With The Amenity War Raging, A West End Landmark Renovates To Lead The Pack

When companies sign office leases, it is never just a matter of the right location — it is a question of finding an environment that resonates with them on a deep level. 

That resonance is what inspired EAB Global to sign a new long-term lease at 2445 M St. NW, in Washington's West End neighborhood, between Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle and Georgetown. 2445 M St. is steps from the city’s urban oasis, Rock Creek Park, and is surrounded by award-winning restaurants, hotels and boutique fitness options with accessibility to multiple Metro lines and dedicated bike lanes. 

“We have called 2445 M St. our home for the last 15 years and are excited about our future in the renovated building and staying in the West End,” EAG Chief Financial Officer Michael Kirshbaum said.

What is the Igloo?

Beacon Capital Partners purchased the building in June 2018 and recently kicked off an extensive repositioning plan, which includes a reimagined building entry and main lobby, a 9,500 SF conferencing center, a two-story fitness facility and a multilevel rooftop terrace and lounge featuring sweeping views of Georgetown and Rock Creek Park. 

“We are creating a distinctive workplace and a tenant experience that I believe will be unmatched in the CBD and West End,” Beacon Capital Partners Senior Managing Director Jeffrey Kovach said.

While EAB will occupy half of the building, 2445 M St. will still have over 150K SF available on the upper floors to offer future tenants. In order to give potential tenants a more in-depth look into the building’s future plans, Beacon worked with Igloo Vision, a virtual reality company, to create an immersive marketing center equipped with a customized, pop-up projection dome. Scroll through the pictures below for an inside look at the transformation underway at this West End landmark.

9,500 SF Conference Center

The most distinctive offering at 2445 M St. is its 9,500 SF multifunction conference center, which features an 80-seat auditorium, four conference rooms and multiple breakout areas to accommodate the growing number of ways building tenants now use these gathering spaces.

“Having a conference center this large and versatile is a rarity in Washington,” Beacon Capital Partners Managing Director Karen Gentry said. “Throughout our portfolio, we see tenants depending on this particular amenity more and more.”

Redesigned Lobby

One of the most important factors in designing a lobby is creating a sense of place that is both warm and inviting. For the redesigned entrance and lobby of 2445 M St., Beacon looked outdoors for its inspiration.

“Natural textures and themes inspired by nearby Rock Creek Park will be integrated into the finishes of the new lobby as well as common areas throughout the building,” Beacon Capital Partners Senior Vice President Shane McLaughlin said. 

New Fitness Center

Employees are increasingly thinking of the office not just as a place to work, but as a component of a larger lifestyle. To make sure tenants have space to stay active, Beacon has started construction on a fitness center with direct park access, high ceilings and an abundance of natural light. The fitness facility will span over 6K SF across two levels and feature new locker rooms and multiple exercise and group fitness areas. 

For those tenants who prefer to work out offsite, there are multiple boutique and high-end fitness studios within a four-block radius of the building, including SoulCycle, Squash On Fire and Equinox. There will also be secure bike storage for commuters who choose to cycle to work or tenants who simply want to enjoy riding in Rock Creek Park. 

Rooftop Terrace

Beacon has completely redesigned the top of the building to provide roughly 6,500 SF of shared amenity space for building tenants. The upgrades will include a ninth floor indoor-outdoor tenant lounge with direct connection to a revamped rooftop terrace, which will feature its own three-hole putting green.

“We strive to put more and more focus on creating unique outdoor spaces,” Kovach said. “Our goal at 2445 M was not only to provide a place to relax during lunch, but to reimagine the outdoor experience entirely with a rooftop space that provides settings for collaboration, relaxation, individual work and entertaining.”  

Leading The Pack

With so many renovated office assets coming to market and new construction projects continuing to fill the development pipeline, the amenity war is on at full tilt. Building owners across the city are searching for unique ways to differentiate their assets from the competition.

Having successfully transformed and repositioned both Terrell Place and 601 New Jersey Ave., attracting top-tier tenants like Yelp, Facebook and Amazon, Beacon Capital Partners has been on the leading edge of this trend and looks to build on its recent success by adding a new chapter at 2445 M St. 

This feature was produced in collaboration between Bisnow Branded Content and Beacon Capital Partners. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.