Office-to-Residential Conversion in Van Ness Nixed

• January 17th 2018

by Nena Perry-Brown

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Although office-to-residential conversions seemed to be gaining in popularity among developers and city legislators alike, one conversion in DC is now reversing course.

Last summer, Bernstein Management and the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) were in talks about converting the massive office building at 4250 Connecticut Avenue NW (map) into apartments and student housing after former owner and tenant Fannie Mae vacates. Now, those plans have been jettisoned in favor of keeping the building as offices.

"The owner and UDC have mutually agreed that it's no longer feasible to move forward with a residential conversion project," Fred Underwood of Bernstein explained at an ANC 3F meeting last night, citing the associated costs and required timeframe as obstacles. 

Instead, the 1981 office-and-retail building will retain its current uses and will see interior and facade renovations. Bernstein plans to hire an architect soon and hopes to have a design in hand within a few months. Any plans will require zoning approval for a modification of the existing planned-unit development that permitted a building of its size.

A public meeting to solicit ideas for the building will take place next Thursday.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/would-be-connecticut-avenue-office-to-residential-conversion-plans-canned/13457.