Hi all,

The following is the latest news about 1458 Columbia Rd. as of
April 1.

Dave McIntire

Landlord Faces Criminal Charges
By Philip P. Pan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 1, 2000; Page A01


District prosecutors yesterday charged a Northern Virginia lawyer
and high-tech executive with thousands of criminal violations of
the housing code--and threatened to arrest a different landlord
every week in the city's escalating crackdown on slum properties.

D.C. Corporation Counsel Robert R. Rigsby, whose office filed
charges against two other alleged slumlords last week, said
police were searching last night for Andrew J. Serafin, of Great
Falls, whom public records list as chief executive officer of
Aditec, a Chantilly-based computer networking firm.

Prosecutors said Serafin owns a 60-unit building at 1458 Columbia
Rd. NW that was declared "unfit for human habitation" two weeks
ago, with defective smoke detectors, peeling paint, broken
windows, crumbling ceilings and vermin and rodent infestations.

Rigsby said housing inspectors who visited the property Thursday
night encountered rat burrows leading into the building as they
circled the site.

"There are rats, large rats, living in there with babies and
children. It's just wrong. You don't allow people to live in
conditions like that," he said. "And it's particularly troubling
to me that a lawyer, whether he lives in Great Falls or wherever,
would allow a property to deteriorate this way."

City officials said they have tried for years to force Serafin to
maintain the apartment building. As early as 1984, he was
included on a "major violators list" of the 26 worst slumlords,
and officials say he owes the city nearly $500,000 in unpaid
water and sewage bills on the building.

Rigsby said Serafin was charged with 12,948 housing code
violations, each of them a misdemeanor carrying a maximum
sentence of a $300 fine and 90 days' imprisonment. A judge could
order Serafin to pay a maximum fine of nearly $3.9 million and
sentence him to 3,192 years in prison. He also could be stripped
of his right to own property in the District.

Prosecutors said they were able to rack up charges against
Serafin because the law allows a landlord to be charged with a
separate crime for every day past the deadline set by housing
inspectors that a housing code violation is not repaired. Serafin
allegedly has failed to make repairs for as long as 101 days past
those deadlines.

The city, Rigsby said, finally lost patience.

"There's a big difference between saying, 'You're under arrest,'
and sending a notice saying you have 30 days to make repairs," he
said. "The message is simple: Fix the doggone building."

Serafin did not return phone calls left at his home, law office
or Aditec.

Philip Musolino, a lawyer who represents him in a lawsuit filed
against the city last year, said his client "has long since
abated the outstanding housing code violations in the building
and advised the District in writing that he has done so." He said
Serafin has been battling the city for years to provide "minimal
municipal services" such as cleaning up adjoining properties and
arresting drug dealers.

"There's been a long history of litigation between my client and
the District of Columbia," Musolino said. "I suspect that's the
motivation for the sudden interest in the building."

Serafin's building is one of five in the Columbia Heights area
that Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) has threatened to close this
month if owners don't make repairs. As many as 50 other apartment
buildings face similar closures, and thousands of residents--most
of them low-income black, Latino and Asian tenants--could be
forced from their homes.

The city has promised to help relocate tenants, but the prospect
of mass evictions has generated much anxiety in Columbia Heights,
Mount Pleasant and Cardozo-Shaw, where more than two-thirds of
the buildings are located. Many of the tenants are immigrants who
do not qualify for federal housing subsidies.

Rigsby said the District will close buildings only as a last
resort. He also announced that the city has decided to give
Serafin an extra 30 days--until early May--to make repairs before
closing his building.

"We hope he'll do the right thing," Rigsby said. He declined to
say whether the city might reduce charges against Serafin if he
fixes his building.

Saul Solorzano, director of the nonprofit Central American
Resource Center, which has been organizing the largely Latino
residents of Serafin's building, praised the city's action.

"He's unfit to be a landlord because the conditions are just
horrible," Solorzano said. "Now, hopefully, the city will step in
and help the tenants purchase the building."

Rigsby said prosecutors are reviewing cases against two other
landlords, and will arrest a new landlord every week if necessary
to show they mean business. But he said some are already getting
the message.

"We're getting landlords calling and saying, 'We don't want to be
part of your Friday feeding frenzies. What can we do?' "

Pat:

Thank you (and Geoff Griffis) for the interesting information on the Tivoli.
   Quite a fascinating past.  I'm curious to get your take on a couple
things.

While the reasons you state for the under use of the Lincoln are valid, a
major reason it sits dark most of the time is its size.  At under 1,200
seats it is too large for community groups and local theatre companies to
use (none of the theaters on 14th Street seats more than 200), but too small
for travelling shows and concerts.  The Warner has nearly 1,900 seats,
Lisner Auditorium and Constitution Hall have 1,500, and, the Kennedy Center
Concert Hall has 2,300.

Where would the Tivoli fit?  To be economically viable at 2,500 seats you
would surely need a large thrust stage like the KenCen Opera House to put on
broadway musicals and operas, if you could attract them from the KenCen or
downtown from the Warner.

If you enlarge the stage, you risk lowering the seating capacity to the
unworkable Lincoln model, and you might still be faced with the union
problems, subject matter, etc.

Do you have a sense of how it would work?

Tony McNeal


>From: "pat meyer" <Holmead@...>
>To: <columbia_heights@egroups.com>
>Subject: [columbia_heights] The Tivoli Theatre
>Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 23:36:43 -0500
>
>
>Evening All,
>
>It is heartwarming to read all the notes about the Tivoli.  For almost 20
>years Save the Tivoli has been working to keep the building from being
>demolished and the positive reaction to Mark's posted photos is great.  For
>those who don't know me, I am the executive director and a founding member
>of STT and live on Holmead Place, right behind the Theatre.
>
>To build on what  David and Mark and Geoff and John and others have said
>about the Tivoli and to answer some questions....
>
>The board of STT doesn't think, and never has felt, that there is a choice
>between having the Tivoli or a grocery
>store.  I do think with more than 13 acres of undeveloped, to say nothing
>of
>the underdeveloped, land in the general area of the Tivoli, this
>neighborhood should have both.  The size of the proposed Giant - 40,000
>square feet - makes this a regional, rather than a neighborhood, store and
>will attract customers from the surrounding neighborhoods as well as
>commuters passing the store on their way home up 14th Street.  This is the
>size of some of the suburban stores, and almost twice as large as the
>"Soviet" Safeway or the O Street Giant.  There is a formula for grocery
>store development, but that shouldn't mean we lose unique buildings in
>order
>to gain good one stop shopping.  And, as has been said, smaller specialty
>markets will probably lose customers and may be forced to close when the
>larger store opens.
>
>The Lincoln Theater is a wonderful venue.  Unfortunately, there have been
>management decisions that limit the type of programming available to be
>staged at that house. (Union vs. non-union, subject matter, type of
>organization that can rent the facility.)  These decisions plus the noted
>lack of publicity,  have resulted in less than hoped for usage, which
>translates into many dark nights.  This has spin-off effects on area
>businesses and on the future of the theater itself.  The management of the
>Tivoli will be a critical factor in its success, as with any theater.  The
>Warner had struggled for many years, both trying to find it's place in the
>DC theater scene and
>attracting a loyal following.
>
>The Tivoli's stage is rather small for today's productions.  The large
>rectangular part of the building behind it is the flytower, and was used to
>hold the curtains on which scenes were painted.  They were then lowered to
>the stage area by rigging during the performances.  This gave greater
>flexibility for scenery, but less space in the wings.  Actors had to cross
>the stage by a catwalk over the stage to enter from the right.
>
>The orchestra pit was one of the first in the country to be lowered or
>raised as needed during a performance.  The pit is currently covered with
>what looks like an apron in front of the stage, and could/has been used as
>a
>stage extension.
>
>There has been damage over the years to the plaster work and many
>"renovators" helped themselves to the marble wainscoting and bathroom
>dividers.   There is, however, enough detail work to take molds and do
>whatever replacement work would be necessary, should a future use of the
>space require that.
>
>While there are a number of smaller theater spaces in the 14th Street area,
>none of them have the capacity to fill the Tivoli - it seats over 2500,
>making it a larger venue than either the National or the Warner.  The third
>balcony alone hold more people than the Uptown.  There are numerous
>possibilities for reusing the Tivoli interior, including several that
>divide
>the space into smaller areas. The small theaters on 14th Street have a
>patronage and each has a unique identity.  We hope that the Tivoli will
>have
>an equally unique place in Washington theater.  There are many other
>businesses in Columbia Heights that are named for the Tivoli and it is
>something that sets this neighborhood apart from all the others in the
>city.
>Think of the stores and businesses that have sprung up around the Uptown
>Theater and the business they do as a result of that very popular movie
>house.  Those small restaurants and businesses also improve the quality of
>life and safety of the neighborhood residents and provide a wide range of
>services for them, and others to enjoy.
>
>So the big question remains, what exactly do we do with the interior space.
>There are 10 shops and about 35 offices within the structure of the
>building
>that could be brought to code and rented for neighborhood services.  That
>would be the first effort, to bring the building back into service.
>
>The auditorium space could have may uses.  At an STT board meeting in the
>early 1980's we made a listing of all the possible uses - from movies, to a
>space for graduations, to neighborhood meetings, to plays, to opera, to
>dividing the space into smaller units, to leveling the floor for a skating
>rink or dance floor...you get the idea.  We filled an hour coming up with
>ideas, many of which were and are possible.
>
>But we knew in the 1980's and it is true now, that the use must be
>economically viable, be reflective of the history and culture of the
>neighborhood and larger community, be accessible, and be fun.  This is a
>building with a lot of potential, it can be something very special.  It
>sets
>Columbia Heights apart from all other neighborhoods in the city.  There is
>no other Tivoli Theatre.  Can you hear the next round of Metro names - "the
>next station stop is Columbia Heights/Tivoli Theatre."  (It's not likely
>that they would ever say "Columbia Heights/Giant Grocery.")
>
>We welcome your help and support in joining our effort to find a way to
>reuse this landmark.  STT's annual membership is $20. for individuals and
>$30. for families.  Our website, a work in progress, has more info on
>joining - www.savethetivoli.org.
>
>If you have other questions, either post them, and I'll reply, or contact
>me
>privately.  I look forward to a continuing discussion on the issues.
>
>Pat Meyer
>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
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______________________________________________________

Hi All ,

Now is the time of the "spring ephemerals" , the wildflowers that
bloom before the trees in the woodlands have leafed out -- and it
is a glorious display if you happen upon a bunch of virginia
bluebells in bloom on the floodplains of the Potomac River or
Rock Creek . Give yourself a treat this weekend , you may also
see trout lily,
dutchman's breeches, trillium , toothwart , spring beauties, and
wild blue phlox.  Along the C & O Canal ,  above Chain Bridge ,
between the towpath and the river,  is where we found ample
examples today.

Elizabeth McIntire

The other option to consider is to enlarge the stage toward the rear (add onto
the building at the
north side of the site) and provide a retractable thrust stage with removable
seats directly in
front of the proscenium arch.

