Moving 200 employees and expanding an office’s square footage by 10k SF is not easy. The American Psychiatric Association shared with us details of its year-long decision to move from Arlington to DC.

The 36,000-member association will move from Rosslyn, where it’s been for 12 years (before that, it was on K Street), to The Wharf at 800 Maine Ave. The mixed-use water community will be home to APA’s 63k SF HQ at the end of 2017. The association, the first organization to commit to occupying space in this under-construction project, signed a 10.6-year lease. President Renée Binder (above) tells us it’s a unique opportunity to design the space to be more open and collaborative.

APA knew it wanted to move back to DC once its Rosslyn lease expired. But there were several questions: Where in DC? How much space? And would future technology reduce space requirements? The association’s board of trustees set up a work group made up of APA members and real estate, financial and legal consultants. APA wanted to be close to Capitol Hill, federal agencies and other health-focused organizations. It also wanted to be easily accessible to visitors, employees and members.

The Wharf, part of DC’s Southwest waterfront, will be a 3M SF mixed-use project that includes residential buildings (one with a music hall), a yacht club, two parks, and several restaurants and retail. Dr. Binder says the large space will allow the association to host its own conferences and have plenty of room for full staff meetings and future growth. She says APA will have signage rights, and she’s hoping the greater visibility may help decrease the stigma surrounding mental health.