Review of Redevelopment of 1901 N. Moore Street (current RCA Building)

Meeting Led By: Andrew Painter, Greg Van Wie, S. Baranes
Meeting Date: August 27, 2020

The site is bordered by N. Lynn Street, Lee Highway, N. Moore Street, and 19th Street

Proposal Summary:
• Address: 1901 N Moore St (RCP #16-019-005)
• GLUP Designation: High Office-Apartment-Hotel
• Existing Zoning: C-O Mixed-Use District
• Proposed Use:
o Residential tower with ground floor retail
o 26 stories (plus 23’ high mechanical penthouse)
o 423 units (464,250 sf)
o 11,355 sf of retail
• Height: 260 feet to main roof, 283 ft to mechanical penthouse
• Parking
o Residential: 265 spaces / 423 units (0.625 spaces per unit)
o Retail: 11,355 sf retail / 13 spaces (1 space per 500 sf after subtraction of first 5,000 sf)
o Location: 2.5 levels below-grade, 2 levels above-grade (below grade access is limited by bedrock and the location directly above the Metro)

The existing pedestrian bridge will be removed.

Building follows the Rosslyn Sector Plan Criteria in terms of: maximum height, tower orientation, sensitive edge to Gateway Park, build-to-line, parking access/ratio/grade, 15’-19’ sidewalk width on all sides, ground floor design elements, priority view corridors, and sustainability

Current images of the site:



Design Goal: Adopt/Respond to the Rosslyn Sector Plan Goals
1. Well defined streetscape and public realm
2. Superior retail infrastructure
3. Coordinated service plan
4. Unique riverfront design & enhancement to Gateway Park Frontage

Proposed Site Plan Updates (new plan in yellow):



Impact on the view of Washington, DC (red is the proposed building):


Evolution of building structure (evolved left to right):


Images of the proposed building:



Proposed view from N. Lynn Street:

A highlight of the design is a huge “sky window” that separates the two halves of the project. Each tower will have a different look. The sky window should be visible to pedestrians and will feature plantings of large trees, such as birches and willows. This visual break was called for in the Rosslyn Sector Plan, and is intended to avoid a monolithic look for the block.


Ground floor plan and image of 4 sidewalks around the building:


Note: some sidewalks will have benches, some will not
Ground Floor Plan:



Note: “L” is the entrance for the loading dock



Proposed Balconies (different between each building):


Rooftop Green Space:


Note: one will have a rooftop terrace, one a pool. The rooftop areas are for the use of residents only, not for the general public.



Rooftop pool proposal (with other residential spaces, including a mechanical penthouse):



Where they are in the application process:
• They filed their application at end of May
• They received the first round of comments last week and are in the process of responding to them
• There will be a few more reviews like this before they are accepted into SPRC

Largest concern: the plan for truck movement (packages, moving trucks) in and out of the building. It was pointed out by stakeholders that this is a busy street used by several buses.
• Trucks will back into the loading dock and pull out forwards

Concerns were also raised about parking availability for building visitors and shoppers. Also, a question was raised about whether pets will be allowed (they will) and where they will relieve themselves. The developer said they would look into these issues.

Projected Timeline:
• Certain vendors in the building have leases through early 2022
• The earliest they expect to get access to the building and purchase it is the end of the second quarter of 2022
• There will then be extensive utility relocations (3-4 months), then demolition (3-4 months in the summer of 2022)
• There will then be 2-3 years of construction before the first apartments are made available
• It will take an additional 6-9 months to complete the building (just under 3 years of construction)