Old Post Office , listed on the National Historic Site List as Old Post Office and Clock Tower and located at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, DC, beginning in 1892, completed in 1899 , and is a contributing property to the Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site. It was used as the main General Post Office of the city until 1914 at the beginning of World War I, replacing the previous 1839 building, G.P.O. style of Classical Awakening, expanded in 1866 on F Street, which was later submitted to the Tariff Commission and several other agents (today, Hotel Monaco). The Pennsylvania Avenue 1899 landmark structure served primarily as a federal office building thereafter, and nearly collapsed during the construction of the surrounding Federal Triangle complex in the 1920s. It was again threatened and nearly destroyed in the 1970s to pave the way for a proposal for a Federal Triangle complex settlement enveloping a similar government office of Beaux Arts architecture, first started in the 1920s and 30s.
Massive renovations took place in 1976 and 1983. The 1983 renovation opened a new chapter in the history and use of structures, adding a food court and retail space together with a central atrium building with an additional skylight roof that earned the name "Old Post Office" Pavilion " The addition of a glass walled in a nearby parking lot was added to the structure in 1991.
In 2013, the US General Service Administration rented a 60-year property to a consortium led by "DJT Holdings LLC", a parent company owned by Donald Trump through a revocable trust. Trump developed the property into a luxury hotel, the hotel Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. , which opened in September 2016.
The building is an example of the Richardsonian Romanesque, part of the architecture of the nineteenth century Romanesque Revival of the United States. It is the third tallest building in the state capital of Washington, D.C. The 315-foot (96 m) Clock Tower has a "Bells of Congress" and offers panoramic views of the city and its surroundings on an observational level.
Video Old Post Office (Washington, D.C.)
Build and open
The United States Congress approved the construction of a new post office for Washington, DC, on June 25, 1890. The site, on the southwest corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street, was chosen by Senator Leland Stanford in 1888 in the hope that the building would revitalize the Murder Bay neighborhood between the Capitol building and the White House. Willoughby J. Edbrooke, Architect of the Department of Finance's Supervisor, designed the structure in the Romantic Awakening tradition of Henry Hobson Richardson. Construction began in 1892, and the building was completed in 1899. The total construction cost was $ 3 million.
Upon completion, the Post Office Building contains the largest undisturbed space in the city. The clock tower reaches 315 feet (96 m) into the air. It is also the first building in the city that has a steel frame structure, and the first built with an electric cable inserted into its design. This structure features an extremely elaborate wrought-iron elevator, a glass-enclosed atrium and mezzanine level, and floor, mold, fencing, and marble wainscoting. The atrium is 196 feet (60 m) tall, and the 10th floor balcony looks out onto the room (which gives the interior light in an era when indoor lighting is not common). It boasts more than 39,000 electric interior lights, and own electric generators. Girders and catwalks stretched the atrium on the third floor level to allow post office supervisors to look down on the workers. The fifth floor occupies the executive office in the corners. Each office has a turret, ornate wooden ornaments, and a red oak panel. But there is a problem with the structure. Washington Star newspaper reports that skylights and windows are leaking into the air and water, marble floors are not fitted properly, and many of the constructions are ugly. The ninth floor has functioned as a file space, but post-construction checking shows can not accommodate the weight. Technological advances in electricity and electrical cables, mechanical engineering, air movement, heating, and much more make the building obsolete once opened.
The anticipated economic development never took place. At the 1898 meeting of the American Institute of Architects, the structure was criticized as very bad during a plenary speech by New York City architect George B. Post. That same year, Senator Joseph Roswell Hawley called it "a cross between a cathedral and a cotton mill". At the time of opening, the building was too small to accommodate the government agency that occupied it. The post office has advocated a 50,000 square foot (4,600m 2 ) footprint, but only 10,000 square feet (930 m 2 ) were purchased. The post office used the main floor and the mezzanine, but it was already too crowded in January 1900. The Treasury's office had taken over the eighth floor, but the structure was too full so the move was suspended.
A year after the building opened, the accident there took the life of D.C. Postmaster James P. Willett. On September 30, 1899, Willett descended 90 feet (27 m) under the open elevator shaft. Nothing more than a thin wood barrier prevents access to the shaft. Willett died a day later.
Maps Old Post Office (Washington, D.C.)
first 50 years
In the early 1880s, Senators Justin Smith Morrill and Senator John James Ingalls proposed leveling all the structures between Pennsylvania Avenue and B Street (now Constitution Avenue) to the south to create parks. The influential McMillan plan of 1902, however, proposed to maintain the structure. (It's almost impossible to do otherwise, with the building just finished.) Nevertheless, in the same year the editorial supported the dismantling. In discussing plans to beautify Washington, essayist Sammuel E. Moffett dismissively referred to the building in 1906 as a "Kansas City tavern that was completely incompatible with Washington's official public atmosphere that made the teeth of architects tense." Later that year, Senator Weldon B. Heyburn introduced a law to authorize the federal government to buy all the land between Pennsylvania Avenue (northeast side), National Mall (south side), 15th Street N.W. (west side), and the US Capitol yard (to the east) for the construction of a large architectural "architectural" building building. Heyburn's plan retained the Old General Post Office building that dominated the 1899 architecture with its command tower, but adjusted the side of Pennsvylania Avenue parallel to the street.
The clock in the building tower is essentially mechanical, and saves accurate time through gravity. A cable is wrapped around the drum, and a large load is attached to the end of the cable. When the cable is released due to the force of gravity, the clock rotates. The cable is played back once or twice a day. On October 10, 1956, it weighed out of the cable and fell to two floors (avoiding the murder of a man, who had just woken up from his desk). The mechanical clock is then replaced by the electric one.
In 1914, the Columbia District General Post Office moved to the Beaux Arts/Classical Awakening building built next to Union Station which was recently completed in an impressive style, utilizing the use of the national rail system for faster mail delivery. Although only now 15 years old, buildings on 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue are now commonly called "old" post offices. Over the next forty years, the GPO building serves as an office space for several government agencies.
