New Hotels, Restaurants Bring Vibrant Change To NoMa And Union Market
1. The Morrow Hotel, a new lifestyle brand from Hilton, opened along NoMa’s up-and-coming Third Street corridor last week. The 203-unit property at 222 M St. NE is a joint venture between Trammell Crow Co. and MetLife Investment Management, which set out to offer great hospitality, culinary delights and a central hub for meetups in NoMa. The hotel also includes multiple food and beverage concepts from Michelin-starred chef Nicholas Stefanelli, designs by Shalom Baranes Associates and INC Architecture & Designs and nearly 12K SF of meeting space.
2. A hotel focused on attracting a younger, budget-conscious demographic opened in Union Market this summer. Selina, by Brook Rose Development and D.B. Lee Development, opened at 411 New York Ave. NE with unique amenities such as a residential DJ, a four-story courtyard mural, co-living spaces for workers and travelers and a wellness area to help visitors relax after a busy day in the city.
3. In October, LCOR launched leasing at Cielo, its 457-unit apartment project between NoMa and Union Market. At 300 M St. NE, Cielo features 10K SF of ground-floor retail, smart building technology entry, rooftop pool access, a yoga studio and a pet spa.
4. Following the success of his Yellow café in Navy Yard, Michelin starred-chef Michael Rafidi is bringing a 4K SF flagship experience to Union Market at 415-417 Morse St. NE. On top of the Yellow headquarters, La’ Shukran will feature a dining room, bar and DJs playing Middle Eastern music. Rafidi wants to also bring Levantine cuisine to add to the culture-themed libations and sounds. “A new menu will be written every day — it’ll be the best of what we can get our hands on,” Rafidi told Eater. Construction will be underway next year with a tentative summer opening.
5. The Securities and Exchange Commission has decided not to renew its lease at Station Place III on 700 Second St. NE in D.C. Instead, it is negotiating with landlord Property Group Partners to extend its lease at Station Place I and Station Place II in anticipation of its new, 1.23M SF headquarters to be commissioned in NoMa. While plans have been in the works for Douglas Development Corp. and Midtown Equities to complete the new facility at 60 New York Ave. NE by January 2026, not much movement has happened other than building permits filed.
6. A 10K SF lot in NoMa located at 1109 Congress St. NE was recently acquired for under $8M by an affiliate of D.C.-based multifamily residential development firm MED Developers. The property is planned for 62 residential units and 4K SF of retail space with a goal of turning it into an affordable housing space. Records show the new owner, which acquired the lot out of foreclosure, applied for a low-income housing tax credit from the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development to keep units affordable at 60% of the area median income.
7. The e-commerce boom of the pandemic has drastically increased package deliveries, making it difficult for building managers to cope with the volume. Property managers have started using third-party delivery apps like Fetch to handle this increased inventory, from Texas to the D.C. Metro area. However, some residents at Flats 130, a 648-unit apartment complex in NoMa, have opposed this service because of the difficulty of scheduling a time to receive the package. Some residents have complained because they had to drive to the Fetch warehouse in Alexandria, Virginia, to receive their packages or their packages arrived a week later after it is delivered to Fetch.
