Garage where ‘Deep Throat’ spilled Watergate secrets to be torn down

One of the most historic journalism sites of the past half-century will soon vanish, following a decision by the Arlington County Board on Saturday to demolish the building and parking garage where FBI official Mark Felt secretly met with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward during the Watergate investigation.

The Arlington County Board unanimously agreed to allow Monday Properties to replace their two 12-story, 1960s-era buildings on Wilson Blvd. in Rosslyn, Va., with a 28-story residential tower and a 24-story commercial building.

The parking garage beneath the existing building will be razed, although the county will save the historical marker it erected in 2011, and the landowner has promised to create a commemorative memorial to the events that occurred there.

The plans for demolition became public 10 months ago; the developer said the design process will take another two years, with demolition no earlier than January 2017.

Plans for the new buildings and a two-level public park prompted praise from county elected officials Saturday, with board chairman Jay Fisette, D, asking “What’s not to like?” about the project, which will transform an entire block in the heart of Rosslyn.

“This is a terrific project,” Fisette said. “Don’t forget it’s bringing residents to Rosslyn, a grocery store ... a beautiful park ... and substantial community benefits, including $8 million for affordable housing, which will build far moreunits in our community than if they had been (built) on site.”

Parking spot32Dinside the ground-level garage is where Felt, who was dubbed “Deep Throat” by a Washington Post editor, provided Wood- ward with information that exposed the Nixon administration’s obstruction of the FBI’s Watergate investigation. Felt, the second-highest official in the FBI, chose the garage as an anonymous, secure location and met with the little-known reporter in the dark of night six times between October 1972 and November 1973.

The Watergate scandal resulted in President Nixon’s resignation in 1974.