Morning Roundup: Goodbye, Abe Edition
Vegetate to Close at the End of the Month
D.C. Police Seek Suspect in Series of Bank Robberies
Suspect in 9-Year-Old's Murder Found Dead in D.C. Jail
Wizards Owner Abe Pollin Dies at 85
As I rode home last night, I took a quick detour past Eastern Market. Some 22 hours after the fire that ravaged the market's South Hall had been reported, firefighters remained, hosing down the building and testing the its structural integrity. A crowd had gathered outside, most blankly staring at what would be an empty shell for the months to come. This morning, fencing had been erected around the building, decorated with U.S. and D.C. flags that seemed both a statement of sadness and defiance. "We Will Rebuild," read a sign on one stretch of fence.
And we will. At a press conference this afternoon, Mayor Adrian Fenty promised swift action to rebuild and restore Eastern Market and relocate the 14 food vendors that operated within (along with rebuilding the Georgetown Public Library branch that also burned yesterday). The bad news is that it will be 18 to 24 months and cost upwards of $30 million before Eastern Market again opens for business. But members of the community have vowed to help, and various efforts have kicked off to help the process along. The Capitol Hill Community Foundation is accepting donations to help the vendors stay afloat, while the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals is hosting a fundraiser at Marty's (527 Eighth Street SE) on Wednesday, May 2 at 6 p.m. to benefit the vendors. A local couple has kicked off a blog to track news and progress on Eastern Market's restoration, an ANC Commissioner has created the Save Our Market Community Action Group to keep tabs on the market's rebuilding and Voice of the Hill, a local newspaper, has asked that residents and visitors submit their memories of the market. And both to celebrate and mourn the market, city officials announced that Sunday's Market Day festivities will proceed as planned.
I still haven't fully come to terms with the loss. After some five years on the Hill and countless trips to the market, waiting the estimated two years before I can go back seems surreal. But regardless of how long it takes, it's reassuring to see the community -- both on the Hill and across the city -- come together and move forward.
Picture snapped by delfuego
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
2 years? That's outrageous. The neighborhood residents and DC council should make this a priority, and get it up and running before the end of summer. It's not like it's a tremendously complicated structure...
I concur with the previous poster. 2 years is way to long to rebuild such a simple structure. Even considering that it is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Reviews that need to be done, 2 years is simply too long. There is no way that the shop owners can hold out in an alternate location that long.
$30 million? Holy crap. What, are the new sprinkler pipes solid gold with diamond accents?
This building is cute, but it's basically a big empty warehouse (especially now). And they'll be rebuilding it as a large flexible warehouse space. There's not really that much to build. Sure, it needs a new roof, fire suppression system, etc. But $30 million? That's astonishing.
Does anyone know how, if at all, this will affect the adjacent flea market?
30 mil is about right. Construction material is through the roof right now. Plus you are not dealing with cider block and rebar. This is an historic brick structure that will take great care and difficulty in restoring and god knows what other "surprises" they will find. So not only do they have to clean it out and put a new roof, they have to bring it up to todays building standards. Historic preservation, let alone reconstruction, is not cheap. Although I am sure there will be a few gold sprinklers here and there, since it’s a tad political and something Fenty can hang his hat on.
Noelle: the outdoor flea market will continue on the north end.
As far as the $30 million, that does sound a bit over the top, even for a government-run historic project. And the 24 month time frame seems a bit long as well. Doesn't sound like this is that high of a priority. High priority would have this building back on its feet by the end of the year. Furthermore I can't imagine any of the inside vendors are going to sit around for 18 to 24 months waiting on the renovation. So the question becomes who are the new occupants going to be?
Did someone die? I don't mean to be insensitive, but really. It's a warehouse, not your aunt.
The city should sell the place now, let some private developer buy it and rebuild and then charge the merchants rent. The place has proven to be a success so making money shouldn't be a problem.
Require the new owner to commit to operating it only as a market (no condos, or other uses). Eastern Market is nice, but there is no reason that the city should own retail space for merchants in Capitol Hill.
Welcome to the world of historical zoning and community review, posters 1 and 2.
Noelle, I expect that food vendors will force out some Saturday artists and crafts dealers and the Sunday antiques vendors on the North Plaza, swimming pool plaza, and Hine School grounds.
There won't be enough room for everyone but there will be more than enough controversy to go around.
"Require the new owner to commit to operating it only as a market (no condos, or other uses). Eastern Market is nice, but there is no reason that the city should own retail space for merchants in Capitol Hill."
SWester,
Really? Based on what reasoning? Seems like people have been pretty happy with the way it has been operated by the city.
Mike Licht, where would you have the artists and crafters go? Many of them are soley dependent on the weekends at the market for their living. Forcing them out would financially ruin them. While it's terrible that the food vendors indoors lost their spaces, taking space away from the permanent artists isn't a good solution.
A wonderful, low-rise condo building featuring 68 spacious, beautifully appointed units could be built for the budget price of $20 million. I say we go with it...
Hi Bones -
It's a Capitol Hill thing. I'm not broken up about it because I've been there around 10 ten times in 12 years and I don't live on the Hill. But to folks in the neighborhood it was an island of sentimental stability in an ocean of Starbuckses, CVSes and so on.
Bones - Most Hill residents will gladly talk of the value of Eastern Market beyond the structure. That's why so many are saddened by what happened.
