DCist: City Shutters Art Space, Locks Up Goldfish Inside

cougar

Sat, 24 May 2008 16:32:02 -0500

Does any one remember the Station Night Club - 100 dead caused in part by blocked or compromised exits - Beverly Hills Supper Club - 165 dead - again exit problems. Could go on and on. DC does not need that kind of reputation. Not to mention the hew and cry that would be raised if one of those artsy fartsy types got wined up and fell down an open elevator shaft. and you think that Adrian has a mean streak? You ain't seen anything yet!

Chris G

Thu, 22 May 2008 16:32:19 -0500

"You can't complain about 'slumlord buildings' on one hand, then bitch when the city actually shows up to enforce safety codes." Um, actually you can, when the city enforces them against artists having a good time and contributing to the cultural life of the city and NOT enforcing them against hundreds of moneyed slumlords or the politically connected. Yes, I can complain. The "no fire extinguishers/no permit" argument is horsehockey. Spare me. How about I kick your door down the next time you throw a party at a private space? And then lock you out because you don't have a working fire extinguisher? What do officials in sane, well-run cities do? Give the involved parties a chance to remedy the so-called violation. They don't seal the effing building and lock everybody's stuff inside. I love how this happened less than a stone's throw from Club U, which was allowed to operate after dozens of incidents of violence and police calls. And still, despite stabbings and a shooting death, it took the city two years to close it. Can you say selective enforcement? Defending this governmental douchnozzlery with the "hipsters shoulda had a permit" argument is foolish and misinformed.

fredo

Wed, 21 May 2008 13:31:16 -0500

"Won't someone PLEASE think of the goldfish!" – Helen Lovejoy

greeper

Wed, 21 May 2008 09:12:02 -0500

I'm the closest neighbor and I doubt any of the neighbors cared (though the ANC Commissioner lives across the street on T). I thought the ninja turtles graffiti was cool and better than the lame graffiti under it. But I applied for a very, very basic permit three months ago and it still has not been granted, even though I eventually paid $1000 to a permit expediter -- this for a nonstructural, basic job that 99.99% of cities don't require permits for. So you're damned if you do......

KR_in_DC

Tue, 20 May 2008 18:22:49 -0500

I guarantee you the tipster was a neighbor who just didn't like that the building was being used for events. I'm sure he/she didn't give a rats ass about anyone's safety. We've got a city full of residential apartment buildings that slumlords allow to crumble and this is the inspectors' priority? Typical.

Hillman

Tue, 20 May 2008 17:12:40 -0500

Speaking as a former fireman, I think you would be very surprised at what will burn in a commercial building, especially one with ancient wiring, which this one surely has. The poster complaining about the permit process has a legit point. But that is still no excuse for potentially endangering peoples lives.

Lane

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:55:11 -0500

It's not that hard, hipsters. Get the freaking permits already. Wow, you have obviously never tried to permit a commercial enterprise in this city.

sophiagrrl

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:49:34 -0500

I think this is sudden and heavy handed as well.. but as for the goldfish, did the artist intend to give 100 goldfish a home for the several years (up to 20+ with a record of 43 years) they can live? Unlikely (though not impossible) so I think this is most likely just a fast-forward of their inevitable premature deaths.

erahk0

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:43:35 -0500

Can't compare this to an apartment building, this building is a quasi-commercial-Industrial zoned building made of concrete and masonry (likely no wood structural elements). So long as the electrical is sound, the only things that would burn inside these buildings are the sparse contents (presumably the art and furniture) and paint. Sounds like this was not on the reg.s radar even with the mural. It was shut down only after a jealous neighbor called the fire marshals.

14thandYou

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:38:43 -0500

"I've been in similar situations like this. Artist having a series of successful shows in a low-income to upincoming transitional neighorhood and after many uninterrupted events finally get nailed." Ehrm, 14th St. isn't transitional anymore. It has transitioned.

voteprime

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:25:33 -0500

Again, I don't see how you can blame the artists in this case. They got the proper licenses from the developer:Reis says that Four Points had given Transformer a standard license agreement she recognized as one typically used by CuDC as a contract for the use of the space. She says that Transformer did not pay Four Points to rent the building, but the gallery did give the developer a $2,500 security deposit. Frank says that Four Points donated the use of the space for the CuDC auction as well.I feel like the blame falls entirely on Four Points. Am I missing something?

DCzSlimmest

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:18:21 -0500

Instead of ensuring the safety of "residential" apartment buildings throughout the city (think Mt Pleasant 5 alarm fire), the DC govt decides to target an art show. Great job DC... way to choose your battles.

skaterboy

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:31:03 -0500

DC sure does know how to ru(i)n a good party.

Hillman

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:27:13 -0500

It's all fun and giggles until the building burns down and/or someone is hurt inside. It's not that hard, hipsters. Get the freaking permits already. You can't complain about 'slumlord buildings' on one hand, then bitch when the city actually shows up to enforce safety codes.

loganmo

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:11:41 -0500

I agree with Rabo K...my guess is that if the folks using the space would not have been so flagrantly flaunting it on their exterior wall on one of the busiest streets in the city (14th Street), maybe they would not have attracted so much attention to themselves. I thought the arts fartsy types liked being "underground" anyways.

erahk0

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:51:54 -0500

I've been in similar situations like this. Artist having a series of successful shows in a low-income to upincoming transitional neighorhood and after many uninterrupted events finally get nailed. I don't believe DCRA is completely to blame. The over-reaction most likely comes from a newbie residential neighbor. Kinda reminds me of the new condo owners moving into Adams Morgan and complaining of the noise and nite-life on 18th Street. These guys at least should have made sure their fire extinguishers were up to date. erahk0

OldPosterKnownAsCranky

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:37:01 -0500

Sucks for the innocent goldfish.

HCE

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:25:06 -0500

I was going to voice my sympathy for the situation until I saw the word "Borf" painted on the side of the building.

voteprime

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:20:55 -0500

The art shouldn't be locked up (think of the Goldfish, people! The Goldfish!) but is the District really in the wrong here? It seems like this is the fault of Four Points, the development company, for not properly maintaining a building that they allow people to hold events in.

flapjack

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:18:19 -0500

all those poor defenseless goldfish

ustreetgirl

Tue, 20 May 2008 14:14:00 -0500

I totally saw that party 3 weeks ago and wondered what the hell people dressed in fancy dresses and tuxes were doing in what appeared to me to be an abandoned warehouse. A really cool prom? Anyway, it's a shame that because of code violations, a building showcasing art in the city had to be shutdown.

rabo k

Tue, 20 May 2008 13:55:59 -0500

blame the ninja turtles for this one. they should have kept it under the radar on the outside. the awful mural brought too much attention to the space and pissed off the nieghbors.

DC1974

Tue, 20 May 2008 13:50:07 -0500

Having lived in my fair share of converted warehouses -- of dubious permitting -- in other cities, this one more area of draconian measures by the DC government which makes being an artist in DC not really worth the trouble. Similar buildings that I have watched deal with permit violations in other more arts-friendly cities, including buildings where my professors had live/work spaces, were at least given warnings, allowed to bring things up to code and/or were given a series of hearings on before things buildings were shut down and people separated from their stuff. Complete over-reaction by the part of the DC government but its par for this course.