3 replies to this topic

[tombarnes]

Old DC Convention Center Site- Hotel or New Library?

It looks as though Mayor Fenty has answered this question with his stamp of approval for a plan which would bring a 400 room hotel and retail space to this important downtown parcel.  While the market could easily absorb 400 new hotel rooms at this time, I'm not sure about the long-term need for this.  It could be said, however, that building another hotel here would make a lot of sense- it's right across the street from the new convention center.  As for the burning question of the fate of the M.L.K. Library, there is little question that a new building is needed.  While I would like to see the present building preserved in some way, its usefulness as a library is questionable.  Years of deferred maintenance have left the building with a dispiriting quality that's almost hard to express in words.  A new library (maybe something like Robert Stern's building in Nashville?) could do wonders for downtown Washington.  Gallery Place is a good area for the library, but there must be other possibilities which haven't yet been discussed.  Thoughts?  

              The Washington Post

[dgreco]

This is really disappointing to me that the main part of the project will now be a 400 room hotel instead of a bridge.  For practical purposes I am sure the hotel will get much use than the library, but its tough to see that passed up.  I have two renderings, one of where the hotel will be, and the other is of the overall project.

The Main parcel with hotel location:


the development overview:

[Jim856796]

I want the old DC Convention Centre site used for a hotel, offices and parking. The street grid needs to be restored to the situation before the old Convention Center was built.

[tombarnes]

I have yet to see any real proposals for the old convention center site.  There have been any number of schemes, but nothing appears to have come of any of them.