Zoning commission approves design review for DCCorrectional Treatment Facility annex, 5-0

The District of Columbia Zoning Commission voted 5-0 on March 17 to approve final action in case 24-21, the Correctional Treatment Facility Annex (1900 Massachusetts Ave. SE), a design-review application filed by the DC Department of General Services on behalf of the DC Department of Corrections.

The approved plan calls for two new annex buildings connected to the existing Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF), a consolidated underground parking garage and program spaces intended to increase behavioral-health, medical and reentry services for residents. The commission granted a special exception for a large-scale government use, an area variance for primary-street entrance spacing, and two design waivers tied to Hill East zoning rules.

Tom Faust, director of the DC Department of Corrections, said the annex advances “Mayor Bowser’s vision to construct a new correctional facility, which is focused on programming, treatment, and reentry to replace the aging and very outdated central detention facility in Hill East.” Faust framed the project as an attempt to move away from the older DC Jail footprint and create spaces tailored to treatment and reentry.

The applicant’s presentation included a program and capacity summary. Michelle Wilson, Deputy Director of Administration at DOC, told the commission the complex will have a modest net increase in capacity: “we will have a modest increase from the recent count of 2,009 beds to approximately 2,144 beds in the project, and this includes beds in the existing CTF facility.” She also said the project will consolidate on-site parking—rising from about 230 surface spaces today to 409 spaces in underground garages—and add program areas such as a 12-bed behavioral-health housing unit and a 30-bed infirmary.

Architects from CGL Companies and CORE Architecture described the design intent as a secure yet less institutional-looking facade anchored to Massachusetts Avenue. Tamara Clark (CGL) said the concept responds to “the very specific programmatic and operational needs presented for the DOC residents and the staff that work at these facilities.” David Cheney (Core Architecture and Design) described the exterior scrim as an architectural device to modulate daylight and “blur the appearance of the jail with all the other program requirements of health, behavioral, administrative, and all the security aspects of the design.” Cheney characterized the scrim as “a waterfall effect” and said the design team revised the material palette after Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) comments to increase porosity and use powder-coated aluminum instead of Corten.

The Office of Planning recommended approval. Maxine Brown Roberts of the Office of Planning told the commission OP’s review found the proposal “meets most of the design guidelines outlined in the zoning regulations” and recommended approval of the requested relief, noting many exceptions were due to the facility’s unique security and programmatic needs.

The District Department of Transportation also supported the application, with conditions. Preston Judy (DDOT) said in his March 7 report (Exhibit 13) that DDOT had “no objection to the approval of this application with one condition” requiring implementation of the applicant’s proposed Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan; applicant representatives told the commission they accepted DDOT’s requested revisions.

Commissioners raised detailed design and site questions during the hearing. Commissioner Imamura and others probed stormwater and tree-preservation issues along the parcel shared with Congressional Cemetery. The design team said they are refining grading and bioretention strategies and exploring alternatives such as permeable paving and reduced-width fire-lane materials to preserve mature trees where possible. On sustainability, the team said the roof is photovoltaic-ready, skylights are included, and geothermal systems will be investigated during geotechnical design.

Commissioners also focused on how the building meets the street and the pedestrian experience along the reimagined Massachusetts Avenue alignment. Commissioner Wright urged additional study of the planting beds, the release path for residents leaving the facility and ways to break up the long planted facade so the avenue reads as a true pedestrian-friendly boulevard. The applicant described the release path as a secure, landscaped route designed to avoid routing released residents through the public lobby while providing a dignified route into the neighborhood.

On sequencing and reuse of existing buildings, the applicant said Building 1 of the annex will occupy an existing surface parking parcel and that Building 2 will be constructed later after partial removal of an older portion of the central detention facility. The applicant stated Building B (the larger, older CDF structure) would be taken out of use and “discontinued” when the annex is fully occupied, but the team said decisions on demolition or future reuse of that structure are outside the present scope and will be addressed later.

At the close of the hearing Commissioner Evenmore moved the zoning action and the commission voted 5-0-0 to approve final action. The commission requested a draft order from the applicant within two weeks and indicated a summary order would be acceptable. The commission also noted continuing coordination with CFA and the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) as part of federal review processes; the applicant said it planned to appear before NCPC in early April.

The project timeline presented by the Department of General Services anticipates procurement of an architect of record in 2025, design development from 2025 to 2027, and construction beginning in 2027 with multiyear phasing; the applicant described a multi-phase delivery that places Building 2 later in the schedule (construction start for Building 2 shown in the presentation as around 2031) and a full transition out of the old CDF by roughly 2035.

The record for this design-review application includes letters of support from ANC 6B (9-0-0) and ANC 7D (6-0-1). No witnesses registered for public testimony in support or opposition on the day of the hearing. The Zoning Commission closed the record and approved final action based on the filed exhibits and testimony.

The commission noted several follow-ups for the applicant to address in later design phases, including: refinements to the streetscape and plantings along Massachusetts Avenue to improve pedestrian experience; detailed stormwater management and tree-preservation plans for the southwest property edge adjacent to Congressional Cemetery; final TDM commitments as coordinated with DDOT; and continued coordination with CFA and NCPC on exterior materials and massing.

Quotations used in this story are taken from public testimony at the March 17, 2025 Zoning Commission hearing and attributed to named speakers in the record.