Contact Laura Watchman, 202-293-2324 or wsga@sgalliance.org, for additional information.

WASHINGTON (May 14th, 2007) – ) A jury formed by the Washington Smart Growth Alliance has recognized two new development proposals in the Washington region. Details about them are below. The SGA is a coalition of six regional organizations: the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Coalition for Smarter Growth, Enterprise Community Partners, Greater Washington Board of Trade, Metropolitan Washington Builders’ Council, and ULI Washington. These organizations, some of whom hold opposing views on growth issues, formed the SGA five years ago to encourage policies and projects that promote smart growth.

The Washington region is projected to get 2 million more people and 1.6 million new jobs by 2030. The challenge for policy makers and developers is to find ways to accommodate this growth in a way that adds value to our neighborhoods and protects the environment.

1812 North Moore Street – Rosslyn, VA - Monday Properties

Immediately adjacent to the Rosslyn Metro, 1812 North Moore Street will seek to make major contributions to the quality and vitality of the Central Place redevelopment district in Rosslyn, Virginia. The building will include a first-class ground level restaurant, internalized parking, and 593,000 square feet of office space. The scope of development extends to the north with the adaptive reuse of an operating Dominion Power substation. To the south, the design team is working with the WMATA to make significant improvements to the Metro station. The 1812 team proposes to transform Moore Street into a destination street that can facilitate the coexistence of pedestrians, buses, and cars creating a new attractive urban space. Working with architects from Davis, Carter Scott Ltd., they will seek LEED gold certification for green building design, incorporate on-site renewable energy generation, and promote these concepts through a Knowledge Center for Sustainability.

Washington Gateway – Washington, D.C. - MRP Realty

The Washington Gateway will bring revitalization and a human scale to this NoMa neighborhood by replacing an abandoned lot and an out-of-business gas station on the southeast corner of New York and Florida Avenues NE, and by creating a new interconnected environment of urban amenities. The project will involve construction of two office buildings and a T-shaped structure with residential units and a hotel, all with retail on the ground floor and a public plaza. For bicyclists on the Metropolitan Branch Trail, it will feature an atrium with benches, bicycle racks, a pump station and information about the trail and historic DC neighborhoods. Pedestrians going to and from the New York Avenue Metro station nearby will be pleased with the improved streetscape, the direct link between Florida and New York Avenues through the plaza, and walking to the metro stop without crossing Florida Avenue.