DC: Iconic Property Undergoes Suite Renovations

Two of DC's biggest real estate families are putting their full weight behind spec suites in the iconic downtown Washington Square building. (Please tell us the Clintons and Bushes get along so well.) This week, our DC reporter snapped brothers and Tower Companies execs Jeffrey, Gary, and Ronald Abramson flanking Lerner Enterprises founder and Nats owner Ted Lerner. Tower and Lerner (which developed the property together back in '82) have created four eye-catching spec suites on the 10th floor, totaling 23k SF. They have ultra modern, high-level design, with tons of glass, and modular walls allow two suites to be combined for a big tenant. (The families have known each other a long time; Ted's mom lived at The Blairs in Silver Spring, Md., built 50 years ago by the Abramson kids' late dad, Sonny.)

DEP's Chuong Cao designed the suites and tells us laying out spec spaces can often be a challenge, since the finished workspace has to be appealing to a wide range of users. (Just put a few bowls of candy inside. Everyone loves candy.) Chuong and his team capitalized on Washington Square's strengths like long window lines and added features like the marble reception desk and sleek wood floors that he says are inviting to both touch and feel. Bialek Environments installed the DIRTT modular wall system and a "breathe wall," a mountable plant shelf that helps infuse offices with oxygen--and net some coveted LEED points, as the owners are seeking Silver cert for the suites. There's already been strong interest from several groups, its C&W leasing brokers report, even though the suites were finished just last week.