The JBG Cos. and Marriott International have reached an agreement to allow construction to begin on the planned $550 million convention center hotel here.
According to a report from The Washington Post, construction on the 1,167-room Marriott Marquis is slated to begin this fall.
The District, with Marriott as a partner, has been trying to build a dedicated convention center hotel since before the Walter E. Washington Convention Center opened in 2003. The project appeared ready to begin last year until developer JBG, sued the city alleging an irregular procurement process, halting the development.
JBG has been accused of using the lawsuit to lean on Marriott for concessions at another property, the Marriott Wardman Park, which the developer purchased in 2005. The city, Marriott and the Washington Convention and Sports Authority then filed lawsuits against JBG.
The deal between the two companies would allow all the lawsuits to be settled, and the convention center authority to begin issuing the bonds needed to finance the hotel.