The Old Post Office building is scheduled for demolition during the construction of the Federal Triangle. In 1926, the United States Congress passed a Public Building Act, which allowed the construction not only of the Federal Triangle building complex but also the new US Supreme Court building across the eastern front of the Capitol of the United States at the site of the Civil War. Old Capitol Prison era and north of the Library's 1897 building recently, along with a major expansion of the US Government Printing Office building on North Capitol Street, and significant BW NW widening (later renamed Constitution Avenue) on the north side of the National Mall. Government officials, other experts, and the press believe that the demolition of the 1898 District Hall ("town hall" for the District of Columbia), the Old Post Office Building and the closure of many roads in the area will occur. The Council of Architectural Consultants was established on May 19, 1927, to advise federal agencies to develop the Federal Triangle on how to proceed. In July 1927, the council had made a general plan for the area, but did not discuss whether the Old Post Office Building, the District Building, or the South Railway Building should be demolished. Planning for the complex is heavily influenced by the City Beautiful movement and the idea of ​​creating a civilian center for efficiency in administration and strengthening public perceptions of government as authoritative and permanent. For architectural style buildings, the council adopted the McMillan Plan recommendation of the Neoclassical style. Instead of a high mass, imposing buildings, two unifying open spaces (intended for ceremonial use, and under discussion by the Council at least in March 1928) would be exploited. The first is the Circular Plaza (inspired by Place VendÃÆ'Â'me) which is split by 12th Street NW, and which will require the demolition of the Old Post Office Building.
But in 1934, although the government had cleared land around the Old Post Office Building, Congress was increasingly opposed to the destruction of the structure. Tear down a 35-year-old structurally healthy building during the Great Depression looks stupid. But the executive branch offices that oversee the construction of the Federal Triangle still want it gone. However, it is not destroyed. Four years passed. Although the urge was made to remove the Old Post Office Building again in 1938, Senator Elmer Thomas defended and attacked the establishment of a Neoclassical office building in its place because it was financially unacceptable.
The 1938 attempt to remove the building was the last for 30 years. Various reasons have been put forward why the Old Post Office Building can survive. The general claim is that the federal government, against the Great Depression, has absolutely no money. However, press reports at the time, noted that voters would punish congressmen who knock down excellent buildings. Architectural historians also argue that President Franklin D. Roosevelt (who took office in March 1933, five years into the construction of the Federal Triangle) was not interested in settling expensive expensive white marble office complexes or making the Federal triangle harmoniously architecturally.
The Old Post Office Building Tower is slowly becoming an icon in the city. The US Information Agency often uses it as a backdrop for propaganda films to be shown abroad. In one instance, some films about Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn were recorded in the tower.
1970 unloading attempts
In the 1950s, and the Eisenhower era, the environment surrounding the Old Post Office Building has also declined. Pennsylvania Avenue N.W. marked by the deterioration of homes, shops, and office buildings on the north side and monumental Neoclassical office buildings of the 1920s era of the Federal Triangle in the south. After observing the poor state of Avenue during his inaugural parade from the Capitol to the White House, 35th President John F. Kennedy appointed the Presidential Council on Pennsylvania Avenue to learn ways to improve the area. The draft plan of the board was ready for Kennedy's approval almost two and a half years later when he was assassinated in Dallas Texas on November 22, 1963. The draft plan retained the Old Post Office Building.
Successor Kennedy, 36th President Lyndon B. Johnson, agreed to move forward with the plan and appoint the Provisional President Commission on Pennsylvania Avenue, although it did not hold its first meeting until May 21, 1965. The new commission recommended that the Old Post Office be demolished in order to complete the plan for Triangle Federal. The interim commission successfully prevented the development of roads that contradicted the draft plans, but never won the congressional approval for its plans. It stopped functioning on 15 November 1969, due to lack of funds. Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) permanently was finally created by Congress on 30 October 1972.
An attempt to destroy the Old Post Office Building began in February 1970. The National Capital Planning Commission, a federal agency with legal jurisdiction over major development projects in the metropolitan area of ​​Washington, agrees (though it says towers may be preserved). Within days, Wolf Von Eckardt, an influential architectural critic of The Washington Post, began campaigning for the preservation of structures. No action was taken on the demolition project in 1970, and Von Eckardt continued to press for building preservation in 1971. In early 1971, a group of locals and architects formed a group known as "Do not Tear It Down" (predecessor to DC Preservation League). Members of the group include Nancy Hanks, the politically influential Party of Art chief. Do not Tear It Down began lobbying PADC, the General Services Administration (which has a building for the federal government), the White House, Congress, and the city government D.C. to stop disassembly. The opposition to demolition began to grow in the US Senate, which held hearings in buildings in April 1971. The conservation troops received a major boost in May 1971 when the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recommended defending it.
The Nixon administration, however, continued to seek its demolition so that the Federal Triangle could be completed in time for the United States Bicentennial in 1976. But at this time, Senator Mike Gravel, chairman of the Public Building Subcommittee and Grounds of the Public Works Committee strongly opposed the effort. Gravel looking for allies in the United States House of Representatives, and in June 1972, the Council Committee for Appropriations rejected Nixon's request for money to destroy the Old Post Office.
Rejuvenation in the 1970s
The Old Post Office was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. That same year, the General Services Administration officially abandoned its intention to destroy the building and instead developed a plan to preserve it. The National Capital Planning Commission approved the project.
The major renovation of this structure was made possible in 1976 with the enactment of the Law on the Use of Public Building Cooperatives. The law gives GSA the legal authority to lease a federal building and uses the money received for renovation and upgrading. It also legalizes the use of some federal office buildings for retail and commercial restaurant use. The Old Post Office is the first major project to begin under the law.
