Kennedy Center Unveils Bold, $100-Million Expansion
• February 1, 2013

In a bold, interactive plan, which links people, gardens, river, president and the performing arts, the Kennedy Center announced its first major expansion since it opened in 1971. Rehearsals will be seen with monuments in the background; plantings will honor the center’s namesake, the 35th president, John F. Kennedy; as stage will float on the river. It is not a done deal, as the designs must pass muster from regulators, and the project will cost $100 million, not the $450 million required for a 2005 design that called for steps coming from the main esplanade to the edge of the Potomac River. Also, this new project will be privately funded.

At press time, here is the information from the Kennedy Center:

“Each year, millions of people nationwide take part in innovative, inclusive, and effective education programs initiated by the center, including school- and community-based residencies and consultancies, age-appropriate performances and events for young people, career development for young actors, dancers, singers and instrumentalists, and professional learning opportunities for teachers, teaching artists and school administrators. The expansion project will provide much-needed classroom space and multipurpose rooms for lectures and symposia”.

“After careful consideration, the selection committee unanimously recommended the firm of Steven Holl Architects to the full board.”

“Holl’s initial concept for the project includes three connected pavilions that will house classrooms, rehearsal rooms, education for arts managers, lecture space, multipurpose rooms, and limited office space. In the initial concept, one pavilion will float on the Potomac River and offer an outdoor stage. Public gardens will fill out the space, fusing the Kennedy Center with the landscape and river. The exteriors will utilize translucent Okalux, glass, and Carrara marble, the same Italian marble which clads the original facility. The silhouette of the current building will be preserved by connecting the new structure underground and via the main plaza. A formal design will be created and announced in the coming months.”

Bidding on West Heating Plant Set to Begin Jan. 18
• January 22, 2013

Got a half million bucks to get on some serious real estate bidding? It is one of the last major pieces of land in Georgetown available for commercial development. The General Services Administration is ready to get rid of the surplus property, directly south of the C&O Canal and just west of Rock Creek. Bid increments are $200,000. It is assumed you have millions more on hand to continue in GSA’s e-Bay auction which begins Jan. 18 and is slated to end Feb. 19.

The broker in change, Jones Lang Lasalle, touts the building as “Georgetown Heating Plant: A Landmark With Monumental Potential.”

Georgetown developers and citizens have been waiting for this move for at least a year. Along with Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, the Citizens Association of Georgetown has asked for part of the site to be green space, connecting with the canal and creek. Developers and commercial real estate owners, such as the group organized by Richard Levy that envisions Four Season condos in the old Art Deco industrial building, have the money and plans drawn and ready to go.

The 29th Street building itself was the site of a June 19, 2012, House hearing that chided GSA’s slowness in disposing of old and unused government property.

(See Georgetowner article:](https://georgetowner.com/articles/2012/jun/25/congressional-hearing-heating-plant-property-makes-its-point/)

Once you win your bid, what’s next? A monumental clean-up — tearing out pipes and the metal features of the interior with a good detox of the entire structure. And while the views from the rooftop are indeed monumental — the Potomac River directly south, to the east peeks of the National Mall and Watergate, to the north the National Cathedral and just west all of Georgetown before you–there is a concern, voiced a months back by the Washington Post: to the austere 1940s facade may we add windows for any future housing units? No one has given a totally affirmative answer to that important question.

How is how GSA describes its prime property at 1051 29th Street, NW: “The 2.08-acre property is located in the historic Georgetown district of Washington, D.C., and contains one building, a 110-foot tall former heating plant and four large fuel oil storage tanks. A large concrete and stone retaining wall surrounds much of the site consisting of 9,335 rentable square feet over six partial interior floors. The building footprint is approximately 100 feet by 200 feet. The plant contains significant amounts of equipment and piping related to the former steam generation activities. Steam generation activities ceased at the facility in 2000; since then the property has been used for office purposes and as the site of the backup fuel supply for the GSA Central Heating Plant. GSA vacated the facility in May 2012.”

For sales information and online auction assistance, contact Tim Sheckler — 202-401-5806 or [Tim.Sheckler@GSA.gov](mailto:Tim.Sheckler@GSA.gov)

For more information –[www.georgetownheatingplant.com](http://www.georgetownheatingplant.com/).
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Business Group Kicks Off 2013 at the George Town Club
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The Georgetown Business Association held its first board and committee meetings of 2013 Jan. 16 at the George Town Club on Wisconsin Avenue and then kicked back with an “Inaugural Kick-Off Reception” at the Club Room, which filled with members, old and new, and with guests for a lively evening of camaraderie along with food and drink.

In gearing up for this year’s business efforts, the association is calling for volunteers to help with various committee assignments: membership, events, marketing and communications, safety, economic development and small business, governance and legislative.

To serve on any of these committees, contact the Georgetown Business Association, 3233 K St., NW, Washington, D.C. 20007 — 202-640-1279 or e-mail:info@gtownbusiness.com.
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Postal Worker Meets President
• January 18, 2013

U.S. postal worker Gary Varner ran into former President Bill Clinton as he made his rounds on the afternoon of Christmas Eve. Clinton, who had Secret Service agents with him, was walking along O Street and was more than happy to meet Varner.

