From the WCSA: Preliminary Work Begins on the Convention Center Hotel

From the Washington Convention and Sports Authority (WCSA):

(Washington, DC) - The Washington Convention and Sports Authority today announced that it will provide limited early access for preliminary site remediation work to the project development team for the Washington, DC Marriott Marquis, the proposed Convention Center headquarters hotel. The early remediation activities, which could start as early as this week, include removal of underground storage tanks, demolition of the Erhlich Building, erecting fences, placing signage around the site and readying the area for construction.

“We’re excited to get the pre-construction process started,” said Gregory A. O’Dell, Washington Convention and Sports Authority president and CEO. “The Authority and the District are finalizing the documentation and preparing to close on the bonds as we anticipate a groundbreaking within the next 30-45 days. This headquarters hotel will position us to aggressively compete as a premier convention destination and serve as a centerpiece for the continued economic revitalization of the historic Shaw neighborhood, including roughly 900 new hospitality jobs.”

The hotel site is bounded by Massachusetts Avenue, 9th, 10th and L Streets, Northwest. The 1,175- room headquarters hotel, which includes more than 100,000 square feet of meeting areas, is slated to open in 2014.

The developer and the Washington Convention Center Advisory Committee are working to establish a formal process to answer community questions and address community concerns. In the interim, questions regarding the hotel project construction and development may be directed to:

Norman Jenkins, Capstone Development, LLC
normanjenkins@cstonedevelopment.com or 202-661-3536