The $ 18 million renovation started in 1977. The building desperately needed it: The atrium roof had been covered, making the interior dark; the building was leaking and suffering extensive water damage; there was mold all over the building; and heating systems are often damaged.
1979-1983 renovations
GSA held a competition in 1978 to find partners willing to rebuild the Old Post Office Building. The agency believes that the configuration of interior space and downtown real estate market will only support the hotel. But the winning bid does not propose a hotel. Joint ventures by four companies - McGaughy, Marshall, and McMillan; Arthur Cotton Moore Associates; Associated Space Design, Inc.; and Stewart Daniel Hoban & amp; Associates - won the competition. GSA and the supply team reached an agreement for a lease of 55 years. GSA collects $ 166,000 a year in rent, which increases only 5 percent during the lease period. GSA also receives a percentage of all profits from the company.
The $ 29 million renovation was completed in 1983. Most of the building was annihilated to make use of more efficient interior spaces, but some "preservation zones" were set up to preserve the historic character of the interior. Most of the old marble was replaced with new pink marble, and the interior was repainted with shades of cream, gray, green, and ivory pastels. Closed glass elevators to the observation deck are also added, as well as new large stairs to the second floor and two 6,000 square feet restaurant (560 m 2 ). The officially renovated building was dedicated on April 19, 1983. Vice President George H. W. Bush led the event. The reopening is celebrated with a roar from the Congress's Bell of the clock tower. Federal tenants include the Museum Services Institute, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Presidential Committee on Arts and Humanities. (Modular office furniture is used to allow more people to work in the office, which proves controversial among federal employees accustomed to traditional tables and chairs.) The retail level, which occupies the first three floors of the building, opened on 13 September 1983 The retail section included a performance space known as Nancy Hanks Center. Hanks died on January 7, 1983, just weeks before the reopening of the building. The clock tower and the observation deck were reopened to the public on May 1, 1984. The 1983 renovation received strong praise from architectural critic Benjamin Forgey.
Commercial space designed by Boston company Benjamin Thompson & amp; Partner, and hired by Evans Development Co. from Baltimore. Over 50 restaurants and boutique retail stores are anticipated to lease part of the three-storey retail section, and it's 98% leased at its opening. The building's atrium and retail space later earned the name "Old Post Office Pavilion". During the mid-1980s, Hillman Properties purchased its partner, Evans Development, and took over the Old Post Office Pavilion.
In October 1986, Congress passed a law formally renaming the Old Post Office at Nancy Hanks Center .
New Year's Eve
During the year 1983, the District of Columbia and the United States Postal Service made a 14 foot (4 m) wooden replica of 20 feet (6 m) long from the 1984 "Love" seal that was only twenty years old (see Post-World War) Post stamps and postal history of United States II). Beginning in early 1984, a replica of the latest version of the "Love" stamp is derived from the Tower of the Old Post Office clock tower around midnight during every New Year's Eve.
Musicians entertain ballroom dancers in the building while fireworks and spotlights spotlight the night sky and celebrities are performed on an open stage. At midnight, the bell is driven from the tower and the neon lights pass "Happy New Year" amid the laser light show. When 1985 dimmed, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry estimates: "We will beat New York We think we might take over and be the best single event."
The stamps became larger for years. The celebration marking the beginning of 1986 features a replica of a 900-pound (408-kg) replica of this year's "Love" stamp of twenty-two cents. In early 1990, fluorescent stamps had reached 20 feet (6 m) to 30 feet (9 m) and weighed two tons (1814 kg).
Up to 100,000 people celebrate at the event during each of the early years. However, after the celebration marking the beginning of 1986 had ended, the cleaning crew found an 18-year-old strangled and raped woman killed on a ladder 100 yards from the inner stage of Cab Calloway before. Although the events that marked the beginning of 1988 were orderly and well attended, the government D.C. withdraw its funding by the end of the year as the cost of the show becomes expensive.
Attendance at the event then fell drastically. As a result, the Postal Service decided in 1990 to stop dropping the stamp. Although the Pavilion held a party for 2,500 during a smaller version of the "Love" stamp down in the atrium of the building to mark the beginning of 1991, the space show disappeared.
Expansion 1988-1992
Apart from the positive news about the Old Post Office Pavilion, it did not go well. The GSA imposed conditions on a 1983 renovation that made the retail pavilion look like an office building instead of a shopping center. There is also too little retail space, retail space is not well configured due to architectural design of the building, and GSA refuses to allow any storefront on the exterior that would indicate that there is a retail or restaurant in it. Pavilion revenues are generated from the same share of tourists, local office workers, and local residents. Although most retailers make money, income fluctuates wildly seasonally. Restaurants have trouble earning money, and turnover among them is high.
Old Post Office Joint Venture (group led by Hillman Properties), pavilion developer, also lost money. The Old Post Office Joint Venture (OPOJV) received $ 166,000 a year rent from the GSA, but its agreement with the federal government called for doubling the size of retail space to 100,000 square feet (9,300m 2 ). Approval for the extension was never provided. OPOJV initially proposed the extension of retail space to the House of Internal Revenue Service, but this was rejected for security reasons. Then proposed underground parking and expansion of the pavilion in the area occupied by the parking of the IRS building, but this is also not approved.
With the financial situation in the Old Post Office Pavilion getting worse, OPOJV proposed the construction of a glass-enclosed pavilion in the parking lot of the IRS building. The proposal was strongly opposed by H. D.C. Review Council of Historical Review Nevertheless, Congress earned $ 1.7 million for the project and OPOJV agreed to donate another $ 15 million. The National Capital Planning Commission also gave approval for the project.
