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For Release: October 1 , 2007
For
More Information Contact:
Cheryl
Cort CSG, 202-244-4408 x112
Tom
Hier, Ward 3 Vision, 202-365-4311 (cell)
Allie Hajian, 202-363-8250 (cell)
Rebecca Perring , CSG, 202-244-4408 x122
Community Groups Support City Effort
to Build New Mixed Use Library
Today, the city moved a step closer to a new Tenley-Friendship Library by
beginning demolition of the old facility, after many years of delay. The
Deputy Mayor’s Office is expected to release a Request for Proposal (RFP)
later this month calling for mixed use, redevelopment proposals for the new
library.
“We have a unique opportunity to develop a key corner
next to Metro with a new library,” said Jane Mahaffie,
an AU Park resident, in a letter to the City Council.
Community members are excited that the city will consider
proposals for a new mixed use library that could bring the
neighborhood additional amenities such as affordable and
workforce housing, renovations to Janney Elementary School,
and community meeting space.
“This location, at the heart of our neighborhood and
on top of the Metro station, makes perfect sense for a new
mixed use library. A public-private partnership has
the potential to bring more amenities to our community, and
even it takes a bit longer, my neighbors and I think it’s
well worth it,” said Tom Hier, Tenleytown resident
and Chair of Ward 3 Vision, an active community group working
to ensure new development is positive and forward-thinking,
and brings new life and vibrancy to Ward 3 neighborhoods. “This
is a facility that will be the crown jewel of Tenleytown
for the next century, and we need to get it right.”
Ward 3 Vision and the Coalition for Smarter Growth support
an RFP process for the Tenley-Friendship Library so the community
can fully explore the possibilities for the future
of the library and the important corner it sits on.
“I urge you to consider proposals for a mixed-use
residential/library project at the site of the closed Tenleytown
Library. It offers a "win-win" opportunity
for the community and city to gain an upgraded, modern
library, a much-needed expansion of the Janney School, a
more vibrant upper Wisconsin Avenue streetscape, and increased property
tax revenues for the city;” said Jim Sefcik, Tenleytown
resident,. “It would also be a signal example
of transit-oriented "smart growth," located literally
on top of a metro station in a "walkable" urban
neighborhood.”
“I can’t wait to be able to walk to the new
library with my young daughter. We need to better leverage
our resources to achieve public benefits, and we have a fantastic
opportunity to go this route with the Tenley Library,” said
Stephanie Hellerman, Tenleytown resident.
Ward 3 Vision and the Coalition for Smarter Growth urge
the city to move forward with a process that involves strong
community participation and a full discussion of the benefits
and trade-offs that public-private partnerships can provide.
For more information about the proposal, visit www.Ward3Vision.org
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