MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE
Mt Vernon Square to Union Station
6th to 7th Streets NW

Sanborn, 1904	Today	Cross Section

National Public Radio Building	Renaissance Office Complex

At the eastern boundary of Mt. Vernon Square’s influence, this block has traditionally hosted a dense, tight massing of small retail and residentially-oriented buildings, with churches and banks occupying the small triangular parcel at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and K Street. Slowly over time, larger and larger building footprints replaced the more intimate development pattern of the 1800s; only recently (1990s) have the large-lot projects of the National Public Radio Building and th e Renaissance Office Complex claimed the entire block. However, the Renaissance Office Complex’s modulated inset bays on its facade offer the conversion potential of hosting retail and entertainment uses, which would serve the public realm.