Tony McNeal wrote:

> Pat:
>
> Thank you (and Geoff Griffis) for the interesting information on the Tivoli.
>   Quite a fascinating past.  I'm curious to get your take on a couple
> things.
>
> While the reasons you state for the under use of the Lincoln are valid, a
> major reason it sits dark most of the time is its size.  At under 1,200
> seats it is too large for community groups and local theatre companies to
> use (none of the theaters on 14th Street seats more than 200), but too small
> for travelling shows and concerts.  The Warner has nearly 1,900 seats,
> Lisner Auditorium and Constitution Hall have 1,500, and, the Kennedy Center
> Concert Hall has 2,300.
>
> Where would the Tivoli fit?  To be economically viable at 2,500 seats you
> would surely need a large thrust stage like the KenCen Opera House to put on
> broadway musicals and operas, if you could attract them from the KenCen or
> downtown from the Warner.
>
> If you enlarge the stage, you risk lowering the seating capacity to the
> unworkable Lincoln model, and you might still be faced with the union
> problems, subject matter, etc.
>
> Do you have a sense of how it would work?
>
> Tony McNeal
>
> >From: "pat meyer" <Holmead@...>
> >To: <columbia_heights@egroups.com>
> >Subject: [columbia_heights] The Tivoli Theatre
> >Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 23:36:43 -0500
> >
> >
> >Evening All,
> >
> >It is heartwarming to read all the notes about the Tivoli.  For almost 20
> >years Save the Tivoli has been working to keep the building from being
> >demolished and the positive reaction to Mark's posted photos is great.  For
> >those who don't know me, I am the executive director and a founding member
> >of STT and live on Holmead Place, right behind the Theatre.
> >
> >To build on what  David and Mark and Geoff and John and others have said
> >about the Tivoli and to answer some questions....
> >
> >The board of STT doesn't think, and never has felt, that there is a choice
> >between having the Tivoli or a grocery
> >store.  I do think with more than 13 acres of undeveloped, to say nothing
> >of
> >the underdeveloped, land in the general area of the Tivoli, this
> >neighborhood should have both.  The size of the proposed Giant - 40,000
> >square feet - makes this a regional, rather than a neighborhood, store and
> >will attract customers from the surrounding neighborhoods as well as
> >commuters passing the store on their way home up 14th Street.  This is the
> >size of some of the suburban stores, and almost twice as large as the
> >"Soviet" Safeway or the O Street Giant.  There is a formula for grocery
> >store development, but that shouldn't mean we lose unique buildings in
> >order
> >to gain good one stop shopping.  And, as has been said, smaller specialty
> >markets will probably lose customers and may be forced to close when the
> >larger store opens.
> >
> >The Lincoln Theater is a wonderful venue.  Unfortunately, there have been
> >management decisions that limit the type of programming available to be
> >staged at that house. (Union vs. non-union, subject matter, type of
> >organization that can rent the facility.)  These decisions plus the noted
> >lack of publicity,  have resulted in less than hoped for usage, which
> >translates into many dark nights.  This has spin-off effects on area
> >businesses and on the future of the theater itself.  The management of the
> >Tivoli will be a critical factor in its success, as with any theater.  The
> >Warner had struggled for many years, both trying to find it's place in the
> >DC theater scene and
> >attracting a loyal following.
> >
> >The Tivoli's stage is rather small for today's productions.  The large
> >rectangular part of the building behind it is the flytower, and was used to
> >hold the curtains on which scenes were painted.  They were then lowered to
> >the stage area by rigging during the performances.  This gave greater
> >flexibility for scenery, but less space in the wings.  Actors had to cross
> >the stage by a catwalk over the stage to enter from the right.
> >
> >The orchestra pit was one of the first in the country to be lowered or
> >raised as needed during a performance.  The pit is currently covered with
> >what looks like an apron in front of the stage, and could/has been used as
> >a
> >stage extension.
> >
> >There has been damage over the years to the plaster work and many
> >"renovators" helped themselves to the marble wainscoting and bathroom
> >dividers.   There is, however, enough detail work to take molds and do
> >whatever replacement work would be necessary, should a future use of the
> >space require that.
> >
> >While there are a number of smaller theater spaces in the 14th Street area,
> >none of them have the capacity to fill the Tivoli - it seats over 2500,
> >making it a larger venue than either the National or the Warner.  The third
> >balcony alone hold more people than the Uptown.  There are numerous
> >possibilities for reusing the Tivoli interior, including several that
> >divide
> >the space into smaller areas. The small theaters on 14th Street have a
> >patronage and each has a unique identity.  We hope that the Tivoli will
> >have
> >an equally unique place in Washington theater.  There are many other
> >businesses in Columbia Heights that are named for the Tivoli and it is
> >something that sets this neighborhood apart from all the others in the
> >city.
> >Think of the stores and businesses that have sprung up around the Uptown
> >Theater and the business they do as a result of that very popular movie
> >house.  Those small restaurants and businesses also improve the quality of
> >life and safety of the neighborhood residents and provide a wide range of
> >services for them, and others to enjoy.
> >
> >So the big question remains, what exactly do we do with the interior space.
> >There are 10 shops and about 35 offices within the structure of the
> >building
> >that could be brought to code and rented for neighborhood services.  That
> >would be the first effort, to bring the building back into service.
> >
> >The auditorium space could have may uses.  At an STT board meeting in the
> >early 1980's we made a listing of all the possible uses - from movies, to a
> >space for graduations, to neighborhood meetings, to plays, to opera, to
> >dividing the space into smaller units, to leveling the floor for a skating
> >rink or dance floor...you get the idea.  We filled an hour coming up with
> >ideas, many of which were and are possible.
> >
> >But we knew in the 1980's and it is true now, that the use must be
> >economically viable, be reflective of the history and culture of the
> >neighborhood and larger community, be accessible, and be fun.  This is a
> >building with a lot of potential, it can be something very special.  It
> >sets
> >Columbia Heights apart from all other neighborhoods in the city.  There is
> >no other Tivoli Theatre.  Can you hear the next round of Metro names - "the
> >next station stop is Columbia Heights/Tivoli Theatre."  (It's not likely
> >that they would ever say "Columbia Heights/Giant Grocery.")
> >
> >We welcome your help and support in joining our effort to find a way to
> >reuse this landmark.  STT's annual membership is $20. for individuals and
> >$30. for families.  Our website, a work in progress, has more info on
> >joining - www.savethetivoli.org.
> >
> >If you have other questions, either post them, and I'll reply, or contact
> >me
> >privately.  I look forward to a continuing discussion on the issues.
> >
> >Pat Meyer
> >
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Special Offer-Earn 300 Points from MyPoints.com for trying @Backup
> >Get automatic protection and access to your important computer files.
> >Install today:
> >http://click.egroups.com/1/2344/1/_/13316/_/954564130/
> >
> >eGroups.com Home: http://www.egroups.com/group/columbia_heights/
> >http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Let me throw this into the discussion mix.  It seems
that now that Mark's photos of the inside of the
Tivoli have been made public that many more of us are
aware of the great treasure this community has.

It is, I think clear, that Altering, remodeling, or
demolition are unthinkable.  The only real course of
action is to restore (in the true sense of the word)
the building.

This presents a myriad of problems that are going to
take a great deal of coordination to solve and a great
deal of creativity to conceptualize.

I will not pretend that there is any one answer but
this country has a great many similar projects to
consider.

Right here in this city is the Warner Theater.
Remember it was closed for a period of time, had
fallen into disrepair and needed a great influx of
cash to restore it.  This was done, I believe by
having the office building developed around it's
interior. It doesn't seem that this is a remote
possiblity for our situation becasue we don't want to
surround the Tivoli.

In Los Angeles at least seven of the great silent
screen movie houses have been restored in the last
decade. Many of these structures, The Million Dollar
Theater (one example) have been very successful.  Not
only as excellent examples of restoration efforts but
also as community anchors. Broadway Street (the
historic "shopping mall" of Downtown LA) was derilict
for many years.  It took a concerted effort of their
CBD, and partnership with the motion picture industry
and others to make these restorations happen. Their
reopening have enlivened the area and added a great
deal to the cultural identity of downtown.

In other major and second tier cities the old movie
houses have been restored for adaptive reuse purposes.
Sometimes for performance halls...and sometimes
successfully. Again, I sight a great example of this
which occured in LA with the Wiltern Theater.  Once a
shining example of Art Deco architect this silent
movie theater that seats about 2,200 was restored and
reopened in the mid 80s and is still rocking today as
a music hall!!!

In most cases, however, the best use for these
buildings is to make them what they once were....A
great movie palace.

I understand that DC has one great movie palace
left...the Uptown.  It seats 1,600. It is hughly
successful.  Architecturally it is mildly inspired.
The most recent renovation actually hurt it I think as
its seats are so uncomfortable.  However, it is rairly
not packed with people.

Couldn't DC afford to have two great movie palaces?
Think about it for just a second.  It might seem crazy
but if the idea were really thought through and
promoted to the right people in the right way we may
find it easier to raise the millions necessary to
restore the building.  The end result would be a real
landmark, anchor and source of community pride for not
only CH but for the city as a whole.

Steven Ballard had a good suggestion about finding a
.com to come up with the money.  But money is not the
only thing...image and creating a sense of desire is
really an important part of this whole effort.

So I could go on but I'd like to welcome comment and
response instead.

