A 400-room luxury hotel is rising steadily in Washington, D.C., under the direction of Armada/Hoffler Construction Company. With a completion date set for the spring of 2004, the project is valued at $144 million.
The hotel, owned by Mandarin Oriental International Limited in Hong Kong, is part of the Portals project in southwest D.C. Portals is a mixed-use development that includes upscale office, retail and restaurant components, and is being developed by Republic Properties Corporation.
Mandarin Oriental reported that its projected investment in the hotel is $19 million. Additional financing sources will include syndicated bank facilities and a $46-million tax-increment bond provided by the District of Columbia.
Partners in the project include Lano International Inc., a real-estate development company, and Armada/Hoffler Construction Company, one of the region’s largest general contractors, with extensive experience in hotel construction. The owner’s representative is Bowyer & Associates, Arlington, VA.
“We are delighted to be adding a new hotel to our North American portfolio, and Washington, D.C. fits perfectly with our strategy of developing our brand in major cities worldwide,” said Edouard Ettedgui, chief executive officer of Mandarin Oriental.
Daniel A. Hoffler, founder of Armada/Hoffler Construction Company, said, “This prestigious project will further enhance Washington’s reputation of providing visitors with an excellent experience. We are proud to be associated with the development of this luxurious hotel, and look forward to celebrating its opening in 2004.”
The hotel will feature panoramic views over the Washington Basin and the city’s civic center. The site is located in proximity to monuments and museums and will provide an ideal accommodation base for D.C.’s new convention center, which is scheduled to open in 2003.
The Mandarin Oriental will cover 415,000 sq. ft. (38,555 sq m) and include 51 suites, all offering the latest technology and in-room entertainment. Meeting space will include an 8,300-sq.-ft. (771.1 sq m) pillar-less ballroom, and other amenities will include a signature restaurant, an all-day dining restaurant, and a lobby lounge and cocktail bar. A 100,000-sq.-ft. (9,290.3 sq m) parking garage also will be included.
In addition, the hotel will feature Mandarin Oriental’s Spa Collection — a highly personalized, full-service spa and health club with an indoor pool and deck.
According to Stephanie Salazar, marketing coordinator of Armada/Hoffler, 250 employees are currently working on the project, which began in April 2001.
“It is a very tight site,” she said. “We are building from corner to corner on the property, so there is no lay-down area on the job site. Our project connects to an adjacent office building, which has an FAA office. This creates an additional coordination problem, since the FAA does not want delivery vehicles, e.g. concrete trucks, queuing next to their office.”
Salazar reported that major equipment for the job includes two Morrow tower cranes as part of the concrete work being done by subcontractor Oncore Construction, Bladensburg, MD.
The senior project manager of Armada/Hoffler is George Schwartz, and other project managers include Brad Hunter and Rick Jenkins.
The architect for the project is Brennan Beer Gorman Monk, D.C., and the landscape architect is LaPierre & Company, Alexandria, VA. Interior designers are Hirsch Bedner & Associates, Atlanta, GA.
Mandarin Oriental is the award-winning owner and operator of some of the world’s most prestigious hotels, including The Oriental, Bangkok and Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, and is a member of the Jardine Matheson Group. The group operates 18 luxury hotels in key business and leisure destinations, with two additional hotels under development, one in New York to open in 2003 and the other in Tokyo to open in 2006. In total, Mandarin Oriental operates approximately 7,000 rooms in 11 countries, with nine hotels in Asia, six in The Americas and three in Europe.
Major Subcontractors for the Mandarin Oriental Project :
• FMC Civil Construction LLC, Cheverly, MD, crushed stone;
• Shored Construction Inc., Rockville, MD, shoring;
• The Anderson Company LLC, Manassas, VA, earthwork;
• Architectural Products, Manassas, VA, precast;
• Spartan Masonry Co. Inc., Rockville, masonry;
• Capital Brick & Tile Inc., Upper Marlboro, MD, masonry;
• American Iron Works (AIW Inc), Hyattsville, MD,
miscellaneous metals;
• Madison CM Inc., Washington, D.C., rough carpentry;
• Mid Canada Millwork, Steinbach, MB, millwork/supplier;
• McChesney Associates, Fort Washington, MD,
waterproofing;
• Progressive Services Inc., Dover, PA, roofing;
• Walz & Krezner Inc., Oxford, CT, flood barriers;
• Emmitsburg Glass Company, Emmitsburg, MD,
curtain wall;
• United Aluminum Window, Hallam, PA, curtain wall;
• Poole and Kent Company, Baltimore, MD, mechanical;
and
• Mona Electrical Group Inc, Clinton, MD, mechanical.
Brenda Ruggiero
Brenda Ruggiero has written for CEG for over 20 years. She lives near the town of Accident in far western Maryland. Her favorite assignments so far involved interviews with Survivor’s Boston Rob and hot dog eating champion Joey Chestnut. Both were involved in construction at one time.
Brenda holds a BA in Mass Communication with a writing focus from Frostburg State University and minors in Public Relations and Political Science. She works full time as a staff writer for a weekly newspaper, the Garrett County Republican. She enjoys feature writing the most, which gives her the opportunity to talk to people and share their stories.
Brenda and her middle school sweetheart, Reuben, have been married for over 34 years and have three grown children and four cats.
Read more from Brenda Ruggiero here.
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