A 4,000 square foot living roof is nearing completion atop The Colonel, a new apartment community in the rapidly transforming Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC. Riverbend Nursery and MSM Roofing are putting finishing touches on the green roof that will be visible to the general public, as well as apartment residents and restaurant patrons.

The Colonel, now more than 50 percent leased and 30 percent occupied, is located at the corner of 9th and N Streets, NW and was developed by a joint venture of CAS Riegler, CityInterests, and Douglas Development Corp. with leasing and management by Oculus Realty.

 “We are proud to be supplying this rooftop garden for The Colonel,” said Riverbend CEO Jim Snyder. “Last fall, we custom-planted modules containing a blend of drought-tolerant succulents, including sedum varieties like Red Ice, Dragon’s Blood, Cherry Blast and Coral Carpet. Now when we install the LiveRoof system, the plants will be fully mature for an instant garden with minimal maintenance.”

The District of Columbia has policies that encourage installation of vegetative roofs due to their ability to retain stormwater and restore nature to the built environment. As an alternative to reducing their buildings’ footprints, owners and developers can attain credit toward on-site stormwater management and green space requirements by planting their rooftops.

Named after Civil War colonel Robert Gould Shaw, The Colonel offers 70 luxury apartment homes ranging in size from studios to two-story penthouses, along with extensive amenities including a roof deck with expansive lounge area, fire pit, and kitchen. The Colonel’s street-level retail space has been leased to three exciting restaurants, scheduled to open in late 2015: Espita Mezcaleria, All Purpose, and Buttercream Bakeshop.

Photographers/Videographers Welcome

Please contact: Kelly Ferguson, 617.418.8995, kelly.ferguson[at]riverbendnursery.com or Paul Seal, 540.849.9142, paul.seal[at]riverbendnursery.com.

LiveRoof Global, LLC is the horticultural science company that developed the LiveRoof® Hybrid System, whose natural function and natural beauty offer the highest level of green roof performance at the lowest level acquisition-installation-maturation-maintenance costs. Combining the best elements of proven green roof technologies, LiveRoof establishes a seamless vegetative surface rooted in a continuous layer of soil. This design maximizes environmental benefits, energy savings and rooftop aesthetics. Regional growers in its global network adapt LiveRoof plants for local conditions and customize plant selection for every project. The proof is on the roof showcased in LiveRoof projects that stand out as signature elements on commercial, public, university and school buildings throughout the globe.

Riverbend Nursery is a progressive container grower of quality perennials, herbs, groundcovers, and ornamental grasses, situated on over 100 acres in Riner, Va. in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains,. Riverbend grows more than three million containers annually with over 1,600 varieties, produced in both heated and unheated greenhouses. As a LiveRoof licensed regional grower, Riverbend is committed to providing unsurpassed service to green roof customers in the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Virginia and parts of both Maryland and West Virginia. Since 2006, Riverbend has supplied over 150 living roof projects totaling nearly 650,000 square feet.

CAS Riegler Companies is a locally-owned real estate development and investment company that creates unique real estate products in urban infill locations, primarily in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, designed to meet the needs of today’s city dwellers, workers, and retail customers.

CityInterests is a fully-integrated real estate firm focused on mixed-use, transit-oriented development. With specific expertise in Washington DC’s emerging neighborhoods, its team of veteran leadership and capable staff bring broad experience in a wide variety of project types — residential, office, retail, hotel, civic and institutional — to maximize value and build thriving communities.

Douglas Development Corporation is one of the leading real estate developers in the Washington area, with a national reputation for redevelopment of historic properties. The company’s well-known projects in the East End of Washington have catalyzed redevelopment of the entire area. Douglas Development has a current portfolio of nearly nine million leasable square feet and over eight million SF of developable real estate in the pipeline.

Oculus Realty, LLC provides property management and advisory services to private real estate investors in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The firm specializes in the investment and management of boutique apartment communities and small retail centers. Oculus is a licensed real estate broker in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia and an Accredited Management Organization (AMO®) through the Institute of Real Estate Management.