This NoMa Block Is Brimming With Construction Activity

Outside of The Wharf, NoMa likely has the most ongoing construction within a three- or four-block radius in the entire region at this moment.

This is the view from M Street NE between North Capitol and First streets NE. That's AvalonBay's Ava NoMa in the foreground, which expects to deliver next year, and Camden Property Trust's Camden NoMa Phase 2 in the background, which just topped off weeks ahead of schedule, according to Donohoe Construction. Both projects are second phases of apartments that have been open for two years or more—a lifetime in NoMa years.

According to the NoMa BID, right now there's 2.3M SF in development under construction, and 2.1M SF more planned to break ground this year. By the end of 2018, the neighborhood is going to be 65% built out (it's at 59% now).

Turn around, and just to the north, Wood Partners is in the process of tearing down 33 N St NE, a two-story office building, to replace it with a 346-unit building that will have everything from micro-units to two-level suites (above).

Almost done: the John and Jill Ker Conway Residences, a dramatically designed, 124-unit homeless veteran housing project between L and K streets NE along North Capitol Street, developed by Community Solutions and McCormack Baron Salazar, and designed by Sorg Architects. That's four projects under construction on essentially the same plane, within four blocks.

This week, one block to the east of the Ava NoMa construction site, we started to see construction workers populate the site of Four Constitution Square, the building that will house half of the biggest office deal in 2015, the Department of Justice lease with StonebridgeCarras for the site and Three Constitution Square, the office building behind it. Three Constitution will host our Future of Northeast DC event next month.

One block farther, and Douglas Development is under construction on Uline Arena, for REI, co-working office Spaces and other, yet-to-be-determined office/retail occupiers. Norman Jemal tells Bisnow he expects it to open this fall. 

So, while the long-term future still portends big things from JBG, Foulger-Pratt and others—not to mention the tidal wave of development coming at Union Market and Gallaudet University, the near-term future of NoMa is happening everywhere you look in the northern part of the neighborhood.