Caps Guy Is Back, Overlooking the River
•

Almost as soon as the inflatable Santa Claus left the roof of his Prospect Street house, homeowner Jack Davies inflated a huge hockey player on the same spot.

“I decided to break out the ‘Caps Guy’ to mark the start of the new hockey season and the excitement felt by Caps fans that hockey is back,” said Davies, who owns part of the team. “The shortened 48-game regular season will create a playoff-like sense of urgency from the opening game on Jan. 19 until the conclusion of the regular season at the end of April. I am hopeful about returning ‘Caps Guy’ to my roof at that time for what I hope will be a long playoff run.

DDOT Parking Meeting Set for Jan. 16
• January 17, 2013

Make your views and ideas heard at a Jan. 16 community meeting on public parking, set up by the D.C Department of Transportation and Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E (Georgetown, Burleith and Hillandale). Businesses, residents and university representatives have been invited by DDOT as part of its on-going “think tanks” and its recent parking summit across the District which solicit community comments.

The issues surrounding parking include the needs of residents as well as those involving businesses, schools and churches. How to assess parking permits will be discussed — along with places where parking is difficult.

“The purpose of the think tanks was to gauge the state of parking and solicit input on the future of curbside parking management in the District, states DDOT on its website. “DDOT will share what it heard from the public and how this input may potentially shape the outcome and future of comprehensive curbside parking management for the District.”

“This is a meeting for DDOT to listen to the community, not a decision meeting,” according to the Citizens Association of Georgetown. “DDOT will give an overview of parking issues in the city and identify various tools and techniques that have been used, and then there will be break-out groups to focus on issues of specific interest, then a summation of the discussions.”

The Jan. 16 parking meeting is at Hardy Middle School, 6:30 p.m.; 1819 35th Street (entrances at T and 35th Streets; 34th Street near Wisconsin Avenue).

Georgetown Stops for Karzai, Who Sees Afghanistan ‘Moving Forward’
• January 16, 2013

Afghan President Hamid Karzai visited Georgetown University Jan. 11 to give a speech, entitled “Afghanistan Beyond 2014: A Perspective on Afghan-U.S. Relations,” at Gaston Hall.

Before the speech, Karzai’s motorcade got presidential treatment and caused temporary roadblocks on the west side of Georgetown, leaving motorists stopped on 34th and 35th street and other streets that intersected with M Street. One woman who lives on the 3600 block of Prospect Street, part of the motorcade route, was ordered by police not to drive to her nearby home, which has a garage, but in the opposite direction into the campus. A block away, she left her car with its lights flashing to gather items from her home and then travel with her two children back to her car to pick a third child. She and most affected motorists were halted for at least 25 minutes, as the university awaited the Afghan president.

Karzai met President Barack Obama earlier that Friday at the White House to discuss the withdrawal of most U.S. troops in Afghanistan in the months and year ahead and the transition of Afghan troops as U.S. troops take on a supporting and training role by the end of 2014.

It was a time for reflection, and Karzai appeared relaxed during his third visit Georgetown. He recalled his previous visit for an honorary degree from the university, “when I was popular,” he said. Karzai smiled and added that he expected his son “will be studying here.”

Setting the tone, John DeGioia, president of Georgetown University, introduced Karzai and said that 2014 would be a new era for the U.S. and Afghanistan, while explaining that the speech was an example of “Catholic, Jesuit discourse.”

Karzai reminded all that his country and the U.S. had come together after the September 11 attacks in 2001 “for a great cause”: to free the world of terrorists, liberate Afghanistan and take down the Taliban. Within one-and-half months, Karzai’s country was free, he said, “with the help of the United States and allies.”

There have been “serious bumps,” Karzai said, as he listed the improvements of everyday life in Afghanistan, including the education of girls and increased use of mobile phones, as one woman’s phone buzzed within her purse in the back of the hall.

“The war on terror has been costly,” Karzai said, to the U.S., allies and Afghanistan. “Tens of thousands of civilians have been lost,” he said. “There is blame on both sides. I am aware of your complaints in the media . . . and of me.”

“The relationship continued out of a reality that Afghanistan would always be better off in close contact and partnership with the United States,” he said. “Is the future certainly good for us? Does it have dangers on its way? Are we certain to move forward? Will this partnership work? Yes.”

And Karzai’s prediction for Afghanistan’s future? There would be improvements but still violence, but the sweep of progress will not stop. He used the same phrase Obama had used for the U.S.-Afghan relationship: “moving forward.” Gain would be consolidated with most of the “suffering behind us.” The Afghan president closed his talk with the words of poet Robert Frost: “promises to keep . . . and miles to go.”

After the speech, Karzai did not take questions directly from the audience. Questions from student groups were asked by professor Phyllis Magrab, vice chair of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council, which is headquartered at the university. One question was from the Lecture Fund which cited a New York Times article about Taliban members who turned in their weapons and had not yet gotten their promised employment. Karzai seemed surprised and said he would check out the Times story.

