Horning agreed to use $16 million of his own money. He got $16 million more from his lender, Riggs Bank. He wanted the D.C. government to kick in the rest -- $8 million, which it did, after two years of negotiations. He persuaded the neighborhood residents and preservationists to drop their lawsuit in exchange for his pledge to keep and restore the historic facade and as much of the interior as he could. Construction began in May 2003.
Horning divided the cavernous, 40-foot-deep movie house into four floors. He preserved the arched doorways, 20-foot-high ceilings, plaster features, the marble floors, and even the original box office of the Tivoli Theater. There is a 230-space parking garage on top of the Giant Food store. He arranged for the GALA Hispanic Theatre to use part of the old Tivoli space.
At top, a new Giant Food will connect to the theater. Above, visitors look at a site on Monroe Street, just behind the Tivoli, where duplex condos are planned.
(Bill O'leary -- The Washington Post)
|
_____Special Report_____
•
Metro Business: Coverage of Washington area businesses and the local economy.
|
| |
|
The 28-year-old GALA Hispanic Theatre has had to move frequently. For the last four years it has used the Warehouse Theater at 7th Street and New York Ave., across from the new convention center, for its performances. "This is wonderfully convenient for us, because we'll have our offices and theater all in one place," said Rebecca Read Medrano, the managing director and co-founder of the theater.
Horning said he wanted to have a cultural element to the project. "I saw doing the Tivoli as a unique opportunity to blend residential with retail and to do something for the community," said Horning, who lives in Kalorama. "It's a rare opportunity to combine both."
Not everyone is pleased with the outcome. Eric Graye, president of "Save The Tivoli," the nonprofit group that fought the project, said more could have been done to restore the theater to its original size.
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Commissioner Mack A. James said he has mixed feelings. "It is going to electrify those projects," said James, referring to developments in the area, including a Target store planned for across 14th Street. "The only downside is that housing prices are just going through the roof."
Moore said that with property values rising, some long-time residents are facing higher tax bills and have talked of moving.
Still, most people say they are relieved that the Tivoli battle is over. "At many times, there have been many people who have given up on this thing," said Hubbard, the long-time Columbia Heights resident. "Many people have worked on it. They've passed on thinking this thing would never happen. This is a miracle."
Closings
CarrAmerica Realty Corp., a real estate investment trust in the District, sold its 1.7 million-square-foot office portfolio in Atlanta's suburbs for $196 million to VEF Advisors of Atlanta. The market is overbuilt with office space -- much of it is not leased -- and CarrAmerica said it wants to focus on buying in its core markets like the metro D.C. region and Northern and Southern California.
Dana Hedgpeth writes about commercial real estate and economic development. Her e-mail address is hedgpethd@washpost.com.
