The Shops at National Place

The Shops at National Place was a three-level, indoor shopping mall located in downtown Washington, D.C. in the 16-story National Place Building.[1] It is located on the block bounded by Pennsylvania Avenue, F Street, between 13th and 14th Streets NW, the former site of the Munsey Trust Building. It was located near the Metro Center station of the Washington Metro system.

The Shops at National Place
In June 2012
Location1301 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC
Opening date1984
Closing date2005-2008
DeveloperThe Rouse Company
No. of floors3
Parking450

As of 2015, owner Quadrangle Development Corp. intended to raze the building and replace it with a 283,000-square-foot, 13-story building.[2]

As of 2019, a small food court with 9 vendors, branded "Eat at National Place", operates in a portion of the space, but the court closed in May 2020.[3] A few retail shops face the street.

History

The Shops opened in two phases during 1984 and 1985. It was designed as a central piece in revitalizing downtown Washington, D.C.'s traditional downtown shopping core along F Street, NW, west of the Woodward & Lothrop flagship. The Shops replaced the former flagship stores of Raleigh's and Joseph R. Harris Co.

The first phase of 53 stores opened on May 14, 1984, and was developed by The Rouse Co. The 71,000-square-foot (6,600 m2) retail complex was hailed as "part of a very important renaissance of downtown Washington." The Shops opened concurrently with a new 774-room JW Marriott Hotel (the first in that chain), and refurbished National Theater and National Press Building.[4][5] Melart Jewelers and Sight and Sound Electronics were part of the first phase located in the JW Marriott lobby.

The 40-store phase two of The Shops opened April 25, 1985. It included August Max, Record Town, and Brooks Fashions among the original tenants. The complex featured a 15-story atrium for the refurbished National Press Building and 450 spaces of underground parking. At the opening ceremony Mayor Marion Barry proclaimed "Downtown is coming alive . . .!"[6][7] In 2008, due to many vacancies in the mall, the mall was closed, except for the food court, and the passageway to the JW Marriott. What will be done with the former mall is not known, it may be converted to office space, reopened, converted to a big-box store, or renovated and reopened.

References
  1. GmbH, Emporis. "National Place, Washington - 119528 - EMPORIS". Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  2. https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/breaking_ground/2015/04/exclusivekirkland-ellis-to-anchor-new-1301.html
  3. https://www.popville.com/2020/05/dc-food-hall-eat-at-national-place-national-press-building-permanently-closed/
  4. "53-Store Indoor Mall is Opened in District," The Washington Post, May 15, 1984, p. B6.
  5. "Major Share of National Place Sold," The Washington Post, Sep 1, 1984, p. E1.
  6. "40 New Shops Herald 'Alive' Downtown," The Washington Post, Apr 26, 1985, p. B1.
  7. "Cityscape: The News Place," The Washington Post, Apr 27, 1985, p. C1.

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