Finally Some Action at 14th and G St, NW

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by Prince Of Petworth September 1, 2016 at 2:05 pm 11 Comments

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“Dear PoPville,

Wasn’t this supposed to be an Armenian Genocide museum? Anything is better than the current vacant building.”

Back in May we learned about plans for the once beautiful former National Bank of Washington building – no longer plans for an Armenian Genocide Museum – next up restaurant and retail. Updates when construction progresses and more info is released.

14th and G St, NW

Linc Park SE

I can’t recall that building ever being used for anything. When was it last a bank? 1999?
- INWDC
  
  I think even before that… it would be nice to see some of the last vestiges of downtown blight finally rehabbed. I won’t hold my breath though…
- Prince Of Petworth
  
  From the Streets of Washington post: “In the late 1980s, the D.C. Preservation League began a successful campaign to have the beautiful building named an historic landmark. At the hearing held before the Historic Preservation Review Board in June 1990, NBW vice president David George testified that his company had no objection to the historic designation of either the interior or the exterior, although he noted that the bank intended to get rid of the ground floor retail tenants and use that space for its own banking needs. Further, the bank might want at a future date to build additional floors on top of the structure, as the building was designed to accommodate such future expansion. —But none of this really mattered. Less than two months later, the federal government seized control of NBW, declaring it insolvent, and sold its assets to the Riggs National Bank. Riggs declined to use the old building for any of its own operations, beginning its long period of dormancy.”
  
  https://www.popville.com/2012/03/streets-of-washington-presents-the-national-bank-of-washington-building/
  - Linc Park SE
    
    That is a sad waste of buikding and location. Literally the same amount of time Ive lived in DC.
    - Prince Of Petworth
      
      I just can’t believe something is finally actually happening!! Fingers crossed, knock wood…
  - 2b3s
    
    And Hahn Shoes was done by 1995, so the building has been completely empty for a staggering 21 years.
- jburka
  
  PoP, of course, has the definitive response. But when I started my career after grad school, 20 years ago, my first contract was across 14th Street, in the Bond Building. Even by 1996, the building was looking decrepit and derelict.
FridayGirl

Loving the 10 story addition mistake. Hahahahaha….
- Kevin
  
  I first read it as changing 10 to 11 and thought, man, a building can’t be that tall downtown, can it?
  - Prince Of Petworth
    
    I read it that way too!
aktodc

I noticed a “Vacant Building” sign on the door today though – dated August 31, 2016…so who knows.

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