National passenger rail operator Amtrak has inked a deal to shift its headquarters from D.C.'s Union Station, but it's not moving very far at all.
Now based inside Union Station at 60 Massachusetts Ave. NE, the National Railroad Passenger Corp. has signed an 11-year lease for 85,000 square feet at One Massachusetts Ave. NW about a block west. It will take up floors three through six at One Massachusetts, also known as the National Guard Memorial Building, starting in fall 2017.
The move will free up space at Union Station for Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., which plans to convert the office space into a boutique hotel, but those plans were unrelated to Amtrak's decision to seek new space.
Amtrak now leases about 106,000 square feet at Union Station. It retained Savills Studley to help it find alternative space as close as possible to the second-busiest rail station in its system ahead of its current lease expiration later this year. The search included existing buildings as well as the potential for new construction and it set its focus on One Massachusetts late last year.
Bart Bush, Amtrak's vice president of asset and real estate development, said in a statement the move will enable Amtrak to "optimize the effectiveness of our corporate talent," by providing more modern work spaces and technology to increase collaboration and productivity. Amtrak retained OPX for workplace strategy services and to design its new space.
Savills Studley Executive Vice President Bill Quinby represented Amtrak in the lease along with Tim Foley, David Cornbrooks and David Simmons.
The building is owned by an affiliate of the National Guard Association of the United States. The association was represented by Bert Donohoe and Don Konz of Donohoe Cos. Inc., which is the asset manager and leasing agent for the property. The association agreed to include include a large conference center and tenant-only fitness center as part of Amtrak's tenant concession package.
