That IS a beautiful building! Why would they want to tear it down?
All of those old buildings in DC are beautiful. There are scriptures written on many of them as if to say ...don’t forget the God who made you.
Separation of church and state? Only if you’ve never been to DC can that be believed. The state was never intended to govern the church, but the church was intended to flavor the state.
It is a wonderful building but finding a viable repurposing has been difficult. It's a bad location for retail. I've never been above the shops on the first floor, which are now closed, but I imagine the upper floors are difficult to work with as well. It's a late 19th century office building with all the drawbacks that entails from the standpoint of modern users. And given the location, I imagine it is expensive space. A hotel might be a viable use. I hope so.
We almost lost Union Station as well. The Reagan Administration brought that back to life with shops and theaters (which are now gone). That was a great success for several decades but is now showing signs of age. I've heard some grumbling about the current redevelopment plans, but the whole area surrounding Union Station is changing so rapidly that I can only cross my fingers and hope for the best. The areas north and west of Union Station are going high density. H Street and the residential areas to the east will retain more of their historical character but are also upscaling fast. I don't know how important retail is going to be for Union Station long term, although there will always be food and convenience shopping for the travelers passing through.
Are they going to tear it down? I thought they were renovating, adding but could be wrong.
DJT up!