Photo by Matt Cohen.
For decades, Whitman-Walker—D.C.’s leading provider of HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ care and services—has been a pillar of the 14th Street NW community. And it plans to remain that way, but in a bigger, modern facility situated just a few blocks down from its famed Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center headquarters.
Yesterday, local officials christened the new Whitman-Walker headquarters at 1525 14th Street NW—nicknamed simply as “1525”—ushering in a new era for the organization that was at the forefront of battling the AIDS epidemic in the ’80s and ’90s. What’s significant about Whitman-Walker’s new seven-floor, 43,000-square-foot building isn’t just its modern decor and sleek facilitates but that it’s still a part of the 14th Street community.
“Today’s opening marks something even more profound in our city,” D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said at yesterday’s dedication ceremony. “It reminds of us of the monumental change for our [LGBTQ] community…1525 will always be a living monument [to that].”
And with Whitman-Walker’s new facility comes a boost in the services they provide. The new building features 28 medical exam rooms, nine dental suites, a concierge, health and wellness suites, physical therapy, and, at the ground level, an expanded pharmacy. Among the services that 1525 will continue to offer are primary medical care, psychiatry, pharmacy, mental health and addiction counseling, dental care, legal services, HIV counseling and testing, and more.
But with a new headquarters, that leaves the question of what will become of the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center, which is perhaps one of the oldest unchanged places in the 14th Street corridor. Whitman-Walker also announced yesterday an agreement with Streetscape Partners to redevelop their old headquarters, which sits on the corner of 14th and R Streets NW.
Of course, when the words “redevelopment” and “14th Street” are used in the same sentence, the assumption is usually uniform: expensive condos or bougie restaurants. What the Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center will be redeveloped into isn’t clear yet, but Whitman-Walker is insistent on ensuring it remains a pillar of the community.
“We haven’t made any formal decisions yet,” says Whitman-Walker Director of Communications Shawn Jain, “but we really look forward to collaborating with Streetscape and we want to get input from the community.”
Jain says that there’s a “very high probability” that there will continue to be a significant Whitman-Walker presence in the space, even after the redevelopment. He adds that it could very well continue to be used for administrative space or for new or expanded programs.
As for whether the redevelopment could be a used for residential or commercial space, that’s still up in the air. But Jain says they aren’t just going to give it to the highest bidder. “We want to be very careful stewards of this property,” he says. “We want it to be impactful for the community.”
That, he says, could mean something like LGBTQ senior housing or something of the ilk. At the very least, he says, Whitman-Walker is intent on redeveloping the building to keep “14th Street unique and vibrant.”