The new East Atrium opened on March 6, 1992. The three-tier structure has 100,000 square feet (9,300m 2 ) interior space and glass roof. Under the terms of a development agreement, the federal government owns the land under the structure, but the building is owned by Hillman Properties. When construction occurs, the Old Post Office Pavilion loses many top-tier retailers and replaces it with lower-class shops selling mugs, souvenirs, T-shirts, and other items intended for tourists. The Eastern Atrium, however, includes larger and more upscale retailers. The addition also features a miniature golf course and a 5,000 square foot (460 m) bar. The Eastern Atrium is managed by the General Property Growth, which says about 78 percent of leased space. The Eastern Atrium is not well received, critically. Architectural critic Benjamin Forgey admits that the building achieved its goal; combining many features of modern architectural design (such as glass curtain walls, setbacks, and good connections to sidewalks and pedestrian areas); and it added part of the 1982 master plan for the Federal Triangle. But Forgey calls the design by local architectural firm Karn Charuhas Chapman & amp; Twohey awkward, with "clumsy" proportions and elements that are too heavy. The interior, however, won praise for its lightness.
Expansion-post
Small fires occurred on the west side of the Old Post Office Building between the ninth and roof ceilings on August 26, 1992. Workers who repaired the roof inadvertently caused a blaze, which began at 3:45 pm. and quenched 45 minutes later. Although small, the flames in the city center jammed during the afternoon rush hour.
In October 1993, despite more than 3 million visitors per year, OPOJV was behind on leash for GSA and default on its mortgage to Collin Equities (a subsidiary of Wells Fargo). Real estate experts blame the heating and cooling costs of large atrium, heavy tenant turnover, and lack of theater for space under the Eastern Atrium. Although the DC Convention and Visitor Associations say the Old Post Office is the most visited tourist attraction in the District of Columbia, retail experts believe it never made any money, and the East Atrium did not bring enough rent to support the Old Post Office Pavilion.
Collin Equities/Wells Fargo seized OPOJV in October 1993. The bank hired Hill Partners, a real estate management company from Charlotte, North Carolina, to revitalize the retail development aspect. Hill Partners says that improving buyer access and awareness from the retail area, can double the number of visitors to the Old Post Office to over 7 million. Hill Partners began re-evaluating its tenant mix with a view to adding retailers needed by residents of D.C. It also revealed that the Eastern Atrium is a money loser, never filling more than half its space. The Eastern Atrium will remain unclear. However, the company agreed to keep the Pavilion area a "festival market" (which offers a combination of entertainment, food and retail stores).
In March 1995, Cineplex Odeon Corporation said it would open a seven-screen cinema in the Eastern Atrium (which now has no tenants). But the company pulled out in May 1996, saying it could not reach a lease agreement with Hill Partners.
Hill Partners is finding it difficult to find new tenants for the Eastern Atrium and Pavilion. Virgin Group said in June 1996 it might build Virgin Megastore, the 8-to-12 Virgin Cinema movie, and possibly a rock-themed restaurant in the Old Post Office. But the company wants the main building for its retail outlet, not the Eastern Atrium. But nothing comes from this discussion.
In 1997, a hotel development company, Denhill D.C. LLC, approached GSA and offered to take over Collins Equities/Wells Fargo lease. The company said it would spend more than $ 100 million to convert office space upstairs into hotel rooms and open the walls of Pennsylvania Avenue to create more access and retail space ahead of the road. In return, the company asked GSA to extend the 55-year lease to 65 years, and gave the option to add three more lease renewal options a decade away. According to Denhill D.C. officials, the negotiations are so far advanced that they have a management company ready to operate the hotel and the retail tenant who is ready to take up space. The GSA said it would then end negotiations over a legal issue that would enter into long-term lease without advertising it to other bidders.
In August 2000, business conditions in the Old Post Office were running low. The operation there has never made a profit in 17 years, the vacancy rate in the Pavilion is 80 percent, the Eastern Atrium is closed, and GSA has stopped filling Wells Fargo's rent because no revenue is generated. Realizing that the combination of retail/office would not make money, GSA began negotiating with Collins Equities/Wells Fargo to cancel the lease. The GSA has now realized that if retail space is to be maintained, it needs to be unlocked to Pennsylvania Avenue NW. But the agency is also considered throwing away the retail floor and turning it into office space or getting rid of retail and office space to allow the structure to be developed as a hotel. The hotel option proved much more interesting than it was in the early 1980s due to a very positive agency experience in allowing Kimpton Hotels to convert 170,000 square feet (16,000 m 2 ) Commission Commission Commission blanks into a luxury hotel with 172 rooms luxury.
Redevelopment as a hotel
On December 28, 2000, the GSA submitted a plan to the Old Post Office, as required by the Omnibus Extended Renewal and Consolidation Act of 1999. On June 15, 2001, Senators Robert Smith, Harry Reid, Ben Nighthorse Campbell and Byron Dorgan a letter to GSA grants GSA permission to issue the funds as necessary to obtain by purchasing the lease right from the lease at the Old Post Office, if certain conditions are followed.
Non-hotel rebuilding efforts
In 2002, lobbyist Jack Abramoff was involved in an extensive illegal discussion with GSA chief of staff David H. Safavian in an effort to secure lease on structures for Native American clients. Abramoff took the Safavian on a full-cost golf trip to Scotland, during which they discussed to divert rent to an unknown tribe. Savafian was later convicted of perjury for lying about his relationship with Abramoff.
The Public Service Administration issued a Request of Desire Statement in 2004 to develop the Old Post Office Building. Some companies expressed interest, but the GSA was not processed further.
Beginning in 2002, a major push was made to transform the building into the National Women's History Museum and the bill to do so was passed in the United States Senate in 2005. However, local developers, city dwellers and members of the House of Representatives are angry that the building will be granted free. The bill was reintroduced at the 109th United States Congress, although this time the women's museum only requested the Eastern Atrium. This effort was also unsuccessful, though the Eastern Atrium had damaged the floor tiles and the unfinished interior construction that exposed the rays and left a gaping hole instead of a storefront.
