Contact: Bill Rice (202) 437-7787
(Washington, DC)–The DC Office of Property Management (OPM) today issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the restoration, renovation and reuse of the Old Naval Hospital, at 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC.
Built in 1864 to serve Civil War forces, the site was used as a Naval Hospital until 1911. Subsequently, it was a private institution providing lodging for those pressing pension claims in Washington. It is a District historic landmark, just east of the United States Capitol in the heart of Capitol Hill. It is largely vacant.
“The Old Naval Hospital is tragically underutilized,” said Lars Etzkorn, OPM Director. “We want to quickly return it to productive use for the community and the District.”
"This historic building has not fared well over the years, so I am quite pleased that we are now moving swiftly to correct that by ensuring that the property is restored for a use that will be compatible with the area," said Councilmember Carol Schwartz, Chair of the Council's Committee on Workforce Development and Government Operations. "As a member of the review panel that will advise the director of OPM on this project, I look forward to reviewing the proposals that are submitted and then seeing the Old Naval Hospital go from a heartbreaking state of disrepair to a source of civic and neighborhood pride."
Maureen McAvey, executive vice president of the Urban Land Institute and chair of the ULI panel that studied the ONH said, “While the ONH clearly needs lots of work, the ULI report unambiguously demonstrates that the property can be a working jewel in the Capitol Hill community.”
The RFP is for longterm lease of the property for development and mutually agreed-upon use. Preference will be given to proposals that maximize community access, emphasize the historical nature of the site and are single use with minimal impact on the property and the community. The proposals will be evaluated by a public/private review board which will make a recommendation to the OPM Director for final decision.
Submissions are due by Monday, March 12, 2007 to the Office of Property Management. Please direct inquiries to Aimee Occhetti (202) 724-4141.