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Neighborhood living near the National Mall?

By Jonathan O'Connell,October 07, 2012

(Page 2 of 2)

The GSA’s acting director, Daniel M. Tangherlini, issued a statement calling the agency’s request for ideas “an example of GSA’s ongoing commitment to not only shrinking the federal government’s real estate portfolio, but also to maximizing the efficiency and value of federal workplaces.”

NCPC’s Acosta was one of a number of planning experts who strongly suggested that the GSA follow recent successes elsewhere in the District — such as Penn Quarter and Columbia Heights — by incorporating a mix of uses on the site. And that means housing.

Condos may never be added atop the Smithsonian institutions that line the National Mall, but new high-end housing is creeping closer and closer.

Penn Quarter, a neighborhood name that was unheard of when the Reagan Center was completed, has become one of the most sought-after places to live in the region. Those living in the Newseum Residences, 135 luxury apartments at 565 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, and the Residences at Market Square, 801 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, probably come closest to living on the Mall.

Similar housing could find its way to Federal Triangle South with the right incentives, said Gerry Widdicombe, director of economic development at the Downtown Business Improvement District. But there are hurdles. Redevelopment of federal land can be a tricky process, governed by complex rules and political rivalries. Some politicians have been urging the GSA to sell off underused land to raise funds. If the GSA is required to get the best price for its real estate, it could lead to more office-focused development.

If members of Congress “are putting pressure on them, then the city needs to get involved there or the GSA will create another central business district,” Widdicombe said.

In order for shops such as dry cleaners and coffee shops to remain open on weekends and evenings, Widdicombe argued that at least 2,000 residents are probably needed in the area. City officials agree. Harriet Tregoning, planning director for the District, said, “there absolutely should be housing there.”

“It’s a great opportunity to create a live-where-you-work community,” she said.

Robert A. Peck, who ran the GSA’s Public Buildings Service until his ouster in the spring following a scandal over conference expenditures, said the effort to transform the Independence Avenue area predated his time at the GSA. Success will likely depend on whether the agency can identify hard-to-come-by investment dollars up front or be permitted the leeway to lease or sell some land and reinvest the proceeds to build smaller, more efficient federal facilities.

“I think the idea of optimizing the value of the government’s real estate south of the Mall, making it a more architecturally lively space is a great idea and one that’s been kicking around for awhile,” Peck said. “Unfortunately the government’s rules are not known for flexibility and creativity on this kind of real estate transaction, but I hope that GSA gets the support it needs to take it somewhere.”

Though Tangherlini’s arrival at the GSA (just as Peck was leaving) was chaotic, fraught with politics and certainly not prescripted, Widdicombe argued that the transition was one that will likely keep redevelopment efforts locally on track.

Both men are District residents who have spent considerable time working on behalf of local initiatives, whether government, transportation or historic preservation. Tangherlini is a former city administrator and transportation director in the District; he knows most every lever of the city’s bureaucracy. He’s worked with Tregoning, he’s worked with Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) and he’s worked with nearly every member of the D.C. Council.

“It’s no accident” that the GSA issued the notice for Federal Triangle South less than six months after Tangherlini arrived, Widdicombe said.

“Dan is a unique individual who can get things done,” he added. “He shares a love of the District, and both he and Bob live in the District. And they’ve lived here a long time.”

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