The General Services Administration said Wednesday that it has sold the Old Post Office Building at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, closing another chapter on the landmark that once housed the Trump International Hotel. The deal keeps the building moving forward under the existing ground lease, with Hilton’s long-term role as operator expected to continue under a new leaseholder.
The sale is drawing attention because it affects one of the most recognizable addresses in Washington, just steps from the White House, and because it comes with guardrails attached. The terms permanently secure public access to the clock tower, lock in a preservation covenant for the building’s Romanesque Revival architecture, and include a fine arts covenant covering works inside the property, among them Robert Irwin’s “48 Shadow Planes” and a historic Benjamin Franklin statue.
The Old Post Office Building was completed in 1899 and originally served as the headquarters for the U.S. Post Office Department and the city’s post office. It later became the Trump International Hotel from 2016 to 2022, after the Trump family firm sold the leasing rights for $375 million, and it reopened later in 2022 as the Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C. under Hilton management.
That change in ownership leaves a central question intact: who ultimately ends up controlling the building and land. The reported that BDT & MSD Partners acquired the building and land for $80 million and that a bank is discussing selling the property for a total of $400 million, while BDT MSD Partners has the right of first offer under the existing ground lease. Even with the sale moving ahead, the hotel operation is expected to stay in place, which means the more visible change may be in who sits behind the lease rather than who welcomes guests at the door.
