Photo by Sarah Anne Hughes.

Photo by Sarah Anne Hughes.

As the District of Columbia’s Mayor, Congressional Delegate and Councilmembers looked on, Donald Trump officially broke ground on the future “finest luxury hotel” in the city. The Donald was, of course, speaking of the future Trump International Hotel located at the Old Post Office building.

Today marked the official groundbreaking of the $200 million redevelopment, which is expected to bring 300 permanent jobs to D.C. when it opens in 2016 and $100 million in tax revenue over ten years. “We will produce one of the great hotels anywhere in the world in the most exciting location — between Congress and the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue,” Trump said. “I promise you this will be a truly great, not only hotel, but economic development project.”

After thanking several people, include Rep. John Mica (remember him?), Trump handed the microphone over to his “very, very special” daughter Ivanka.

“We will not disappoint anyone,” Ivanka Trump promised, later adding, “We are looking forward to overwhelming each of you and really delighting you with the end result.” She thanked Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton “in particular” for pushing a bill through Congress to require the General Services Administration to turn the building over for development. (“This has been an ordeal getting [the bill] through Congress,” Norton said, “but it’s been a bipartisan ordeal.”)

Ivanka’s praise did not end with Norton: “Mayor Gray, you are amazing.”

Donald Trump invited to the stage Rep. Mica, who would later pontificate to a Fox5 reporter on how D.C. should be disbanded, citing his commitment to the deal. Mica kept his remarks brief: “Thank you, Donald Trump.”

As head of the Economic Development Committee, Councilmember Muriel Bowser also spoke at the groundbreaking. “We know that you make no small plans,” she said. “And that’s exactly what we see in our future: No small plans.” Indeed, the Democratic nominee for mayor sounded more like the presumptive winner.

“I am certainly proud to represent over 600,000 people who want to have great economic development in every quadrant of our city,” Bowser said. “And today I am pleased to represent all of the members of the Council who are so proud of the resurgence, not only of downtown, but of every area of Washington.”

Perhaps not every member. (Bowser, Jack Evans, Marion Barry, Vincent Orange and Anita Bonds were in attendance.) Using a picture of Bowser, Evans, Orange, Donald Trump and Ivanka, Councilmember and mayoral hopeful David Catania tweeted “Never been happier NOT to be there.”

Upon leaving the event, Bowser was greeted by members of Unite Here Local 25, who were handing out fliers asking for middle-class wages at the future International Trump Hotel: “Donald Trump is constructing a palace for the rich and keeping District residents poor at the same time.”

Samuel A. Epps IV, political director for Unite Here Local 25, said his group “understands that economic development needs to go on in the city. We’re not trying to stop economic development. We want a commitment from Mr. Trump … to D.C. residents, D.C. workers that he will provide middle-class jobs for those individuals.”

Epps said they’ll be pushing local politicians to work on this agreement with Trump.

Filed Under: donald trump, mayor vincent gray, things that are huge,