mev

--- Tony McNeal <tmac09@...> wrote:
>
> Pat:
>
> Thank you (and Geoff Griffis) for the interesting
> information on the Tivoli.
>   Quite a fascinating past.  I'm curious to get your
> take on a couple
> things.
>
> While the reasons you state for the under use of the
> Lincoln are valid, a
> major reason it sits dark most of the time is its
> size.  At under 1,200
> seats it is too large for community groups and local
> theatre companies to
> use (none of the theaters on 14th Street seats more
> than 200), but too small
> for travelling shows and concerts.  The Warner has
> nearly 1,900 seats,
> Lisner Auditorium and Constitution Hall have 1,500,
> and, the Kennedy Center
> Concert Hall has 2,300.
>
> Where would the Tivoli fit?  To be economically
> viable at 2,500 seats you
> would surely need a large thrust stage like the
> KenCen Opera House to put on
> broadway musicals and operas, if you could attract
> them from the KenCen or
> downtown from the Warner.
>
> If you enlarge the stage, you risk lowering the
> seating capacity to the
> unworkable Lincoln model, and you might still be
> faced with the union
> problems, subject matter, etc.
>
> Do you have a sense of how it would work?
>
> Tony McNeal
>
>
> >From: "pat meyer" <Holmead@...>
> >To: <columbia_heights@egroups.com>
> >Subject: [columbia_heights] The Tivoli Theatre
> >Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 23:36:43 -0500
> >
> >
> >Evening All,
> >
> >It is heartwarming to read all the notes about the
> Tivoli.  For almost 20
> >years Save the Tivoli has been working to keep the
> building from being
> >demolished and the positive reaction to Mark's
> posted photos is great.  For
> >those who don't know me, I am the executive
> director and a founding member
> >of STT and live on Holmead Place, right behind the
> Theatre.
> >
> >To build on what  David and Mark and Geoff and John
> and others have said
> >about the Tivoli and to answer some questions....
> >
> >The board of STT doesn't think, and never has felt,
> that there is a choice
> >between having the Tivoli or a grocery
> >store.  I do think with more than 13 acres of
> undeveloped, to say nothing
> >of
> >the underdeveloped, land in the general area of the
> Tivoli, this
> >neighborhood should have both.  The size of the
> proposed Giant - 40,000
> >square feet - makes this a regional, rather than a
> neighborhood, store and
> >will attract customers from the surrounding
> neighborhoods as well as
> >commuters passing the store on their way home up
> 14th Street.  This is the
> >size of some of the suburban stores, and almost
> twice as large as the
> >"Soviet" Safeway or the O Street Giant.  There is a
> formula for grocery
> >store development, but that shouldn't mean we lose
> unique buildings in
> >order
> >to gain good one stop shopping.  And, as has been
> said, smaller specialty
> >markets will probably lose customers and may be
> forced to close when the
> >larger store opens.
> >
> >The Lincoln Theater is a wonderful venue.
> Unfortunately, there have been
> >management decisions that limit the type of
> programming available to be
> >staged at that house. (Union vs. non-union, subject
> matter, type of
> >organization that can rent the facility.)  These
> decisions plus the noted
> >lack of publicity,  have resulted in less than
> hoped for usage, which
> >translates into many dark nights.  This has
> spin-off effects on area
> >businesses and on the future of the theater itself.
>  The management of the
> >Tivoli will be a critical factor in its success, as
> with any theater.  The
> >Warner had struggled for many years, both trying to
> find it's place in the
> >DC theater scene and
> >attracting a loyal following.
> >
> >The Tivoli's stage is rather small for today's
> productions.  The large
> >rectangular part of the building behind it is the
> flytower, and was used to
> >hold the curtains on which scenes were painted.
> They were then lowered to
> >the stage area by rigging during the performances.
> This gave greater
> >flexibility for scenery, but less space in the
> wings.  Actors had to cross
> >the stage by a catwalk over the stage to enter from
> the right.
> >
> >The orchestra pit was one of the first in the
> country to be lowered or
> >raised as needed during a performance.  The pit is
> currently covered with
> >what looks like an apron in front of the stage, and
> could/has been used as
> >a
> >stage extension.
> >
> >There has been damage over the years to the plaster
> work and many
> >"renovators" helped themselves to the marble
> wainscoting and bathroom
> >dividers.   There is, however, enough detail work
> to take molds and do
> >whatever replacement work would be necessary,
> should a future use of the
> >space require that.
> >
> >While there are a number of smaller theater spaces
> in the 14th Street area,
> >none of them have the capacity to fill the Tivoli -
> it seats over 2500,
> >making it a larger venue than either the National
> or the Warner.  The third
> >balcony alone hold more people than the Uptown.
> There are numerous
> >possibilities for reusing the Tivoli interior,
> including several that
> >divide
> >the space into smaller areas. The small theaters on
> 14th Street have a
> >patronage and each has a unique identity.  We hope
> that the Tivoli will
> >have
> >an equally unique place in Washington theater.
> There are many other
> >businesses in Columbia Heights that are named for
> the Tivoli and it is
> >something that sets this neighborhood apart from
> all the others in the
> >city.
> >Think of the stores and businesses that have sprung
> up around the Uptown
> >Theater and the business they do as a result of
> that very popular movie
> >house.  Those small restaurants and businesses also
> improve the quality of
> >life and safety of the neighborhood residents and
> provide a wide range of
> >services for them, and others to enjoy.
> >
> >So the big question remains, what exactly do we do
> with the interior space.
> >There are 10 shops and about 35 offices within the
> structure of the
> >building
> >that could be brought to code and rented for
> neighborhood services.  That
> >would be the first effort, to bring the building
> back into service.
> >
> >The auditorium space could have may uses.  At an
> STT board meeting in the
> >early 1980's we made a listing of all the possible
> uses - from movies, to a
> >space for graduations, to neighborhood meetings, to
> plays, to opera, to
> >dividing the space into smaller units, to leveling
> the floor for a skating
> >rink or dance floor...you get the idea.  We filled
> an hour coming up with
> >ideas, many of which were and are possible.
>
=== message truncated ===

=====
Apexstudios
Design-Architecture-Illustration
Michael Vallen

http//www.apexstudios.com

"Any deviation from simplicity results in a loss of dignity."  Irving J. Gill
1932

__________________________________________________
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Re:  Your posting:  "Let me throw this into the discussion mix.  It
seems..."



Hi Michael:

Your posting is most thoughtful.  I, too, have wondered if the Uptown is the
only large, single-screen theater that Washington will support.  It would
seem not, although there are significant issues to be aware of.

I spent several years working for AMC, mostly as a theater manager of
several different multi-screen locations in Houston, so I know a little
about the business, at least as it appeared in the 1980s.

Trying to interest one of the major chains in a single screen theater will
be difficult.  As you probably know, theaters make the vast majority of
their profits from the concession stand, with film many times running at a
loss.  Knowing this fact, it is pretty obvious that if you have one screen,
and that screen fails to perform, you suffer BIG losses because, not only
are few people buying tickets, but fewer still are buying popcorn and coke.
Losses of that magnitude are in the unacceptable risk category for the major
chains.

If we are to preserve the Tivoli as a single screen house, we would do well
to look elsewhere for an entrepreneur who can run it profitably.  I'm sure
they are out there, so we need to do our research.

steve

One of the tremendous aspects of the theatre, that is not reflected in the
pictures, is the
acoustics.  They are superb!  Let's not ruin them.

I have the impression that wrapping two sides of the building is still a very
viable and desirable
solution, and the use of the remainder of the site could be (ultimately) an
office or mixed-use
building with more density than just one or two stories.

David

Michael Vallen wrote:

> It seems that now that Mark's photos of the inside of the
> Tivoli have been made public that many more of us are
> aware of the great treasure this community has.
>
> Right here in this city is the Warner Theater.
> Remember it was closed for a period of time, had
> fallen into disrepair and needed a great influx of
> cash to restore it.  This was done, I believe by
> having the office building developed around it's
> interior. It doesn't seem that this is a remote
> possiblity for our situation becasue we don't want to
> surround the Tivoli.
>
> mev
>
> --- Tony McNeal <tmac09@...> wrote:
> >
> > Pat:
> >
> > Thank you (and Geoff Griffis) for the interesting
> > information on the Tivoli.
> >   Quite a fascinating past.  I'm curious to get your
> > take on a couple
> > things.
> >
> > While the reasons you state for the under use of the
> > Lincoln are valid, a
> > major reason it sits dark most of the time is its
> > size.  At under 1,200
> > seats it is too large for community groups and local
> > theatre companies to
> > use (none of the theaters on 14th Street seats more
> > than 200), but too small
> > for travelling shows and concerts.  The Warner has
> > nearly 1,900 seats,
> > Lisner Auditorium and Constitution Hall have 1,500,
> > and, the Kennedy Center
> > Concert Hall has 2,300.
> >
> > Where would the Tivoli fit?  To be economically
> > viable at 2,500 seats you
> > would surely need a large thrust stage like the
> > KenCen Opera House to put on
> > broadway musicals and operas, if you could attract
> > them from the KenCen or
> > downtown from the Warner.
> >
> > If you enlarge the stage, you risk lowering the
> > seating capacity to the
> > unworkable Lincoln model, and you might still be
> > faced with the union
> > problems, subject matter, etc.
> >
> > Do you have a sense of how it would work?
> >
> > Tony McNeal
> >
> >
> > >From: "pat meyer" <Holmead@...>
> > >To: <columbia_heights@egroups.com>
> > >Subject: [columbia_heights] The Tivoli Theatre
> > >Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2000 23:36:43 -0500
> > >
> > >
> > >Evening All,
> > >
> > >It is heartwarming to read all the notes about the
> > Tivoli.  For almost 20
> > >years Save the Tivoli has been working to keep the
> > building from being
> > >demolished and the positive reaction to Mark's
> > posted photos is great.  For
> > >those who don't know me, I am the executive
> > director and a founding member
> > >of STT and live on Holmead Place, right behind the
> > Theatre.
> > >
> > >To build on what  David and Mark and Geoff and John
> > and others have said
> > >about the Tivoli and to answer some questions....
> > >
> > >The board of STT doesn't think, and never has felt,
> > that there is a choice
> > >between having the Tivoli or a grocery
> > >store.  I do think with more than 13 acres of
> > undeveloped, to say nothing
> > >of
> > >the underdeveloped, land in the general area of the
> > Tivoli, this
> > >neighborhood should have both.  The size of the
> > proposed Giant - 40,000
> > >square feet - makes this a regional, rather than a
> > neighborhood, store and
> > >will attract customers from the surrounding
> > neighborhoods as well as
> > >commuters passing the store on their way home up
> > 14th Street.  This is the
> > >size of some of the suburban stores, and almost
> > twice as large as the
> > >"Soviet" Safeway or the O Street Giant.  There is a
> > formula for grocery
> > >store development, but that shouldn't mean we lose
> > unique buildings in
> > >order
> > >to gain good one stop shopping.  And, as has been
> > said, smaller specialty
> > >markets will probably lose customers and may be
> > forced to close when the
> > >larger store opens.
> > >
> > >The Lincoln Theater is a wonderful venue.
> > Unfortunately, there have been
> > >management decisions that limit the type of
> > programming available to be
> > >staged at that house. (Union vs. non-union, subject
> > matter, type of
> > >organization that can rent the facility.)  These
> > decisions plus the noted
> > >lack of publicity,  have resulted in less than
> > hoped for usage, which
> > >translates into many dark nights.  This has
> > spin-off effects on area
> > >businesses and on the future of the theater itself.
> >  The management of the
> > >Tivoli will be a critical factor in its success, as
> > with any theater.  The
> > >Warner had struggled for many years, both trying to
> > find it's place in the
> > >DC theater scene and
> > >attracting a loyal following.
> > >
> > >The Tivoli's stage is rather small for today's
> > productions.  The large
> > >rectangular part of the building behind it is the
> > flytower, and was used to
> > >hold the curtains on which scenes were painted.
> > They were then lowered to
> > >the stage area by rigging during the performances.
> > This gave greater
> > >flexibility for scenery, but less space in the
> > wings.  Actors had to cross
> > >the stage by a catwalk over the stage to enter from
> > the right.
> > >
> > >The orchestra pit was one of the first in the
> > country to be lowered or
> > >raised as needed during a performance.  The pit is
> > currently covered with
> > >what looks like an apron in front of the stage, and
> > could/has been used as
> > >a
> > >stage extension.
> > >
> > >There has been damage over the years to the plaster
> > work and many
> > >"renovators" helped themselves to the marble
> > wainscoting and bathroom
> > >dividers.   There is, however, enough detail work
> > to take molds and do
> > >whatever replacement work would be necessary,
> > should a future use of the
> > >space require that.
> > >
> > >While there are a number of smaller theater spaces
> > in the 14th Street area,
> > >none of them have the capacity to fill the Tivoli -
> > it seats over 2500,
> > >making it a larger venue than either the National
> > or the Warner.  The third
> > >balcony alone hold more people than the Uptown.
> > There are numerous
> > >possibilities for reusing the Tivoli interior,
> > including several that
> > >divide
> > >the space into smaller areas. The small theaters on
> > 14th Street have a
> > >patronage and each has a unique identity.  We hope
> > that the Tivoli will
> > >have
> > >an equally unique place in Washington theater.
> > There are many other
> > >businesses in Columbia Heights that are named for
> > the Tivoli and it is
> > >something that sets this neighborhood apart from
> > all the others in the
> > >city.
> > >Think of the stores and businesses that have sprung
> > up around the Uptown
> > >Theater and the business they do as a result of
> > that very popular movie
> > >house.  Those small restaurants and businesses also
> > improve the quality of
> > >life and safety of the neighborhood residents and
> > provide a wide range of
> > >services for them, and others to enjoy.
> > >
> > >So the big question remains, what exactly do we do
> > with the interior space.
> > >There are 10 shops and about 35 offices within the
> > structure of the
> > >building
> > >that could be brought to code and rented for
> > neighborhood services.  That
> > >would be the first effort, to bring the building
> > back into service.
> > >
> > >The auditorium space could have may uses.  At an
> > STT board meeting in the
> > >early 1980's we made a listing of all the possible
> > uses - from movies, to a
> > >space for graduations, to neighborhood meetings, to
> > plays, to opera, to
> > >dividing the space into smaller units, to leveling
> > the floor for a skating
> > >rink or dance floor...you get the idea.  We filled
> > an hour coming up with
> > >ideas, many of which were and are possible.
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
> =====
> Apexstudios
> Design-Architecture-Illustration
> Michael Vallen
>
> http//www.apexstudios.com
>
> "Any deviation from simplicity results in a loss of dignity."  Irving J. Gill
1932
>
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I am forwarding this to the group because of an interesting and pertinent
attached article titled "Restoring Our Theater: Revitalizing Our Cities"
Thanks for the info Mr. Bell!

