Hotel Harrington's Comeback Wins Preservation Staff's Support

• 9:05 AM EDT

by UrbanTurf Staff

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DC's Historic Preservation Office (HPO) is recommending that the city's Historic Preservation Review Board approve the plans to revive the Hotel Harrington.

In a staff report ahead of the board's Thursday meeting, the HPO recommends that the board find the proposed renovation of the hotel at 436 11th Street NW compatible with the character of the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. The plans, filed by KHP Capital Partners and designed by Gensler, would turn the hotel into a new 215-room property that would include a lobby bar and lounge, a restaurant, meeting space, a fitness center, and a 2,500-square-foot ballroom housed atop the original seven-story portion of the building.

HPO staff characterized much of the work as restorative, noting that the project would replicate the building's original windows, storefronts, and other missing features. The most notable addition is the ballroom. HPO acknowledged that the addition would be visible from some surrounding streets, but said it has been designed to keep its height and visual impact to a minimum and would not be obtrusive or incompatible given the taller buildings nearby and the downtown setting. 

The Hotel Harrington billed itself as DC's longest continually operating hotel before it closed in 2023 after more than a century in business. The property drew attention in recent years as an unofficial gathering spot for the Proud Boys during the first Trump administration, but its low rates and prime location — steps from Metro Center and the National Mall — long made it a fixture for budget-conscious tourists. 

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc_preservation_staff_backs_hotel_harringtons_rooftop_ballroom_and_restorat/25013.