Forrestal Building TAP wins top federal planning honor

NCPC, the Public Buildings Reform Board and ULI Washington received the American Planning Association’s top federal planning award for a report on the James V. Forrestal Building in Washington, D.C. The panel’s recommendations could shape the future of a major federal site near the National Mall and Southwest Waterfront.

Why it matters: - The award recognizes a plan that could influence one of the most visible federal redevelopment sites in Washington, D.C. - The Forrestal Building site sits at the edge of the National Mall and could serve as a gateway to the Southwest Waterfront. - The report’s recommendations could guide future federal disposal decisions and shape redevelopment along 10th Street, SW.

What happened: - The National Capital Planning Commission, the Public Buildings Reform Board and ULI Washington received the Outstanding Technical Planning Project Honor Award from the American Planning Association’s Federal Planning Division. - The honor was awarded for ULI Washington’s James V. Forrestal Building Technical Assistance Panel Report. - The award was announced Aug. 10, 2026. - The TAP report recommended razing the James V. Forrestal Building and redeveloping the site.

The details: - The report said redevelopment could create a gateway to the Southwest Waterfront from the National Mall and unlock opportunities along Washington’s 10th Street corridor. - The redeveloped site would likely devote more than half of its 1.7 million gross-square-foot parcel to multifamily uses. - The remaining area could support cultural, hotel or office space, along with ground-floor retail on 10th Street, SW. - The Forrestal Complex has operating costs above $41 million a year. - The complex needs more than $202 million in immediate capital repairs. - The report concluded that adaptive reuse would not be financially viable and recommended total demolition for redevelopment. - The report projected a catalytic redevelopment effect in Southwest, including disposition and redevelopment of other federal assets and private buildings for other uses. - The report said that outcome could produce a net increase of 1.9 million square feet of floor area ratio and $150.9 million in new tax revenue. - The report also recommended GSA lead coordination of the disposition and redevelopment process for surplus federal assets. - The report called for a memorandum of understanding with key stakeholders to create transparency around redevelopment parameters. - The report recommended identifying an intended public-benefit user for transfer of a public or civic parcel, such as the Smithsonian, health care organizations, universities or nonprofits. - The report urged identification of transaction structures with the strongest redevelopment potential. - The report recommended redevelopment that could include 2.4 million square feet of residential space, or 2,443 units. - The report also listed 800,000 square feet of museum or cultural space, 200,000 square feet of hotel space, or 286 keys, 200,000 square feet of office space and 73,791 square feet of retail space. - The report called for identifying capital sources, including market tools and public-private partnership options tied to transaction structure. - The report strongly recommended coordinating all dispositions to avoid flooding the market with empty federal buildings. - ULI Washington has completed more than 65 Technical Assistance Panels to date.

Between the lines: - The award gives credibility to a redevelopment framework that blends land-use planning with federal property disposal strategy. - The inclusion of tax revenue and floor-area-ratio estimates signals that the report is aimed at both public-policy and real-estate audiences. - The emphasis on coordinated disposition suggests concern that isolated sales could weaken market value and slow redevelopment.

What's next: - Federal agencies will use the planning framework as they evaluate future disposition and redevelopment options for office space in the monumental core. - Stakeholders are expected to consider transaction structures, public-benefit uses and capital sources if the site moves forward. - The report’s recommendations could also inform decisions on other surplus federal properties in Southwest Washington.