D.C. Center Authority Chooses Hotel Site
Staff -- Tradeshow Week, 8/1/2005
The Washington (D.C.) Convention Center Authority board voted July 15 to locate the Washington Convention Center's future headquarters hotel and expansion at a site on Ninth Street, next to the 2-year-old venue, rather than on the site of the old convention center a few blocks away. The WCCA is expected to expand the new center by 75,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space.
During the same week, Marriott Intl. confirmed that, along with billionaire entrepreneur Robert Johnson's firm RLJ Development, it has offered to fund and build the 1,000-plus-room hotel. Previous plans had called for the District of Columbia government to fund construction of the hotel.
But, "the city had recently approached us to take a look at all kinds of options and opportunities to expedite this," said Roger Conner, a Marriott Intl. spokesman.
Before it gives its final approval, the WCCA board has directed its finance and development committees to create a report to be submitted to the Washington, D.C. mayor and City Council.
Thomas Mobley Jr., WCC general manager and CEO, said he feels "that the Ninth Street site is the best location for ensuring continued long-term success of the convention center."
Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television, through RLJ has over a dozen investment properties, the three largest being the Hilton Cancun Beach & Golf Resort in Cancun, Mexico; Chicago's Hilton Garden Inn; and the Washington (D.C.) Terrace Hotel.
The Bethesda, Md.-based firm in April closed its first private-equity fund with $315 million in equity commitments.
