The DC Development That Needed a Secret Service Thumbs Up

• June 1st 2022

by UrbanTurf Staff

There are plenty of new residential projects in DC that require approval from the city's zoning commission or historic preservation board. But just one on the boards needed the thumbs up from the U.S. Secret Service. 

Back in March, UrbanTurf reported on Foulger-Pratt's plans to convert the 1990s-era office building at 1425 New York Avenue NW (map) into 255 rental apartments above commercial space. While the planned conversion needs to go before DC's Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA), it also needed the blessing of the Secret Service as the office building sits less than a block from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

Last week, the Secret Service gave that blessing.  

"On April 7, 2022, Secret Service was invited to 1425 New York Avenue to assess a future rooftop project. The purpose of this assessment was to evaluate any new or heightened security concerns to the White House complex from future construction set to begin later this year," an email sent to the developers last week stated. "As the proposed construction does not include any major structural changes to the building, there are no new or heightened security concerns at this time. The Secret Service has no objection to the anticipated project."

This isn't the first development in DC that required Secret Service approval. A Glover Park residential building that sits adjacent to the Vice President's residence also needed the green light back in 2013. 

The New York Avenue development, designed by WDG Architecture, received the support of ANC 2C in March and it will go before the BZA in mid-June.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the-new-dc-development-that-needs-a-secret-service-thumbs-up/19708.