In January 1999, after ten years in development, the Board of Regents of the University of California approved construction plans for the University of California Washington Center. This new facility was to be home to the academic programs of the University in Washington as well as the almost 300 UC students who come to live, work and study in Washington each term. In addition, the academic programs were joined by the University's Office of Federal Governmental Relations formerly located in a four-story townhouse at 1523 New Hampshire Avenue, NW and several prominent multi-campus research units of the University.

Construction of the new building began with a ceremonially groundbreaking at the site of construction on October 18th, 1999. Several hundred people including students, faculty, staff, and guests looked on as University of California President Richard Atkinson, Larry Berman - Founding Director of the Washington Center, Kent Vining - UC Alumni Regent and President of the University of California Alumni Association, Michelle Panor - UC Student Regent and Meredith DeHart - Ward 2 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of the District of Columbia opened the earth to plant a new home for the University in Washington. Larry Berman, a professor of political science at Davis and renowned presidential scholar, had been chosen just a month earlier as the Center's Founding Director.

To build the new Center, the University selected the architectural firm of Einhorn, Yaffee & Prescott and the Chas. H. Tompkins Company as the general contractor. Construction started in earnest in March 2000 and over the next eighteen months, the Center grew out of a former parking lot to its completed 11-story height. Despite the tragic events of September 11th 2001, the University took possession of its new facility on September 25th and that same day begin moving the academic center from its old home on 2301 M Street.

Early Saturday morning, October 6, 2001, Adrian Del Rio walked through the doors of the newly opened Washington Center to become its first student resident. He and Founding Director Larry Berman, who met him at the door, were soon joined by approximately 300 students, faculty and staff from eight University of California undergraduate campuses as members of the Center's Inaugural Class of Fall 2001. The next seven months were filled with the twin challenges of commissioning the myraid systems of a new building and carrying on the business of the University of California in Washington. In spite of many obstacles, the students, faculty and staff persevered.