Geof



T. David Bell wrote  Larisa Ortiz:

I agree with everything you have stated.

Attached is an article about the economic impact that theatres can provide
in urban areas with an
example.  I received this from the League of Historic American Theaters, so
obviously they will use
positive examples in their propaganda.  You may want to contact the Cultural
Development Corporation
for your conference as well.  They have some information about the positive
impact that the arts
have on communities.

Obviously, there must be a need, in order to make the restoration of the
Tivoli Theatre a viable
performing arts use.  Restoration for performing arts may not be
economically viable now, but may be
in the not too distant future.  I share Geoff Griffis' concern  that we
shouldn't act in a rash
way.  Any changes to the building now, should be reversible in anticipation
of restoration in the
future.  Columbia Heights has been economically neglected for so long, we
should give it some time
to evolve.

With regards to the Lincoln Theater, we should have a real understanding of
its economic situation,
before we assume that the demand is not there.  It may be too soon to tell,
or there may be factors
unique to the operation of the Lincoln Theater that have nothing to do with
its size, location or
timing with respects to the rejuvenation of U Street.

David Bell

ps I didn't post this because of the attached file.  Please feel free to
forward if you wish
however, I think most of my comments have been stated in the listserv
before.

I think there are numerous opportunities for the adaptation of the Tivoli
into some sort of viable performing arts space- There are great examples as
Michael Vallen has illustrated as well as numerous others not included.
However the major hurtle for the Tivoli is the City- The problem is two
fold:  The City,(RLA DHCD et al), do not believe the Columbia Heights
community wants the Tivoli- word is it is just a "few" people that want to
bring this unique structure back to life.  Second problem, the City has
never tried to bring an entertainment component to the Tivoli- now is a
perfect time to market this type of function.

Why is it a perfect time for the Tivoli?

Market studies show DC is under screened (Movies)-  With all the screens in
the pipe line there is still current demand and limited sites.

The Tivoli could house a large screen house and have additional screens
added down Park Road- Architecturally a gallery/arcade space could be made
at the Park Road level that could have multiple functions and support the
movie development as well as adding to the animation of the street.  Within
the current structure there are offices and additional retail that are
revenue generating.  Parking is possible. (The Lincoln does not share these
types of amenities).  Residential development could/should still happen on
the North, Monroe street frontage.

Live Performance:  Almost every theater group in the city is looking for new
space, either to relocate and /or to expand- Note the Wooly mammoth, Arena,
The Kennedy Center, The Washington Opera, WPA, Gala, City Dance Ensemble...
The Corridor Real Estate Journal(2.10.00) evidences this in the article
"Wherefore is My Stage?", Kojo Nambi's WAMU radio show recently had
performing arts directors on and it was clearly stated by all the guests,
performing arts groups are desperate for space.

Addressing the comparison to the Lincoln that Tony McNeal brings up: the
Tivoli potential I believe is based on Non City ownership and more
importantly, having a permanent theater group tenant/s.  With retail spaces
and the offices occupied by performance groups and a variety of groups using
the auditorium, the potential for dark nights at the Tivoli are minimized-
Of course, introduce a potential redesign that maintains the large theater
proportions and major details and carve out additional stages and I think
there is a winnable solution.

However- Those making these decisions (RLA,MAYOR) have never pursued any of
what the community has been talking about-  Until there is a real
development potential, that is, when the City indicates that it might be
worth investigating the potential of such a unique type of development,
nothing we want or explore will go much beyond those who read this.

We have seen proof that a suburban formula development fits on this site,
now it is time to see if an urban development might work.  I've heard too
many say "who's going to pay for this" Well, until we ask who is willing to
pay for it, we will never know who will.

Councilmember Graham is doing well in his search for finding funds for the
preservation of the Tivoli.  I think we should expand that search to find a
new program/function for the entire site.

The redevelopment of the Tivoli Theater must drive the development of the
entire site- Not the other way around.

Geof G

The following is an article by longtime activist Harriet
Hubbard,which was published in the Ward 2 Democrats March/April
newsletter.

"Duck and Cover"  By Harriet Hubbard

At the end of the 1940's, the Federal Housing Authority(FHA)
conducted a national survey of American women asking them what
they wanted in a house. During the years of the Depression and
World War II there was much publicity as to how poorly housed the
U.S.family was. Now that the war was over and the country was on
the verge of great prosperity, the government decided to
facilitate a great improvement in housing.

Among the questions the FHA asked were,"Would you prefer to live
in a neighborhood with those earning higher incomes than you
have, lower incomes or about the same income?" American women
answered that they wanted to live in a neighborhood with people
who had similar incomes. They also said they wanted their houses
to have car ports. Thus was the beginning on income layered
neighborhoods with families dependent on the automobile. Fannie
Mae, founded about this time, used the FHA results as the
philosophical basis for underwriting mortgages.

At the same time the Russians exploded their atomic bomb and we
started the Cold War, Eisenhower and others preceding him were
apparently convinced for many years that if a U.S. city such as
Washington were attacked, it would be awful but the city could be
rebuilt as in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

In those days the U.S. and Russia were conducting above-ground
tests and those in authority did not realize how very lethal
atomic radiation was. The Pentagon was making movies about how
the American family, with 20 minutes warning, could leave the
city and take refuge in underground bomb shelters complete with
bottled water, battery-powered radio,canned food,etc. for six
weeks and then come out again.

The National Capital Planning Commission in the early 1950's was
formed in this context. NCPC approved freeway plans and hired
staff to write zoning regulations. There had been earlier freeway
plans including one for a beltway, a way for people to avoid the
city when going to other destinations. The freeway plans were
adopted by the NCPC and funded by Congress, as was the new
zoning,which was designed to zone the population out of town. We
got PUDS,FAR,parking requirements,SP zones,and huge increases in
commercial zoning in place of residential, increases in
height,and many other horrors. Hundreds and hundreds of houses
were torn down. Apartments were torn down or converted to office
use. DC streets were to be 90 feet wide, and alleys 20 feet.
Perfect for automobiles.

Under the new concept of dispersal, the NCPC had lost control of
siting new federal agencies. The CIA and NIH went right to
Congress to get their sites in the suburbs, against planning
principles. NCPC also lost control of zoning in the suburban
counties. For example they had allowed Montgomery County to
develop housing using Potomac River water as long as septic tanks
were used, which guaranteed a lower density. But as the NCPC was
now only advisory it could not stop development. Sprawl was born.

The plans - both for freeways and suburban development - were
supported by the Washington Post, the Federal City Council and
the Board of Trade, and by all the members of our first appointed
City Council with the exception of Polly Shackleton.

The Chief of the Department of Public Works, who was in charge of
freeway development, wore a little American flag in his lapel as
did many freeway supporters to show the close association of
nuclear defense policy with the freeway. Huge, grim
nuclear-resistant buildings were built in the heart of the city-
the Pepco building, the Washington Post building and the FBI
building, to name a few.

During these years there were other complications and threats--
urban renewal, alley dwellings , multiple warheads, ICBMs,
historic preservation, test ban treaties, and the fateful
influence of LeCorbusier, who hated cities and favored  income
layered housing, commuter trains like Metro,etc.

But by and large the national and local government stuck with the
1958 plans for zoning and transportation in the District. These
plans were made in secret, and were presented to the public with
the admonition that they were designed with "higher interests" in
mind.

In the 1960's, residents discovered that the plan included
massive highways through the District.Citizens were not part of
the planning process,however. They had to fight their way in.
Healen Leavitt, who lived in Dupont Circle, found out that the
freeway plans included a ramp right through her house. She began
researching freeway plans nationally and wrote
"Super-highway:Super-hoax" , which appeared in 1970. The book was
named as one of the 100 most important books of the Century by
the New York Public Library.

The activities of D.C. citizen activists over the years since
1958, whether in zoning cases, historic preservation, against the
convention centers, hotel and university expansions -- are almost
all directed against the basic 1958 plan to depopulate the city.
When activists wonder why it takes so much energy to force logic
into current planning debates, they may not realize they are
fighting a history of discredited ideas, not just the recent
blunders of a damaged government. It is time that planning in the
District and the region catch up to the late 20th Century,not to
mention the 21st.

================================
By the way, the recent article in the City Paper about
cat-rescuers featured Mrs. Hubbard's granddaughter, resident of
Harvard St.
Thank you - all generations.

Elizabeth McIntire

The idea of showing Hispanic and Asian movies--heck, how about movies from
Africa--is a great one. Movies from Latin America would do rather well, I
would think.  How about big-screen soccer games?  I think the Tivoli could
be preserved as an entertainment space without it having to be artsy-fartsy.


-----Original Message-----
From: Karyn Cassella <k_cassella@...>
To: Larisa Ortiz <lortiz@...>; Columbia Heights
<columbia_heights@egroups.com>
Date: Friday, March 31, 2000 12:22 PM
Subject: [columbia_heights] Re: POLL: Tivoli Theater


>I'm also brand new to the list ...
>Larisa's points raise good questions that challenge
>some of us to think outside of assumed needs & wants.
>
>At the same time - I do think the Tivoli is worth
>preserving as theater space. I wonder if other local
>community theater groups have expressed any interest
>in expanding or moving into a new spot? And I'm not
>sure what the detailed plans would be for rennovation
>- but a movie theater (perhaps one that featured
>Hispanic/Asian/etc. films that don't hit the GC movie
>houses) would be a great addition with diverse appeal.
>If it's really intended just for stage production, I
>would think it's a great community asset esp. for the
>schools.
>
>As for grocery stores, I'll readily agree that it's
>hard to find really great produce... but I don't know
>if the existing small store owners have expressed
>their thoughts about a large scale grocery store in
>the area. While walking the strip on Mt. Pleasant
>street to do my shopping may seem more tedious than a
>one-stop venue - that's largely my cultural bias & my
>need to have instant gratification. Those small
>grocery stores are a vital part of Mt. Pleasant and
>play a critical role in the local economy.
>
>Thanks for your thoughts Larissa - and I look forward
>to catching more on the Columbia Heights listserve.
>
>-Karyn A. Cassella
>Girard Street
>--- Larisa Ortiz <lortiz@...> wrote:
>>
>> I should say, I am nervous about writing because I
>> know how
>> people get attacked on this list serve, but I
>> thought I would
>> take the chance and add another voice to fray
>> regarding the
>> Tivoli.
>>
>> First, it is a beautiful structure. The photos were
>> very
>> revealing. As someone with a background in historic
>> preservation,
>> my first instinct is to save the building. Reusing
>> the Tivoli as
>> a theatre is a noble idea. However, I think we
>> should keep in
>> mind that there are a number of theatres on 14th
>> Street and U
>> Street that are struggling. I know that the Lincoln
>> Theatre,
>> another theatre of note within a half-mile radius,
>> sits empty 80
>> percent of the time. We need to ask, will the Tivoli
>> really be
>> any different? Possibly. But probably not. In
>> considering reuses
>> for the Tivoli, we should consider options that
>> respond to
>> community need. I question how many low-income
>> families in the
>> area would consider the theatre an adequate response
>> to their
>> everyday needs. I consider myself middle income, and
>> I know that
>> realistically, I would use a grocery store ten times
>> more than a
>> theatre. While a grocery store in the Tivoli may not
>> make the
>> best use of the space, a grocery store does come
>> alot closer to
>> improving quality of life at the most basic level.
>> This is NOT to
>> say that an arts center or any other use does not
>> improve quality
>> of life. I do not want my words twisted. I am simply
>> saying that
>> we need to consider future use in light of market
>> demand. It is
>> unfortunate, but the market does not seem to need
>> any more
>> theatres. So, where does that leave the Tivoli? I do
>> not know...
>>
>> Also, I would like to add that when I found out
>> about this list
>> erve, I was truly excited. In every community where
>> I have lived,
>> I have taken an active role in the community. But
>> after reading
>> personal attack and counterattack after personal
>> attack and
>> counterattack, I remain hesistant to get involved.
>> Please
>> consider how many people you turn off when you
>> attack one another
>> on this list serve. Thank you.
>>
>>
>> -Larisa Ortiz
>>
>>
>> --
>> Larisa Ortiz
>> Economic Development Analyst
>> Council for Urban Economic Development
>> 1730 K Street, NW Suite 700
>> Washington, D.C. 20006
>>
>> The Council For Urban Economic Development (CUED),
>> founded in
>> 1967,
>> is the leading full-service economic development
>> membership
>> association, serving more than 2,400 economic
>> development
>> professionals. CUED provides information to its
>> members who
>> build local economies through tools used to create,
>> attract,
>> and retain jobs. CUED also manages the National
>> Association
>> of Installation Developers (NAID) and the
>> Association of
>> University Related Research Parks (AURRP). NAID
>> brings together
>>  public and private sector professionals involved
>> with the
>> redevelopment of closing military bases. AURRP
>> promotes the
>> development of research/science parks and technology
>> incubators in order to enhance technology-based
>> economic
>> development.
>>
>>
>> http://www.cued.org        http://www.naid.org
>> http://www.aurrp.org
>>
>>
>>
>>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Hi Caroline and others:

