Friendship Commons is set to bring more than 500 residences, green space, and new community connections to Friendship Heights.
SK&A is providing structural engineering services for a new multifamily building planned as part of Friendship Commons, the redevelopment of GEICO’s former headquarters campus in Friendship Heights.
Located at 5260 Western Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, the broader redevelopment spans nearly 30 acres fronting Willard Avenue, Friendship Boulevard, Western Avenue, and Brookdale Neighborhood Park. According to the Washington Business Journal, EYA LLC and Bernstein Management Corp. are under contract to acquire and redevelop the 514,000-square-foot former headquarters campus into, initially, more than 500 residences. The first phase is expected to include up to 185 townhomes, 96 condominiums, and between 235 and 250 apartments across three buildings, along with community green space.
SK&A’s work focuses on one of the planned multifamily buildings: a stepped seven-story apartment building with two levels of below-grade garage. The structure is planned as Type IIIA wood construction above a Type IA concrete podium and will include approximately 245 apartment units, residential space, amenity areas, loading space, and parking for approximately 160 to 170 vehicles. The building is anticipated to pursue LEED Silver certification.
The SK&A team includes Walid Choueiri, PE, SE, and Monika Crandall, PE, LEED AP. We look forward to working with Torti Gallas + Partners, EYA, and JM Zell Partners as the Friendship Commons redevelopment moves forward.
As Friendship Heights continues to evolve, Friendship Commons represents a major opportunity to transform a former corporate campus into a more connected residential neighborhood with new housing, community green space, and improved integration with the surrounding area.
Source Note: Project information and renderings shown above were obtained from the Washington Business Journal article, “EYA, Bernstein Management jointly redeveloping GEICO headquarters,” by Michael Neibauer, Managing Editor, Washington Business Journal, published March 24, 2026. Renderings are credited to EYA LLC.