Student Thomas Gibbons-Neff, president of the student veterans group, who was twice deployed to Afghanistan, asked what Karzai would “say to an American family that has lost a son or daughter in Afghanistan and what would you say they died for.”

“The United States came to Afghanistan for the security of the United States and by extension the rest of the world and also for Afghans,” Karzai answered. “Those unfortunate incidents of lives lost in Afghanistan were for the safety and security of the United States for the American people and also by extension for the rest of us in the international community.”

Georgetowner Benefit Raises Thousands for Senior Center
•

The Georgetowner’s Holiday Benefit and Bazaar, held at the George Town Club, Nov. 29, attracted a great crowd and garnered $5,574.50 for the Georgetown Senior Center, said Georgetowner publisher Sonya Bernhardt, who added that the Georgetown Media Group has also pledged $7,000 in in-kind donations for the center. The group meets three times a week at St. John’s parish hall on O Street.

Afghan President to Speak at Hilltop Friday
• January 14, 2013

Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, will talk about the future of Afghan-U.S. Relations when he visits Georgetown University for the third time on Jan. 11, the university reported.
Karzai, who first came to the Georgetown University in 2002 for the Afghanistan America Summit on Recovery and Reconstruction, returned in 2006 to receive an honorary degree, according to the university. “During this year’s visit, Karzai’s evening talk will be “Afghanistan Beyond 2014: A Perspective on Afghan-U.S. Relations.” He will speak at 5:30 p.m. at Gaston Hall.
President Barack Obama will host Karzai and his delegation at the White House for “bilateral meetings” Friday before the speech at Georgetown, the White House announced. “President Obama looks forward to welcoming the Afghan delegation to Washington, and discussing our continued transition in Afghanistan, and our shared vision of an enduring partnership between the United States and Afghanistan,” the White House statement said.

Jack’s Boathouse Eviction Put on Hold; Future Uncertain
• January 11, 2013

Like a Christmas miracle, the National Park Service has put on hold the termination of its lease with Jack’s Boathouse, the popular canoe and kayak renting facility on the Potomac River in the shadow of Key Bridge.

“In the last 24 hours, I have received hundreds of emails from citizens concerned with the future of Jack’s Boathouse,” said National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis in a statement on Christmas Eve, according to the Washington Post. The Park Service director added that he had “directed the staff at the park and the Regional Office to withhold further action on the lease termination until I have conducted a thorough review and determined the best course of action.”

A Dec. 18 letter from the National Park Service to Paul Simkin, owner of Jack’s Canoes & Kayaks, LLC, informed him that his business had until the end of January to vacate the property.

The news that Jack’s Boathouse would be closed — first reported by the Georgetowner — launched a barrage of comments on various news websites as well as on Jack’s Boathouse Facebook page and a petition page for Jack’s on Change.org

Owner Paul Simkin found the comments “heartening” and responded in kind: “We are beyond overjoyed. While there is much work still to be done to ensure a future at the boathouse, we are hoping beyond hope that we will be able to be there for our customers and that our great staff will be able to hold on to their jobs. We can’t even begin to thank everyone for their support. We don’t know where this is going to go yet, but we do know that we couldn’t be this far without your love. This is an extraordinarily Merry Christmas for the entire Jack’s family, and we hope to see you on the water this summer.”

Despite the good will toward Jack’s and the pause by the Park Service on its decision to end its lease with Jack’s, Simkin remains uncertain about the boathouse’s future. “At a Dec. 26 meeting with the Park Service, I was trying to find a win-win situation,” he said. “Let’s just say it was frustrating and less than helpful.”

Reminded by Park Service officials that they were only interested in following the law, Simkin was also told, he said, that “the National Park Service director will decide when the director decides.”

The NPS says that it wants a boathouse at the 3500 K Street location but has not said what that will be. After the completion of Georgetown Waterfront Park, the Park Service turned its attention to the shoreline near Key Bridge and west along the shoreline of the Potomac River. It has held meetings for a study to examine “the feasibility of implementing a non- motorized boathouse zone.”

According to the NPS, “the project area includes the waterfront land from immediately upstream of the Georgetown Waterfront Park at 34th Street, to approximately 1,200 feet upstream of Key Bridge, including federal properties north of Water Street / K Street. The purpose of this study is to identify speci?c ways NPS can enhance access to the river for user groups and complement the riverside experiences provided by the Georgetown Waterfront Park, part of Rock Creek Park, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.”

The fear for some — including Simkin — is that Jack’s Boathouse will not be part of the Park Service’s vision for an enhanced Georgetown shoreline.

Despite remaining unsure of his business’s situation, Simkin praised Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, whose 2010 wedding reception was at the boathouse. “He has been a guardian angel to us,” Simkin said. “He has made all the difference in the world, reaching out to the mayor and the Park Service and calling during Christmas. The whole staff is incredibly touched by his commitment to Jack’s.”

Simkin said that he has grown Jack’s seasonal customer base from 4,000 four years ago to 72,000 in 2012. The boathouse was opened in 1945 by Jack Baxter, a former D.C. police officer. It now employs 27 persons, mostly college students.