The former residence of the Irish Ambassador in Washington, DC is being placed on the market, a spokesperson for Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed with IrishCentral on Monday, October 2.
"Following a review of the Department’s property footprint in Washington DC, it has been decided to dispose of the current official accommodation at 2244 S Street owned by the Department of Foreign Affairs," the spokesperson said.
"A comprehensive review has been completed which has concluded that disposing of the property is the most economically beneficial option.
"Separately the Department is in the process of acquiring new official accommodation.
"The Department is now commencing a process to appoint a Real Estate Agent to manage the disposal process of 2244 S Street.
"The process of appointing an REA is being carried out in accordance with the appropriate public procurement guidelines."
The US Library of Congress says that 2244 S Street Northwest - "Frederic Delano House" - was designed by noted Washington architect Waddy Wood and built in 1924 for Frederic Delano, member of the Federal Reserve Board and uncle of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
The Irish government purchased the nine-bedroom, 7,763 sq ft property in November 1964 for £102,352.
It remained the official residence of the Irish Ambassador until 2021 when it was vacated after a safety report identified "significant issues, including around fire safety."
The official residence of the Ambassador moved to 2221 30th Street that year.
Earlier in 2023, a DFA spokesperson told The Irish Sun: "At present, the Department is renting a property at 2221 30th St which serves as both temporary official accommodation for the Head of Mission and as a promotional space for hosting events that promote trade, investment, economic and cultural relations between Ireland and the US."
It is unclear how much the DFA is renting 2221 30th Street for, though it was sold for $12.5 million in 2015 and was back on the market in 2021 for $18.5 million, the "most expensive home on the market in Washington, DC" at the time.
“The Department is engaging in an ongoing process to decide our future property requirement in Washington," the spokesperson added.
"This process is being undertaken through the Public Spending Code process.”
On September 22, Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs published a contract tender for real estate services to manage the sale of the former official accommodation to the Embassy of Ireland in Washington DC. The estimated total value of the contract is listed at $398,500.
The former Ambassador's residence at 2244 S Street has an estimated value between $4.0 million and $9.2 million according to several US property sites.
Meanwhile, Ireland's DFA has also published a tender for Real Estate Agent Services for the disposal of property located on East End Avenue in New York.
"The Department of Foreign Affairs owns a property at 1 East End Avenue in New York which, since 1957, has served as the official accommodation for the Permanent Representative to the United Nations," a spokesperson told the Irish Examiner.
"The Department has conducted a review of the property and has concluded that disposing of the property is the most economically beneficial option.
"The Department is currently considering the most appropriate options for the future provision of official accommodation for the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York."
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