FD Stonewater Completes Redevelopment for DEA Headquarters Complex

By Erin Cahill.
Updated Apr 20, 2022

ARLINGTON, Va. (PRWEB) April 20, 2022 - FD Stonewater recently completed the phased redevelopment of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) headquarters on behalf of ownership. The two-building complex at 600-700 Army Navy Drive, also known as Lincoln Place, is a Class A, 511,000 square foot, highly-secure facility located in Arlington Countys Pentagon City neighborhood. FD Stonewater also represented ownership on the 15-year lease renewal for Lincoln Place in what was the largest lease transaction in Northern Virginia in 2018.

The redevelopment of Lincoln Place enables the agency to modernize their law enforcement mission and to implement efficiencies that will allow 400 hundred additional staff to work at the headquarters complex, increasing the Countys employment base and supporting the agencys expanding mission.

At the onset of the deal, ownership committed to significant capital upgrades with the goal of transforming Lincoln Place into a best-in-class government-leased facility. The redevelopment includes secure office with 20,000 SF of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) space, caf and fitness center amenities, courtrooms, agency museum, as well as building systems upgrades for both buildings. The facility meets Federal Security Level IV requirements. One of the more unique components of the project, the 12,000 square foot DEA Museum is an interactive state-of-the-art exhibit space that displays the history of the agency and the evolution of their mission while addressing key agency themes.

The DEA has been a longstanding part of Arlingtons federal presence, and we are thrilled to see the agency choose to remain here in Arlington and make significant improvements to enhance its home here, said Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti. This newly redeveloped facility not only maintains a large employment presence that will support many other businesses in the Pentagon City neighborhood, but also entices additional visitors through the reimagined DEA Museum.

Securing swing space for DEA headquarters staff was necessary to the success of the project. FD Stonewaters leasing team secured 75,000 square feet of swing space at 2200 Crystal Drive and negotiated a 2-year term with flexible extension options. FD Stonewater provided turnkey swing space to the agency for the duration of the headquarters redevelopment and coordinated the agencys move to the temporary space.

The DEA redevelopment assignment marks the continued expansion of FD Stonewater's federal development and construction management platform. FD Stonewater has delivered other large-scale federal projects on behalf of building owners this year, including the 500,000 square foot redevelopment and restack for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus in Bethesda, MD.

FD Stonewater teamed up with SmithGroup as Architect-of-Record and HITT Contracting as General Contractor. The project delivered on time and on budget.

Ben Dineen, Principal and Director of Development at FD Stonewater, commented, Our development team was intensely focused on delivering the highest degree of service, bringing our ownership mentality to the project to optimize costs for ownership and the Government, while also leveraging our specialized government experience and technical capabilities to meet the DEAs unique requirements.

Claiborne Williams, Principal at FD Stonewater, added, This redevelopment assignment fully aligns with our core development platform, as FD Stonewater has a rich history of providing services to owners with Federal Government occupants. We are proud of this team, and especially honored to be a part of this project, while also maintaining this value-critical occupancy for ownership and positively impacting Arlington County at large.

Joe Delogu, Principal at FD Stonewater, led the lease negotiations on behalf of ownership for the long-term renewal at Lincoln Place. A long-time Arlington County resident, Delogu commented, This lease renewal and the subsequent capital investment by ownership at Lincoln Place was vital for the County and its economic growth. The redeveloped facility creates an enhanced employment base while keeping a major government tenancy, two big wins for Arlington County that will spur further growth.

About FD Stonewater FD Stonewater is a boutique real estate development, investment, brokerage, and advisory firm with offices in Arlington, VA, and Los Angeles, CA. Collectively, the firms leadership has a track record of more than $10 billion in investment and acquisitions, over 45 million square feet of lease transactions, and over 35 build-to-suit projects completed, with $1 billion of active and completed principal development and construction management nationwide.