Award of Merit
Best DC Urban Office: Over 150,000 SF

Project Team

Brookfield Properties - (Owner + Developer)
Douglas Development - (Owner + Developer)
Shalom Baranes Associates - (Architect)

Project Description

655 New York Avenue is a brand new, 762,000-square-foot state-of-the-art commercial building that opened in late 2019. 655 New York Avenue has created a dynamic environment for leading, innovative companies to call home.

The building is a ground-up new development that incorporates an assemblage of 19 historic buildings on a triangle shaped block between New York Avenue, 7th and L Streets in the city’s Mt. Vernon Square adjacent to the Washington Convention Center. The complex plan to restore, relocate, and recreate the historic structures was driven by two objectives. It created major sections of uninterrupted historic streetscapes and avoided a site plan with isolated individual buildings. To support development goals, it allowed the creation of contiguous space in the center of the site large enough to accommodate a below-grade parking facility.

The completed full-block development features trophy office space and prime retail, helping to foster the renaissance of the neighborhood. The massing approach breaks down the scale and relates the new building to historic structures using a series of interlocking rectangular volumes with an emphasis on verticality. Curved elements contrast with and soften rectilinear forms both old and new. The varied material balance – glass, aluminum, terracotta, and brick – accentuates the compatibility of historic and new construction and large floor-to-ceiling windows and an atrium to bring light deep into the floor plates and provide an abundance of natural light.

Groundbreaking methods were utilized during construction to incorporate the historic structures into the current state-of-the-art complex, including placing the structures on stilts and physically moving some of the century-plus old buildings within the site (some of the largest building moves in D.C. history). The result, designed by Shalom Baranes Associates, is an 11-story, 762,000-square-foot Class A commercial office building that is an incredible feat of both engineering and historic preservation, sustainably preserving these buildings instead of tearing them down. The building was recognized by the US Green Buildings Council last year with a nomination for its Community Leader Awards for sustainable design, environmental and community impact and was also recognized last year by the Urban Land Institute for Excellence in Office Design.

The building’s unique design creates a dynamic experience for tenants and visitors to enjoy, moving seamlessly between the brand new and historic properties. 655 New York Avenue is a LEED Gold certified building featuring unrivaled views of Downtown, D.C. Exclusive tenant amenities include a two-level, light-filled fitness center, an east penthouse rooftop lounge, game room, terrace, a west penthouse rooftop conference center and terrace, three bike rooms with lockers and showers, and unique, custom-commissioned public art in all lobbies.

655 New York Avenue opened at nearly 90% leased amidst a difficult commercial real estate market in the D.C. region. In December 2019, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), a multinational professional services firm, signed a 198,600 square-foot lease across the top four floors of 655 New York Avenue, joining other tenants including Optum/United Healthcare Group, WeWork, Douglas Development headquarters and Brookfield Properties’ new regional headquarters.

In order to make 655 New York more of a community experience, food and retail tenants include coffee shops, farm-to-table restaurants, and local establishments that have created a lively and energetic streetscape. Specifically, the building hosts 90,000 square feet of food and retail space, including Compass Coffee, Rumi’s Kitchen, Pearl’s Bagels, Bambini and Sandy Spring Bank, in addition to the forthcoming [solidcore] and all-day French-inspired restaurant Petite Cerise from chef Jeremiah Langhorne. The retail program has created a vibrant streetscape, inviting the public in and activating this section of the Mount Vernon Triangle.