CityCenterDC, colloquially called CityCenter, is a mixed-use development consisting of two condominium buildings, two rental apartment buildings, two office buildings, a luxury hotel, and public park in downtown Washington, D.C."Center of Attention." Downtown Update. June 2008. Accessed 2011-08-27. It encompasses and covers more than five city blocks.Echols, Tucker. "Archstone Executive Al Neely Dies." Washington Business Journal. September 21, 2010. The $950 million developmentO'Connell, Jonathan. "CityCenter Project to Commence in April." Washington Post. October 22, 2010. began construction on April 4, 2011, on the site of the former Washington Convention Center—a site bounded by New York Avenue NW, 9th Street NW, H Street NW, and 11th Street NW.Irwin, Neil. "Seven Groups Vie for Downtown Project." Washington Post. December 12, 2002. Most of the development was completed by June 2015. Metro Center and Gallery Place, two of the city's busiest Metro stations, are within three blocks of CityCenter.Pristin, Terry. "Blocks From the President, Developers Plan Big." New York Times. June 21, 2011. Accessed 2011-08-18.
The development is one of the largest 21st-century downtown projects in the United States,Howell, Tom. "CityCenterDC a 'Piece of the Puzzle' Downtown." Washington Times. April 5, 2011. and the largest urban development on the East Coast of the United States until the December 2012 groundbreaking of Manhattan's Hudson Yards. The D.C. deputy mayor for economic development characterized the project in 2004 as "the capstone of an effort to move the center of energy from the Mall to downtown".Russell, Virginia. "Former Convention Center to Be Capstone on Change." Roll Call. June 2, 2004. In 2007, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty called the development a "live, work and play environment unlike anywhere else in D.C."
Geography CityCenter occupies a 10-acre lot in downtown Washington, D.C., bounded by 11th Street NW on the west, New York Avenue NW on the north, 9th Street NW on the east, and H Street NW on the south. 10th Street NW runs north–south through CityCenter, and I Street NW runs between 9th and 10th streets. CityCenter is within a few blocks walking distance from both Metro Center and Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stations.
Palmer Alley
The main spine through CityCenter is Palmer Alley, a three-block long pedestrian mall running east–west through the middle of the development. Palmer Alley is one of Washington, D.C.'s only pedestrianized streets, on which motor vehicles are not allowed. It is frequently lined with public art Historically, the site featured a network of alleys that shaped its urban character. However, the construction of the old convention center imposed a superblock, erasing these features and disrupting the finer grain of the city. During the site's redesign, the alleys were thoughtfully reintroduced to break down the scale, improve walkability, and reconnect with the site's historic fabric.
The Plaza at CityCenter Between 9th and 10th streets, Palmer Alley runs through a plaza that extends north–south between H and I streets. The plaza features patio seating for several restaurants, fountains, and a video art installation. In designing the plaza, the landscape architects drew inspiration from quilting traditions, specifically the vibrant and improvisational patterns of the Gee’s Bend quilts. As a tribute to Washington, DC’s rich African-American heritage, these patterns informed the layout, weaving cultural memory into the very fabric of the space.
The Park at CityCenter
The northwest corner of CityCenter is a park that regularly hosts events and art installations, including an annual 75-foot Christmas tree, a summer farmers market, and other interactive exhibits. The park features a large fountain, placed with historical intention. In Pierre Charles L’Enfant's original plan for Washington, he envisioned a grand fountain at this very location. Honoring that vision, the designers incorporated the fountain into the modern layout. The marble used throughout the park is the same type found at the Washington Monument, reinforcing a material link to the city’s monumental core. The park also forms a bow tie shape with its counterpart across the street — a configuration found throughout Washington, DC. These bow tie spaces were part of the L'Enfant Plan from the beginning, blending geometry, symmetry, and purpose into the city’s fabric.
Tenants CityCenter is home to many stores and restaurants, as well as offices, apartments, condominiums, and a hotel, fulfilling the planners' goals for tenancy, although the development has been criticized for a lack of foot traffic.
Offices The law firm of Covington & Burling occupies a majority of the office space at CityCenter, with more than 500 lawyers spread between two buildings. The American Hospital Association also has an office in CityCenter, as does the Qatar Foundation.
Retail
Many high-end retail stores are found in CityCenter, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Hermès, Burberry, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, David Yurman, Loro Piana, Morgenthal Frederics, Kate Spade New York, Akris, Carolina Herrera, Allen Edmonds, Longchamp, Arc'teryx, TUMI, Giorgio Armani, Brioni, Paul Stuart, Brunello Cucinelli, Jo Malone London, VINCE., Christian Louboutin, Bulgari, Brietling, Chanel, and Moncler. A Tesla dealership opened in 2017.
A Tiffany & Co. store opened in March 2019 in the Conrad hotel.
