NAB Looking for Buyer of Longtime Offices

WASHINGTON—There may not be an official “For Sale” sign up yet, but the National Association of Broadcasters is beginning the process of finding who—or what—will replace them at their current residence near Dupont Circle in Washington D.C., as first reported by the Washington Business Journal.

The NAB’s current location is at 1771 N St. NW. The building, which dates to 1969, is being marketed to prospective buyers by CBRE Group Inc. The seven-story building could be sold to another owner-occupier; it is also being marketed as an opportunity to convert the building into residences or a hotel. According to the Washington Business Journal, the space at 1771 N St. SW comes with a two-level parking garage and is assessed at about $16.3 million in D.C. land records.

The NAB broke ground for its new offices in the Capitol Riverfront area last year and is now eyeing a mid-2019 move-in date, according to Dennis Wharton, executive vice president of communications for NAB. When the project was announced in 2015, it was aiming for fall 2018.

NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith, speaking last year about the existing location, recalled that “as a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, I went to the NAB once, and swore I’d never go again.” When dealing with Capitol Hill, Smith said, “You have to be about 15 minutes from a vote, or you really can’t engage with associations or other advocates.”