Plans filed in WashingtonD.C. zoning officials show proposed new office and entertainment space for Netflixwith street views, cinema room and reception area for special events.
The project will occupy approximately 14,000 square feet of former retail space on the ground floor of the former Woodward & Lothrup department store building, a historic landmark rehabilitated more than 20 years ago. According to the plans, Netflix will also occupy space on the second floor, primarily for offices.
“Netflix's proposed location at the site immediately eliminates vacant space along key building facades and creates a positive impact for the downtown area, signaling a new, significant investment and presence in the area and the county as a whole,” a representative for the building's owner, Douglas Development, wrote in a statement filed with the county. “This investment is proof that the county's downtown efforts are working, and more may follow.”
Suggested Netflix viewing room.
Douglas Development Zoning Application
Netflix, like all major studios and their parent corporations, already has a lobbying presence in Washington, but these tend to be offices with little or no presence. The streaming giant is currently located in a small space on Pennsylvania Avenue, just a few blocks from the White House.
The Motion Picture Association's I Street headquarters includes a glass-enclosed lobby that regularly hosts screenings of its members' major releases in one of Washington's finest and most technologically advanced movie theaters. But screening space is limited due to the closure of some preferred venues, such as the Newsseum, which closed six years ago, and more recently the E Street Cinemas, which hosted smaller events and independent films, closed. Also excluded from the list is the most prestigious venue of all, the White House Theater, which was demolished last week along with the East Wing as part of Donald Trump's plans to build a huge new ballroom.
According to the application, the Netflix space at 1025 F Street will include an arrivals area with a red carpet, a welcome lobby, co-working space, a screening room and open-concept office space spanning approximately 14,000 square feet.
The space will not be open to the public, but plans include “a potential recessed entry sequence to allow for greater public interaction, especially during shows or other similar events. Windows will “integrate displays and other interaction opportunities where possible.” The ground floor will include space for “limited screenings, receptions, premieres and other organized events.”
“The result will be that a long-vacant retail space will be revitalized by an active office user, uniquely energizing the streetscape and entire downtown at this important intersection,” a Douglas Development spokesperson wrote. They are seeking approval from the Zoning Commission because it requires a change from retail use to arts and entertainment office use.
A Netflix representative declined to comment. The company regularly evaluates its real estate portfolio for growth. The lease on its current offices is set to expire in November, according to the Washington Business Journal, which first reported Netflix's plans.
