Plan for Old Convention Center Site Approved

Move over, Cirque du Soleil tents and bad public art – there is a big redevelopment plan ahead for the old DC Convention Center site. On Wednesday, November 21, the Deputy Mayor's Office of Planning and Economic Development, after months of community input, approved the master plan submitted by developers Archstone-Smith and Hines for a $650 million complex on this 10-acre site, containing 686 residential units, 415,000 sf of office space, and 280,000 sf of retail. In addition, over 100,000 sf of land is being reserved for a new DC library. The project will also contain 1,700 underground parking spots and a public plaza, plus feature the reconnecting of both 10th Street and I Street through the site. The project is anticipated to generate over 7,000 construction-period jobs and 5,217 permanent jobs, plus $30 million a year in new tax revenues. Construction is expected to begin in 2008. Additional renderings can be seen here.