Heritage Foundation a player in Capitol Hill real estate

Published February 19, 2008 5:00am ET



Is the Heritage Foundation taking over Capitol Hill? One could be forgiven for thinking so.

First, the conservative think tank doubled its space on Massachusetts Avenue NE earlier this decade, after the Johnson family of Pittsburgh gave it the building next door. Heritage added radio and TV studios, a 200-seat auditorium and four floors of intern apartments in that space.

Then, last month, the organization bought 227 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, the space that formerly housed the Trover Shop until a fire there last August.

Heritage spokesman Jim Weidman said the new space will function primarily as a “House annex — a staging area for staff meetings with House staff or testifying.  …  All in all, it should help Heritage be much more ‘user-friendly’ for the House. And since that’s where all the tax and spending bills originate, we’d like to be as friendly as possible with those folks.”

He said he expects build-out to last about a year.