GW Medical Faculty Associates purchased a nearby building housing an embassy for $49.5 million this month to expand the medical group’s workspace.

The MFA – a nonprofit that separated from the University in 2000 – cites its growth as the reason for the additional building, and the group plans to occupy the space at 2300 M St. as current tenants, the German Embassy, move out. The embassy is slated to move between 2013 and 2014.

“There are various plans in discussion for the space. As leases expire, we may relocate any number of clinical services to the space,” said Kathryn Kennedy McGriff, director of marketing for the MFA said.

The 120,000-square-foot building was purchased from the Carlyle Group and Aon Corporation.

The embassy started leasing the space in the fall of 2009 while renovations on the embassy’s original building were ongoing.

McGriff said parts of the nine-story building are unoccupied and are undergoing renovations.

“Some MFA providers will begin moving into moderately renovated space early next year,” McGriff said.

She said the MFA has 47 medical and surgical specialties, and the group is expanding its services. McGriff said the MFA isn’t certain on what specific medical services will be offered in the new building.

About 550 doctors are part of GW MFA, and they see patients at GW as well as Howard and Sibley Hospitals in the District, and some Virginia hospitals.

McGriff confirmed that MFA physicians have looked for additional office space for the past two years. They had previously considered a Verizon building located at 21st and L streets.

She said that in the last 18 months the group has expanded to space in Fairfax and Montgomery counties in Virginia, as well as in upper northwest D.C.

“The MFA expects this expansion to continue at an accelerated pace over the next few years,” McGriff said.