Movement limited to redevelopment
In March 2005, GSA issued an information request (RFI) and received more than 20 responses. However, the agency does not receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to proceed to the request for a proposal (RFP). OMB does not believe that a response to RFI shows that rebuilding is in the best financial interests of the federal government.
In June 2006, as a result of flooding in the Mid-Atlantic United States in 2006, a record 12.11 inches (308 mm) rain fell in Washington, DC The basement of the Old Post Office Building floods, as did William Jefferson Clinton of the Federal Building ( headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), Herbert C. Hoover Building (headquarters of the United States Department of Commerce), Internal Revenue Service Building, National Archives Building, and Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. The Old Post Office building, one on the plateau, reopened after two days. Most other buildings remain closed for a week.
In 2007, the GSA estimated that it would cost more than $ 100 million to modernize the structure. The GSA also said that while earning $ 5.4 million in rent in the Old Post Office Building in 2007, it spent $ 11.9 million on administration and maintenance, at a loss of $ 6.5 million.
In 2008, Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C. Delegate to Congress, introduced the "Old Post Office Building Redevelopment Act of 2008" (H.R. 5001) to require the GSA to move faster when issuing a proposal request. During the hearing before the Economic Development Subcommittee, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Committee of the Transport and Infrastructure Board, members of Congress elected Old Post Office Buildings for underutilization. The law was passed by the House of Representatives on June 23, and the Senate on 26 September. President George W. Bush signed it into law (PL 110-359) on 8 October. As enacted, the Rebuilding Act requires GSA to continue rebuilding the Old Post Office Building and relocating all federal tenants. It requires GSA to report to the House and Senate committees in relation to the rebuilding agreement, and prohibit any rebuilding plans from taking effect until 30 days of continuous congress sessions have passed.
On July 12, 2008, the National Capital Planning Commission issued a National Capital Framework, a plan designed to govern development in Washington, D.C. over the next 50 years. This plan is supported by the United States Fine Arts Commission, a federal agency with a legislative authority to approve the aesthetic design of all major buildings in the metropolitan area D.C. The National Capital Framework specifically requests that the Old Post Office Building be renovated to improve public facilities and support the ongoing Pennsylvania Avenue revitalization.
Post-legislation redevelopment initiative
As of October 2010, no major rebuilding objectives have been met. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee firmly criticized the GSA in its report for mismanagement of the Old Post Office Building. The report specifically accused the GSA of not moving to redevelop the property during the boom of real estate in 2006. When the boom ended, GSA was stuck with the property, and the House committee accused the agency of losing more than $ 25 million for maintenance rather than generating revenue. By building pressure on the White House to deal with a multibillion-dollar or excessive federal property, Barack Obama's administration says it will take action to quickly dispose of properties like the Old Post Office. Instead of selling property with fire selling prices, the government created a new independent advisory panel to help create a disposal plan for each individual building. MPs D.C. pressing the advisory panel to act immediately at the Old Post Office. Douglas Firstenberg, a principal with StonebridgeCarras, a real estate property management firm that helps the federal government rental buildings, says that the preservation of historic preservation and the number of existing tenants makes redevelopment difficult.
In March 2011, the new RFP was finally published by GSA. Overall, GSA receives 10 offers, most of which are hotels. Among the proposals are luxury hotels and the National Museum of the Jews. Other bidders include The Trump Organization, Carpenter, Monument Realty, JBG Smith, and partnerships of Hilton Worldwide and Metropolitan Partnership, Ltd.
Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C.
Lease to Trump Organization
On February 6, 2012, GSA announced that it had selected The Trump Organization as a potential re-developer of the Old Post Office Building. The Company is partnering with Colony Capital, a private equity firm, in its offer. The Trump Organization bid promised to spend $ 200 million to change the structure into 250 rooms (then sources say 261 rooms) luxury hotels. Most investments will be in cash, not debt. The hotel will include a conference center, spa, three upscale restaurants, and 35,000 square feet of meeting and banquet facilities (3,300 m 2 ). The company also promises to create a small museum dedicated to the history of buildings and Congress bells, and to maintain its historic exterior. The Trump Organization also agrees to pay $ 3 million a year in rent. The Trump Organization of Bids is mentioned the involvement of Arthur Cotton Moore, a noted local architect who has renovated historic buildings in the previous area and that has helped design Old Post Office Building renovations in the 1970s. Moore left the business in less than a year for health reasons. Another preservationist architect, John Cullinane, who worked on the project withdrew "because I can not support what they do to the building... [t] hey cover or uproot all the historic..."
There are many concerns expressed by local residents and historic preservationists by a successful Trump offer. Preservationists believe Trump will not respect the historic nature of the building and has almost no experience renovating historic properties but government officials say any redesign will need to be approved by the Fine Arts Commission (whose secretary hinted at strict supervision for any change). Trump dismissed fears that he has no experience with historic buildings, pointing to the redevelopment of the Grand Central Terminal in New York City and the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. Some townspeople are concerned that Trump will block access to the clock tower. However, the National Park Service says it will retain control of the clock tower and observation deck and that will keep them open for the tour. Washington Post business columnist Steven Pearlstein questioned the financial policy of selecting Trump/Colony Capital, given the extensive issue of Trump with bankruptcy issues and Colony Capital is preserving its hotel property from curators. Pearlstein and local hoteliers argue that the market will not support Trump's requested room rate for billing, and therefore will not be able to support excessive amounts of rebuilding money and hire Trump to pay for the property. Robert Peck, Commissioner for Public Service Administration, defended the election, arguing that the Trump/Colony Capital offer is by far the best in terms of financial commitments, experience in renovating and managing properties, and design quality. Peck dismissed criticism about the many past Trump bankruptcies, and noted that these most important casinos are hotels.
However, there are also opinions expressed by Washington Post's business journalist Petula Dvorak and Jonathan O'Connell that the new Trump hotel will help spark a resurgence of the economy in Downtown neighborhoods.
