(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Mayor Vincent C. Gray today announced the design-and-construction team and unveiled plans for the new St. Elizabeths East Gateway Pavilion. KADCON, Davis Brody Bond, and Robert Silman Associates – a collaboration of firms whose individual portfolios include such internationally renowned landmarks as the National September 11th Memorial and Museum, the reconstruction of Eastern Market and the forthcoming National Museum of African American History and Culture – were awarded the contract by the District Department of General Services (DGS) on behalf of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
“We now have a seminal opportunity to activate the site for commercial activity prior to the St. Elizabeths East project’s Phase I completion in 2015,” Mayor Gray said. “The design excellence and architectural and construction prowess that the winning firms will bring to the Gateway Pavilion are what the District’s proposal for interim use here demanded, and we look forward to its construction and use by local and regional consumers.”
The Request for Proposals that preceded the award anticipated the design and construction of an innovative, flexible and aesthetically unique structure to serve a wide range of interim uses and allow visitors to experience the site before redevelopment is complete. In addition to the contract awardees, Mayor Gray was joined at the press announcement by Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry and DGS Director Brian Hanlon.
“This is an extraordinary chance to address longstanding community ambitions for economic growth while transforming a historic gem into a birthplace for education, innovation and entrepreneurial enterprise,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor L. Hoskins. “We are pleased that this distinguished alliance of firms not only presented an elegant solution to the design challenge, but expressed a comprehensive understanding of the larger objectives at St. Elizabeths East for the community, the District and the entire region and the historic significance of the campus.”
Envisioned as an interim heart for St. Elizabeths East, the Gateway Pavilion will provide a venue for casual dining, a farmers’ market and other weekend and after-hours community, cultural and arts events. It sets the stage for a once-in-a-generation development that will cultivate globally significant economic opportunities.
In addition to aesthetic design elements, the winning proposal includes recommendations for such amenities as rainwater harvesting with an underground cistern capable of supplying irrigation and water for restrooms and preliminary materials that include canvas, shiplap siding, grasscrete, burlap and reclaimed wood. The combination of strong design, sustainable building practices and site-specific and goal-oriented programming is in place to make this project a beacon of sustainable urbanism in Ward 8.
For the past two years, the District of Columbia has been diligently developing a physical redevelopment plan and a complementary economic-development strategy to guide the critical revitalization of St. Elizabeths East – the largest effort of its kind in the city. To realize the District’s goals of fiscal stability, job creation and economic competitiveness, the redevelopment will provide amenities for surrounding communities and an estimated 4,000 Coast Guard employees scheduled to arrive at their new headquarters on the adjoining St. Elizabeths West Campus in May 2013.
For more information on the St. Elizabeths East Campus, please click here.
# # #
Follow Mayor Gray on Facebook and Twitter!
Follow Mayor Gray on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MayorVinceGray and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DCGov
Media Contacts
- (202) 727-9691
- (202) 340-6318