Restaurants
Restaurants at CityCenter include Momofuku CCDC and Milk Bar. There is also a DBGB Kitchen & Bar and a Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House, Mediterranean restaurant Fig & Olive, and Italian restaurant and market Centrolina. Smaller cafes include the Fruitive juice bar, Dolcezza Gelato & Coffee and Tatte Bakery & Café.
In 2019, Bryan Voltaggio and Michael Voltaggio opened a restaurant called Estuary in the Conrad hotel.
Hotel The Hilton Conrad hotel opened in 2019 with 360 guest rooms and 32,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Notable residents Notable residents at CityCenter include former Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks, former attorney general Eric Holder, and Senator Claire McCaskill. White House aides Hope Hicks and Stephen Miller also lived in CityCenter.
Planning
First stages of planning The Washington Convention Center, Washington, D.C.'s second convention center, opened on December 10, 1982.Pianin, Eric. "Gala Debut Is Set For Long-Awaited Convention Center." Washington Post. December 10, 1982. But just eight years later, the facility's small size and a nationwide boom in the construction of convention centers had caused the convention center to see a dramatic drop in business.Hedgpeth, Dana. "Convention Group's Chief Quits; Mobley Drew Fire As Center Lagged." Washington Post. March 24, 2000. In May 1990, the city unveiled plans for a new $685 million, convention center.Melton, R.H. "Convention Center Plans Unveiled." Washington Post. May 30, 1990. Ground was broken for the new Walter E. Washington Convention Center on October 2, 1998.Evans, Judith. "High Hopes Surround Convention Center." Washington Post. October 2, 1998.
Differing plans were suggested for redevelopment of the site of the existing convention center. In 1998, leaders of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, and the Federal City CouncilThe Federal City Council is a nonprofit organization of about 170 private individuals highly placed in federal and local government, law, construction, business, the arts, and civic and religious groups who work behind the scenes to lobby for major development projects in the District of Columbia and the D.C. metropolitan region. It is highly influential in D.C. politics, but also somewhat secretive. See: DeBonis, Mike. "Read the Federal City Council's New Strategic Plan." Washington Post. August 12, 2011. proposed construction of a $1 billion development that would include a hotel, music museum, and retail space.Fehr, Stephen C. "D.C. Site Pushed for Music Museum." Washington Post. July 26, 2000. In 1999, a D.C. government study proposed constructing a new Major League Baseball stadium at the site.Kovaleski, Serge F. and Timberg, Craig. "Wanted: A Place to Play Ball." Washington Post. May 5, 2002.
Anthony A. Williams, Mayor of the District of Columbia, established a task force in July 2000 to advise the city on how to redevelop the Washington Convention Center site. Although the mayor's task force had not issued its report, on November 14, 2000, Williams unveiled a city-wide development plan that proposed constructing a major new public attraction (such as a museum) on the land.Wilgoren, Debbi. "Williams to Unveil Vision For a Vibrant Downtown." Washington Post. November 14, 2000. The plan also suggested building city-owned parking garages (to alleviate a severe downtown parking problem), reopening I Street NW and 10th Street NW (both of which had been blocked by the old convention center), and constructing 1,000 apartments or condominiums at the site.Wilgoren, Debbi. "D.C. to Move Quickly to Launch Downtown Revival." Washington Post. November 15, 2000. The following month, Williams announced that the Office of the Deputy Mayor would oversee the redevelopment design effort.Spinner, Jack. "Price Scrambles to Prove D.C. Can Be a Development Dynamo." Washington Post. December 25, 2000. By May 2001, city officials were suggesting a development similar to Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, California, or Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts.Wilgoren, Debbi. "Center of Something New." Washington Post. May 13, 2001. The city hoped to open bids regarding the project in 2002. Two months later, Mayor Williams said that his vision for the site included housing, a museum (although not necessarily a music museum), a public park, and a theatre.Spinner, Jackie. "D.C. May Let Developer Offer Plan For Old Convention Center Site." Washington Post. July 2, 2001. Other city officials said at that time that instead of the city specifying the structures to be built on the site, the city might issue a request for proposals (RFP) which would give private developers the opportunity to make recommendations for the site's use. In March 2002, the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom signed a letter of intent to take office space in any development that was built.Irwin, Neil. "Law Firm to Rent at New Site." Washington Post. March 22, 2002.
Obstacles The development hit its first obstacle in April 2002 when members of the board of directors of the National Capital Revitalization Corporation (a quasi-public corporation established by the city and charged with helping businesses open and expand in the downtown area) opposed using the existing convention center for any other use than as a convention center.Wilgoren, Debbi and Woodlee, Yolanda. "Chief Quits D.C. Group Behind Rebuilding." Washington Post. April 6, 2002. A month later, city officials and developers said that rising land prices within the city limits made using the convention center site for a baseball stadium prohibitively expensive.