WC Smith Completes HQ for Capital’s Transit Agency

DDOT Headquarters. Image courtesy of Chris Kennedy Images

WC Smith has finished construction on the new headquarters of the D.C. Department of Transportation.

The development company broke ground on the project in January 2019 and reached substantial completion of the core and shell in September 2020. WC Smith tapped HITT as the general contractor, while Hickok Cole was in charge of the building design and Studios was tasked with designing the amenities. The architects from Hickok Cole were also responsible for the design of an $18 million renovation for a 485,000-square-foot office also in Washington, D.C.

As for the DDOT headquarters, WC Smith developed a nine-story building that offers 180,000 square feet of office space, 6,600 square feet of retail, a smaller space for the DDOT’s Commuter Store and a three-story underground garage. The building’s core and shell have earned LEED Gold certification and feature sustainable elements such as a green roof, roof terrace, 125 electric car charging stations and a bike storage room. The building’s other amenities include a fitness center, conference space, and wellness and mothers’ rooms.

Down the road for DDOT

Located at 250 M St. SE, the DDOT’s new headquarters will be located across the street from the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. A spokesperson for WC Smith told Commercial Property Executive that the agency will be moving into its new headquarters over the course of this month.

DDOT is moving from its previous headquarters less than 1 mile away at 55 M St. SE. The WC Smith spokesperson also told CPE that the DDOT’s lease at the property was expiring and had a need for more room due to the agency’s expansion. The spokesperson also told CPE that WC Smith worked closely with officials from DDOT and the district’s Department of General Services to design the building.