Rental protests
In March 2012, The Washington Post reported that Monument Realty offers a much higher base rent than The Trump Organization. Monuments and development partners Angelo, Gordon & amp; Co proposed a 260,000 square foot (24,000 m 2 ) office building with a media center on the first three floors. He also proposed destroying the pavilion that supported the parking garage. Monument Realty offers for buildings with rental rates of $ 5.1 million annually, with an increase in rental rates based on building performance. The Trump organization, however, offers $ 200 million in rebuilding dollars, while the Monument will provide only $ 116.5 million. GSA provides assessments based on past experience and performance, design concepts, financial capacity and capabilities, and initial development investment. It is unclear, therefore, the Monument's offer is superior to the Trump Organization bid.
Another bidder, BP-Metropolitan Investors, filed an official protest in April 2012 against the GSA for handing over redevelopment to The Trump Organization. The bidding group, which includes Hilton Worldwide, said GSA failed to take into account Trump's recurring bankruptcy and unrealistic economic assumptions. GSA said the Metropolitan lost the award for offering to spend only $ 140 million to renovate the building. The GSA responded to the protest by noting that since the redevelopment was not a procurement, there was no legal basis to protest his decision.
Trump rental negotiations
In the summer of 2012, The Trump Organization called on the District of Columbia to override the ownership interest tax at the Old Post Office Building. The ownership interest tax is estimated at about $ 3 million in 2012, although it will likely be much more once the property is fully rebuilt. Tax officials D.C. denies neglect. Pedro Ribeiro, spokesman of Mayor Vincent C. Gray, said, "It was never part of the bid proposal that the project would not be taxed." David Orowitz, Vice President for Acquisition and Development at The Trump Organization, said that the tax-waived refusal was not surprising and would not change the financial calculations of the company's offer. Donald Trump later denied seeking a tax break.
As the clock ticks on a one-year deadline to finalize a deal with the GSA, The Trump Organization hires Streetsense, a real estate and retail design firm, to select restaurants and retailers for the Old Post Office Pavilion. Trump chose the company above local real estate developer Douglas Jemal and retail design firm Ashkenazy Acquisition. Tiffany & amp; Co is one of the retailers the company talks to.
Six development meetings are held with GSA, CFA, D.C. government officials, and The Trump Organization between February and December 2012. Determining what is acceptable for redevelopment is essential if the final lease agreement must be signed. The new Trump Organization design team consists of Beyer Blinder Belle and WDG Architecture (formerly Edwin Weihe & Associates). The Trump Organization proposes expanding 11 NW Road south of Pennsylvania Avenue NW. City officials demanded that half a block of C Street NW south of the hotel reopen with rebuilding money, but The Trump Organization rejected the request. The architectural team proposed the addition of retail in all four corners of the Old Post Office Building, and built a new mezzanine level in it (with the restaurant above and the spa and gym below). The historic conservation agency refused to allow any kind of canopy or sign containing hotel names along Pennsylvania Avenue, and six alternate designs for the Eastern Atrium were rejected outright by the CFA. But still under consideration is the proposal to turn the lower level of the East Atrium into a parking lot with upper levels maintained as a ballroom.
At the end of January 2013, no final lease agreement was reached. However, both the Trump Organization and the GSA say they are close to a deal, and the GSA says it is impossible to reopen the bidding process if it is not reached by the 12-month deadline. Trump and GSA officials attribute the delay to the length of the lease period, which creates complexity that needs time to complete. The GSA also said there were also unique issues raised by the status of historic buildings. However, federal law requires GSA to reach an agreement by June 2013 or reopen the bidding process.
Changes in financing and accept preliminary regulatory approval
Donald Trump confirmed that the deal was "weeks" away in mid-April 2013. But even when he said that, contrary to rumors, he was not trying to renegotiate his preliminary agreement with the GSA, The Trump Organization re-evaluated its partnership with Colony Capital. Trump says his company is likely to replace Colony or finance the entire redevelopment deal in cash. GSA officials say such changes will not affect negotiations.
The Trump Organization cleared some regulatory hurdles in April and May 2013. On April 28, the Fine Arts Commission gave non-binding early approval of the company's redevelopment plan. On May 16, GSA completed an environmental impact assessment (EIA) which concluded that rebuilding would have no significant historical, land-use, or transportation impacts. The EIA also concluded that the hotel would generate an estimated $ 6.5 million annually in hotel bed tax revenue and $ 1.5 million in sales tax revenues.
Final lease agreement
On June 4, the GSA reached a final agreement with The Trump Organization on rebuilding the Old Post Office building. The Trump Organization negotiates a 60-year lease in which it pays $ 250,000 in rent per month, with annual increases tied to the Consumer Price Index. Rental payments will commence eight months after construction begins or 20 months after the lease signing, whichever comes first. The Company has an option to extend the lease for 40 years. The Trump Organization agreed to spend at least $ 200 million to rebuild the property, with Trump using his personal funds to pay for rebuilding. To dispel worries by critics that he too often fails in development, Trump agrees to provide personal guarantees of $ 40 million and "bad actions" (to cover the failure to pay taxes, fraud, or other forms of offense). The Trump organization agrees to pay all taxes, even though the lease does not prevent companies from seeking a historic preservation tax credit.
The Trump Organization agreed to convert the Old Post Office building into a 260-room hotel (although some sources say there will be 267 rooms, some say 270, some say 271, and others 275). Many rooms will have a 25-foot (7.6 m) ceiling, although most of the ceiling will be 14 to 16 feet (4.3 to 4.9 m) tall. The average room is estimated to be 600 square feet (56 m), and the hotel will have a higher percentage of suites and rooms larger than the average to appeal to executive executives and diplomats.