I, for one, would like to dispense with the "fartsy" part of artsy-fartsy.
If you think about it, it's a way of saying "don't take my interest or love
of the arts seriously", not a very good message to send to anyone.

I send this with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but...

steve

----- Original Message -----
From: "Caroline Polk" <cpolk@...>
To: "Karyn Cassella" <k_cassella@...>; "Larisa Ortiz"
<lortiz@...>; "Columbia Heights"
<columbia_heights@egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, April 02, 2000 7:58 PM
Subject: [columbia_heights] Re: POLL: Tivoli Theater


> The idea of showing Hispanic and Asian movies--heck, how about movies from
> Africa--is a great one. Movies from Latin America would do rather well, I
> would think.  How about big-screen soccer games?  I think the Tivoli could
> be preserved as an entertainment space without it having to be
artsy-fartsy.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Karyn Cassella <k_cassella@...>
> To: Larisa Ortiz <lortiz@...>; Columbia Heights
> <columbia_heights@egroups.com>
> Date: Friday, March 31, 2000 12:22 PM
> Subject: [columbia_heights] Re: POLL: Tivoli Theater
>
>
> >I'm also brand new to the list ...
> >Larisa's points raise good questions that challenge
> >some of us to think outside of assumed needs & wants.
> >
> >At the same time - I do think the Tivoli is worth
> >preserving as theater space. I wonder if other local
> >community theater groups have expressed any interest
> >in expanding or moving into a new spot? And I'm not
> >sure what the detailed plans would be for rennovation
> >- but a movie theater (perhaps one that featured
> >Hispanic/Asian/etc. films that don't hit the GC movie
> >houses) would be a great addition with diverse appeal.
> >If it's really intended just for stage production, I
> >would think it's a great community asset esp. for the
> >schools.
> >
> >As for grocery stores, I'll readily agree that it's
> >hard to find really great produce... but I don't know
> >if the existing small store owners have expressed
> >their thoughts about a large scale grocery store in
> >the area. While walking the strip on Mt. Pleasant
> >street to do my shopping may seem more tedious than a
> >one-stop venue - that's largely my cultural bias & my
> >need to have instant gratification. Those small
> >grocery stores are a vital part of Mt. Pleasant and
> >play a critical role in the local economy.
> >
> >Thanks for your thoughts Larissa - and I look forward
> >to catching more on the Columbia Heights listserve.
> >
> >-Karyn A. Cassella
> >Girard Street
> >--- Larisa Ortiz <lortiz@...> wrote:
> >>
> >> I should say, I am nervous about writing because I
> >> know how
> >> people get attacked on this list serve, but I
> >> thought I would
> >> take the chance and add another voice to fray
> >> regarding the
> >> Tivoli.
> >>
> >> First, it is a beautiful structure. The photos were
> >> very
> >> revealing. As someone with a background in historic
> >> preservation,
> >> my first instinct is to save the building. Reusing
> >> the Tivoli as
> >> a theatre is a noble idea. However, I think we
> >> should keep in
> >> mind that there are a number of theatres on 14th
> >> Street and U
> >> Street that are struggling. I know that the Lincoln
> >> Theatre,
> >> another theatre of note within a half-mile radius,
> >> sits empty 80
> >> percent of the time. We need to ask, will the Tivoli
> >> really be
> >> any different? Possibly. But probably not. In
> >> considering reuses
> >> for the Tivoli, we should consider options that
> >> respond to
> >> community need. I question how many low-income
> >> families in the
> >> area would consider the theatre an adequate response
> >> to their
> >> everyday needs. I consider myself middle income, and
> >> I know that
> >> realistically, I would use a grocery store ten times
> >> more than a
> >> theatre. While a grocery store in the Tivoli may not
> >> make the
> >> best use of the space, a grocery store does come
> >> alot closer to
> >> improving quality of life at the most basic level.
> >> This is NOT to
> >> say that an arts center or any other use does not
> >> improve quality
> >> of life. I do not want my words twisted. I am simply
> >> saying that
> >> we need to consider future use in light of market
> >> demand. It is
> >> unfortunate, but the market does not seem to need
> >> any more
> >> theatres. So, where does that leave the Tivoli? I do
> >> not know...
> >>
> >> Also, I would like to add that when I found out
> >> about this list
> >> erve, I was truly excited. In every community where
> >> I have lived,
> >> I have taken an active role in the community. But
> >> after reading
> >> personal attack and counterattack after personal
> >> attack and
> >> counterattack, I remain hesistant to get involved.
> >> Please
> >> consider how many people you turn off when you
> >> attack one another
> >> on this list serve. Thank you.
> >>
> >>
> >> -Larisa Ortiz
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> Larisa Ortiz
> >> Economic Development Analyst
> >> Council for Urban Economic Development
> >> 1730 K Street, NW Suite 700
> >> Washington, D.C. 20006
> >>
> >> The Council For Urban Economic Development (CUED),
> >> founded in
> >> 1967,
> >> is the leading full-service economic development
> >> membership
> >> association, serving more than 2,400 economic
> >> development
> >> professionals. CUED provides information to its
> >> members who
> >> build local economies through tools used to create,
> >> attract,
> >> and retain jobs. CUED also manages the National
> >> Association
> >> of Installation Developers (NAID) and the
> >> Association of
> >> University Related Research Parks (AURRP). NAID
> >> brings together
> >>  public and private sector professionals involved
> >> with the
> >> redevelopment of closing military bases. AURRP
> >> promotes the
> >> development of research/science parks and technology
> >> incubators in order to enhance technology-based
> >> economic
> >> development.
> >>
> >>
> >> http://www.cued.org        http://www.naid.org
> >> http://www.aurrp.org
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> Special Offer-Earn 300 Points from MyPoints.com for
> >> trying @Backup
> >> Get automatic protection and access to your
> >> important computer files.
> >> Install today:
> >>
> >http://click.egroups.com/1/2344/1/_/13316/_/954516395/
> >>
> >> -- Create a poll/survey for your group!
> >> --
> >>
> >http://www.egroups.com/vote?listname=columbia_heights&m=1
> >>
> >>
> >
> >__________________________________________________
> >Do You Yahoo!?
> >Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger.
> >http://im.yahoo.com
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Why buy CDs? Now you can swap for them. At Switchouse.com, you can
> >choose from over 300,000 titles of every kind of music. Top 20 hits,
> >R&B, hardcore, whatever. Get the music. Forget the money. Sound good?
> >http://click.egroups.com/1/2578/1/_/13316/_/954519531/
> >
> >-- Easily schedule meetings and events using the group calendar!
> >-- http://www.egroups.com/cal?listname=columbia_heights&m=1
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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>

The arts are too often dismissed as luxuries, but I don't think that was
always the case. I was in New York this weekend and saw dozens of apartment
buildings built many years ago for middle-income folks that had incredible
ornamentation. I'm sure economics play a role, but the emphasis in
architecture seems to be all on function, and if there is money or energy
left over, maybe the developer will throw in a different color of brick or
something. Yawn. I'm sure the architects on this list can speak to the
instructive and other functions of architecture.

Based on the picture Dave McIntire posted, the Harlem USA project is truly
hideous. It reminds me of something I saw in Miami. It seems really out of
place there.


-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Kline <shkline@...>
To: Caroline Polk <cpolk@...>; Karyn Cassella
<k_cassella@...>; Larisa Ortiz <lortiz@...>; Columbia
Heights <columbia_heights@egroups.com>
Date: Sunday, April 02, 2000 8:11 PM
Subject: Re: [columbia_heights] Re: POLL: Tivoli Theater


>Hi Caroline and others:
>
>I, for one, would like to dispense with the "fartsy" part of artsy-fartsy.
>If you think about it, it's a way of saying "don't take my interest or love
>of the arts seriously", not a very good message to send to anyone.
>
>I send this with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but...
>
>steve

I've been to grocery co-ops, are there any cinema/theater co-ops? (naive
question -- i'm sure the Tivoli's too big and needs too much restoration,
but i'm curious)

Also, how do I get a plot in the garden behind the Tivoli?

/Catherine
13th & Monroe

Hello all,

   I need to know if anyone has a room for rent w/ bed for the weekend
of the 29th and 30th for the event being held that weekend. it is for
my friend and her partner. All of the affordable hotels are booked
up. I would have them over to my house, but one is allergic to dogs,
and the other to cats, I have both.

Please let me know if you can help.

Mark Barlet
202-265-2646

__________________________________________________
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Hi--

I noticed that LA development has come up twice in
discussing possibilities for the Tivoli . . . and I
just wanted to say this:

1.  I live right down the street from the Wiltern,
which is beautiful.  I went to a concert there
recently and was really struck by the restoration and
what a great job was done.  I have to add, however,
that it is a mixed use site.  There are several things
that weredeveloped in tandem, not the least of which
is the Ralph's supermarket that shares a parking
structure with it, and a Hollywood Video that shares
the actual structure, albeit as unodbtrusively as
possible.  The Wilshire boulevard side includes
glass-fronted restaurants and overall it's really nice
development.

2. Disney is redoing Hollywood in the same fashion
that they did Times square.  It's really not done yet,
and I personally don't think the El Capitain is that
attractive.  There are a lot of interesting buildings
in Hollywood and the make over efforts are
understandible, but when you talk about context and
the El Capitain, I think it looks odd.  Especially
across from Mann's Chinese Theatre.

tania

=====
"Lissen Senator-- being powerful is kinda like being ladylike.  If you gotta say
you are, you probably ain't."
      -- A teamster "leader" at a senate hearing.

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Rattled Rat Found in Yard - Taken from W.P. District Weekly Section
Columbia Rd. NW, 1300 block, March 14. A woman called Animal Control to report
that an "opossum" that had been roaming the
neighborhood for two days was in her yard, and that children were chasing and
teasing it. An Animal Control officer found the
animal, which actually was a very large rat, and shooed it from the woman's
yard.

