Georgetown University is set to expand its Capitol Campus and enlarge its capacity for students to participate in its programs by acquiring an $89 million apartment complex on 77 H St. NW near Union Station.

Georgetown’s Capitol Campus, first established in 1971 following the downtown relocation of the Law School, expanded in 2019 with the establishment of the first Capitol Applied Learning Lab (CALL) building. Since then, the downtown campus has rapidly grown to include academic buildings and student housing near Union Station.

This expansion is occurring as the university moves the McCourt School of Public Policy downtown to 125 E St. NW in Summer 2024. Georgetown has been under contract to purchase the 303-unit 77 H apartment complex to grow its Capitol Campus.

A university spokesperson said the building’s addition is due to Georgetown’s anticipation of the greater demand for housing at the Capitol Campus, although the changes will not take effect immediately. 

“We know that approximately 100 residents of 77 H identify as students, and we anticipate greater demand for student housing from Georgetown graduate and undergraduate students who will take classes at our Capitol Campus,” the spokesperson said.

CALL gives Georgetown undergraduates the opportunity to live and take classes in downtown D.C. while pursuing an internship for one semester. Currently, CALL students and others in graduate programs are housed at 55 H St. NW, a 158-unit housing complex. 

Former CALL student Ashley Kulberg (CAS ’24), who spent one semester at the CALL, said that students who live off campus at the Capitol Campus can feel disconnected from the main campus.

She said that an expansion would therefore help to increase a sense of community by incorporating a larger student population at the Capitol location. 

“I really enjoyed my time there, but it did feel a little bit disconnected from the main campus, so I feel like that as the program gets larger, it will feel more like a community within itself, so it won’t feel so separate from the typical Georgetown experience,” Kulberg told The Hoya.

Genevieve McCarthy (LAW/GRD ’25), a student at the Capitol Campus, lived at 55 H Street during the 2022-23 academic year. McCarthy is seeking a joint degree in law and a master’s degree in Latin American Studies, in which she took classes on both the Capitol Campus and Main Campus.

McCarthy said the sense of separation from the main campus community was prevalent in the master’s and law degree programs as well, particularly having to travel between the campuses. 

“When I would go for class this semester, I had one class on the Main Campus, I would just go to class and then leave immediately. Even though there were a lot of events and there’s a lot of things that my program was doing, I wasn’t going to those because I had a good excuse of not really being a full-time student anymore,” McCarthy told The Hoya.

Nonetheless, Kulberg said that housing conditions are significantly better at the Capitol Campus compared to the main campus as everyone gets a single room and some of her friends even had suites. 

“I think overall the housing on the Capitol Campus is much better than the Main Campus. For example, it’s the only undergraduate student housing where everyone gets their own room,” Kulberg said.

McCarthy noted that although the facilities and amenities themselves were much better than normal dormitory living, the prices were not comparable for graduate students who also have the option to privately rent their own apartments in the area with more space. Prices at 55 H Street are $2,060 per resident per month for two people and $1,500 per resident per month for 4 people. 

“I think a lot of people pay around 1,500 to live with roommates, even though they get a much bigger space. So it’s not a good price,” McCarthy said. 

Georgetown is yet to announce the specific use of its new building on 77 H St. and whether it will introduce new academic spaces or housing. The luxury apartment building is outfitted with amenities such as a swimming pool, game room and gym. 

The university spokesperson said Georgetown made this latest real estate investment to improve students’ experiences at the CALL.

“Georgetown University is investing in the acquisition of 77 H Street as part of our ongoing efforts to create a vibrant living and learning community at our Capitol Campus,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya.