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Fannie Mae will keep downtown DC headquarters after all

What was a blow to Downtown D.C.’s commercial real estate market is now a big win, with Fannie Mae announcing it will retain a headquarters presence at its Midtown Center location.

Fannie Mae notified Carr Properties, Midtown Center’s owner, in January that it would cut its lease short using an early-out clause. The company had intended to close its headquarters there in May 2029, five years early.

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, Fannie Mae reversed course, saying it will stay with a smaller lease.

“We are pleased to have come to a new lease agreement with Carr Properties to maintain our presence at Midtown Center in Washington D.C. Our reduced office footprint will allow us to continue to best meet the needs of our employees and business operations while being fiscally responsible,” the statement said.

The new lease terms will be almost half its original lease, occupying 340,000 square feet. The length and terms of the modified lease were not disclosed.

Fannie Mae’s 720,000-square-foot lease at 1100 15th St. NW was originally set to expire in 2033. It moved to the new headquarters in 2018, leaving its longtime home at 3900 Wisconsin Ave., since redeveloped as City Ridge, a Wegmans-anchored mixed use development.

Fannie Mae has already leased new space at Reston Town Center in a recently completed high-rise. It did not say how that space would factor into its decision to maintain a headquarters presence in downtown D.C.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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