Shaw's City Market at O Wins ULI Global Award for Excellence

Only 10 real estate developments were selected as winners of this year's Global Awards for Excellence from Urban Land Institute (ULI), and one notable apartment development in Washington, D.C. was able to make the list. Along with winners hailing from Asia and Europe, City Market at O won the prestigious award for its impact on the Shaw community, which has included increasing property values by more than 500 percent. This global award recognizes projects that provide cross-regional lessons in land use practices with criteria like innovation, public/private partnerships, and response to societal needs. On the reason why City Market at O received the award, ULI Director of Awards Daniel Lobo said, "City Market at O is an excellent example of how the confluence of design, community, and purpose can create an environment that is relevant for today and future generations." According to Urban Land Institute, these are the features that caused the Shaw development to deserve the recognition:

City Market at O (CMO) is a nearly 1 million-square-foot (93,000 sq m) mixed-use redevelopment project in D.C.'s historic Shaw neighborhood. CMO has catalyzed nearly $1 billion of new investment in Shaw and helped stabilize the area. Property values there have increased by more than 500 percent and the diversity index has tripled. It has become the retail center of Shaw, creating an important linkage between downtown and neighborhoods to the north. A historic 19th-century market, repurposed into a state-of-the-art Giant Food Store, serves as the project's cornerstone. The market stands among a mix of residential and retail spaces and a hotel. Extraordinary creativity on the part of the design, construction, and financing teams accelerated the delivery of housing for seniors (three years), achieved 15 percent more affordability, and consolidated all loading underground to create an uninterrupted retail experience with minimal impact on traffic and noise.

Another highlight to City Market at O is that it is packed with amenities like an espresso lounge, full-time concierge, and rooftop dog park with a washing and grooming station. You can also find a fitness center and spa, HD theatre, and electric car charging stations.

Other features that make City Market at O a go-to residential destination are its solar window shades, recessed lighting, electronic keyless entry, and full size washer and dryers. Each of the apartments also include luxurious features like sleek, white lacquer upper cabinets, distressed wood lower cabinets, and granite countertops in the kitchens along with high-end stainless steel appliances.

With Roadside Development as the developer of the project, the designers that helped City Market at O attain its oh-so-cool atmosphere include Shalom Baranes Associates, Cecconi Simone, Perkins Eastman, JCA Architects, Clark Construction, and Crisack Construction.

· City Market at O [Official Website]
· Ten Developments Honored with ULI Global Awards for Excellence [UrbanLand]