Watergate's 'Deep Throat' Garage to Be Demolished

The parking garage where "Deep Throat" began the unraveling of the Watergate scandal - and the Nixon presidency - will vanish after Virginia County Board voted unanimously to demolish it.

The five members of the Arlington County Board voted unanimously on Saturday to allow developer Monday Properties to replace the 1960s-era office building in Rosslyn, Va., with a 28-story residential building of 274 units and a separate commercial building housing office and retail space.

"Deep Throat," who was later determined to be top FBI official Mark Felt, met six times at the garage between October 1972 and November 1973 with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to reveal information about President Nixon's obstruction of an FBI investigation into a break-in at the Democratic National Committee's headquarters in the Watergate complex.

The Watergate scandal eventually led to President Richard Nixon to resign, the only U.S. president to ever quit the office.

Monday Properties said that it hopes to start the construction by 2017 and that the old parking garage, which holds the weight of a 12-story building, is not a strong enough base for the new building.

A commemorative element will be erected on the site to commemorate the location's significance in the Watergate scandal, according to a press release by Monday Properties.

The project will also include a grocery market, an underground garage, bike facilities and pedestrian walkways.

"We believe that our plan for the square block will be a catalyst for economic development and job growth," said Tim Helmig, co-president of Monday Properties in the press release. " It could generate the critical mass that will attract businesses and the talented people who want to live within walking distance from their jobs."

This Tuesday will mark the 42nd anniversary of the break-in at the Watergate complex.