An 11-story building will replace National Public Radio’s headquarters in Washington’s Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. Arnold & Porter, one of the largest law firms in the District, recently announced the signing of a 20-year lease with Boston properties, owners of the site since 2008.
For the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District, a nonprofit aiming to improve quality of life in the neighborhood, the news means that “this emerging neighborhood has arrived.”
“[The deal] sends a message that a huge law firm wants to be here,” Bill McLeod, executive director of the Mount Vernon Triangle CID, says. “900 additional employees will be working in the neighborhood supporting our retailers and restaurants.”
After months of negations, the law firm agreed to occupy approximately 375,000 square feet of office space at the new mixed-use development. The developer plans to start construction once NPR relocates to its new location in NoMa later this year.
Mount Vernon Triangle has seen a rapid change in the last 10 years as buildings have gone up and more projects are under construction. The Association of American Medical Colleges is building its headquarters in the neighborhood, and Veterans Affairs moved in about two years ago, bringing hundreds of employees.
Arnold & Porter currently leases more than half of Manulife Financial’s 12-story building in downtown Washington.
Boston Properties will rebrand the site, currently known as 635 Massachusetts Ave NW, as 601 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
Luis Velarde writes about business, investments, real estate, and urban development. His work has appeared in the BBC World Service, Voice of America and others.