         During the last few years, there has been growing excitement over the proposed, and now obviously on track, redevelopment of the theatres of Forty-Second Street and Broadway. The long overdue return of several of these theatres to legitimate ranks will hopefully be a boom to the entire theatre scene in New York. In celebrating the return of Forty-Second Street, the students in the 1996-1997 Theatre History Class at Buena Vista University invite you to explore a little of the history and development of this major Broadway thoroughfare.
        As the country entered the throws of the Great Depression, these fabled theatres were amongst the first Broadway theatres to be converted to showing motion pictures. By the 1940's, the street looked more like a cheap midway than the former heart of America's theatre district. As Brooks Atkinson noted in "Broadway," most of the theatres on the street had become grind houses. The most famous of these theatres, the New Amsterdam, presented its last legitimate production in 1937. Its elegant front entrance was soon replaced; by the 1950's, its interior was a slum.
       By the 1950's,  the whole block had become the home of sex shows, prostitution, and drug dealing. It was not until the early 1970's, that city and state leaders openly began talking about the revitalization of the Times Square and Forty-Second Street area; but little came of these discussion for the simple reason that there was no money to support the project. Native New Yorkers shunned the street as the whole Times Square area became synonymous with urban decay and crime infested big cities.
        In a major New York Times article, dated April 18, 1982, it was announced that the Forty-Second Street theatres were going to be one part of a vast urban renewal plan. Costs for this project were expected to run in excess of $1 billion and would involve the construction of skyscrapers, a merchandise mart, and a 500 room hotel. The first theatre to be reconditioned - the famous New Amsterdam - was expected to open in the fall of 1983. The plan had the backing of Mayor Edward Koch, the State Urban Development Committee, leading New York City developers, and the League of New York Theatre Producers. The announced plan was greeted most warmly in the theatre community which was still mourning the loss of such theatrical landmarks as the Morosco, the Helen Hayes, and the Bijou, torn down just a few weeks before the Forty-Second Street Development Plan was announced in order to make way for the Portman Hotel (now the site of the Marriott Marquees).
       There clearly was a great deal of optimism regarding the plan. First of all, the project held out the possibility of an enormous expansion and upgrading of Broadway and the adjacent areas. The plan would have added seven legitimate theatres, with the advantage of being located on a single block. Yet nothing came of the project as envisioned 1982.
       After nine years of planning, by October 1991, the project had succeeded in boarding up the theatres, but peep shows, cheap sex paraphernalia, and camera shops proliferated on the block. City leaders only said the project was "delayed." Delays were often attributed to problems of condemnation orders and failure to provide relocation assistance for displaced business. In fact, by 1991, skeptics now felt the project made little sense since Broadway had plenty of empty theatres in more desirable locations. Many wondered if the project would ever be completed, let alone ever begin.
         All of this changed by the mid-1990's when city and state leaders put the final touches on what was once again called the Forty-Second Street Development Project. By January 1996, the players in the redevelopment of the street included Paul and Seymour Milstein (New York developers), the Walt Disney Company, the AMC movie chain, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, and the Livent Corporation of Toronto. Although, final details remain in a state of flux, the redevelopment of the street will include retail stores like the Warner Brothers and Walt Disney Stores, a proposed mini-mall, a hotel and vacation club, and the restoration of a few of the famous Forty-Second Street theatres.
        The Old Victory (Republic) Theatre has already been restored and is housing family entertainment under the name the New Victory. The New Amsterdam will be run by the Disney Corporation and will serve as the home for its Broadway productions. The expected costs to restore the New Amsterdam to its former glory should run around $34 million. The Academy (formerly the Apollo) and the Lyric will be gutted and merged into an 1,850 seat theatre for musicals under the control of Livent. The renovation was successfully completed in January 1998, and reopened with the award winning musical Ragtime.  The renovation of these two theatres cost $22.5 million. As of November 1999, the fate of the Times Square Theatre is yet to be decided.  Plans by Livent to turn the Times Square into a non-profit location failed upon Livent's bankruptcy.  Madame Tussaud's and the Kansas-city based AMC Entertainment Corporation will be the anchor tenants in a $150 million, 335,000 square-foot retail and entertainment complex located in the Harris, Empire (original name Eltinge), and Liberty theatres on the south side of Forty Second Street. AMC plans a 25 screen multiplex which will be the largest in the country. Although those three theatres will be lost to legitimate ranks, preservationists hope that some aspects of these theatres architectural heritage will be maintained.
          For theatre historians and those interested in the preservation of these landmarks to our American theatrical heritage, the students of the Theatre History classes at Buena Vista University have prepared the following historical look at a few of the theatres on Forty Second Street. 

         The first of the Forty-Second Street theatres to be reborn is also the street's oldest theatre (built in 1899). The New Victory, as it is now called, opened in late 1996 after a $11.4 million restoration. Once a burlesque house, the New Victory is designed to be the home for family entertainment ranging from movies to live attractions. Now holding 500 seats, it was re-opened with an evening of entertainment provided by Patrick Stewart, Bill Irwin, and Big Bird.
          Oscar Hammerstein described this theatre as the "perfect parlor theatre," he stated that it was, "compact in size, artistic in decoration, and complete in every detail...a drawing room of the drama, dedicated to all that is best in dramatic and lyric art."
         The Victory is located west of the site for Hammerstein's Victoria. It is a brownstone and brick theatre that has an elaborate marble staircase that leads to the second balcony. There were 1,100 seats, six proscenium boxes, plus a number of boxes set in the side walls. The color scheme and art accent one another; the green, ivory, and gold flow with the allegorical figures and classic designs.
         After opening, Lionel Barrymore appeared in James A. Herne's play Sag Harbor; on September 27, 1900. The theatre was then leased to David Belasco, and he later renamed the theatre after him. Eight years later, however, he returned the theatre to its original name when he decided to title another theatre after himself.
         In 1929, Abie's Irish Rose and a few other shows carried the theatre into the thirties. During World War II, the call of patriotism deemed the theatre be renamed the Victory. Movies began to play the Victory and it eventually became a second run movie theatre. In the seventies and eighties pornography attracted a new clientele to the Victory.
         Now the Victory has been remodeled, though the rooms, auditorium, and dressing rooms remain the same after ninety years.
         In 1990, the Durst Organization cleaned up the theatre for the limited engagement of Crowbar, the first live drama on Forty-Second Street since the tabloid plays at the Selwyn in 1950. It is only fitting that Times Square's oldest existing theatre, with a past so strongly linked to the men who made Broadway great, should be the first of Broadway's lost theatre's to be found.
         As the redevelopment of the block continues, it is hoped family entertainment will continue to prosper at the New Victory. 

         The Times Square Theatre, built in the fall of 1920, by Edgar and Arch Selwyn, was the last of two playhouses built on Forty-Second Street.  The theatre opened to the public on September 30, 1920, with the play, The Mirage, written by Edgar Selwyn, himself.  The play ran for six months and was followed by, The Demi-Virgin, which ran for eight months. Of the twenty- five plays performed at Time Square Theatre, ten were successful.
         In 1923-1924, such people as Tallulah Bankhead, Robert Cummings, Gertrude Lawrence, and Beatrice Lillie made appearances at the Times Square Theatre. Channing Pollock's play, The Enemy, ran 203 shows in the 1925 season. The play, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, was performed 199 times in the 1926-1927 season. In 1928, The Front Page, written by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht ran 276 shows. George Gershwin's, Strike Up the Band, played in 1930. 
        In 1931, the hit comedy, Private Lives, starred Gertrude Lawrence, Laurence Oliver, and Noel Coward, the playwright himself.  Forsaking All Others, with Tallulah Bankhead, was the last play performed at the Time Square Theatre in 1933. The theatre was reopened in 1934, as a movie house and in 1940, it became a retail store.  According to a September 1996, article written by Todd W. Bressi, "Marvel Comics signed a letter of intent to open a restaurant in the former Times Square Theatre."  The stage had been blocked off by a wall shared with a retail store.
         The architect for the Times Square was Eugene De Roas, a well known Broadway designer. The theatre was able to seat 1,057 people, 512 of which are orchestra seats.  There was a single balcony and four box seats. The exterior has limestone facade with open colonnade.  It provided an entrance for the Apollo Theatre, the second theatre built by the Selwyn brothers in 1920.
         Pictures of the interior of the theatre, taken in 1989, show that the auditorium has changed very little after seven decades. The interior was decorated in green, silver, and black. The murals, ornate plasterwork, tapestried seats, black carpet, and black velvet house curtain proves an eloquent atmosphere for theatre goers.
        In August of 1998, the theatre became involved in a bidding war between Livent and the World Wrestling Federation.  Livent wanted to turn Times Square into a non-profit theatre, while the WWF wanted to open a restaurant with a Roman gladiatorial theme.  Livent's bid was accepted, however, the project was stopped when Livent became bankrupt.  Consequently, the fate of the Times Square theatre has not yet be determined. 

         In 1904, Abraham Erlanger and Marc Klaw, who helped form the Theatrical Syndicate, built the Liberty, just down the street from the New Amsterdam. The Liberty was designed as a musical house and musical attractions would form the bulk of its history. Its opening performance was on October 10, 1904, with the musical was The Roger Brothers in Paris. The Rogers Brothers were a very popular comedy team and helped the Liberty get off to a great start.  In 1905, The Roger's Brothers in Ireland brought the team back to the Liberty once again.
         Little Johnny Jones, George M. Cohan's first full-length musical, bowed there in 1904.  This show, which ran for 52 performances, premiered some of Cohan's greatest songs, including "Yankee Doodle Boy" and "Give My Regards To Broadway."  The Liberty was also the home to another of Cohan's show in 1922 with Little Nellie Kelly.  This show ran for 276 performances and yielded such songs as, "You Remind Me of My Mother."
        Following Cohan's shows, the Liberty saw the rise of many new comers into the world of musicals.  Jerome Kern had two popular shows open at the Liberty.  His first was Have a Heart, with Guy Bolton in 1917.  The NIght Boat was Kern's next show in the Liberty.  It ran for 318 performances and was quite success in its time, although it is not well remembered.  
        In 1919, the Liberty saw two annual revues take flight.  The first was called The Hitchy-Koo of 1919.  It featured a score by Cole Porter and the master of ceremonies was Raymond Hitchcock, a popular comic and monologist.  The second revue was George White Scandals.  Its first year yielded no hit songs, so the following year George Gershwin contributed to the musical score.  Following his involvement in the revue, George and Ira Gershwin's Lady Be Good, with Fred Astaire and his sister, Adela open at the Liberty in 1924. The Gershwins had one other successful show at the Liberty.  In 1925, Tip-Toes opened.  This show utilized the same producers, librettists, and songwriters that Lady Be Good had.  This resulted in another excellent score including the song "Sweet and Low Down."  
        The great black musical Blackbirds of 1928, featuring Bill Robinson and Aida Ward, was one of the last major successes to call the Liberty home. It produced many popular songs such as "Doin' the New Low-Down," I Can't Give You Anything But Love," and "Porgy."   By 1932, the Liberty began presenting vaudeville and motion pictures. By 1990, its interior had been heavily gutted, although its proscenium retained much of its earlier splendor.
         The Liberty Theatre had a 100 foot high lobby, but it had a narrow entrance. The theatre itself was adorned with eagles and liberty bells. Current plans call for the Liberty to be gutted and become part of the Madame Tussad's Wax Museum. 

