It does not matter whether or not you are looking for a “hairy” deal – in DC, you will most likely find a deal that is “historic”. More likely than not you will encounter (or already have encountered) the complexities of the DC’s Historic Districts. In April 2006, Mayor Anthony Williams said that “preserving buildings isn’t just about retaining architecture. It’s about preserving our history, our culture, our way of life and our spirit of community.” We have identified three issues created for DC real estate deals by the Historic Districts and related multi-faceted review procedures. We refer to them as “the three H’s”: Hard to Avoid; Hyper-Technical; and High-Quality Products. Hard to Avoid: According to the Office of Planning’s…
