Board Votes No to Historic Status for Heating Plant

In a 4 to 3 vote, the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board voted April 23 not to grant the West Heating Plant on 29th Street extra landmark status.

The D.C. Preservation League had nominated the building for landmark status within the Historic District of Georgetown, arguing that the 1940s heating plant deserved such protection. League representatives made a presentation to the Georgetown Advisory Neighborhood Commission in March. The commission disagreed with the league and said it believed that the building at 1051-1055 29th St. NW did not warrant landmark status. Even, the Citizens Association of Georgetown — known for its advocacy of historic preservation — held that the building was undeserving of special protection.

While Georgetown is a federally protected neighborhood in terms of historic preservation, the board vote makes its easier for the owners of the one-time government property to alter it, including partial demolition. (Most residents of 29th Street agree with this approach.) There are many more reviews and approvals the owners must obtain for the project.

The developers of the heating plant property, the Levy Group, the Four Season Hotel and the Georgetown Company of New York plan to make the structure into Four Seasons condominiums and dedicate some of the land as public space. The property is due south of the Four Seasons and adjacent to the C&O Canal and Rock Creek.