Building our future at 125 E Street

Building our future

“This is an exceptional chance to deepen ties to the communities we serve; to create collaboration opportunities for undergraduates, graduate researchers, faculty, and staff alike; and, most importantly, to do our best and most important work at the heart of the nation’s capital and as a major convening point for world policy.”

—GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PROVOST ROBERT GROVES

A transformative addition for the entire university

Home to the Georgetown Law Center for decades, Georgetown University’s growing campus in the shadow of the Capitol offers exceptional opportunities to work, learn, and serve in a city that shapes the world.

We have set out to anchor the Capitol Campus with a new academic building at 125 E Street NW. In addition to housing the McCourt School of Public Policy, this will be a landmark space for the entire university—hosting major convenings, enhancing learning and collaboration, and creating a dynamic new door to our university community.

With philanthropic support from alumni and friends, we will develop a state-of-the-art facility at 125 E and forever amplify Georgetown’s presence at the heart of Washington, D.C.

A new front door to Georgetown, 125 E will both create a unified home for the McCourt School of Public Policy and serve as a landmark addition to the university.

A downtown campus growing alongside our goals

Georgetown’s ambitions are always evolving. Today, our students, faculty, and partners are called to take on challenges that are more complex and intertwined than ever. To do our best work, we must collaborate in new ways, offer immersive learning experiences, and make connections across programs and beyond our walls.

This kind of problem-solving requires space. Space that is close to the people and institutions shaping the world. Space that co-locates students and faculty across disciplines. Space that allows these dynamic teams to pursue new research, courses, and leadership opportunities.

The new facility at 125 E will include a mix of indoor and outdoor spaces with a view of the Capitol.

Georgetown’s Capitol Campus

Emanating from the Georgetown Law Center, the Capitol Campus has expanded significantly in recent years through acquisition and new construction.

1. 600 New Jersey Avenue NW (1971)

Founded in 1870, the Georgetown Law Center was the university’s first program downtown—letting students learn the law in the place where laws are made—and in 1971 established the footprint from which the Capitol Campus would grow.

2. 500 First Street NW (2019)

Acquired in 2019, 500 First Street NW is home to interdisciplinary faculty-led centers, as well as the Capitol Applied Learning Labs (CALL), which enables undergraduates to spend a semester living, studying, and working downtown.

3. 111 Massachusetts Avenue NW (2021)

Acquired in 2021, “111 Mass” features 230,000+ square feet and will be transformed into an educational facility housing the School of Continuing Studies, the Earth Commons Institute, and other interdisciplinary programs.

4. 55 H Street NW (2022)

In fall 2022, Georgetown opened a new apartment-style residence hall housing more than 450 students. The building includes meeting and exercise spaces and will double as a living lab for the university’s sustainability goals.

5. 125 E Street NW (Expected in 2024)

Investing in a state-of-the-art academic building

The new building at 125 E Street NW isn’t just about creating more space; it’s about creating the right space. Planned at more than 130,000 square feet, 125 E will share a city block with the Law Center and connect to our 500 First Street property. It also will unify the McCourt School in one building a short walk from the U.S. Capitol.

This ambitious project includes an iconic auditorium, sweeping Capitol views, a rooftop event space, art installations by a celebrated artist, classrooms, offices, and more.

Expanding capacity and opportunity

• Increasing proximity to key institutions, organizations, and practitioners

• Enabling growth, integration of research centers

• Creating opportunities to engage visiting experts, policy makers

• Centralizing McCourt School programming

• Attracting, convening missionfocused community partners

Enhancing the learning experience

• Bringing faculty and classes under one roof

• Welcoming additional faculty members, visiting scholars, and distinguished civil servants

• Launching a new joint (McCourt School-Georgetown College) undergraduate major in public policy

• Streamlining access with an Amtrakand Metro-friendly location

Facilitating collaboration across the university

• Offering a global convening center to benefit all of Georgetown

• Inspiring collaboration among experts from the Hill to the Hilltop

• Increasing proximity to Georgetown Law’s centers and institutes

• Breaking down institutional silos to more effectively address complex challenges

to move downtown to our new home on Georgetown’s Capitol Campus—to be next door to the Law Center and near so many key government institutions. This space will physically unite the McCourt School’s research centers and academic programs, serve as a new platform for innovation and collaboration, and provide a dynamic front door to Georgetown for the policy community.”

—DEAN MARIA CANCIAN, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MCCOURT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY

“We are excited

The penthouse convening space and adjoining rooftop terrace will host prominent university events and welcome visitors from around the world.

Auditorium and lobby

A major stage where Georgetown can engage with the world

Among its new spaces, the building at 125 E will feature a 400-person auditorium, unlocking new opportunities to convene the university’s many collaborators. In addition, a main lobby adjacent to the auditorium will support pre- and post-event gatherings. This iconic space on the Capitol Campus will benefit all of Georgetown and welcome notable voices from near and far.

Rooftop event space and terrace

A convening center with sweeping Capitol views

125 E will be a destination for world-class problem-solvers looking to gather, learn, share, and celebrate. They’ll do so in a stunning indoor-outdoor rooftop event space with sweeping Capitol views and signature art installations.

Thoughtfully designed and flexible, the convening center also will include a pre-function lobby, green room, and reception space accommodating up to 200 guests for a seated dinner. This will be the site of major university events across all schools and programs, further reinforcing Georgetown’s global engagement and impact.

Classrooms, offices, and commons

A vital hub for interdisciplinary work and global impact

The sorts of interactions made possible by 125 E will be crucial as Georgetown seeks to engage with the world’s most complex challenges and set a new standard for the delivery of higher education. The building’s array of tech-enabled classrooms, flexible common spaces, and forward-looking faculty offices will allow Georgetown to be more effective in every aspect of its mission—and to attract essential talent.

From student lounges to team rooms, common areas to leadership suites, every floor of 125 E will facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration across the university and ensure that Georgetown has capacity for future growth.

“Our location in Washington, D.C., has provided extraordinary opportunities for our students and faculty to pursue their work for our community, to convene dialogues, and to contribute to issues of local and national importance.

Washington, D.C., is a vibrant and dynamic city: it’s a symbol of civic engagement, the home of our nation’s capital, and a place that represents the achievements of our country and our ongoing work for justice and equality.”

—GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT JOHN J. DEGIOIA

Join us in this ambition

Every step of our university’s expansion downtown has helped to create the physical and intellectual space for new academic programs, new students coming to Georgetown, and new avenues for impact.

Philanthropic support from alumni, parents, and friends will be essential as we seek to realize the full ambition of this premier new destination on the Capitol Campus.

To learn more about 125 E Street and its spaces, or to contribute to this priority, please contact us at CapitalProjectGiving@georgetown.edu.