[Archived] City Successfully Lures U.S. Patent and Trademark Office


News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:	Monday, June 14, 1999
Contact:	Angelita Plemmer, City Manager's Office, (703) 838-4300; Paula Riley, Executive Director Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Inc. (703) 739-3820

City Successfully Lures U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

As one of the largest economic windfalls in the City of Alexandria's 250-year history, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) announced "the Record of Decision" today that it will be moving its headquarters to the Carlyle site, west of Old Town along Duke Street.

The move will bring an unprecedented 7,000 new employees to the City and generate an estimated $6.4 million a year in tax revenues.

The PTO, currently located in Crystal City, will occupy more than 2.25 million square feet of space in its new location. The General Services Administration, which made the decision along with PTO to relocate the agency, will make the final award in August 1999. To

accommodate the move, developers will construct five office buildings along Dulany Street.

Luring the federal agency to the attractive 16.3-acre site became a top priority for Alexandria officials, who began working on the project in 1996.

"The PTO brings national and international prestige to our great City and we welcome them as the newest member of our technology community," Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley said. "This move will enhance Alexandria's image as a center for business and technology."

The Carlyle site is an excellent move for PTO and the City of Alexandria. It offers a high-density building located adjacent to a Metro station and in close proximity to the businesses of Old Town Alexandria. In addition, this location will further spur additional high quality development along Eisenhower Avenue. LCOR is the Bethesda, Md.-based developer for the project.

"We look forward to working with PTO and LCOR in planning, building and occupying this space," Donley said.

PTO processes more than one-half million patent or trademark applications and receives more than 800,000 information requests a year.

Mayor Donley also announced that Alexandria City Manager Vola Lawson has appointed a City team to respond to development and regulatory issues associated with the construction of this new facility. The team will be led by Planning and Zoning Director Sheldon Lynn and Transportation and Environmental Services Director Tom O'Kane.

"This team is in place to ensure that we are responsive to the needs of the PTO and LCOR," Ms. Lawson said. "This is an enormously important development project for the City and our goal is to move the process as expeditiously as possible."