The joint venture of Rockefeller Group and Stonebridge has selected a team of world class architects to redesign Metro’s current headquarters at 600 Fifth Street NW in the Penn Quarter commercial and entertainment district. CBRE will lead the leasing program, bringing large block availability of state-of-the-art space to market at the prominent location for the first time in nearly 50 years.

The partnership plans a complete redevelopment of the existing structure and will add three floors, modern design and new systems to meet the high demand in a post-COVID environment, increasing the available square footage to approximately 400,000 square feet of contiguous office space with ground floor retail. Construction is planned to begin in January 2023 with completion in early 2025.

Pickard Chilton is a Connecticut-based global design studio known for high performance developments in major cities throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Recently completed projects include the 32-story, 1.1 million square foot headquarters tower for Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee, the 40-story, 1144 Fifteenth in downtown Denver, and the 19-story Akamai Technologies headquarters in Cambridge. The firm will serve as the base building design architect for 600 Fifth Street NW.

Kendall/Heaton Associates is a Houston-based architecture firm known for providing architect-of-record services in collaboration with some of the world’s premier design firms. The company has worked on some of the most prominent projects throughout the United States in recent years, including San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower and Comcast Center and 1800 Arch Street in Philadelphia. In the District, the company worked on the renovation and restoration of 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, the recently completed 2050 M Street, and the development of 600 Thirteenth Street. Kendall/Heaton has previously partnered with Pickard Chilton on several projects including the abovementioned Northwestern Mutual in Milwaukee and 1144 Fifteenth Street in Denver as well as River Point in Chicago, Dominion Headquarters in Richmond and Devon Energy Center in Oklahoma City.

“The location and timing of the redesign of 600 Fifth Street NW presents a once-in-a generation development opportunity,” said Pickard Chilton Principal Jon Pickard FAIA, RIBA. “At a time when many organizations are reevaluating their office space requirements and workplace priorities, we have the unique opportunity to holistically reimagine an entire city block from the inside out. It will yield a highly amenitized, next-generation office building that will be at the intersection of business, entertainment and culture, and truly bring new energy and healthful vitality to the District.”

“We are thrilled to be part of an exceptional group of owners and consultants and look forward to realizing the team’s goals and aspirations for this significant project,” said Patrick Ankney, Principal of Kendall / Heaton.

The CBRE leasing team includes Scott Frankel, Carroll Cavanagh, DJ Callahan, Dimitri Hajimihalis, and Emily Eppolito.

“600 Fifth St. will provide a workplace environment of the future with its focus on health, wellness and a reimagined interior and exterior,” said Scott Frankel of CBRE. “We’re thrilled to be a part of the team shaping this new and exciting development in the District.”

“We couldn’t be more enthusiastic about the team we have assembled for this project, with everyone set and focused on delivering an exceptional new office experience in the Penn Quarter neighborhood,” said Douglas M. Firstenberg, a Principal of Stonebridge. 

According to Hilary Allard Goldfarb, Senior Vice President and Head of Rockefeller Group’s Mid-Atlantic Region, “This redevelopment has the potential to create an extraordinary opportunity for organizations to meet the work requirements of the future, and the combination of the vision and the collaboration of the design team is going to drive that result.”

The project is located in one of the most vibrant areas downtown, between the Capital One Arena and the National Building Museum, and within a one-block walk of the Gallery Place and Judiciary Square Metrorail stations. The building has served as Metro's Headquarters since 1974 and has never undergone a major renovation. Under terms of a recently completed agreement, Stonebridge and Rockefeller Group control the site under a 99-year ground lease with Metro.

About CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2019 revenue). The company has more than 100,000 employees (excluding affiliates) and serves real estate investors and occupiers through more than 530 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

About Pickard Chilton

Pickard Chilton is a global architecture studio that designs innovative buildings and transformative environments that deliver value and inspire community. Founded in 1997, the New Haven, Connecticut-based, 50-person studio provides design services to public and private sector clients internationally.

About Kendall/Heaton Associates, Inc.

Kendall / Heaton Associates is an architecture firm with a unique focus on providing Architect-of-Record services in collaboration with some of the world’s premier design firms – allowing our clients to pair our outstanding design team management and technical acumen with the best in architectural design.