Plans for the interior of the renovated Georgetown Library
Georgetown Metropolitan has a writeup of all the new and returning restaurants, businesses, and attractions that we can expect to open in Georgetown in 2010. The post, inexplicably entitled “2010: The Year That Will Be,” lists the following as establishments that will open this year:
Safeway – 1855 Wisconsin Ave – May 2010 – Originally slated to open in March, Social Safeway is supposed to make its grand, green reopening in May. And this one will have gelato, a sushi bar, and a Jamba Juice!
Apple Store – 1229 Wisconsin Ave – May 2010 – After months of doing battle with the Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the Old Georgetown Board, who together rejected four drafts for an Apple Store on Wisconsin Avenue, an Apple Store was approved to build in March. So far, builders have demolished the French Connection building that formerly stood there.
Ristorante Piccolo – 1068 31st Street – 2010 – This cozy date spot was ravaged by a fire in October 2008. Armed with plans for new rooftop seating, Ristorante Piccolo is supposed to open any day now.
Georgetown Metropolitan also lists a number of spots which may or may not see change in the coming year. Something may open up in the old Nathan’s restaurant location, possibly a steak frites place and the old Georgetown Theater property is for sale. And Pottery Barn is closing its Georgetown Store, he reports.
The Washington Business Journal has also reported that a new cafe will open in what used to be a gallery space at 1639 Wisconsin Avenue.
Hooray! After sending Apple back to the drawing board four, yes four times, rejected plans for a Wisconsin Avenue Apple store in hand, the Old Georgetown Board has finally approved their designs! And it sounds like the news storefront, which this fifth set of plans presented sans the huge front window they had initially planned for, and with more brick, really turns the OGB on:
“This is beautifully executed,” Stephen J. Vanze, chairman of the Old Georgetown Board, told Karl Backus, Apple’s architect. “We’re very pleased.”
At least that’s over with! Apple still has to get the O.K. from the U.S Commission of Fine Arts, the OGB’s overlords, but according to the Post, it’s unlikely they’ll flip the decision.
Apple still hasn’t determined their construction schedule for the store, which will sit where French Connection used to at 1229 Wisconsin, but by gosh—at least we’re getting it!
Tonight, Georgetown’s Advisory Neighborhood Comission 2E approved the design the owners of 1229 Wisconsin Ave submitted for an Apple store—again.
Yes, this is the fifth time the would-be Apple store has had to appear before the ANC. They will now go on to present to the Old Georgetown Board, that un-bastion of democracy which rejected Apple’s proposed designs a fourth time last month, prompting speculation that Georgetown would lose its little apple.
The ANC unanimously ratified an amendment by Commissioner Charles Eason stating they “reacted favorably to the design … [and they] have no objections to the design.”
Very few (and rather inconsequential) changes were made the proposal that was presented last month. The Commissioners appeared sick of talking about the Apple store and recommended that the OGB accept Apple’s proposal this time around.
So it’s back to the Old Georgetown drawing Board! (And you thought our apple puns were bad). We’ll have the entire ANC roundup for you tomorrow morning!
Photo taken from Flickr user Darren Hester under a Creative Commons license.
In Georgetown’s local government, the people are represented as two separate yet equally important groups: the neighbors’ representatives, who investigate crime, and the student representative, who leave crushed beer cans on their lawns. These are their stories.
Two weeks ago, Vox brought you what we hope was an intriguing interview with ANC Commissioner Ron Lewis. This week, we’ve got Georgetown’s own Aaron Golds (COL `11) talking about GUTS buses, kegs, and the now-infamous saga of the Georgetown Apple Store. He’s represented University students since January, and his little blue kingdom is pictured above.
What do you think about the Old Georgetown Board’s decision to deny Apple a fourth time? Are you worried it will drive Apple to another neighborhood?
My hands are tied, because obviously, I voted to approve the Apple designs. I look forward to seeing what Apple comes up with for [the March ANC meeting]. They’re getting closer.
Apple has shown continued interest in the Georgetown location. They paid over $12 million for the location. I think that means they’ll stay where they are. They don’t want to just sit on that, especially in a recession.
