Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Association Discusses Penzance Project

At a recent meeting of the Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Association, many residents of Clarendon1021 Condo expressed opposition over the location of the loading dock to the proposed Penzance building in Clarendon.

The current placement of the loading dock is planned to be located directly across from the main entrance of the condo on N. Garfield Street.  In addition, many condo units are located on the western, Garfield Street side of building and would be looking down onto the loading dock – and would likely hear the noise from the garbage trucks that come early in the morning. The entrance for the 4-level underground parking garage would be on 11th Street.  A lawyer representing Penzance said the developer is looking at alternatives, including possibly switching the loading dock and the garage entrance.

The proposed Penzance project is located on the block bordered by Washington Boulevard, N. Highland Street, N. Garfield Street and 11th Street N. The site is currently occupied by Potomac CrossFit, Eleventh Street Lounge, BB&T Bank, TA Sullivan & Sons and an auto repair garage.  The plans call for 300,000 square feet of office and retail space divided between two towers, 210,000 square feet in one tower and 90,000 square feet in the other. It will be 128 feet at the highest point, which equates to 10 stories. The smaller building calls for a green roof and there will be a plaza on the Washington Boulevard side.

In addition, the façade of the building on 11th Street and Highland, currently occupied by Eleventh St. Lounge and Potomac CrossFit, will be preserved. BB&T has an option to return to the new project and would most likely end up at the corner of 11th Street and N. Garfield Street.

A representative from the architectural firm of Noritake Associates, the designers of the project, was in attendance to provide more details of the project and to listen to the neighbors’ concerns. Artist renditions of the project can be found here - http://noritakeassociates.com/3001.html

Don’t expect to see demolition of any of the existing buildings anytime soon. There is still a long review process with the county before they get final approval. Realistically, groundbreaking would be scheduled in early 2013 and the development would not likely be finished before mid-2014.