New Details on City Center

The 10 acre parking lot in the middle of town has left many yearning for new development.  Years ago, it was announced that City Center would be built there.  It is slated to be a mixed-use area with office space, residential condos and apartments, and retail establishments.  It was sold as highly "pedestrian friendly," which Penn Quarter residents tend to value.

The Washington Business Journal now gives us more details on the development, which has had its ups and downs since the announcement over 3 years ago, and has still not broken ground.

Construction is now slated to begin this April, and will (supposedly) be  completed by 2014.

Neither 10th Street nor I Street cut through the current parking lot, as they did not when the old convention center occupied that space.  Now, we hear that those streets will cut through the new development.

However, the complex will still maintain pedestrian-only connections (with fountains!) between the office and residential buildings, lining these passageways with stores and restaurants.

There will be a landscaped plaza between the apartment and condo buildings, as well as a park in the northwest corner, where it is expected many downtown events will be staged.

Lastly, there will be a hotel on the site, and two or three retailers will offer department store-style retail, which was once common downtown, but now leaves PQ residents streaming out to Virginia and Friendship Heights.

We will keep you up-to-date as they announce retailers and restaurants that will be filling the space.  The official City Center website is available here.

Previous drawings did not show 10th Street or I Street cutting through the complex