thousands of
Realtors®. Realtors® sent more than 140,000 letters to
members of Congress this spring and summer urging them
to pass the bill.
"More than a quarter of our members are small business
people or independent contractors who cannot find
quality, affordable health care for their employees and
families," said NAR President Al Mansell of Salt Lake
City "The Small Business Health Fairness Act would allow
trade associations like NAR to offer a uniform health
care plan and use our collective bargaining power to
lower the cost of health insurance for Realtors®
everywhere. We applaud the House of Representatives for
passing the bill and look forward to working with the
Senate."
U.S. Factory Orders, New-Home Sales Up in June
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 28, 2005; Page D03
Inventory Up 50%; Region Still Strong
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, July 25, 2005; Page A01
Some Lawmakers Want Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac to Give To
Low-Income Ownership; Others Worry About Lobbying
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 27, 2005; Page D01
For Latinos, Assistance Programs Can Make Ownership a
Reality
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 23, 2005; Page F01
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 25, 2005; Page B01 By Ruben Castaneda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 22, 2005; Page B06
Staff Writer
July 29, 2005By Michael D. Shear
Thursday,
Thursday,
North Tract Trade With D.C. Developer is 'Win-Win'
Compromise, Chairman of County Board Says
Thursday,
Tysons Residents Say They Like Living Amid Offices,
Stores and Cars
Thursday,