In the former postmaster of the United States, the company planned two 3,000 square feet of 300,000 square feet (280 m 2 ) presidential suites each with a 16-foot (4.9 m) ceiling. Each presidential suite will have a functioning fireplace, sauna, steam room, walk-in closet, direct access elevator, and views of Pennsylvania Avenue NW and National Mall.
The rebuilding plan includes art galleries, cafes, bars, fitness centers, libraries, lounge with fountain, meeting room, spa, two or three upscale restaurants, some luxury retail stores, 4,000 square feet (370 m 2 ) Mar-a-Lago brand spa, and small museum about the building, its clock tower, and its bells. The Trump Organization agrees to continue allowing public access to the clock tower and observation platform. National Park Service agreed to operate the clock tower tour. The exterior of the building (including multicolor bricks and granite pavements designed by Aleksandra Kasuba) will be preserved in its historic state. Upon awaiting approval from the authorities, the Trump Organization proposes building floors above ground level (turning mezzanine into floor), although large staircases will remain. Most retail will occupy the ground and the second floor, while the historic Stamp Counter on the east side of the ground floor will be the hotel registration desk.
Major changes will be made to the 86,000 square foot (8,000 m 2 ) East Atrium and the surrounding streets. The Trump Organization intends to change the basement level of 34,400 square feet (3,200 m 2 ) to a 150-room parking garage, with 31,600-to -35,000 square feet (2,940 to 3,250 feet)
The NW NW 12 entrance will be a secondary entrance, providing public access to restaurants and retail stores. Awnings would be more of a window and entrance on the ground floor, and a sign for the hotel is added above the entrance. Open seating will be added at 12th Street NW, 11th Street NW, and Pennsylvania Avenue NW side of the building. C Street NW will not reopen for car traffic. The Trump Organization said it would remove the ahistorical glass and ground floor steel on the side of Road C and expand and renovate the public plaza there by adding outdoor seating and show space.
With a rental agreement, Ivanka Trump said construction would begin as soon as the building was submitted to The Trump Organization.
Tax Credits
On November 14, 2016, the Park Service approved Part 2 of the Trump organizational application for a tax credit of 20% of the rehabilitation cost of the building, estimated in the original application of $ 160 million. The final step is the submission of Section 3 to collect tax credits on actual costs upon completion of construction.
2014 redevelopment
Under the rebuilding law of 2008, Congress has 30 days to refuse the lease or it will be final. Anticipating no problems from the legislature, the GSA began relocating existing federal tenants in the Old Post Office Building.
Other major regulatory hurdles have been cleared by The Trump Organization in early July 2013. The staff of the National Capital Planning Commission recommended to agencies that they approve the rebuilding plan. The NCPC staff report stated that GSA and The Trump Organization continue to work on exterior signage designs to ensure they are appropriate. The Commission fully approves the staff report and provides preliminary approval for the company's development plan. The NCPC asks the organization to return in the fall of 2013 with the final plan.
On August 5, 2013, Congress allowed the lease between GSA and The Trump Organization to take effect. The Washington Business Journal reported that the rental asked the hotel 263 rooms (another source said 270 rooms) and for Trump to spend $ 250 million on renovations. The D.C. The Preservation League (formerly Do not Tear It Down) states it supports the site's redevelopment by Trump.
The Trump Organization hired interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates to work on the inside of the Old Post Office Building. The $ 200 million renovation began on May 1, 2014, with the closing of the clock tower. Changes to the exterior of the structure include removal of the word "OLD POST OFFICE" from the main arch of the main entrance of the building and placement under the curve of a bar containing the words "TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL".
Opening of Trump International Hotel
Opening
The Trump International Hotel Washington, D.C. opened to pay guests a "soft opening" on September 12, 2016. The opening of this hotel is celebrated on October 26, 2016.
Reviews
A Vanity Fair review describes the hotel as grand on the outside, a complete disaster and a "terrible dump" inside. In December 2016, Luxury Travel Intelligence reviewed Trump Hotel and found major flaws in its services and operations. It's called "tacky" decor, saying that it's not suitable for the discerning business traveler, and ranking it as the third worst hotel in the world. The Nine Traveler Conde article in May 2018 praised the restaurant and service at the hotel.
Restaurant controversy
The Trump Organization originally signed a contract with chefs Josà ©  © AndrÃÆ'  © s and Geoffrey Zakarian to open a restaurant in the atrium and in the northwest corner of the organization's new hotel. However, the two chefs withdrew from the deal after Donald Trump made a controversial public comment about the Mexicans in June 2015, before the hotel opened. The next legal dispute was resolved in April 2017.
Impact on Pennsylvania Avenue
For 16 years until 2015, the Sakura Matsuri-Japan Street Festival, Japan's largest Cultural Festival in the United States, takes place throughout the spring day on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the Old Post Office Building. The Festival location allows the event to be near the annual Sakura Flower Parade route, which travels nearby along Constitution Avenue on the same day (see National Cherry Blossom Festival).
However, in 2016 and 2017, Road Festival organizers were forced to move their events to distant locations in Washington, DC The Festival relocation became important after the Trump Organization negotiated an agreement with the District of Columbia Government requiring a 20 foot (6 m) line on Pennsylvania Avenue to stay is open to Trump International Hotel customers and valet parking service except during major events such as the president's prime parade, leaving an inadequate space on the Avenue for festival events and for other events previously held near the building.
Legal challenges related to Trump's presidency
After Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States, Trump International Hotel became the focus of legal controversy. World leaders say Trump encourages ambassadors to stay at Trump hotels while visiting. Members of the Trump family, like Ivanka, got a fortune from their stake in the hotel while Donald Trump became president.
