Good luck trying to find these images on the internet.
They are Vision McMillian Partners (VMP) drawings of their plan to erect commercial and residential buildings that would destroy most of our historic Olmsted park. Once you’ve seen their plans, you will understand why VMP has gone to such great lengths to avoid highlighting them, choosing instead to spotlight illustrations that make the green space look enormous, the historic structures protected, and the commercial buildings appropriate in scale. In fact, in most of the illustrations, VMP makes the green space look almost comically huge — like New York’s Central Park from the air — while the commercial buildings planned for Michigan Avenue fade into the background, literally disappearing into a white horizon.
Sadly, the reality is far different.
The people of Washington, D.C. deserve an honest discussion of the VMP plan based on its merits — not deceptive advertising and gimmicks.
The following three illustrations show clearly just what VMP hopes you will not notice:
- Nearly all, if not all, of the beautiful underground vaulted caverns would be destroyed. In fact, only one small section remains on the northeast corner.
- Of the little green space that would be preserved, it is far smaller than their wide-angled drawings lead you to believe.
- The commercial buildings tower over the development, bringing into our neighborhoods a hulking slice of Crystal City or Silver Spring.
View from Stronghold across North Capitol Street
The hastily-conceived VMP plan is plain wrong for the development of a park that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and that is intended to serve the needs of the citizens of Washington, D.C. and its visitors.
It is time our leaders got the message.
Take Action — Email the following message to the Mayor and City Councilmembers!
The McMillan Park Reservoir Historic District — both its above and below ground structures — is a tremendous asset for our city. Any plan approved for its development must be appropriate for the restoration and preservation of a historic park. I strongly urge you to reject the current plan proposed by Vision McMillan Partners.
Email to:
- Mayor Vincent Gray, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 316, Washington, DC, 20004; 202-727-6300, fax: 202-727-0505, vincent.gray@dc.gov
- Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 402, Washington, DC, 20004; 202-724-8064, fax: 202-724-8099, pmendelson@dccouncil.us
- Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, Ward 5, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC, 20004; 202-724-8028, fax: 202-724-8076, kmcduffie@dccouncil.us
- Councilmember Jim Graham, Ward 1, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 105, Washington, DC, 20004; 202-724-8181, fax: 202-724-8109, jgraham@dccouncil.us
- Councilmember David Grosso, At-Large, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 406, Washington, DC, 20004; 202-724-8105, fax: 202-724-8071, dgrosso@dccouncil.us
- Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, 2136 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC, 20515; 202-225-8050
- Congressman Darrell Issa, 2347 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC, 20515; 202-225-3906