[15] The northwest corner of CityCenter is a park that regularly hosts events and art installations, including an annual 75-foot Christmas tree,[16] a summer farmers market,[17] and other interactive exhibits.

[18] CityCenter is home to many stores and restaurants, as well as offices, apartments, condominiums, and a hotel, fulfilling the planners' goals for tenancy, although the development has been criticized for a lack of foot traffic.

[22] Many high-end retail stores are found in CityCenter, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Hermès, Burberry, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Hugo Boss, David Yurman, Loro Piana, Morgenthal Frederics, Kate Spade New York, Akris, Carolina Herrera, Allen Edmonds, Longchamp, Arc'teryx, TUMI, Giorgio Armani, Brioni, Paul Stuart, Brunello Cucinelli, Jo Malone London, VINCE., Christian Louboutin, Bulgari, Brietling, Chanel, and Moncler.

[24] Notable residents at CityCenter include former Washington Wizards coach Scott Brooks, former attorney general Eric Holder, and Senator Claire McCaskill.

In 1998, leaders of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, and the Federal City Council[32] proposed construction of a $1 billion development that would include a hotel, music museum, and retail space.

[34] Anthony A. Williams, Mayor of the District of Columbia, established a task force in July 2000 to advise the city on how to redevelop the Washington Convention Center site.

[33] Although the mayor's task force had not issued its report, on November 14, 2000, Williams unveiled a city-wide development plan that proposed constructing a major new public attraction (such as a museum) on the land.

[37] By May 2001, city officials were suggesting a development similar to Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, California, or Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts.

[39] In March 2002, the law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom signed a letter of intent to take office space in any development that was built.

The task force and Williams recommended the construction of a high-rise apartment or condominium building with 600 to 900 units (20 percent of which would be for low-income people or families); 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of retail space (which would include retail shops as well as restaurants); a 1 acre (0.40 ha) public park or plaza; at least 1,100 underground parking spaces; and additional facilities which might include a new main public library, a hotel, a music museum, an office building, and/or a theatre complex.

City planners had originally thought that the site was big enough to contain only a single public attraction, but the task force recommended that the library and museum share exhibit space and be built largely underground so that both could be accommodated.

On July 3, 2003, District officials narrowed the field of candidates to Hines Interests/Charles E. Smith Residential/The Georgetown Co. and Forest City/Jarvis Co.[53] The two developer groups were chosen as finalists because they were able to finance the project themselves without assistance from the city.

[55] On November 20, the District of Columbia Office of the Corporation Counsel filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that The Related Cos. had offered no legal or factual basis for claiming that the selection process was flawed.

[10] At this time, The Washington Post reported that the land alone was worth $300 million, the public plaza had become "the focal point" of the development, and that the city was pushing for a "splashy new civic building, designed by one of the world's best-known architects.

[65] On December 20, 2003, Williams submitted legislation to the D.C. City Council proposing to raze the Washington Convention Center and construct city-owned parking lots on the site temporarily.

[70] Joe Sternlieb, head of the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District; James A. Jemison, mayoral planning aide; and city development consultant Ron Kaplan met three times a week for two to three hours each day with council staff to convince them that the Mariani proposal was inappropriate.

[71] On July 15, 2004, the two sides reached an agreement to proceed with the existing Williams-backed plan, so long as it included at least 1,200 housing units and a new city main public library—but not convention exhibit halls, a major hotel, or a music museum.

[71] It also allowed the Hines-led development group to lease the site for 99 years in return for a fixed multimillion-dollar annual rent payment as well as 25 percent of the project's profits.

[72] On December 3, the WCSA board voted in favor of the Williams site, but said it would continue to study placing a hotel on a triangular plot of land at 901 New York Avenue NW.

[75] William B. Alsup III, head of Washington operations for Hines Interests, said the company could put aside 70,000 square feet (6,500 m2) of the site to build a hotel, even though this would mean sacrificing 428 housing units.

The WSCA put a $900,000 down payment on the lot (which included the historic former headquarters of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry and an adjacent small piece of land).

[86] The Gould land swap deal removed from northeasternmost lot on the old convention center site from the control of the Hines-led group, although it remained subject to the restrictions of the master plan.

[92] The 99-year lease the city signed with Hines-Archstone in 2006 expressed the intent of both parties to seek the following kind and number of retailers for the project: five restaurants, 10 food markets (general and/or speciality), and 14 cafés.

[98] The submission focused on the redevelopment of the park on the northwestern corner of the site, the reopening of 10th and I Streets NW, and the six parcels of land for the office buildings and residential housing.

The NCPC was briefed on the convention center development project on March 6, 2008,[107] and approved final site plans for the northwest park and reopening of 10th and I Streets NW on April 3.

[109] The newspaper also said that the District of Columbia and Hines-Archstone had agreed to a 99-year lease of the city's parcel on the site's northern edge for the construction of a 400-room luxury hotel and 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of retail space.

[7] They were not, however, willing to allow banks to lease space, because they had low foot traffic and were not open at night, although other reports contend this decision was made primarily to satisfy Qatari Diar's requirement of adherence to Sharia, or Islamic law.

[7] The Hines-Archstone group said it had never intended to allow banks, gambling, or liquor stores, and although it was seeking a wine bar (or similar business) as a tenant the Qataris said their interpretation of Sharia permitted such an establishment.

Qatari Diar Americas’ chief executive officer Fabien Toscano stated that this is a significant milestone for future generations to come, as it is "a destination designed to enhance the experience of everyone who stays and visits, and to inspire the way they choose to work, live and play".

"[97] During construction of the development, The Washington Post reported that, in addition to primary ownership in the project, not-for-profit Qatar Foundation International (QFI) would open a large 15,188-square foot cultural center in one of the office buildings.