Emoluments Clause CREW v. Trump
In January 2017, a lawsuit against Trump was filed by the Citizen for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and several prominent law scholars - including Laurence Tribe of Harvard Law School, former White House Special Adviser for Ethics and Government Reform Norman L. Eisen, Erwin Chemerinsky from UC Irvine, and Zephyr Teachout from Fordham University. The lawsuit states that Trump violates the Foreign Emigration Clause of the United States because its hotel, as well as other businesses, receive payments from foreign guests. The lawsuit is pending in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
District of Columbia and Maryland v. Trump
On June 12, 2017, Attorney General Karl Racine of the District of Columbia and Attorney General Brian Frosh of Maryland filed a joint lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland against President Trump who alleges both the prohibition of foreign and domestic clauses over the US Constitution. Similar to CREW v. Trump, Attorney-General Racine and Frosh cited the receipt of the Trump Foreign Money Organization at Trump Hotel and other businesses as constitutional violations, and that these transactions negatively affect the economies of Washington, DC and Maryland, as well as the best interests of the American public.
Blumenthal et. Al. v. Trump
On June 14, 2017, led by Senator Richard Blumenthal and Representative John Conyers, Jr., more than a third of Congressmen voted to file a lawsuit accusing the violation of the Foreign Emigration Clause seeking the right to be notified and approved of the prize. from foreign governments before being accepted. The lawsuit made specific allegations regarding attempts to appeal to foreign governments in the building of the Old Post Office.
GSA contract
The Trump Organization lease contract with the US General Service Administration, signed in 2013, states that "no elected government official... shall be admitted to any part or portion of this Lease, or for any benefit which may arise therefrom." In a letter to the GSA, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington wrote: "Selected government officials are prohibited from receiving any benefits under the lease, and now that Trump has been sworn in today as President of the United States, Trump Old Post Office LLC, which he has very much, violates the terms of the interest lease agreement. "Since the election of Trump as president, the Democratic Party has taken the position he" should completely abandon all financial interests in the lease to comply with the legal agreement. " In February 2017, Senators Tom Carper and Claire McCaskill (members of the Security Council and Government Affairs and Subcommittee on Investigation respectively) wrote to the GSA inspector general, writing: "Since President Trump took office oath, Trump Old Post Office, LLC seems to be breaking the simple language of the lease agreement. "They asked for a general inspector's inquiry. In March 2017, GSA announced that it was considering the tenant property to fully comply with the terms of the lease, following the reorganization of the hotel's organizational structure and the placement of the property in a revocable trust. On August 30, 2017, Bloomberg BNA reported that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Inspector General Office of the GSA have confirmed that they are evaluating the management and administration of the GSA from the lease.
Trump Response
President Donald Trump responded to the alleged clause of the emolument clause by outlining a plan in which payments from foreign guests would be paid to the US Treasury and GSA contract issues by placing ownership into the trust directed by his children. This plan was criticized by Walter M. Shaub, Director of the US Government Ethics Office, which stated that "the plan is not in line with the tradition of our President for the last 40 years" and contradicts the practice of the past, because "... every President in modern times has taking strong drugs from the divestment. "
Political protest
During Donald Trump's presidency, the Old Post Office has often been the site of political protests. During the night of May 15, 2017, artist Robin Bell projects a message to the hotel facade which states, among other things, "Emoluments Welcome," along with animated flags of countries where Trump has a business project. On January 13, 2018, after Trump reported using the word "shithole" at a meeting, Bell projected onto the message facade "Non-residents of D.C.?" "Need a place to live?"/"Try our crap". Following March's violent violence for Our Lives on March 24, 2018, many spectators left their mark on the hotel.
Clock Tower and clock
The 315-foot Clock Tower of the Old House (96 m) is the third tallest building in Washington, D.C., after the Washington Monument and Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception. Observation Deck as high as 270 feet (82 m) tower offers beautiful views of the city and its surroundings. The tower includes an exhibit depicting the building's long struggle for survival and the interior work view of the illuminated clock.
The Clock Tower houses the Bells of Congress (also known as Ditchley Bells), composed by Bell Foundry Whitechapel and is a replica of the bells at Westminster Abbey. Sir David Wills, who founded the Ditchley Foundation in England, donated a bell to the United States to commemorate the 1976 Bicentennial country. However, the bells were not brought to the United States and installed in the Clock Tower until 1983.
Per 10-bells consist of bells ranging from 300 to 3,000 pounds (140 to 1,360 kg) and from 2 to 4.5 feet (0.61 to 1.37 m) in diameter. Their composition is 78 percent copper and 22 percent lead. Each bell features the Great Seal of the United States, the Great Seal of the Realm, and a flower picture of London Pride that is a relief. Since the tower was not designed to hold the bell, the Skidmore, Owings and Merrill architecture and structural engineering company Cagley & amp; Partners are employed to modify towers so as to accommodate the bell load and pressure of their swings.
The Washington Ringing Society rings the Congress bells every Thursday night and on special occasions. The official bells of the United States Congress, they are one of the largest set of changes in North America. Visitors to the tower can see the colored ropes that make the bells ring to ring the bells but not the bells themselves, although plans are working to open the bell display area as well.
Prior to the 2014 renovation, the park guards provided a Clock Tower tour. After stopping for three years during tower renovations, the ranger tour continued in February 2017.
See also
- Portal District of Columbia
- List of United States Post Office
References
Bibliography
- Appewhite, E.J. Washington Alone: ​​Informal Guide to the Capital of the United States . Lanham, Md.: Madison Books, 1993.
- Bednar, Michael J. The Legacy of L'Enfant: Open Public Space in Washington . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006.
- Benedetto, Robert; Donovan, Jane; and Du Vall, Kathleen. Historical Dictionary of Washington . Lanham, Md.: Rowman & amp; Littlefield, 2003.
- Burke, Susan and Powers, Alice Leccese. DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Washington, D.C. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2012.
- DeFerrari, John. Lost Washington, D.C. Charleston, S.C.: Press Release, 2011.
- Evelyn, Douglas E.; Dickson, Paul; and Ackerman, S.J. In This Place: Referring to Past in Washington, D.C. 3 r
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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