In a few months, residents will begin moving into a new apartment complex in Northwest D.C.’s Woodley Park neighborhood, located on the site of the former Washington Marriott Wardman Park.
The development, named the Wardman Park project, is being spearheaded by Carmel Partners and consists of nearly 900 units.
Built on a 9.5-acre hill, the project is nearing completion.
Carmel Partners started preleasing for the first phase, Aerie, which features a higher-end 290-unit tower positioned along Connecticut Avenue, over Memorial Day weekend.
The first move-ins at Aerie are scheduled for August, while the 17-story Zephyr tower, containing 577 units, is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
The former hotel, which ceased operations at the onset of the pandemic, was a significant conference venue for the city, boasting 1,152 rooms and 195,000 square feet of event space.
Originally opened in 1918 and redeveloped in the 1970s, the iconic nine-story Wardman Tower remains on-site and continues to operate as a condo building.
Carmel Partners acquired the hotel property at an auction in July 2021 for $152 million following the previous owner’s bankruptcy filing.
The company secured a significant $360 million loan from Wells Fargo Bank in August 2023 to support the construction of the new residential complex.
This project represents the tail end of the pandemic-era multifamily boom in D.C. as it faces increased interest rates and construction costs.
According to the Washington DC Economic Partnership’s annual report, D.C. is set to see approximately 7,700 rental units enter the market this year.
However, projections indicate that only 1,363 units will be delivered in 2026, marking a ten-year low.
In 2024, only 932 rental units began construction, a significant drop from 9,028 in 2022 and 4,474 in 2023.
The Woodley Park area has seen little new construction over the past few decades, with Connecticut Avenue predominantly lined by older apartment buildings from the 1970s and 1980s.
Bradley Halverson, the general manager of the Aerie building at Greystar, remarked, “This is definitely an upgrade for Woodley Park rental living.”
One-bedroom units at Aerie start at $3,155 per month, with sizes ranging from 645 to 1,113 square feet.
Two-bedroom units are available starting at $6,195, with square footage between 1,181 and 1,327.
For larger families, three-bedroom units begin at $8,780, ranging from 1,549 to 1,819 square feet.
While Halverson did not disclose pricing for penthouse units, listings on Aerie’s website show a 1,675 square foot penthouse priced at $13,020 per month and a 1,703 square foot option at $13,130.
Pricing for the Zephyr units has yet to be determined, but it is anticipated to be slightly more affordable than Aerie.
As of the first quarter, average Class-A rents across all unit types in D.C. were reported at $2,857 per month, based on RealPage data cited by Berkadia.
Both Aerie and Zephyr have designated units reserved for residents earning between 50% and 60% of the area median income, with Aerie having 25 such units and Zephyr having 47.
There was a community push in 2021 advocating for the District to acquire the former hotel property to erect affordable housing, which found backing from some D.C. council members, but the effort was ultimately unsuccessful.
Consisting of nine stories, Aerie and 17 stories, Zephyr, the two buildings situate uniquely on a hill where the eighth floor of Zephyr aligns with the first floor of Aerie.
Together, they encompass a 1-acre courtyard featuring a resort-style pool, cabanas, grilling stations, a children’s play area, and a bocce court.
In total, the project includes four pools: a shared outdoor courtyard pool, an indoor lap pool complete with a sauna and hot tub, and an additional pool on each building’s rooftop designated for private resident use.
Moreover, the shared fitness and wellness center spans 20,000 square feet, housing the lap pool, a hot tub, an infrared sauna, and four private fitness studios.
Both buildings are designed to be dog-friendly, featuring their own dog parks and pet spas, as well as coworking spaces.
In total, the complex will have 875 parking spaces available.
Aerie distinguishes itself with higher-end appliances and a greater number of three-bedroom units compared to Zephyr, which also offers studios.
Zephyr, positioned closer to the Naval Observatory, will include a unique “observatory amenity space” that may feature lookout equipment, as mentioned by Halverson.
Notably, both buildings include penthouse units boasting similar high-end finishes and appliances.
Between the two buildings, the 1-acre central courtyard continues construction, creating a communal space between Zephyr and Aerie.
The north side of the property on Woodley Road will carry over as a publicly accessible open green space, a practice initiated under the hotel’s ownership.
This 1.5-acre lawn has historically served local schools, and planned landscaping will preserve its utility.
Shalom Baranes Associates took the lead in the project’s design, while Aerie and Zephyr selected separate interior designers—Champalimaud Design and Rodrigo Vargas Design, respectively.
Aerie’s exterior showcases custom German blue-green terracotta, complementing the adjoining Omni Shoreham and the Wardman Tower’s cupolas.
Halverson expressed enthusiasm for the project, stating, “The opportunity to bring something like this to such a well-known, stately neighborhood here in D.C. is super exciting.”
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