D.C. Reissues RFP For Prime Redevelopment Site At 14th And U
The D.C. government is asking developers to resubmit applications to redevelop the Frank D. Reeves Center, a large government building at the prominent intersection of 14th and U streets NW, after it identified infrastructure problems that were a sticking point in the first round of negotiations.
Developers now have until Jan. 20 to submit a proposal for the site, a timeline that District officials acknowledged was tight but said was necessary in order to keep redevelopment moving forward.
“Together with our partners on the Council, we have invested in the future of the Reeves Center site and removed some of the complexities that created a high barrier to entry and deterred potential respondents,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. “The new Reeves EquityRFP makes space for more partners to compete for this historic project while staying on track with the initial schedule.”
As Bisnow previously reported, the District had asked developers in the first RFP to move mission-critical technology infrastructure from the site in order to prepare the 2-acre parcel for redevelopment. The total cost of that work, which will now be taken on by the District, is $47M, according to a release.
The new RFP is similar to the old RFP, which called for a mix of uses including office, affordable housing, daytime uses like a hotel and neighborhood-serving amenities. Notably, the NAACP reaffirmed its commitment to moving its new headquarters to the site, a decision it first announced in 2020.
The process of redeveloping the Reeves Center, which was built in 1986, was kicked off at Bowser's March Madness event in 2019. Since that time, other major redevelopment projects in Hill East and St. Elizabeths have moved forward while infrastructure problems kept the Reeves Center stagnant.
In April 2021, two development teams were selected as finalists to redevelop the site: one led by The Menkiti Group and Dantes Partners, and the other by MRP Realty, Capri Investment Partners and CSG Urban. But until now, little public progress has been made.
The District said it plans to finally select a development team for the site within 30 days of the RFP closing, and finalize the terms of a deal for the site 60 days after that. It also projects that the Reeves Center will be vacant and ready for demolition by 2025, after the infrastructure is moved to a site in Eckington.
