Monday, November 10, 2008

Parking Lot, Not Offices at Connecticut and K?

Hat tip to DC Metrocentric for this one.

Yikes. Looks like the barren lot at the prime corner of K and Connecticut (Farragut Sq) may become a parking lot for while. This choice downtown location is pictured to the left during the previous building's demolition, earlier this spring. The site is only two blocks from the White House, about five blocks from Dupont Circle, on top of a Metro station and was supposed to be the site of a new K Street office tower. But the delayed arrival of a primary tenant has stalled the project, 1000 Connecticut, a building by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners.

There is now a major tenant, a law firm, but they aren't scheduled to move in until 2013. In the mean time the developers want to produce some revenue by installing a parking lot. In a town with refreshingly few downtown surface lots, having void at this busy corner will detract a little from the area. Save for the massive parking lot where the old convention center used to be, there are scarce few large building spaces downtown. The Zoning Commission still has to approve the parking lot plan, with input from the Office of Planning. The lot would have up to 89 spaces and be around until early 2010, when construction on the new office tower would begin.