Indiana Avenue

Washington, DC

In the decades following the Federal Triangle construction, the neighborhood near Indiana Avenue in Washington, DC continued to decline, provoking comment from John F. Kennedy during his 1962 inaugural parade. Pennsylvania Avenue redevelopment schemes were initiated in response to Kennedy’s observations and, with the transportation projects of the 1960-70s, affected additional changes to Indiana Avenue.

In an effort to revitalize the sagging downtown area, the decayed buildings on the south side of the avenue between Third and Sixth streets, many built before the Civil War, were demolished to make way for more municipal buildings and parking lots. However, the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) recognized that some buildings, even though in various stages of disrepair, were capable of being renovated.

As the PADC Facade Restoration Program took shape, Cooper Carry was engaged by PADC to work with the building’s owners to rehabilitate the facades of three buildings on Indiana Avenue. In addition to the design project, Cooper Carry also designed renovation plans for the streetscape. Concern for the overall upgraded appearance of the façade, accessibility to the tenant spaces and adherence to the original facade design were the overarching concerns for the design team.

project scope

Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation