Massive Complex Coming to 7th and New York Ave NW

New York Ave NW, at 7th Street.

A massive office and retail complex is coming to the corner of 7th Street and New York Ave NW. This corner is just north of Penn Quarter and across the street from the Walter Washington Convention Center. The new development, titled 655 New York Ave, will be constructed on parcels currently comprised of 2-3 story buildings (some with current tenants, others empty), The properties will be converted into a 756,000 sq foot complex with the Advisory Board Company signed as the main tenant. 

• The development will consume about 4/5 of the entire block.
• New tenants will likely begin moving in during 2018.
• Current breakdown: 678,000 sq ft of office space and 79,000 sq ft of retail.
• Main tenant Advisory Board Company was granted a 10 year tax abatement worth up to $60,000,000 ostensibly to keep the company's HQ in DC (PDF).
• Developers moved an existing building down the street, on rails, to make room for new construction. (Video)  

Read more: Advisory Board officially signs lease for new headquarters | Washington Business Journal

Read more: 655 New York Ave | Douglas Development

Read more: Project Fact Sheet “Local Jobs and Tax Incentive of Act 2015” | Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development

Rendering of complete 655 New York Ave project. 7th St NW is to the left and New York Ave is at the bottom. Image courtesy of Douglas Development.

Friday Fun Post: Marriott Marquis

The District's largest hotel opened yesterday. In a bid to redirect conventions and their blocks of hotel room bookings back into DC --from National Harbor-- the District worked a deal with Marriott to build a massive hotel next to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. DC ended up contributing $206,000,000 to this project, 40% of the budgeted cost; $520,000,000. So, if you live in DC, this hotel is almost half yours!

The Marriott Marquis is located at 901 Massachusetts Avenue NW. It's one of only five Marquis properties in the U.S. and has 1,175 rooms, including 49 suites. That makes it DC's largest hotel. It is also just plain BIG, with 14 above ground floors of guest rooms and 4 below ground floors of meeting space. It also has an underground, direct connection to the Convention Center. Here are a few photos. Have a great weekend!

901 Mass Ave NW

Walk to the Convention Center from the underground floors.

The Dignitary, a bourbon bar, is one of three bars on the first floor. 

Local neighborhood names for the meeting rooms...

Overlooking the first floor bar area.

"Birth of the American Flag," a sculpture by Rodney Carroll

Down, down, down...

Outside seating.

1,175 Key Convention Center Hotel Tops Off

Lots of construction near the Convention Center.

The long awaited Washington Convention Center Hotel is moving right along. The hotel, now known as the Washington Marriott Marquis, is located at 901 Massachusetts Ave NW. The hotel just topped out at 14 habitable floors and is slated to open on May 1, 2014. 

At 148.5 feet tall, it isn't the tallest modern building in DC (doesn't even crack the top 20), but its 14 above ground floors ties it in 2nd place with a few others. The Renaissance Washington Hotel has 15 floors.

One of the developers recently noted that at 130 feet below ground, the excavation depth for the Marquis nearly equaled the above ground height, which really is extraordinary for a building of this size. The below ground floors will contain meeting spaces, parking decks, and an underground walkway to the Convention Center. When finished, the Marquis will have 1,175 guest rooms.

There is a special job training program for this project happening right now: Washington Marriott Marquis Jobs Training Program. It's for DC residents only, and is free. Participants are not guaranteed a job at the hotel upon completion, but it looks like the training goes a long way towards that goal.

The front of the hotel on Massachusetts Ave NW

The back of the hotel at corner of 9th and L Streets NW. Above ground floors are labeled.

5th and K NW Looks Great

This Saturday will mark the end of a one-year remake of K Street NW in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. The District Department of Transportation embarked on a streetscape improvement program in March of 2012 for K Street NW between 3rd and 7th Streets. In an area formerly of sparse retail, some residential, and lots of parking, the new streetscape of the main drag goes right along with the addition of new restaurants and housing.

The corner of 5th and K NW is now quite busy and is home to a number of restaurants and retail establishments including: Gables City Vista Apartments (formerly The V), Busboys and Poets, Kushi Izakaya and Sushi, Taylor Gourmet, Sweetgreen, Capital One Bank, Popular Cuts Barber Shop, Benjamin Moore Paints, Safeway, Chipotle, 5th Street Hardware, Subway Liquors, Mandu Korean, VIDA Fitness and more.

There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony and festival this Saturday to celebrate the changes. The Mayor, Vincent Gray, is scheduled to attend. The festival will run from 12:00 Noon - 4:00 PM.

Here are a few photos of the new streetscape elements in and around 5th and K.

Wider sidewalks and added green space.

More public seating.

Restaurants have added sidewalk seating. Here: Mandu.

Residential development at 440 K St NW.

Bikeshare station.

Bike lanes and sharrows.

Huge planters and new trees.