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A Look at Georgetown's New Plans For DC's Darth Vader Building

  • October 4th 2023

by UrbanTurf Staff

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vader-1.jpg
Rendering of 111 Massachusetts Avenue NW. Click to enlarge.

DC's Darth Vader building is set for a makeover. 

Georgetown University has filed plans with the city to convert the building at 111 Massachusetts Avenue NW (map) for academic use. Georgetown purchased the building from Douglas Development back in 2021. 

The 325,000 square-foot building was dubbed the Darth Vader building years ago due to its dark facade. Douglas owned the building as "Jemal's Darth Vader LLC", and it has been referenced as one of the uglier buildings in DC. 

vader-2.jpg
Rendering of entrance and lobby makeover. Click to enlarge.

Georgetown plans to completely renovate the building for academic and university office use, for programs including the School of Continuing Studies, McDonough School of Business, the School of Health and School of Nursing, and executive education programs. The property will be the main academic building for undergraduate programs downtown.

The renovations will provide a mix of uses including classrooms, offices, student-serving spaces, and other academic and administrative uses. SmithGroup is in charge of the redesign. 

Add the Darth Vader building to a growing number of properties at Georgetown's Capitol campus. The university completed a new student housing building at 55 H Street NW last summer, and is at work on a new 130-foot tall academic building for the law school that will take the place of The Sarah and Bernard Gewirz Student Center at 120 F Street NW.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/a_look_at_georgetowns_plans_for_dcs_darth_vader_building/21541.

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