APHA Headquarters Washington, DC

Background:

2215 Constitution Ave. consists of an original 1932-built, historically registered building on the National Mall in Washington, DC, and a 200,000 SF addition to the property completed in 2009.  The original building is owner-occupied by a large national association and the new building is fully leased to a cabinet-level agency of the Federal Government.

Challenge:

The property contains several large outdoor spaces which are leased to the public and used by the Association for social events, including a 10,000 SF balcony overlooking the Lincoln Memorial.  The varied uses of the property coupled with the need for level-four security for the Federal Agency create numerous access, delivery, parking, and visitor challenges.  Furthermore, the building’s location on the National Mall with its frequent restrictions on access from Constitution Avenue create supplementary issues.

Result:

Donohoe Commercial Real Estate was hired by the owner to develop a property management solution that mitigated the operating issues caused by the dual-use nature of the asset.  The first step taken was to place a strong on-site manager at the property.  DCRE then implemented best practices learned from decades of experience on our other federal agency accounts, including integrating compatible security devices and single-source security staffing.  These strategies efficiently reduced wait times for all forms of property access and reduced costs for ownership.  By establishing more frequent communication and a better rapport with the owner, the federal agency, and the local police liaison, DCRE developed a methodology to better support the varied uses of the property and the city’s ever-changing schedule.  Finally, by creating a two-way garage entrance on 22nd Street with new parking controls, DCRE created a solution that enabled access to the building when Constitution Avenue is closed.  In addition to enhancing business operations, these property management initiatives were mentioned as critical by both landlord and tenant during a recent long-term lease renewal by the federal agency.