November 2, 2007
No One Wants the Arts and Industries Building
Through a pre-coffee haze this morning, we were a little confused by an AP story up on WTOP about how the Smithsonian is looking for someone to move in and take over its Arts and Industries Building. Why did it seem so ... familiar? Oh right. Because the Washington Post wrote the same story back in May.
So why did the AP pick up on it today? Because the The Smithsonian Institution issued yet another plea on Thursday for someone, anyone, to make an offer to take on running the historic building. Apparently, nobody's biting, and the beleaguered SI can't afford the $65 million renovation tab all on its own.
That this gorgeous building, originally the National Museum Building, which has held some of the Smithsonian's most important collections, remains fallow is such a shame. Anyone out there in Internet land got an extra $65 million lying around? Surely someone is interested in this real estate.
Photo courtesy Smithsonian Institution
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that is so lame. I use to work in that building and loved working there. Well except when the air conditioner would make it feel like it was negative 30 degrees. That building is the best, it had a central water fountain that was great for eating lunch next and best of all it had a super top secret underground passage way that linked to the Castle. Which was great b/c that way you could avoid being harassed by tourists who were too stupid to look up the opening time of the museums (10am, btw) and get your morning frou-frou coffee before they took out seattle's best.
Y'know, I keep telling them they could make a ton of money by moving the fomaldehyde foetuses and John Dillinger penises from the Army Medical Museum to the Smithsonian, but they just keep asking me where I got their phone number from.
Speaking of real estate, did anyone catch the blurb on the news this morning about the mortgage foreclosure rate doubling? They had a pretty graphic showing Maryland's rate up something like 40%; Virginia's around 30%; but DC's said something ridiculous like 700%! Before I could get a second look, they cut to the freaking "Get $50,000 cash back on a new Dodge Ram!" commercial. The only by-State stats I'm seeing online omit DC's foreclosure rate as "N/A", although they don't explain why. I guess if you're not a State, mortgate forclosures don't apply to you. Woo!
In 2005 DC had 155 foreclosures, a 700% increase is only 1085. Its bad, but the liberal media wants you to think that everyone is F_cked...in which they are correct.
Does it have central air, a gas range, and a washer/dryer? I might be interested. I can PayPal them the dough as soon as this one check clears. Totally.
The Smithsonian has a Request For Qualifications out, so get yours in before Starbuck's does. Who knows what could happen??
Hey, maybe it can be converted into Luxury Conods - call it something like "the Smithsonian"?
What a shame and a disgrace to allow such a building to go to waste.
Or, you could name it after some displays that have been there "The Kermit" or they could it make it exclusive housing for drag queens and call it "The Ruby Slipper".
I used to love visiting that museum when the exhibits were from the old World's Fair, with "new" and "exotic" things from the Victorian era. But several years ago those glass cases mysterious disappeared and the entire space became the history of churches in the South. Completely boring! Bring back the dusty bustles and rusty reapers!
I'm curious as to whether or not there are any restrictions that the potential buyer must conform to. After all, that building is in what I would assume to be a prime spot. I would think that somewhere is a real estate developer who would love to turn that building into a shopping/restaurant facility...
I'm sure there are so many strings attached that no sane buyer would touch it. Even if you agreed to meticulously restore it and preserve it as is, there are a ton of use restrictions I'm sure.
If nobody wants it, there is certainly a reason.
So I guess a Bob's Big Poi Hawaiian Restaurant or a Texas Cheesecake Depository are out of the question then.
Why doesn't the Smithsonian work with Congress to do the rationale thing with that building (as proposed in a number of Post editorials over the years) and turn it into the showcase Museum of the mall? Have each museum send rotating exhibits through there, freeing up more space for more of the Smithsonian's massive collection in each of the separate buildings. And give the tourists the visit to THE Smithsonian that they all ask about, not understanding the separate museums.
Deborah Jeane Palfrey is probably looking for some new digs. I bet she could do something classy with that place.
Aww, it looks so lonely and rejected. Cheer up, Arts and Industries Building, I want you but you're unfortunately out of my league.
Have they tried Craigslist?
now we see why Pearson sued those dry cleaners for just that same amount!
For you eager cultural entrepreneurs, the RFQ is at http://www.si.edu/AI/rfq/AIB-RFQ-103107.pdf
14 pages of great gov wonk reading. Have a good weekend.
Arts and Industries was always the showcase building for temporary exhibitions, except for that one from 1876. At any rate, I worked at SI for six years and it just pains me to see A&I falling apart. It's been deteriorating for years, but no one seem to get up enough gumption to do anything about it. What a tragedy.
Rod in DC