A local governing body heard presentations about liquor licenses and construction plans for University buildings at a meeting Wednesday.
The Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission received an update from Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans about the affordability of public transportation and heard from a University official about plans to transfer GW’s liquor license from the Marvin Center to the Smith Center.
The ANC also discussed concerns about a road closure near the International Monetary Fund building and lodged a protest against the Watergate complex’s liquor license renewal with the Alcoholic Beverage Registration Administration because Watergate’s building managers have not addressed Watergate residents’ noise complaints.
Moving GW’s liquor license
Kevin Days, the director of community relations, introduced a request to allow the University to transfer its alcoholic beverage license from the Marvin Center to the Smith Center.
Days said the University wants to begin selling alcohol at concessions during events.
“The University will continue to contract licensed staff who will be a third-party vendor when serving alcoholic beverages, and an onsite manager will be provided who will be required any time alcohol is served,” he said.
Days said officials will present their plan to transfer the liquor license at the June ANC meeting after submitting their application to move the license at the end of April.
“This is just a brief introduction – this is a first step – we’ll be coming back and talking more,” he said.
Public transportation and education updates
Evans, the Ward 2 Council member who also chairs the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, presented updates on public transportation and education initiatives throughout the District and fielded questions about the federal investigation into his business relationships.
He said “transportation is never funded at the level it needs to be” and the District should work toward making Metro rides $1.
Commissioner Patrick Kennedy, who plans to run for D.C. Council against Evans next year, asked the Council member to comment on the widespread concerns that he allegedly misused his Council email to solicit business for his law firm.
Evans said someone other than himself sent out a resume and business plan twice on his Council email “by mistake.” He said sending the documents did not break any laws, but he apologized for the way he used his position on the Council.
“The content of the business plan was very unfortunate,” Evans said. “If I had to do it over again, I would do it very differently, and I can’t really go into it too much more than that but, again, in and of itself, the document doesn’t violate anything. It was unfortunate, and it happened – I apologize for it, and we’re moving on.”
Traffic plan for demolition of Rice Hall and 2100 Penn
Representatives from Boston Properties, a construction company, presented the ANC with a traffic control plan for the demolition of Rice Hall and 2100 Pennsylvania Ave., part of a plan to redevelop the two buildings.
The employees said the demolition will result in the closure of I Street and sidewalks near the buildings from May through July.
“We’re taking basically all of the sidewalk, including the curb lane,” one representative said. “Again, for safety reasons, we don’t want any pedestrians walking by as we’re taking down Rice Hall.”
Rice Hall is slated for demolition in August, and 2100 Penn’s demolition will follow in October.
Ilena Peng contributed reporting.
