WASHINGTON, D.C. — Lowe and joint venture partner Mitsui Fudosan America have broken ground on Gallery 64, a 492-unit, 12-story apartment building that sits at the site of the former Randall Junior High School in Washington, D.C. The 500,000-square-foot redevelopment of the 2.7-acre site includes the preservation and repurposing of existing historic buildings into the Rubell Museum.
Gallery 64’s apartment residences, 98 of which are designated as affordable, will include studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom floorplans. The property will have 19 two-level, townhouse-style residences as well. Community amenities will include rooftop gathering spaces with fire pits, grilling stations and outdoor kitchens, a dog walk and a resort-style pool. Indoor communal areas will include a lounge with fireplace, game room, fitness center and a maker space with sound studio. A landscaped area will be in between Gallery 64 and the Rubell Museum.
The Randall School buildings closed in 1982. Two of the school’s three buildings will be transformed into the approximately 31,000-square-foot Rubell Museum, presenting contemporary paintings, sculptures, photographs and installations. Entry to the museum will be free of charge to all residents of Washington, D.C. The West Randall building will be reconfigured as an approximately 18,000-square-foot creative office building designed for a variety of potential tenants including nonprofits, cultural institutions, technology incubators and coworking businesses.
Beyer Blinder Belle Architects designed Gallery 64 with Balfour Beatty Construction serving as general contractor. The Christman Co. serves as the contractor for the historic school buildings. The entire project is being developed in accordance with LEED sustainability guidelines, with Gallery 64 following LEED Gold standards including a solar panel installation. The historic buildings will comply with LEED Silver guidelines. Gallery 64 and the overall campus redevelopment are slated to be complete by 2022.