Stanford University is opening a satellite office for its public policy think tank in downtown D.C.

The university purchased a nearly 10K SF office building at 1128 16th St. NW for $9M in November, according to D.C. deed records. And now it is asking for zoning approval to convert the building to institutional use for the university’s Hoover Institution.

“At a time when downtown Washington is struggling to attract businesses and institutions, and downtown buildings are losing tenants, the Hoover Institution will buck the trend and invest in the District,” the university said in its application with D.C.’s Board of Zoning Adjustment filed this week.

It added that the investment in the building “reflects Stanford’s expanded commitment to connecting research and scholarship with public discourse and policy development at the national level.”

Stanford’s renovation plans for the property include locating reception rooms, hoteling office space and restrooms on the first floor, adding a nearly 1K SF multipurpose room and conference room on the second floor, and offices and small meeting rooms on the third and fourth floors. It is also planning a new rooftop terrace.

The property will house about 10 employees, hold weekly meetings and a  “steady calendar of events,” and host visitors, according to the application.

The four-story property, built in 1906, had been owned by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute for a decade. It sits a half-mile north of the White House, adjacent to the National Geographic headquarters and museum, which is undergoing a $250M renovation.

Stanford has another D.C. location in Woodley Park, where it houses undergraduate students and holds classes for its Stanford in Washington program. The university has owned that building at 2661 Connecticut Ave. NW since 1987.

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