On September 9, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments officially reopened its modern, renovated office space at 777 North Capitol Street NE, marking a new chapter for the region’s association of 24 local governments and planning organization.

For decades to come, COG’s headquarters in the District of Columbia’s NoMa neighborhood will serve as the hub for area leaders from DC, Maryland, and Virginia to advance shared priorities and ensure that metropolitan Washington is the best place to live, work, and thrive.

After 35 years in the Center for Public Administration and Services building, the completely renovated second and third floors feature more coworking and event spaces, upgraded technology, modernized offices, and environmental graphics and digital screens to communicate COG’s mission and history. There’s even a new model train set.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, who worked at COG when she was beginning her career, joined more than 200 current and former elected officials, partners, and staff for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the historic milestone.

During the ceremony, Mayor Bowser said “I love when organizations double down on Washington, DC, and I love that the decades-long partnership between COG and the District has helped make this newly renovated space possible.

“When I worked at COG, I had the opportunity to get to know the entire region and meet so many people who are dedicated to making this the best place to live in the country. COG and its partners across the region have been working for decades to improve the systems that connect us and make our communities stronger.”

Charles County Commissioner President Reuben Collins, II, who serves as chair of the COG Board of Directors said “It’s important for us to recognize the significance of this moment. For our [COG] staff, this is a place you will call home, and it is worthy of you and the work that you do on a regional level.”

COG Executive Director Clark Mercer took the opportunity to recognize the mayor for her three terms of service and strong regional leadership and presented her with a painting of the Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge by Bill Matuszewski, a former director of the Chesapeake Bay Program and member of a COG Anacostia Watershed community advisory group.

During his remarks, Mercer noted “this project was many years in the making and began before I became Executive Director. This property was gifted to COG and two partners 40 years ago, and we recently had a decision to make regarding refinancing the building, if we wanted to stay or move. We chose to stay and redoubled our efforts to call the District and NoMa our home, and we’re going to be here another 40 years.”

COG originally broke ground on 777 North Capitol Street NE in a largely undeveloped corridor in 1988 and moved into the office space in 1990. Today, the NoMa neighborhood has transformed into a bustling community for thousands of workers, new housing, university locations, and retail.

Former Fairfax County Supervisor and former COG Board Chair Penny Gross added “We have been talking about renovating this space for so long, going back to 2012. COG’s mission to help the region had to continue despite the building’s aging infrastructure and overcrowded workspaces. If a project is worth doing, it’s worth doing well, and this one has been done magnificently.”

The $10 million project was delivered on time—completed in eight months—and just under budget. Vendors on the renovation included Bognet for construction, Fletcher Consulting as project manager, Corgan as the architecture firm, and Gropen for the signage and environmental graphic design.

COG leadership also expressed gratitude to its lender, State Farm, for a favorable refinancing agreement and building co-owner, Mission Square, for providing COG staff its ninth floor as temporary office space during the renovation.

Following the ribbon-cutting, COG held its monthly Board of Directors meeting and then a reception, providing an opportunity for guests to catch up with old colleagues and tour the new headquarters.

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View/download photos from the celebration