In the News...Stockholm comes to NoMa as Skanska starts work on first area apartment building

By: Michael Neibauer

A Stockholm-based developer is bringing a touch of Scandinavia to NoMa.

Skanska USA Commercial Development has just started work on its first residential building in Greater Washington, what it calls Resa — the Swedish word for “journey.” The 12-story, 326-unit luxury building, with 10,000 square feet of amenity space and 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, will be located at 22 M St. NE.

Resa is a long way from Fur nightclub, the former tenant of the now demolished building at 22 M.

“It’s not something you can very firmly define in terms of the architecture, but it’s certainly a feeling you’ll get when you enter the project,” Rob Ward, Skanska USA Commercial’s executive vice president in D.C., said of the Scandinavian influence.
  
Ward described the design, from architectural firm Design Collective, as modern and very clean, “which is consistent with more Scandinavian and European products.” The European influence extends, too, to the color palettes and materials used in the $112 million, LEED Gold building.

It is the first of three buildings that will ultimately comprise Skanska’s 585,000-square-foot Tyber Place complex, which also includes office buildings 44 and 88 M streets NE. Neither of those are ready to be built, yet, though Ward said Skanska is “seeing some better activity on the office front” in NoMa.

Resa is only the fourth multifamily building constructed by Skanska in the United States. NoMa, Ward said, “is really one of the most vibrant, growing areas of the city.” Scheduled to deliver in late 2018, Resa will be less than two blocks to Metro, a half a block to Harris Teeter, across the street from The JBG Cos.’ Capitol Point development (with 1,200-seat Landmark Theatre) and a short walk to the new flagship REI store.

“REI will be a game changer,” Ward said. “That’s going to be an amazing draw, a block from our site. We think that’s going to have a big impact on the market itself, and with the social connection as well.”

Resa is aimed at “young, reasonably well-paid professionals,” Ward said. It will offer free Wi-Fi in common areas, a 187-space underground garage with charging stations, indoor bike storage, 24-hour concierge service, 24-hour computer and printer access, a resident lounge and hospitality bar, a pet spa, a second-floor outdoor courtyard with gas grills and lounge furniture, an open-air rooftop penthouse and a rooftop plunge pool.

The building will be oriented so that the main entrance is located on the NoMa Meander, a planned four-block promenade running north-south from Piece Street NE to New York Avenue. Skanska is one of several developers to contribute some land to the Meander, and Ward expects Tyber Place to be its first leg.

This may be Skanska's first local foray into multifamily, but it's very busy on the office front, with two buildings scheduled to deliver in early 2018.

At 2112 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Foggy Bottom, work is well underway on a 250,000-square-foot, 11-story office building. In January, three months after work started, international law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP signed a lease for just shy of 114,600 square feet.

And at 99 M St. SE in Capitol Riverfront, Skanska's dug a hole and is pouring the first slabs on a 220,000-square-foot office building. A couple of notable retail tenants, including Circa, have signed up, but there are no office tenants yet. Ward said Skanska is trading proposals with, and performing test fits for, potential office tenants.

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2016/10/06/stockholm-comes-to-noma-as-skanska-starts-work-on.html?ana=twt