Douglas Renovates Historic East End Office Building After Losing Federal Agency
Douglas Development is looking to bring in new office tenants to a 90-year-old East End building that lost its anchor tenant two years ago.
The developer recently completed a $15M renovation at 999 E St. NW and it retained JLL to lease the office space, the brokerage firm announced Monday.
The building, constructed in 1930, previously housed the Federal Election Commission's headquarters. The agency in October 2016 signed a lease to move to NoMa, and in March 2018 it vacated its 137K SF space in the 999 E St. NW building.
The 175K SF building has 151K SF of available office space. It sits next door to the historic Ford's Theatre — where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated — across the street from the FBI headquarters and four blocks from the Metro Center and Gallery Place metro stops.
The Art Deco-style building was originally designed by prominent architect Waddy Butler Wood. It features 13.5-foot ceiling heights on the two upper floors and operable windows.
After losing the FEC, the developer launched a $15M renovation to add a new fitness center, conference room, lounge area and upgrade the lobby. It also built out multiple spec suites for tenants seeking quick move-ins. The project is the latest in a series of historic building renovations for Douglas, which owns a large portfolio of buildings in the East End.
“999 E Street is the best of both worlds — it has historical character, authenticity and charm with all of the updated amenities of a modern office,” JLL Executive Managing Director Evan Behr said in a release. Behr is leasing the building along with JLL's Doug Mueller, Nathan Beach, Mac Hall and Thomas Myers.
