What's ahead for the former Key Bridge Marriott
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Authorities block off the Key Bridge Marriott hotel on March 24, 2023. Photo: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/The Washington Post via Getty Images
It appears that the former Key Bridge Marriott in Rosslyn is headed toward demolition.
Why it matters: The future of the now-vacant Rosslyn property — which sits at a prominent location near the Key Bridge overlooking the Potomac — has been the subject of much discussion, especially after a string of trespassing incidents and a fire.
Driving the news: Arlington County issued a Notice of Unsafe Structure on May 17 declaring the building a "public nuisance" due to "dangerous," "unsafe" and "unsanitary conditions" that "menace the health and safety of the building's occupants and/or the public," per a copy of the notice shared with Axios.
- The county ordered the property owner to secure the building against entry and begin the process of razing it.
State of play: Since issuing the notice, Arlington County has upped security at the site by adding fencing, exterior lighting, cameras, and additional security guards and police patrols, as well as boarding windows and doors, a county representative told Axios.
- The site's owners must apply for demolition permits and hire a contractor within 90 days from May 17, begin demolition work within 270 days, and have the building razed within 450 days, as outlined in the notice.
- If the owners fail to meet that timeline, the county will take on razing the building.
Catch up quick: The building has been vacant since 2021 when the former Marriott space was closed for a redevelopment project that included partially tearing down and renovating the existing hotel and constructing two new buildings with condos and apartments.
- However, these plans came to a standstill as the property's owner, KBLH, LLC — a subsidiary of the Los Angeles-based Woodridge Capital Partners that bought the site in 2018 — faced financial issues.
Since then, a string of incidents has plagued the empty property, which Arlington County condemned last year: a huge police and fire department force showed up to clear the building of squatters, a security guard was charged with shooting a teenager trespassing on the site, a fire broke out at the site, and there were reports of trespassers on its roof.
Context: That former Marriott, which dates back to 1959, was one of the group's earliest hotels.