DC's Coolest New Office Location?

Things have gotten so crazy in DC that high-end office is now being offered in the ultra-hip 14th Street Corridor. But will tenants take the bait? Trends like this are the reason we're excited to hold our third annual DC State of Office event Sept. 23 at the Willard.

Last week, outside Douglas Development's Manhattan Laundry building at Florida and 14th, we snapped JLL's Nathan Beach, Evan Behr, and Doug Mueller (we swear they're taller in person), who will market the 85k SF property's office space, spread across three buildings, after renovations. Evan, who'll speak at the event, tells us that since office space continues to be used differently, tenants will seek new neighborhoods. While traditional submarkets like 18th and K and 12th and F are alive and well, "Tenants seem more curious at looking for creative space options that allow them to enhance their brand." Douglas is demo-ing the interior of the complex, and hopes to have the buildings ready by Q1.

Here's the Manhattan Laundry complex's 21k SF West building, in the foreground, which dates back to the late 1870s. It's next to another Douglas project, the under-construction 2221 14th St apartment building. The firm has already seen major success with other historic rehabs like the Wonder Bread building in Shaw; it hopes to entice tenants to Manhattan Laundry with not only a renovated interior, but a row of retail between the complex's East and West buildings (which Evan says has potential to activate the neighborhood like Cady's Alley did for Georgetown). The space could be leased by multiple tenants, or a single user could take all 85k SF.

Douglas has another non-traditional office project under renovation: the redevelopment of Uline Arena near NoMa. The site of the Beatles' first performance in the US (rendered above) is being transformed into what Doug says will be "DC's first-ever creative trophy office project," with major cosmetic improvements and amenities being placed there once construction is complete in Q1 '16. (This goes against The Beatles' specific request to "Let it Be.") 175k SF of office will be available, as well as 50k to 75k SF of retail. Click here to register for our Sept. 23 event.