Wasted (air) space

Watha T. Daniel Library, Shaw, © 2010 Matt Dunn, from the Washington City Paper.

For years I have commented about how DC Government needs to utilize buildings/sites in ways that accomplish multiple objectives. Apparently this has happened with the new Deanwood Community Center but I haven't yet made it over to the complex to see for myself.

More typically, each government agency manages its properties and sites independently of the others, failing to coordinate efforts with other agencies, and maximize value and minimize costs to the citizens of the city, who, technically, own these assets, which the agencies are supposed to manage on their behalf.

-- Also see the past blog entry, "Prototyping and municipal capital improvement programs."

At last night's Shaw/Uptown arts district "branding" meeting, people expressed their concern that artists and arts uses are being priced out of the neighborhood already, and the branding effort doesn't address this and other more fundamental issues.

Riding up 7th Street, passing the now open Watha T. Daniel Public Library, I was reminded of the unsuccessful crusade to get the library system to be more expansive in their planning for the rebuilding of libraries.

This building is 2 or 3 stories.

It could have been 6 stories--or at least taller, just how Montgomery County did a mixed use (offices + arts space) library at Rockville Town Center ("City to add two more floors to downtown arts center" and "Ribbon-cutting marks opening of new Rockville Library" from the Gazette and "Faith in the Library's Future: With the Opening of a Flagship Building in Rockville, Montgomery Bets the Public Will Keep Coming Back" from the Post) and is doing the same in Silver Spring ("Silver Spring residents refuse to stay quiet over library changes" from the Gazette) and the additional floors could have become permanently affordable space for arts and other community organizations and uses.

Exterior, Rockville Public Library, Maryland. The exterior of the building, located on East Middle Lane, has special glass designed and manufactured to remove 98% of the sun's ultraviolet rays. Washington Post photo by Bill O'Leary.

Instead, the opportunity was wasted and won't come around again for 30-50 years.

Meanwhile, artists, arts organizations, and community groups complain about being priced out of the neighborhood...