The Harris (Chandler) Theatre was the fifth major playhouse to open on Forty-Second Street's south side. From Forty-Second Street, you entered a long 25-foot wide lobby that extended through to the auditorium on North Forty-First Street. The marquee was mounted on the front of the Chandler Building, a five-story office building built by the Chandler family's Coca-Cola fortune.
         According to a correspondent from the "Dramatic News," upon entering the Theatre you passed through a marble vestibule, the ceiling stenciled in gold. From the foyer you passed through a tapestry hallway, where six loom tapestries by Albert Herter were displayed. The two larger tapestries were scenes from The Merchant of Venice and Othello.  The smaller tapestries were from other Shakespearean comedy scenes. The lobby was decorated with flower panels and the rest of the theatre done in Caen stone. Although the theatre was rather small in comparison with others, the passageways and staircases, as well as the auditorium, gave "an impression of vastness quite beyond its actual dimensions," this factor being attributed to "its perfection in design and the beauty of its actual dimensions," this factor being attributed to "its perfection in design and the beauty of its lines and curves."  The first floor seated 625 and the balcony seated 575. 
        The theatre was built in 1914, the architecture was Italian Renaissance and the architect Thomas W. Lamb. The owners and lessees were George M. Cohen and Sam H. Harris, Mr. Sol Bloom, and George Kleine. Kleine was known as a producer of "photo-dramatic marvels" or movies. It was Kleine's film, Anthony and Cleopatra, that was presented as the opening attraction on May 7, 1914. However, the Harris became a legitimate theatre with its opening production, On Trial, on August 19, 1914. In 1916, the name was changed to The Cohan and Harris. When the partnership ended in 1921, the theatre was renamed the Sam H. Harris theatre. In 1922, John Barrymore appeared in the title role of  Hamlet, a record 101 performances. By 1933, the Harris was forced to join the ranks of the other Forty-Second Street theatres and begin to show movies.
         As part of the redevelopment, the Harris will be joined with the Empire and Liberty to form part of the AMC movie complex.  This project was nearing completion as of  November 1999.

Sources: Lost Broadway Theatres, Van Hoogstraten, Nicholas, New York,
Princeton Architectural Press, 1991.
The City and the Theatre, Henderson, Mary C., New York, Preston Publishing Co. 

         In 1918, Edgar and Arch Selwyn opened the Selwyn Theatre on the already crowded Forty-Second Street.  The Selwyn was an Italian Renaissance style theater designed by George Keister , an architect who specialized in theater work.  The theatre was decorated in gold and blue with large murals adorning the walls.  It seated 1,000 people and contianed two levels of box seats.
        On October 2, the Selwyn Theatre held its grand opening with Information, Please, starring Jane Cowl. This show was a flop and only had 46 performances. Jane Cowl return in the Selwyn's next production, The Crowded Hour.  This show tripled the run of Cowl's first performance, but it was not until 1919, that the Selwyn had its first hit with the musical Buddies.  The biggest hit ever staged at the Selwyn was The Royal Family, in 1925.  The subject of the play was the on- and off- stage feud between the Drews and Barrymores. The show ran for 345 performances.
         When the depression hit, Selwyn Theatre suffered like the rest. No show lasted for more than a week, and like the others, this theatre because a movie house.
         After 16 years of showing only movies, the theatre implemented an unusual policy that demanded legitimate theatre to be staged before the movie. The first of these shows was a condensed version of Sarte's The Respectful Prostitute. The concept of showing a play before the feature film lasted only for a short time. The Selwyn returned to being a double-feature movie house.
          Through the early 1990's, the Selwyn continued to be operated as a movie theatre, and the stage, lighting, and rigging systems remained intact.  In March 1997, the Wooster Theatre Group presented Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape for a limited run.  
        Currently, the Selwyn is being renovated as the new home for the non-profit Roundabout Theatre.  This renovation is slated for completion early in 2000.  The Roundabout  Theatre Company is adding modern technology to the classic theatre.  Computerized lighting controls and a sound station, modern rigging and gridiron, and new lights are being added to the existing theatre.  What makes the renovation of the Selwyn unique is the restoration of the murals.  This restoration will make the Selwyn Theatre only the second Forty-Second Street Theatre that the original murals still exist.  The stage will not longer be adorned with gold and blue.  To accommodate the modern lighting the blue will be replaced with deep red, making full blackouts possible.  
        One addition to the Selwyn is a penthouse lobby.  While these were popular when the theatre was built, the Selwyn did not originally have this type of lobby.  The lobby, constructed of metal and glass, will be completely modern rather than trying to maintain the original architectural style.  When the restoration is complete, the 750 seat theatre will be handicap accessible and contain modern comforts along with the look and feel of the original theatre.
        As of  March 2000, the Roundabout Theatre Company has decided to change the name of the Selwyn Theatre to the American Airlines Theatre.  American Airlines has agreed to donate $8.5 million to the Roundabout Company to help cover costs.  In exchange for the donate, the Selwyn will be known as the American Airlines theatre for at least ten years.  The money will not go towards the filling the gap between what has been raised for the renovation and the $21 million needed.  It will be used for "ongoing operations."  

         The Apollo theatre, originally called the Bryant, was built in 1920 and was located on 219 West Forty-Second Street. The Bryant housed a mixture of the then "up and coming" motion pictures and the ever popular vaudeville shows. In 1920, it was renamed the Apollo when the Selwyn brothers took it over as an addition to their Times Square Theatre. The two sat next to each other, joined by a shared marquee.
         On the outside there was a long, narrow lobby made up of Italian marble where the guests would enter from Forty-Second Street. Inside, it was decorated in tan, blue, and rose and showed off with a radiant peacock blue velvet house curtain. The balcony boasted the first cross-over aisle in New York City and seated 495, along with the orchestra, which had a maximum capacity at 675, could hold 1,194 people. The stage sported a more modern system of elevators and counterweights and was able to adapt to the technological needs of any musical during the time period.
         The Selwyn's also changed the theatre's genre into plays and musicals. Its opening production as a legitimate theatre was on November 18, 1920, with Jimmie. Its first actual hit was made in 1923, with the play Poppy, which starred W. C. Fields. Yet, it was known exclusively for its run of George White's Scandals, which ran annually from 1924-1931. White's production was credited with a top notch cast, yet was also noted for its choruses of undressed showgirls. In 1933, with the flop Blackbirds, the house closed its nearly forty-five year run of legitimate theatre.
         During the Depression, the theatre relied on motion pictures for its survival. At the end of the Depression, the theatre was taken over once again by the Minskys who would entertain the newest fad, burlesque theatre, from 1934-1937. It was a short run, and in 1938, the Apollo was again reclaimed by the motion picture industry, this time in foreign films, for a thirty year run. Eventually, the Brandt Organization, in 1978, tried to revert the Apollo once again to live theatre and opened with On Golden Pond, which enjoyed a mildly successful run.  Two other plays followed Bent and Fifth of July before the theatre reverted to showing movies once again.
        In 1996, the Apollo and the Lyric were gutted in order to build the Ford Center for the Performing Arts, the Broadway home for the Livent Producing Organization.  Significant architectural elements were saved in order to be restored and reused in the new theatre.  The opening production in the new Ford Center for the Performing Arts was Ragtime, slated to close in January 2000.

            The Eltinge Theater was the eighth theater built on Forty-Second Street. The theater was built to honor the nationwide success of Julian Eltinge, a female impersonator. The theater was very decorated, the interior held bits and pieces of several cultures, including African, Roman, and  Egyptian.  The front was beautiful with a large window and carvings in green, blue, orange, and red terra-cotta all around it. The architect responsible for the design was Thomas A. Lamb.  The theater held nine hundred people and had an orchestra, two balconies, and eight boxes. The seats on the floor had an interesting quirk; they were in three sizes, slender, medium, and stout, persons could choose which seat would fit them best this was done so that a more rotund theater lover could be more comfortable. 
            The theater opened September 11, 1912, with the show Within the Law.  This show ran a record 541 performances that was never beaten by any other show that played in the Eltinge. Many other successful show ran in the Eltinge, including The Song of Songs (1914) and Fair and Warmer (1915).  The theater became known as a comedy house for the first ten years of its existence.  Many of the early shows in the Eltinge were farces.  Plays like  Up in Mabel's Room,  The Girl in the Limousine, and Ladies Night helped make the theatre known for its comedies.  The melodramas at the Eltinge were often less successful than the comedies.  East of Suez ran in 1921, with 100 performances.  Even with the popular actor Laurence Oliver, Murder on the Second Floor did not last in the Eltinge.  
        The final legitimate show in the Eltinged was a drama called First Night.  After that, the economic changes in the country forced the theatre into presenting strip shows for the next few years. In 1942, the mayor of  New York shut down the theater for moral reasons and the Eltinge was remodeled into a movie palace that showed comedies.  At the time of the conversion to a movie theater, the Eltinge was renamed the Laff Movie theater. In 1954, the theater was renamed the Empire, and began showing films around the clock. 
            By the mid 1980's, the theater was closed. With a stage too small and with little need for another small house for plays, the conversion of the Eltinge into part of the AMC movie complex makes a great deal of sense.  The interior and exterior of the Eltinge were moved 200 feet to the east to create the entrance to the AMC movie center complex.

         The Lyric Theatre was built in 1903 by the Shubert Brothers.  The theatre created for Reginald De Koven, a well-known composer of light opera. He was successful enough to operate his own theatre.  The Lyric, however,  did not hold De Koven's Operas for long.  Upon completion of the theatre, it was associated primarily with operettas and musical comedies until 1925, when the Marx Brothers starred in the first of their comedies, Coconuts.
         If not for is marquee, one would have mistaken the Lyric as an impressive home of a wealthy individual.  Its exterior was beautifully decorated with lyres, theatre masks, and reclining muses surrounding a large, arched window.   Inside, the auditorium held 1,261 seats, which included 18 boxes for those who wanted to be seen.  The ceiling was decorated with ivory and gold plaster reliefs and the auditorium was decorated in light apple green and rose.
         The Lyric open in 1903, with a production of Old Heidelburg.  The theatre prospered for 31 years.   The Lyric housed the American debut of Ibsen's The Lady and the Sea in 1911.   Other Broadway debuts at the Lyric included The Firefly (1912) and The Chocolate Soldier.   Performers such as Fred and Adele Astaire in For Goodness Sake (1922), the Marx Brothers in Coconuts, and Florenz Ziegfeld with The Three Musketeers (1928) appeared on the Lyric's stage. In 1929, Cole Porter had the last long-run performance at the theatre with his 30-week hit Fifty Million Frenchmen. After this performance, a marionette musical, and the plays Run Little Chillun' (1933) and Gypsy Blonde (1934) had short runs before the close of the theatre.  The end of live theatre at the Lyric came in 1934, when it was converted into a movie house.
        In 1966, the Lyric and Apollo were purchased by Livent, Inc. a Canadian theatrical producing company.  Out of the rubble of both theatres, the new Ford Center for the Performing Arts was built.  The 43rd Street facade was saved from the Lyric and other important ornamentation to be incorporated into the Ford Center design.  Many feel the Lyric's facade was the most beautiful of all Broadway theatres. The combined theatres would now house close to 1,800 people and would include the most extensive backstage space of  any Broadway theatre.  The Ford Center Opened in January 1999, with the musical Ragtime.  Ownership of the theatre is now somewhat in a state of flux with the bankruptcy of Livent.  The refurbished theatre is one of the most beautiful in new work and first-time visitors to the theatre should take the time to look at this wonderful facility.
         

