News

Apple, Events DC and Historical Society Finalize Plans

Tuesday August 15, 2017

In a flurry of activity over the past few weeks, plans for a flagship Apple retail store at the historic Carnegie Library have been finalized as Events DC, the sports and convention authority that runs the Library, approved a long-term lease with Apple to occupy approximately 19,000 square feet within the circa-1903 building as well as the right to program a portion of the grounds around the building. A three-party agreement is also in place to ensure that the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. will return to the museum and operate on multiple floors once renovations for the Apple store are complete. Until then the Museum will continue to operate over the next 12-18 months in temporary space a short distance away at the Newseum. 

Plans for the building include the addition of a skylight, glass door and a series of mezzanine walkways to improve connectivity between the main atrium and the upper floors. These changes have been approved by DC’s Historic Preservation Review Board. Apple and Events DC have indicated they would begin construction this fall, pending the final approval from the National Capital Planning Commission. Learn more about the project as reported by the Washington Business Journal and detailed in a press release from the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

The public is also invited to review the draft Environmental Assessment (.pdf), as required by the National Environmental Protection Act, as well as the draft Section 106 Assessment of Effects Report (.pdf), as required by the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Both were released July 2017 and are located on the NCPC project website along with other project documents. The next Section 106 Consultation Meeting for the project is Thursday, August 24, from 10:00 AM to Noon, at the offices of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) at the National Building Museum, located at 401 F Street NW, in the third-floor ACHP Conference Room. The meeting will include a presentation of changes to the project design since the last meeting and a discussion of possible mitigation measures to be included in the ultimate Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).

Related News