AGC opens its new legislative headquarters on Capitol Hill

The Associated General Contractors of America opened its legislative headquarters last month on Capitol Hill, according to an announcement from the organization.

Located just steps away from the United States Capitol, AGC will house its congressional relations operations in the offices of a reconstructed Capitol Hill townhouse.

The townhouse also will serve as a convenient location for coalition and candidate meetings, as well as media and congressional briefings.

"With our strategic location on Capitol Hill, AGC will be more visible, have more resources and be able to provide Congress with the information they need to make decisions regarding the construction industry's many small business and labor issues.

"AGC will be a constant and visible presence for AGC members and the construction industry on Capitol Hill," said Stephen E. Sandherr, AGC's chief executive officer.

The townhouse was built in 1898 and has been a center of commerce on Capitol Hill for nearly 100 years. While it began as a private residence, it was converted to a store around 1908. The store remained in place for nearly 50 years until the townhouse began to be used as an office building.

In January 2001, AGC purchased the property, which is one of the closest commercial locations to the U.S. Capitol. The 5,000-square-foot townhouse has undergone extensive renovations in the past year.

"We have rebuilt the foundation, the roof and everything in between. Though the exterior of the structure has retained its look, the bricks were painstakingly re-grouted and colored to improve the look and restore the turn-of-the-century luster of this historical townhouse. The construction of such a modern facility in a historical building has garnered a great deal of attention and will set a new standard for historical renovation on Capitol Hill," Sandherr said.

The Associated General Contractors of America represents more than 35,000. More than 14,000 service providers and suppliers are associated with AGC through a nationwide network of chapters. The AGC Web site is www.agc.org.