Just a brief stroll from the Dupont Circle Metro station in Washington, D.C., space that was previously used as offices is being transformed into residential units, according to WTOP News. Mayor Muriel Bowser has stated that the District is at the forefront of this trend.
During the groundbreaking for The Geneva, which the Bowser administration touted as the largest office-to-residential conversion project in D.C. history, Bowser expressed her growing enthusiasm for such projects. Bowser noted that it was previously considered overly challenging to transform office buildings into residential spaces; however, she mentioned that developers have reached out to her regarding the feasibility of such conversions.
She said D.C. is “the No. 1 jurisdiction in America to convert underutilized buildings to world-class housing. So let’s give ourselves a round of applause.”
The Geneva will add 532 housing units to the Dupont Circle neighborhood, including 60 affordable units. Additionally, Bowser revealed that two further conversion projects have received conditional tax abatement awards via the program: one located at 2121 Virginia Ave. NW and the other at 899 Maine Ave. SW.
Nina Albert, who serves as the D.C. deputy mayor for planning and economic development, stated that the program has been expanding since 2023.
“In our pipeline, we have a new 4,200 units. So that brings us over 8,000 new units in Downtown that have been office-to-residential conversions,” Albert said.
One aspect of the aim is to increase the population of Downtown D.C. by 15,000 residents by 2028.
