Zoning Commission Approves George Washington University modification for 2001 Pennsylvania Ave NW

The District of Columbia Zoning Commission on June 8 approved a modification to the planned unit development for 2001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW filed by George Washington University, voting 3–0 to allow broader university uses for the 11-story property while preserving a designated retail bay and authorizing updated building signage.

The commission’s motion (ZC Case No. 87-23A) authorizes the university to use the eastern ground-floor bay and upper floors for university purposes — including near-term administrative offices and prospective student-facing programs — while keeping the western 2,700-square-foot bay as retail. Lee Templan, attorney for the applicant, told the commission that “the university is proposing an adaptive reuse of the building that will help draw activity north of Pennsylvania Avenue.”

Why it matters: the building sits in the Golden Triangle business improvement district and the university said conversion will reactivate an underutilized downtown site amid elevated office vacancies. Office of Planning recommended approval, and ANC 2A and ANC 2C submitted letters supporting the modification subject to the university’s proposed conditions, including reopening District House to public daytime access and filing a follow-up PUD modification for District House within 90 days of the final order.

Key approvals and conditions - Retail preservation: the university committed to retain the western ground-floor bay as publicly-accessible retail in perpetuity as part of the modified PUD order. The commission accepted that condition as part of the final action. - District House: the university agreed to reopen District House for public access during weekday daytime hours (the applicant said an initial operating window of roughly 10 a.m.–6 p.m. had been discussed) and to submit a formal modification to the District House PUD within 90 days of the issuance of the final written order. - Signage: the modification allows new illuminated building identification signage on I Street and 20th Street frontages and at the I Street ground floor, subject to plan review for compatibility with the surrounding streetscape. - Bicycle parking relief: the applicant sought flexibility from the zoning requirement for short-term bicycle spaces and from the 120-foot proximity rule for certain racks because of a 23-dock Capitol Bike Share station and narrow frontages. Transportation consultant Jamie Milanovich said the proposal would provide “a total of 40 long-term spaces” with 18 horizontal spaces added and 36 short-term racks, short of the 62 short-term spaces required under the zoning regulations for the proposed university use.

Community reaction and unresolved opposition The proposal drew formal support from ANC2A and ANC2C but sustained opposition from the West End Citizens Association (WCA). Barbara Kao, testifying for WCA, recapped past grievances with GW’s fulfillment of public-benefit commitments and urged clearer, enforceable conditions. “We felt misled about this entire 2100 Pennsylvania experience,” Kao said, citing a prior case where community expectations for retail and daycare were not met and urging monetary or programmatic mitigation for neighborhood needs.

Applicant response and offers The university’s representatives said they had conducted extensive outreach with the ANCs and the Arts Club, and that the District House reopening responded directly to community feedback. Counsel and university staff emphasized that PUD commitments are intended to be durable and that they had provided pre-hearing conditions in writing. The university also signaled willingness to negotiate additional mitigations with WCA; applicant representatives indicated they would seriously consider a $25,000 contribution to St. Mary’s Court’s resident-relief fund if it helped resolve outstanding neighborhood concerns.

Vote and next steps A commissioner moved to take final action on ZC Case No. 87-23A; the motion was seconded and the commission recorded three yeas — Commissioners Iamora, Miller and Hood — with two commissioners absent, approving the modification 3–0. Chair Anthony Hood requested that a draft order be submitted within three weeks to allow any last coordination on conditions between the applicant and neighborhood representatives. The commission closed the record and announced a follow-up executive session scheduled for June 11.

What remains unresolved The West End Citizens Association kept party status and said it will remain a party in opposition unless the commission’s final order incorporates additional, binding neighborhood measures that WCA can review. The applicant and WCA indicated they will continue negotiations outside the commission hearing record, and the commission left space for final order language to reflect any agreed conditions.

The commission’s action allows the university to proceed with planning for adaptive reuse pending issuance of the final written order and any subsequent appeals.