            Broadway's newest legit house is really its oldest: the original New Amsterdam opened in 1903 (the same night as the Lyceum). The New Amsterdam theatre was built by Klaw and Erlanger.  Its elaborate decor was a collaboration of many painters, sculptors, and designers.  Decorated in mauve, green and dull gold, the beauty of the theatre earned its name "The House Beautiful" from the New York Times upon its opening.  Three motifs were used in the decoration:  the history of New Amsterdam from Henrick Hudson to 1903, the history of the theatre, and art nouveau floral and fauna.  
            On the roof of the New Amsterdam Theatre there was a unique stage.  While it was not unusual to have a small stage on the roof of a theatre, most rooftop stages contained no more than a platform that served as a simple stage and were only useable in warm weather.   They were more like gardens than theatres.  The New Amsterdam had a complete miniature theatre that could be used all year, although it was only used in the summer months.  On the rooftop, primarily variety shows were presented.
            When it was built, the New Amsterdam was the largest theatre in New York, and could seat 1800 people.  It opened in November of 1903, with Shakespeare's A Midsummer Nights Dream.  Over the years the New Amsterdam housed a variety of plays and musicals She stoops to Conquer, George M. Cohan's Forty-five Minutes from Broadway, and The Merry Widow.  In 1913, the New Amsterdam became the home of the Ziegfeld Follies.  The Follies brought many of the greatest Broadway actors and actresses to the New Amsterdam.  Leon Errol, Bert Williams, Fanny Brice, Will Rogers, and W.C. Fields are some of these performers.  Along with the Follies, Ziegfeld produced many revues and musical comedies in the rooftop theatre.  In 1914, the rooftop theatre was renamed Danse de Follies and  Ziegfeld added a dance floor on the rooftop.  Later, in 1923, the rooftop would be renamed again, to the Frolic Theatre.
            The New Amsterdam was affected by the depression.  While shows produced inside the New Amsterdam remained fairly constant through the early thirties, the rooftop theatre suffered.  In 1936, the New Amsterdam was closed.  The rooftop theatre was reopened the next year, but for radio use rather than live productions.  After the New Amsterdam reopened in 1937, productions of plays were limited.  The final live production in the New Amsterdam before its transformation into a movie theatre, was a production of Othello starring Walter Huston.  The theatre remained a movie theatre into the 1980's, when the owners, the Nederlanders, proposed to renovate the theatre.  This project was cancelled when problems were discovered in the main supporting beam.
            In 1993, the Walt  Disney Corporation brought the New Amsterdam back from the dead. At an estimated restoration cost of  $34 million the Disney Corporation agreed to restore The New Amsterdam to its former glory. Their restoration is stunning, both from the outside, where Times Square now bursts with a scrubbed-up neon glow, and on the inside, where the overdone baroque decor from the days of the Ziegfeld Follies has been lovingly returned to its former splendor. In the lobby, which contains elevators to take you to the mezzanine levels, you'll be greeted by uniformed ticket takers who look like they stepped out of a 1930's movie. To your right is a spacious and well-stocked refreshment area. The New Amsterdam Room downstairs, a broad round space connecting the men's and lady's lounges, is reached by grandly carpeted spiral staircases and features deluxe upholstered benches on which you can wait for  the rest of your party to take care of business in the restrooms or at the inevitable (but elegant) souvenir stand. (And there are attendants at each of the lounges, too.)
            The grand reopening of the New Amsterdam took place in May of 1997, with a concert staging of  King David.  Later that year, a stage version of the highly successful full-length cartoon The Lion King was presented at The New Amsterdam.  The Lion King went on to win the Tony Award for best musical in 1998 and has been playing to capacity crowds since its opening.  Needless to say it will be playing the New Amsterdam for years to come. 
            Disney has published a stunning coffee table book ($80 including tax at the theatre called simply The New Amsterdam). Lavishly illustrated, this volume by theatre historian Mary C. Henderson recounts the history of the theatre from its heyday as the home of the Ziegfeld Follies through its years as a movie house and then a decaying unused landmark to its exciting rebirth this year. The book also includes many before and after photos illustrating the renovation process. 

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are private-sector, financial intermediaries with community development as their primary mission. They find ways to make loans and investments that conventional financial institutions would consider unbankable, and they link financing to other developmental activities. While CDFIs share a common mission, they have a variety of structures and development lending goals. Some are chartered as credit unions or banks. Others are unregulated nonprofit institutions that gather private capital from a range of social investors for community development lending or investing. There are six basic types of CDFIs: community development banks, community development loan funds, community development credit unions, microenterprise funds, community development corporation-based lenders and investors, and community development venture funds.

While the term CDFI is new, the concept itself is part of a rich history of self-help credit. From the immigrant guilds of New York City's Lower East Side to the Prairie Populists of the late 1800s, from African-American communities forming the first community development credit unions in the 1930s, to the start of the microenterprise movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s, communities have sought self-help credit solutions because traditional financial institutions have ignored or abandoned them. Many communities have suffered long-term disinvestment and decline. Many potential borrowers have historically been denied access to credit because they don't meet conventional credit standards.

Rebuilding disinvested communities and making loans to people with little or no credit histories requires more than simply providing access to conventional loans. It requires the flexibility to adapt lending guidelines to the needs of borrowers; to accept unconventional collateral for loans; and to provide education, training, and assistance to potential borrowers.

About the Coalition

Formed in November 1992 as an ad hoc policy development and advocacy initiative, the Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI Coalition) has developed into the lead vehicle for industry-wide ventures and a unified voice of the industry.  Representing more than 350 CDFIs in 50 states, the Coalition has emerged as a primary source of information for the general public, the media, public officials, and private sector leaders about CDFIs.

The Coalition is most widely recognized for its role in shaping and passing the Community Development Financial Institutions Act of 1994, signed by President Clinton on September 23, 1994.  The Coalition served as a primary resource on program design and implementation options for the Clinton Administration and Congress.  In 1995, the Coalition mounted an extensive grassroots campaign that was instrumental in saving the CDFI Fund from elimination, resulting in $95 million in appropriations for its first two years.  In 1996, the Coalition hosted the Second National CDFI Institute, the CDFI industry's national cross-sector conference event, produced a comprehensive market study of training needs and resources, and expanded its advocacy work.  Today, the Coalition continues to press for a strong and viable CDFI Fund and promote capacity building and outreach for and within the CDFI industry.

Mission

The CDFI Coalition's mission is to increase public and financial support for the CDFI industry through advocacy and public education, information and outreach, and knowledge building.

Core Values

The members of the CDFI Coalition subscribe to the following core values:

• Access to capital and credit is essential to healthy communities
• Community and economic development can improve low income and distressed communities
• New approaches are necessary to adequately and effectively address the credit and capital needs of low and moderate income people
• Partnerships between CDFIs and conventional financial institutions benefit distressed communities
• Information and analysis about CDFIs and what they need will help promote a better public policy response to distressed communities
• A sustainable network of CDFIs meeting targeted credit needs benefits poor communities

• Provide a forum for cross-sector communication and collaboration on CDFI-related issues
• Promote sound public policy related to CDFIs through education and advocacy
• Monitor implementation of the CDFI Fund, the federal program created to support CDFIs nationwide, as well as other federal legislation pertinent to the CDFI industry
• Coordinate the CDFI Institute, a national cross-sector event designed to build capacity, promote networking and collaboration, and stimulate discussion and analysis of the political and economic environment in which CDFIs work
• Produce policy papers on key issues for CDFIs
• Publish a monthly newsletter, CDFI News, that informs colleagues and associates of major news and upcoming events
• Operate a web site on community development finance

I apologize for the self-promotion, but would like to share what I hope will be
a great fundraising event with other neighbors in Columbia Heights.

Please feel free to contact me for more details.

Cheers,
LeeAnne
________________________________________________________________________________\
_
                                    "SPIN OUT"

Benefit Art Show & Silent Auction
Saturday, April 8, 2000  @ 8:00pm
Stingray artspace
2001 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington
(703) 599-3400
Benefiting the Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride

Contact Information
Kirsten Oleson & Lee Anne Adams
(202) 473-7522 or (202) 458-2952
Koleson@...
Ladams@...
http://yougogirls.home.mindspring.com

When we hear about the 1.2 million children living with HIV on our earth today,
or that nearly 12 million people have died to date, we wonder why everyone isn't
outraged. Together we can make a difference in the lives of people the world
over affected by HIV and AIDS.  Together, we can help find a vaccine.  The
Alaska AIDS Vaccine Ride will take some 2,500 human beings, many of whom have
never attempted anything like this before in their lives, on our own impossible
journey for six days in August. We've made a very powerful commitment in the
battle against AIDS that we'd like to share with you.

Please join us for a benefit silent auction.  Sushi will be served.  Tickets $75
per person.  Donations to the AIDS Rides are tax-deductible to the fullest
extent allowed by law.

For more information or to receive a ticket please contact Kirsten or Lee Anne.




Lee Anne Adams
Operations Analyst
Social Development Family
Latin America and Caribbean Region
The World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20433
Tel: 202/458-2952
Fax: 202/522-0262

Hi all,

Our service for the Columbia Heights Egroup has merged with
another company. As a result, for those who use the features of
the Egroup (post to calendar, etc.) the interface now looks
different. I liked the other better.

Also in the change over somehow we lost 12 members from the
egroup. They could have unsubscribed but so many in a couple of
days seems odd to me. So if anyone tells you he/she was dropped
from the list, please tell them to re-subscribe. I did not -
repeat - I did not remove anyone.

Dave McIntire

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

U Street Cleanup Committee Mtg.

Date: Tuesday, April 4, 2000
Time: 6:00PM - 7:30PM EDT (GMT-04:00)

Join Community Impact! and other concerned residents as we
discuss next steps and plans for the U Street Cleanup on May 13,
2000

The Saloon
1205 U Street NW

For more information contact Ayize Sabater at 202-331-0592 ext.
221

Hi all,

Information about this years Columbia Heights House Tour can now
be found at http://innercity.org/housetour . Elizabeth and I went
on it last year. We got to tour some wonderful houses and met new
neighbors as well. Hope to see everyone there!

Dave McIntire

Because you should know...

According to the internet ...

The State of Texas, under the leadership of Governor George W. Bush is
ranked:

     50th in spending for teachers
     49th in spending on the environment
     48th in per-capita funding for public health
     47th in delivery of social services
     42nd in child support collections
     41st in per-capita spending on public education

BUT

     5th in percentage of population living in poverty
     1st in air and water pollution
     1st in percentage of poor working parents without insurance
     1st in percentage of children without health insurance
     1st in executions (avg. 1 every 2 weeks for Bush's 5 years)

     Just think what he could do for the country if he were the president.

     Seems to me like the election could use a little herbicide...

______________________________________________________

The location of the meeting is Raymond Elementary School, 10th and Spring
Road, NW.

-----Original Message-----
From: eGroups.com Calendar <jthomas@...>
To: columbia_heights@egroups.com <columbia_heights@egroups.com>
Date: Friday, March 31, 2000 2:10 PM
Subject: [columbia_heights] 11th Street Neighborhood Association Meeting


>
>Thought I'd pass this on to the group
>
>
>
>Event: 11th Street Neighborhood Association Meeting
>Date:  Wednesday April 19, 2000
>Time:  7:00 pm - 8:15 pm
>Description: Introducing the 11th Street Neighborhood Association - A
proactive, community based organization dedicated to improving the quality
of life in northeast Columbia Heights.
>
>To add this event to your personal calendar, simply click on the following
link:
>http://www.egroups.com/cal?md=copy&prevMd=d&day=11066&eid=815512
>
>If you have any other comments, you can reply to this message.
>
>eGroups.com Calendar
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>eGroups.com Home: http://www.egroups.com/group/columbia_heights/
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