WASHINGTON BUSINESS JOURNAL: It looks like it’ll be the end of the decade before the long-promised redevelopment of the Franklin D. Reeves Municipal Center opens to the public.
The District has updated the timeline for the535,955-square-foot project at the prime corner of 14th and U Streets NW, telling the D.C. Council’s Committee on Business and Economic Development as part of its performance oversight process that it doesn’t expect to empty the existing municipal center of its government tenants until the end of 2025. The chosen developer, Reeves CMC Venture, previously estimated a 40-month buildout, putting delivery sometime in 2029 — assuming the ground-lease closes and the necessary rezoning advances as planned.
Reeves CMC Venture is led by MRP Realty and CSG Urban Partners, both of D.C., and Chicago’s Capri Investment Group. Their development plan includes 320 units of mixed-income housing, 108,000 square feet of office, a 116-key “residential hotel,” 44,000 square feet of arts and education space, 22,500 square feet of retail, 366 parking spaces, a 17,000-square-foot public plaza and 200-seat amphitheater. The development team also includes Michael Marshall Design, PGN Architects, Smoot Construction Co. and Bradley Site Design.
A star-studded group of prospective tenants is planned, including a new comedy club backed by Dave Chappelle and a restaurant led by Carla Hall of “Top Chef” fame, to start. The NAACP is expected to relocate its headquarters from Baltimore to the new Reeves office space.
The District selected Reeves CMC Venture last June, picking it over a group that included D.C.’s Dantes Partners and The Menkiti Group. This was the result of a second RFP — the first, released in December 2020, was canceled in December 2022 and immediately reissued, coupled with equity goals to increase participation of Black and brown developers and partners.
The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development told the council committee it expects to kick off the rezoning process in fiscal year 2024, which ends Sept. 30, starting with a map amendment for the proposed development. A submission to the D.C. Council outlining the deal and the proposed ground lease is scheduled to arrive this spring, which should end with thedisposition of the site to the development team.
