Metro is Moving (its Headquarters)

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Going, going, gone. Metro's current HQ building.
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority is moving. The iconic(?) Jackson Graham Building in Judiciary Square has been the Metro HQ since 1974. However, the agency has been looking to move into a space that better fits its future: the consolidation of office spaces. They decided to sell the Judiciary Square building, a process that should begin early next year.

The new HQ will be in a currently empty, c.1965 office building at 300 7th St SW in L'Enfant Plaza. This is across the street from a Metro rail entrance, near several Metro bus lines, and across the train tracks from a VRE station. The building was previously the longtime home of the USDA. It will eventually become the work home for 1,300 WMATA employees & contractors when renovations are completed, likely sometime in late 2020 or early 2021.
Renderings of 300 7th St SW post-renovation. Source: WMATA.

The Jackson Graham Building is in a **prime** spot. It takes up a whole block and is in a nexus location that can credibly claim Chinatown, Gallery Place, and Judiciary Square. It straddles an area that is heavily institutional in nature (most of Judiciary Square) and an entertainment district full of retail, residential, sports, and even museum properties (Penn Quarter & Gallery Place). 

Pending a likely zoning change, the site could be very attractive for many buyers, both public and private. Considering that the estimate WMATA came up with for the complete renovation of Jackson Graham Building was up to $90 million, you'd have to imaging that the new buyer will look to demolish and build anew on the site. One use it likely won't have is park or open space. Someone will build here. I'm very interested in following this process, so stay tuned for more updates. 


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