those parking lots need to be eliminated on all sides. it's the most massive waste of valuable real estate in the entire city. if the capitol police are going to trot out their tired old bromides about "security" keeping anything from being built any closer to the capitol, then at least all that asphalt should be ripped up and turned into green space. plant a bunch of grass and trees and be done with it.
This post could not have come at a better time for me. I walked by one of these parking lots when traversing from Eastern Market to Union Station just a few days ago. At the very least, it is quite an eyesore. And, of course, it's such a waste of space in such a prime area.
I wonder what could be done to change the scene. Who has jurisdiction on that property -- the DC government or the Federal government?
not only is it a waste of space- but the architect of the capitol is the only entity that can buy a building and tear it down w/o being concerned about historic preservation rules. They have torn down many buildings in just the past 20 years to make way for more surface parking,including a large apartment building on the House side at NJ Avenue - for the pages -that could have been renovated- lessening the housing burden ever so much for the area.Cars are way more important than people to the Congress.
Even if it wasn't free parking, I don't think congressmen would have a hard time paying the fees.
This is great...and also anything that reduces DC traffic Im in support of
Fed. govt. jurisdiction. And as w points out, Congress is exempt from federal preservation laws -- because the executive branch cannot enforce laws against a co-equal branch.
I grew up watching the historic built legacy of old Capitol Hill get slowly demolished by the AOC.
The house my father was born in, the house where my grandmother grew up in, and the house my great grand parents owned[ a boarding house ] not to mention the homes of cousins and friends- were all destroyed in the late 1950's and then the AOC built what the American Institute of Architects later said [ a very pro-modernist organization to boot !! ] was one of "the worst buildings ever" -the Madison building- on the empty lot.There had been intact buildings dating back to 1790 on the block. Many of the Civil war era large 3 story town homes had been renovated and commanded high prices.Do not let that stupid moniker"Ptomaine Row" get in the way- a classic game of what Richard says"dont blame the building"...The AOC is w/o a doubt the worst vandal in this city.
While not old enough to recall the demolition of the block- I do recall the empty lot before it had been built upon in the late 1960's.It is a hideous structure and does not at all fit into the surroundings- it turns its back on the street and was one of the first large anti-urban fed buildings constructed in DC. The AOC could have easily transformed the old Providence Hospital into a LIbrary extension and saved both blocks, No way- progress first. Oh - and DC never had any history "worth" saving- the typical refrain one often hears from these bastards.
Expect a Congressman from fly-over country to take transit to work? Perish the thought!
read this. trent lott's been in DC since before the first metro station opened, and he never tried to ride it once.
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