Voice of America will move to a new headquarters in Washington.
For 70 years it has been based at its current location, almost in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol. Now VOA’s parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, has awarded a new lease establishing 1875 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW as its own future headquarters and the home of VOA.
The new location is three blocks from the White House in the neighborhood of George Washington University.
“The agency’s move to a modern facility will save taxpayers more than $150 million over the course of its 15-year lease,” the organization said in a press release. “The relocation will begin in the coming months and occur in phases over the next several years.”
USAGM and VOA currently are based in the Wilbur J. Cohen Building, an iconic structure on Independence Avenue a block off the National Mall and across the street from the American Museum of the American Indian. Public studio tours are available.
“The Cohen Building has been home to Voice of America and U.S. international public service broadcasting since 1954, and was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists as a National Historic Site for Journalism in 2022,” the organization wrote.
“Originally built for the Social Security Administration and listed among the District of Columbia’s Inventory of Historic Sites, the Cohen Building exemplifies the Stripped Classical and Egyptian Revival styles popular at the time of its inception. However, it was never optimized for a modern news organization. Even so, the Cohen Building has served as an international hub for trusted news and information for generations.”
[Read a history of the Wilbur J. Cohen Building.]
USAGM CEO Amanda Bennett said a new facility with expanded technology capabilities is important for the organization.
“[O]ur work remains critical — particularly in the face of censorship, malign influence and information manipulation at the hands of authoritarian regimes. Ensuring our continued ability to compete is the first and perhaps most vital step in winning the global information war.”
USAGM said the move will allow it to operate more efficiently and save money that can be reinvested in technology and infrastructure. “Further, the move to a more efficient space echoes a broader push to reimagine federal workspaces across Washington, D.C.”
USAGM also oversees the Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Office of Cuba Broadcasting.
The newly leased site previously housed the Federal Bar, according to its property listing from EastBanc, which offers a virtual tour and goes on to state, “It is centrally located on one of the world’s most recognized boulevards and only three blocks from the White House. 1875 Pennsylvania Ave is an interconnected, three-building complex connecting to the existing buildings at 1801 and 1899 Pennsylvania Avenue, and encompassing the north side of Pennsylvania Avenue between 18th and 19th Streets. The lobby features a dramatic, 150-foot atrium and a sloped fountain, connecting to shallow fountain pools. … Another dramatic feature are the three bridges, completely suspended from one side, which provide access to the neighboring building on the west side.”
