Tishman, TRINITY Join $500M NoVa Project

Gramercy District will be the first 'smart city' in the D.C. area and one of the first in the country.

By Gail Kalinoski

Gramercy District rendering

Gramercy District rendering

Washington—AECOM’s Tishman Construction unit and TRINITY Group Construction have been tapped as joint general contractors of Phase 1A of Gramercy District, a technology-focused, mixed-use development that will be built in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Loudoun County, Va.

22 Capital Partners, a venture builder company and global private equity firm that invests in commercial real estate, technology and clean and renewable energy, is the lead investor. Unveiled in March, the project is estimated to cost more than $500 million. The so-called “smart city” is a 2.5 million-square-foot project on 16 acres that runs along the Dulles Greenway (Route 267) and will be located at the terminus of the new Ashburn Metro station on the Silver line.

Construction on Phase 1A is expected to begin in spring 2017 and be completed by late 2018. This phase will include a 268-unit, seven-story luxury apartment building; 26,000 square feet of retail; rooftop amenities and five stories of structured parking. Technology will be integrated into every aspect of the project, from the building systems to the parking and retail. The project will also focus on sustainable land use, community transformation and work-life integration. It will be the first smart city in the region and one of the first in the country.

Rendering of Gramercy District's Phase 1A

Rendering of Gramercy District’s Phase 1A

“We’ve put together a team known for their experience in the design and construction of commercial, residential and retail developments, who are forward thinking, ready to embrace how technology can improve our city’s overall experience,” Tom McConnell, executive vice president of Gramercy District, said in a prepared statement. “Creating a seamless integration of technology and real estate infrastructure design from the start of the construction, combined with a holistic approach to development is the most critical piece when designing a smart city. Our goal is to integrate the 22 CityLink Platform with existing real estate protocols to create a ‘Smart City-in-a Box,’ and to build a repeatable, highly efficient, sustainable and economically viable model.”

Dan McQuade, Group President of AECOM’s Construction Services, said the firm was excited to be part of a project that “highlights the transformative role cutting-edge technology is playing in today’s society.”

“Particularly noteworthy about the Gramercy District is that this project brings experts from a wide range of industries together to utilize innovations in technology that will better the way a community lives,” he added in his prepared statement.

Minh Le, managing partner of Chantilly,Va.-based 22 Capital Partners, told Commercial Property Executive in March that Microsoft was one of the investors. He declined to say much Microsoft was investing in the development, noting only that it would be contributing “knowledge capital and capital.” He did say that Microsoft would be helping to build the blueprint for the intelligent living platform that would connect all aspects of the development.

Le also stated in March another investor and partner was Crescent Ridge Capital Partners LLC.

Last week, the Washington Business Journal reported George Washington University and the Center for Innovative Technology had also joined the team as partners and would be also helping create the ‘Smart City-in-a Box’ platform.

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