RSS FeedTrump Outlines Vision For Old Post Office Hotel Redevelopment (1100 Penn Ave NW)
Video clipped from Bloomberg’s Capitol Gains
The Trumps were in town last week to present their vision of how they plan to redevelop the Old Post Office building at 1100 Pennsylvania Ave NW into a luxury hotel. After reading about the press conference/presentation, seeing the interview with Donald Trump, and parsing through all the superlatives, we are impressed by the vision and are eager to see it realized. The promised date for opening is in 2015. We might never stay there, after all we have our own places in the neighborhood, but we’ll be happy to grace the lobby for a drink or two and dine al fresco in the warmer months.
We clipped the Capitol Gains Bloomberg video above and the news links below for reader perusal.
Donald and Ivanka Trump unveiling latest plans for Old Post Office Tuesday [WaPo] (bullet points outlining hotel features)
Donald and Ivanka Trump unveil plans for glitzy hotel at Old Post Office Pavilion [WaPo] (photo gallery (renderings) included)
Donald Trump Takes a Fawning D.C. by Storm [Washington City Paper] (lots of photos and renderings)
An interesting twist is the press generated by Trump’s indicating a potential interest in redevelopment of the FBI building almost directly across the street. We’ve been saying for some time that the FBI building could use repurposing as the mix of real estate in downtown DC has changed in the last ten years and no longer matches well with an ultra secure government facility.
Donald and daughter Ivanka will consider acquiring FBI headquarters [WaPo]
Seriously, Don’t Eat Off The Sidewalk
You can always count on a big rain storm like we had last night to clean the streets at bit, and more importantly, to wash away some of the particularly nasty smells that build up on our sidewalks. There is a freshness to the air that probably wasn’t there the day before, and that’s true on some block of course, more than others.
One block in particular made us crave a good, long storm, the 600 block of 10th street right outside Hard Rock Cafe (999 E St NW). Their garbage gets picked up on 10th street so the cans full of restaurant refuse (and the the awful residue left behind from the garbage) would fester and smell terrible, long after pickup. We used to feel sorry for the tourists who lined the block waiting to get into Ford’s Theatre on a muggy summer morning (you know it was bad if we were feeling sorry for tourists).
But as the tense of our lines above already hint, this is all in the past. When Hard Rock started offering outdoor seating (as we noted in late July), the building also began a program to actively clean the trash residue on a daily basis. This is not just the quick spray with a hose that many building do each morning, no we see workers scrubbing detergents all over the sidewalk in their cleansing efforts.
So from what was once one of the most olfactory-offensive blocks in the city, we now have one of the sweetest. In fact it often appears so clean that you could probably eat off of the sidewalk, but with Hard Rock offering tables and chairs, we wouldn’t recommend it.
Chop’t Creative Salad Company Arriving Soon At Navy Memorial (801 Penn Ave NW)
We walked by the construction site of the upcoming Chop’t (Creative Salad Company) outlet at 801 Pennsylvania Ave NW and saw workers busy preparing the space that the salad chain will occupy next to PAUL. This is in the Market Square complex of buildings surrounding the Navy Memorial. The Manhattan Deli last occupied part of this space when we chronicled its closing in the summer of 2010. It’s great to see the space be leased although there is no shortage of Chop’t restaurants in the area with one close to Metro Center and another on 7th Street NW in the main drag of Penn Quarter; both are under half a mile away. Regardless, sitting on the plaza and eating (a salad) outside in nice weather while listening to and watching the fountains strikes as an enjoyable experience. A few more photos follow…
Summer Sips: Ceiba
Summer is now over, so this will be the last of the Summer Sips. Not to worry, we’ll post some Cozy Cups for Fall and Winter. This particularly yummy concoction, The Brazilian Smash, comes from Ceiba (701 14th St., NW). The perfect combo of Summer flavors. Be sure to order one next time you’re there!
On a personal note, since today also happens to be the annual commemoration of the 9/11 attack, my thanks goes out to those who serve in our military services and to the countless everyday heroes who simply step up, to safeguard the right to freedom for everyone.