Fenty: I Heart Big Hotel
Today, Mayor Fenty announced that the city had finally figured out what to do with the old convention center site: sell it to a giant luxury hotel for out-of-towners.
For a long time, as many readers know, a great debate raged about using the space to build a new central library. This library would essentially replace the historic MLK library. We wrote about the debate in a super cover story [which I can't seem to find] and we ranted about the libary back in the day. Oh how the civic discourse flourished!
Well, not really. While this city desperately needs a new library, hearts and minds shifted towards retail! Yeah! Other cities have used a new library as a cultural hub. Instead, we will be stuck with MLK Memorial Library forever. I’m fine with keeping the hunk of modernism. But it would have been cool to actually get a real up-to-date library.
Of course, the new hotel will have retail on the first floor. And the city gets final say on which chain will get to move in (Ruby Tuesday or Five Guys? Fedex/Kinko’s or CVS?). It would have been a nice move if city officials went with the greater civic good instead of a luxury hotel.
The hotel benefits none of us. (Except for the 10.6 jobs given to District residents).
Fenty was in full hype mode when discussing the project. The Post reported: “It is time we start calling this place what it is, our City Center,” Fenty (D) said in a statement. “CityCenter DC is going to be a true retail and entertainment destination — the heart and soul of our dynamic new downtown.”
Say what you want about Mayor Anthony Williams‘ tenure. But at least he had the guts to propose a new central library. How can the soul of our new downtown be a luxury hotel?
2 Responses to “Fenty: I Heart Big Hotel”
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May 12th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
That stinks. Just what we need - another big luxury hotel. I wish the council and Fenty would step up to the plate and at least consider part of the land be used for a new library.
How about the City sell the land to a developer that promises to build a new library? That would be the prerequisite to having one of the best plots of land in the City. Kill 2 birds with one stone.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:47 am
Well, I suppose since we are talking Fenty here, the hotel will be an anti-union brand like Jury’s or a Sheraton, sweet! And of course, it’ll be built using non-union labor and as often as possible non-DC residents, cause Hizzoner and Council both seem to be okay with this.
OH and the agreement will ensure that anti-union folks like Fed-Ex Kinkos will get a prime spot because we aren’t so concerned with workers in the city, just with how much each new hotel and retail space can bring.
I agree, a new library would have been a much better use of public lands and proceeds, but then again, we could say the same thing about the porkiliciousness of the moves of the Stadium funds to initiatives and groups that weren’t originally identified.
Yeah for DC, way to be completely brain dead.
What’s worse is I still think Fenty’s a better choice than Cropp, so WTF? Why can’t we have real choices in the city?