National Celebrates Three CREDA Awards Honors

The Stacks earns Best Marketing Program and Best Real Estate Transaction, while Aviator House receives Best Multifamily recognition at the 2026 Awards of Excellence Gala

National Real Estate Advisors (National) announced that two of its signature Washington, D.C.-area developments, The Stacks and Aviator House, received top honors at the 2026 Awards of Excellence gala hosted by the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (CREDA) DC/MD Chapter.

The Stacks earned awards for Best Marketing Program and Best Real Estate Transaction, while Aviator House received the award of merit for Best Multifamily, recognizing excellence in development, placemaking, innovation, and community impact. The awards were presented during CREDA's 24th Annual Awards of Excellence gala on October 22 in Washington, D.C.

"We're honored to see both The Stacks and Aviator House recognized by CREDA," said Katie Hartley, Managing Director of Development at National Real Estate Development. "These projects reflect our commitment to creating places that have a lasting impact on their communities. From transforming an underutilized office building into new housing at Aviator House to helping create a vibrant waterfront neighborhood at The Stacks, these awards recognize the vision, collaboration, and dedication of the many partners who helped bring these developments to life."

Developed by National Real Estate Development and Akridge, The Stacks is a nearly seven-acre, two-million-square-foot master-planned waterfront neighborhood connecting The Wharf and The Yards in Southwest Washington. Phase I, completed in early 2025, delivered more than one million square feet of mixed-use development, including three residential buildings, neighborhood-serving retail, coworking space, and more than 22,000 square feet of public space organized around the Corso, a central pedestrian promenade.

The project's Best Real Estate Transaction award recognized the successful refinancing of its original $367 million construction loan following completion of Phase I. The transaction secured institutional financing to support continued leasing activity and future phases of development while providing flexibility for future capital investments and long-term growth.

The Best Marketing Program award recognized The Stacks' comprehensive placemaking and marketing strategy, which helped transform the emerging mixed-use district into a vibrant, year-round destination. Through curated programming, strategic partnerships, retail activations, public relations, digital marketing, and community engagement initiatives, the campaign established a distinct neighborhood identity and fostered meaningful connections among residents, visitors, and businesses. The effort generated more than 60 events and activations, 550 earned media placements, 793 million media impressions, and a 299.5% return on investment.

Located in Dupont Circle, Aviator House received CREDA's award of merit for its transformation of a former office building into a 157-residence multifamily community. The adaptive reuse project converted approximately 114,000 square feet of office space into new housing while preserving the building's distinctive architectural character and introducing modern amenities, sustainable building features, and affordable housing opportunities. The project was among the first developments advanced under the District's Housing in Downtown initiative and has become a leading example of office-to-residential conversion in Washington, D.C.

Originally constructed in 1972 as the headquarters of the Air Line Pilots Association, Aviator House reimagines a prominent downtown office asset as a vibrant residential community while retaining and celebrating elements of the building's aviation heritage. The project delivers 157 residences in one of the city's most transit-accessible neighborhoods and demonstrates how adaptive reuse can create new housing opportunities while supporting downtown revitalization.

The awards highlight National's continued commitment to delivering high-quality developments that create long-term value for its clients and contribute to the growth of the Washington metropolitan region.

The CREDA Awards of Excellence was granted on October 22, 2026, for the period ending October 22, 2026. Compensation in the form of a $400 award submission fee has been provided directly by National in connection with using the third-party rating.