Apple Agrees To Open 63k SF Flagship In 113-Year-Old Washington Icon
The world's biggest tech company is opening a flagship location in one of the most prestigious addresses in DC.
Apple has reached an agreement to open a 63k SF flagship Apple Store in the 113-year-old Carnegie Library, the Washington Business Journal reports. The retailer also plans to offer training and educational programs to DC youth and host community events in the historic building in Mt. Vernon Square.
The building has been underutilized for years; it's owned by Events DC, which rents it out for private events to the tune of about $1M in revenue a year, per the WBJ. The Events DC board will vote on a measure to approve the lease Wednesday night.
If all goes as planned, the new store will be reminiscent of its location in San Francisco's Union Square, with live trees and a mega-high-definition video screen on the interior. Foster + Partners, the designer behind the groundbreaking store by the Bay, has again been enlisted.
There's no indication yet when the store may open, but before it does, it needs to be approved by the National Capital Planning Commission and the Historic Preservation Review Board; it's been listed on the National Register of Historic Places for 53 years.
When Apple opens, it will be a boon to The Meridian Group, which is developing Anthem Row, 370k SF of repositioned offices, across K Street. They can be second in line for the iPhone 10. As part of the deal, Events DC would move its offices next to Apple—they can be first in line. [WBJ]
