A vacant 1960s office building at 601 Indiana Ave NW is becoming the 122-key AC Hotel Washington DC National Mall, and its historic limestone facade is staying put.
The Historic Limestone Building Is Getting a Second Life as a Hotel
The building dates to 1963 and is a textbook International Style office block, wrapped in bands of limestone and ribbon windows. Fillat + Architecture, the firm behind the design, calls the project an adaptive reuse of about 59,622 square feet.
Calco Hospitality’s Alex Vespoli told ANC 2C the plan is to preserve the limestone facade during the conversion, which is a by-right project. That means no zoning fight is needed to move forward.
By my count, the hotel would become the sixth AC Hotel in the DC area, joining locations Downtown, at the Convention Center, in Capitol Hill Navy Yard, at National Harbor, and in Arlington National Landing.
Investors Backed the Conversion With a $34.4 Million Construction Loan
The money trail is clear. A buyer under the name 601 Indiana LLC picked up the property at a foreclosure auction for $8.5 million, and deed records later showed the buyer was Houston-based Dauntless Capital Partners.
Bisnow reported that Bethesda-based Artemis Real Estate Partners then provided a $34.4 million construction loan for the hotel. Owners filed plans with the DC Department of Buildings, and BLDUP reports that permits have been issued.
Award-Winning Restaurants, the Metro, and Hill Meetings Are All Close By
The address sits steps from the National Archives, and the Metro is a short walk away. Fiola, the award-winning Italian restaurant, is nearby on Pennsylvania Avenue. Rasika serves modern Indian cooking on D Street, and José Andrés restaurants such as Jaleo and Zaytinya fill the surrounding blocks.
Advocacy travelers get an edge, too. A short cab ride up to Capitol Hill puts guests at Hill meetings in minutes.
The Ground Floor Will Open to the Public With a Bar, Restaurant, and Plaza!
Guests and neighbors alike will find a hotel lobby, and of course we love a good lobby, as it is our namesake. A bar, a restaurant, and outdoor plazas complete the ground floor.
The design opens a new storefront onto a redesigned landscape facing Indiana Avenue, and a fitness center rounds out the amenities.
The project is also registered for LEED v4 certification, according to the Green Building Information Gateway. Follow AC Hotels on Instagram for brand updates as the opening nears.
The AC Hotel Washington DC National Mall will sit at 601 Indiana Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004, near Federal Triangle. The hotel will suit visitors who want to walk to Capital One Arena, Pennsylvania Ave, the museums along the National Mall, and dinner, plus travelers with meetings on Capitol Hill.
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