Our reception will be held in the Pavilion Room at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Telephone: 202.312.1300

History of the building:
The Federal Triangle, which occupies the wedge of land between Pennsylvania and Constitution Avenues and 14th Street, was known in the 1890s as “the plague spot of Washington” for its brothels and saloons that flourished alongside offices of the city’s four daily newspapers and its leading banks, theaters and hotels.

In the early 1900s, city planners, architects and government officials launched a movement to resurrect Pierre L'Enfant's glorious plan for the nation’s capital, which would have developed the site. The great surge of construction yielded eight monumental buildings between 6th and 15th Streets. By the mid-1930s, the country was deep in the Depression and construction stopped. The triangle was paved over and used as a parking lot for more than 50 years.

In 1987, Congress passed the Federal Triangle Development Act, authorizing a Federal building complex and international cultural and trade center to complete the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Avenue. The Act specified that the building "reflect the symbolic importance and historic character of Pennsylvania Avenue and the nation's capital" and "represent the dignity and stability of the Federal Government." Construction of the Ronald Reagan Building began in 1990. The building, named after President Ronald Reagan, who had signed the legislation authorizing its construction, was officially dedicated on May 5, 1998.

Today, the former "plague spot" showcases a "crown jewel." The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center is the nation’s newest "architectural triumph" and most majestic landmark.