Douglas Jemal’s plans for Seneca One have shifted again. A four-story building proposed for the complex’s eastern plaza has been scrapped due to complications of needing to obtain City approvals to construct an elevator shaft within the City-owned parking garage underneath the building. Jemal is now proposing a one-story building and retail kiosks for the plaza. Washington, DC-based Antunovich Associates is designing the project. The Planning Board will review the plans on Monday.
Details on the proposed changes are outlined in the Application to the Board:
- Proposed Four-Story Building to Become One Story. The Phase 2 Site Plan proposed a four-story, mixed-use building to be built adjacent to the east side of the Tower. That four-story building will now be an approximately 8,000 square foot one-story building devoted exclusively to retail. There will also be a covered walkway between this one-story building and the Tower to protect visitors from the elements.
- Construction of Seven Retail Kiosks. Seven small retail kiosks now will be constructed on the east side of the plaza. Each of these kiosks will measure approximately 434 square feet.
- Slight Reduction in Size of One-Story Building. The size of the one-story retail building proposed in the Phase 2 Site Plan and located in the northeast corner of the Plaza will be reduced from approximately 4,000 square feet to approximately 3,500 square feet.
- Apartments to Third and Fourth Floor of South Annex Building. The Phase 2 Site Plan placed a food court and kitchen on the third and fourth floors of the south Annex Building. The third and fourth floors of the south Annex Building will now be residential apartments. As the apartments planned for the upper floors of the former four-story building are to be eliminated in the Amended Plans, this addition of apartments to the third and fourth floor of the south annex building will not result in an increase in the total number of apartments at the Site. In fact, the Amended Plans contain 137 apartments at the Site, down from 142 apartments in the original Phase 2 Site Plan.
- Exterior Changes. The materials and design of the exterior of the two one-story buildings (formerly a four-story and one-story building) continue to be high quality, but have been altered to provide for a more transparent, modern look.