Howard University Chooses Development Team for Health Research Center
By Keith Loria August 5, 2021 4:54 pm
reprints
Howard University has chosen a band of private real estate development firms to construct The National Research Center for Health Disparities, a planned laboratory and office building adjacent to the college’s main campus in Washington, D.C.
The 260,000-square-foot center will also include a residential and retail component, connecting the center to the community at large.
The development team consists of Capstone Development, Quadrangle Development Corporation and EDENS.
Located at what will eventually be the northwest corner of Georgia Avenue and Bryant Street NW, proximate to the Howard University College of Medicine and in the middle of what’s known as the “Duke District,” the research center will enable private companies to work alongside Howard University faculty on research and development of innovative solutions.
The privately developed and funded project will look to entice biomedical research organizations and pharmaceutical companies who are focused on finding solutions to chronic illnesses, particularly those impacting communities of color.
“This national research center will support the University’s Howard Forward strategic plan by expanding our reach and creating a community where the world’s best minds, thought leaders and scientists can collaborate in one place to solve historic and contemporary health challenges and make our world a healthier and safer place, Wayne A. I. Frederick, Howard University’s president, said in a prepared release.
Additionally, the National Research Center for Health Disparities will offer nearly 430 rental apartments; approximately 40,000 square feet of neighborhood-oriented, street-level retail space; and two outdoor plaza spaces for university and community events.
The development team are now in talks with prospective tenants, and construction is set to begin in 2023.
“With significant Georgia Avenue frontage reimagined as an activated pedestrian friendly street with opportunities for community engagement, outdoor dining and open spaces, this project will occupy a prominent place within Howard’s Southwest Campus development initiative and integrally connect the main campus to the amenities and public spaces emerging within this burgeoning community,” Anthony Freeman, Howard University’s real estate executive, said in the release.
Keith Loria can be reached at kloria@commercialobserver.com.