What do you think about the fact that only one of the three architects on the Old Georgetown Board (Ann Lewis, wife of ANC’s Ron Lewis) is actually a Georgetown resident?
I’m OK with it. The architects there are very capable, very competent, they have a good familiarity and idea of Georgetown.
This morning, we told you about the kerfuffle surrounding the Apple store planned for Georgetown. Having already sunk a cool $13 million already into the site of its future store, Apple isn’t likely to have wandering eyes, according to ANC commisioner Aaron Golds (COL `11).
But Georgetown’s competition has already starting to flirt with Apple as D.C. media broadcast signs of our marital troubles. DCist reports:
Rumors are floating around that the computer manufacturer’s iconic store might end up elsewhere in the District.
The Examiner’s Harry Jaffe wrote on Friday that frustrated city officials looking to land the city’s first Apple store might actually be helping find a location somewhere other than Georgetown.
Included in those city officials is Ward 1’s Councilman, Jim Graham. Georgetown had better watch out—it’s hard to resist a man in a bowtie. Here at Vox, we’re going to assuage our worries that Apple will head to Ward 1 by giving Graham’s and Jaffe’s statement the Monday Madlib treatment, after the jump.
Eager to have had their designs for the new Apple Store approved by the ANC, the owners of the (we hope) future site of Georgetown Apple Store skipped off the the Old Georgetown Board to get its approval, too—only to be rejected a fourth, yes, fourth time.
That’s right kids, Georgetown, which God willing will someday be home to D.C.’s first Apple store, may never get an Apple store in your time here. Georgetown Metropolitan has the scoop on just how egregious OGB’s rejection is, democratically speaking:
The Old Georgetown Board consists of three architects appointed by the U.S. Fine Arts Commission. Currently the OGB consists of the following individuals: David Cox, Anne Lewis, and Stephen Vanze.
And guess what? Only one of them actually lives in “Old Georgetown”. Cox lives in Kent (although his architecture firm is located in Georgetown) and Vanze lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland (although he also has a firm located in Georgetown). Anne Lewis (wife of ANC Commissioner Ron Lewis) lives just within the border of “Old Georgetown” at 34th and Reservoir.
In the first of what will be regular ANC 2E wrapups, we’re proud to bring you the events of last night’s ANC meeting. (But between Issue Rundowns, GUSA Roundups, and ANC Wrapups, it grieves me to report that we’re running out of summary nouns.)
Last night’s local government rumble had a considerable many high points: the ANC’s communal chastisement of WASA Director Louis Jarvis, the Dixie Liquor owner’s truly pathetic request for an exception to the singles ban, a resolution of gun stores in Georgetown, Apple’s store redesign, and a visit from the wardmaster himself, Jack Evans.
Details to follow, but the Safeway on Wisconsin will be closing for construction for over a month this Spring.
WASA: Jarvis felt the fury of the ANC when he admitted that 30% of Ward 2 hydrants, still need maintenance nearly two years after bum hydrants stymied firefighter’s efforts to rescue the burning Georgetown Library.
Ed Solomon, who recently watched from his tuxedo shop as a dumpster fire at Addison School required a second pumper truck (the nearby hydrant, tagged as “needing maintenance” but still supposedly in working condition, was in fact a dud), noted that this amounted to 59 hydrants and called the situation “unacceptable.” Later in the meeting, Jack Evans agreed.
Dixie Liquors: Next, Dixie Liquor’s Jody Kurash stopped by to request an exception to Ward 2’s singles ban, saying the store projected a $38,000 loss in sales for this year based on 2008 figures.
Georgetown students hoping that they could stop trekking to Pentagon City to get their Mac fix are out of luck, at least for a little longer. Apple bought store space a year ago on Wisconsin, but there still aren’t any building plans.
An Apple spokesperson says they’re still going to build the store, but what’s taking so long? My bet is the economy, or Justin Long’s salary.
Photo from Flickr user DumbYellowDog used under a Creative Commons license
Vox Populi is the staff blog of the Georgetown Voice, a weekly newsmagazine at Georgetown University. Opinions expressed in posts are those of their author alone unless otherwise stated.
Plans for the interior of the renovated Georgetown Library
Joke.
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