521,000-sf

The two firms had been in the permitting and design process for well over a year. The only missing data was whether their proposed development would house the Department of Justice. Without the lease, Firstenberg says, the development still would have gone forward, but with only one office building, the proposed residential component and the 50,000-sf Harris Teeter grocery store—Noma's first.

Groundbreaking will be held on Tuesday, Firstenberg says. "We expect to make another announcement on another use at that time."

The first phase of the project will include both Two Constitution Square and One Constitution Square for a total of 1.6 million sf. One Constitution Square will have 340,000 sf of office space, a residential building with 440 apartment units, and 80,000 sf of retail space including the Harris Teeter store. The final phases of Constitution Square will include an additional 400,000-sf office building and an additional residential building with approximately 500 units. The seven-acre complex will cover an entire city block bounded by M Street, N Street, 1st Street, and the New York Avenue Metro Station. Both office buildings are being designed by HOK Architects. Clark Construction Group is the general contractor.