SWester - In my opinion, there are certain things that government can do that do not have to make money, let alone break even. This is one of them. Like it or not, Eastern Market serves as a valuable tool for community-building, and it should not be left to developers to decide what vendors would be best (or better) within the building. I don't know how those vendors were chosen, but they serve a purpose in the community, have become a part of it and cannot simply be replaced for the sake of making money. Trust me -- Eastern Market just wouldn't be the same if Starbucks opened up a coffee bar within.
"Eastern Market serves as a valuable tool for community-building, and it should not be left to developers to decide what vendors would be best (or better) within the building."
The same could have been said of any of the post CW era markets that were once around the city.
Two years - I really doubt it - the people who live on Capitol Hill will fundraise and use their political connections to make that happen way faster. It's a neighborhood with a lot of both of those things. The basically identical building sitting in the O St Giant parking lot in Shaw, not so much. That thing has been empty for at least 4 years and NO progress seems to be made. I realize that before it was empty it contained a liquor store and wasn't exactly a hub of wholesome neighborhood activity, but does anyone know what's up with that building?
bones -- actually, i do feel like someone has died. and yeah, it is a capitol hill thing. i hope someday you have a place that has that much sentimental value to you... there are worse things in life.
in general -- as for the price tag and the timeline, there is the Scotty Factor to consider.... if you want your boss to be impressed at how quickly and economically you accomplished something, you always over estimate. take how long *you* think/expect to take and then add extra for surprised and f-ups. then add a little more extra. then, no one is disappointed and you don't have to have a heart attack when there are legit hangups. my dad says this is what scotty always did on star trek, any why capt. kirk was always impressed when he got stuff done ahead of schedule.
yeah I don't get it either, bones...
RJ - I have to differ. I could build you multiple brand new EM's with $30 million from scratch, exactly like the old one.
Yes, construction costs are expensive. But this isn't really that big of a place. And by most accounts the walls are still fine - the primary damage is the roof. And there really was very little actual structure inside. It was literally four brick walls and a roof.
There simply isn't much to rebuild. It'a big empty space. And when it's rebuilt it'll still be a big empty space, albeit with new electric, plumbing, and roof.
$30 million is a scam. And a travesty.
"The basically identical building sitting in the O St Giant parking lot in Shaw, not so much. That thing has been empty for at least 4 years and NO progress seems to be made. I realize that before it was empty it contained a liquor store and wasn't exactly a hub of wholesome neighborhood activity"
The O Street Market hasn't been a market in far longer than 4 years. See:
www.culturaltourismdc.org/info-url3948/info-url_show.htm?doc_id=205439&attrib_id=7974
The O street market hasn't been a market in a long time. See: www.culturaltourismdc.org/info-url3948/info-url_show.htm?doc_id=205439&attrib_id=7974
There are some things that are being forgotten about in this discussion. The first of which is that a major renovation for the market structure was already being planned for and the construction will go much further than simply putting on a new roof. This will drive up the cost of the rebuild.
Another issue is whether the vendors will return - and if anyone on this site has actually spoken with the families, the resounding answer is yes. Not only is the community looking for a space to have them set up shop during the construction phase, but the community is also preparing to support them in the meantime. Their needs are not being forgotten. Also, most of the businesses have been family-run for generations and they could not imagine relocating their shops. They love the market as much as the customers do.
Perhaps this is just a Hill thing, but accept it as such. We care about our neighborhood, our community. We do not passively live in cul-de-sacs and drive to work every day. Instead, Hill folks choose to live in a place that is vibrant, historic, walkable, and cosy. The market was, and will become again, a key feature in that. Just remember, all you doubters, no one can change the way we feel about our neighborhood and the institutions in it.
"We care about our neighborhood, our community. We do not passively live in cul-de-sacs and drive to work every day."
That so? Then who for decades has been standing in the way of renovating the market to include such last-century novelties as, say, A SPRINKLER SYSTEM?
I wager it's a bunch of historic preservation fetishist who live passively in cul-de-sacs and drive to work every day.
The city is going to spend upwards of $30 million to provide a subsidized home for 14 businesses? Makes perfect sense to me!
Why not give each of the businesses $2 million in cash, with that amount of money they could each buy their own building and the city would still save $2 million.
Its funny to watch this debate and listen to my Capitol Hill neighbors sound all high and mighty about the "great market" and "cozy shops" and the true sense of community when the reality is that if you put a Red Lobster on that site it would be packed every night of the week. Heck, put a Red Lobster, a Fridays, a Carrabbas, and an Outback and you would have the most popular dining spot in DC and the entire city, including Capitol Hill, would benefit from a massive influx of tax revenue.
But then we wouldn't have the goverment subsidized yuppie cheese store that the liberals on Capitol Hill could feel good about shopping at.
Just privatize the damn thing. My Lord, $30 million? Does that include the one disaster-averting sprinkler head the place needed, or will they pay extra for that.
And please, fellow Hill-ites, let's get off the high horse. "It's a hill thing, you don't understand."
Please. There was a fire at a market some of us like to go to.
It burned because it's a city-operated enterprise for some reason, and this town is such a mess of dysfunction from top to bottom, it didn't have a sprinkler system or a functioning hydrant nearby.
Good God, the attitude from some of you people makes ME want to move to a cul-de-sac.
If I lived on Capitol Hill I'd be very upset about the loss.
On the other hand, a lot of people who go to EM aren't from the surrounding area. There are lots of farmer's markets and local food businesses in the metropolitan area, and now (meaning spring summer harvest) might be the time to discover and support them. You just might find that you don't have to schlep to EM in order to bask in the fuzzy wuzzy feelings of "community", you might be able to find in your own neck of the woods.