Transit Union Moving From Silver Spring To Newly Acquired Dupont Circle Building

A 1970s-era office building overlooking Dupont Circle is primed to serve as a new labor union headquarters after trading hands last week.

Amalgamated Transit Union, which represents more than 200,000 workers across the U.S. and Canada, purchased the eight-story building at 21 Dupont Circle NW with a plan to move its headquarters from Maryland to the District, it announced Thursday. It didn't disclose the acquisition price, but deed records show it was $13.8M. 

“Being in the U.S. Capital, where decisions are made, is critical to our mission,” ATU International President John Costa said in a release. “We’re also excited to be able to contribute to the D.C. community, where many of our members live and work. The ATU will have a stronger voice through this strategic investment.”

The union didn't disclose a move-in timeline or the square footage it plans to occupy.

The 52K SF property was owned by the same family office, EFO Capital Management, since 1997, according to deed records.

ATU declined to comment on the deal beyond its press release. EFO didn't respond to requests for comment. 

“We are excited to welcome ATU to the heart of the nation’s capital, where they’ll be connected to leading policymakers, innovators, and peer organizations – in addition to a world-class transit system,” Deputy Mayor Nina Albert told Bisnow in an email. “DC continues to be where international companies want to locate and call home.”

The price of the property works out to $265 per SF. It traded hands for more than $3M above the property’s assessed value for 2025. D.C.'s tax office valued the property at $10.2M, with $10M of that accounting for just the land. 

ATU's release said the building will undergo renovations “to make it into a place to not only proudly call our new headquarters, but also a building that our members will see as fitting and a beacon of worker solidarity and empowerment for our 132-year-old Union.” The union didn't announce the scope or timeline of those renovations.

The Donohoe Cos. manages the property and will continue to do so under the new owner, Vice President Matt Borger told Bisnow. He said the property is approximately 70% leased.

Its tenants include the Coalition for Networked Information, investment advisory firm Marshfield Associates and architecture and design firm OPX, according to their websites. The previous owner, EFO Capital Management, also has an office in the building. 

Along with the purchase, ATU said it has put its Silver Spring headquarters, the Tommy Douglas Conference Center at 10000 New Hampshire Ave., under contract for sale. 

Dupont Circle, like much of D.C.'s central business district, has been a nexus of office distress over the past six months, with older, Class-B and C properties changing hands for a fraction of what they were worth just a few years ago.

Across the street from 21 Dupont Circle, the office building above the Metro station at 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW was relinquished to its owner through a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure, Bisnow reported in July. A few blocks to the south, the Longfellow Building at 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW was sold at a foreclosure auction in November for $21.2M, or $109/SF.

UPDATE, MAY 28, 3:20 P.M. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from Deputy Mayor Nina Albert.