Start with one of the iconic hotels in Washington. Throw in one of the most prominent developers in the region. Add a hot New York architecture firm. Sprinkle in some boldface names such as Dwight Eisenhower, LBJ and Marlene Dietrich.
The result is 32 luxury residences at Wardman Tower that may be the most expensive units ever to hit Washington when they are finished next year.
The prices will run from $2 million to up to $8 million or more, targeting the international crowd and the upscale — obviously — suburban Potomac and Great Falls contingent who are looking to reestablish their primary residence in a city location with lots of services.
“We did significant amount of consumer research, focus groups and interviews with people who are out in the market and looking for homes like this,” said James Nozar, a senior vice president with JBG Cos. and the project director. “There’s a significant local move down market. These are people trading in the single-family homes they raised their kids in, so they would like to have essentially a single-family home in a condominium.”
The residences will have at least two parking spaces per unit and concierge service.
Chevy Chase-based JBG is teaming with Deborah Berke Partners of New York and Hitt Construction to convert 150,000 square feet in Wardman Tower. The Marriott hotel at the location would remain in operation.
The project, at the corner of Connecticut Avenue and Woodley Road, rests on 16 acres that is among the most valuable real estate in the Washington region.
Berke’s firm is designing the residences, which range in size between 2,200 square feet to a McMansion-like 4,600 square feet, with the average size of 3,300 square feet. Berke’s firm is also designing the interior spaces for the project.
Nozar said the demographic includes people who have second, third and fourth homes, but use Washington as their primary residence.
Although the units do not go on sale until later this year, there has already been interest among potential buyers, including the diplomatic community. Many foreign embassies are close by on Massachusetts Avenue NW.
The building, which has more than 1,000 windows, is at one of the higher points in the city. It also features a club room, garden and terrace.
Construction on the project is under way and is expected to be completed next year.
The eight-story, red brick, iconic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is named for local developer Harry Wardman and was completed in 1928.
The Wardman project’s chief architect Deborah Berke has a strong local connection to the Wardman Park, having resided up Connecticut Avenue a few blocks at the Kennedy-Warren while she taught at the University of Maryland.
The first “Meet the Press” — the longest-running broadcast series in television history — was broadcast from the Wardman Tower and, according to a news release by the developers, “notorious spies darkened its hallways during World War II.”
The Wardman was designed by Mihran Mesrobian and was once christened by The Washington Post as “the most fashionable apartment address in Washington.”
Danaher’s new chief executive, Thomas P. Joyce, who ascended to the top spot Sept. 9, is getting a pay raise.
Joyce succeeds H. Lawrence Culp Jr., who retired after 13 years. Culp was one of the highest paid executives in the Washington region for the past several years.
Joyce is going to do pretty well, too.
The District-based diversified conglomerate will up Joyce’s base salary to $1 million from $825,000, according to a recent filing Danaher made with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
When stock incentives, potential bonus and other considerations are taken into account, Joyce’s first year compensation target is $5.33 million, according to the compensation experts at Equilar.
The $5.33 million does not include $125,000 for personal use of the corporate aircraft and relocation benefits.
Barron’s annual conference for the top 100 advisers in the nation was held recently at Hilton’s Waldorf-Astoria in Orlando. Morgan Stanley’s Marvin McIntyre, along with 14 other advisers, was inducted into the Barron’s Hall of Fame. Barron’s ranks McIntyre as the top wealth adviser in Washington.