The last obstacle to Apple’s plan to build a retail store in the Georgetown district of Washington (DC) remains an obstacle. On Thursday, members of the Old Georgetown Board criticized Apple’s latest proposed design that appears to retain much of the street’s brick and masony character. However, the design includes a large expanse of glass, to which the board objects. On Monday the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) approved the latest design after turning down three previous designs that featured glass, stone and a large Apple logo. The on-going attempts to obtain design approval, dating back to late-2007, have now drawn the interest of DC mayor Adrian Fenty. Deputy mayor Neil Albert, who handles planning and economic development within the District, told reporters his office is “extremely disappointed” with the board’s decision, and that he will convene separate meetings with the board and Apple to reach a consensus. The mainstream press has also begun to closely watch the approval process, including the Washington Post.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I live in DC… this is so typical. Georgetown allows nasty little cheap shoe stores and silk suit stores that are like rodents in the retail environment.
But when a major successful retailer wants to open a store that will bring thousands more shoppers to an area that we DC residents otherwise avoid(seriously, gtown is a nightmare)… the neighborhood is unwelcoming and unrealistic. This design is VERY much in keeping with the historic design of the neighborhood. Typical DC red tape from its residents.
APPLE should have chosen an area like Gallery Place Chinatown or some other high traffic area of DC and avoided the neighborhood b.s. of gtown.
Now that they’ve got Mayor Fenty behind them, they should really start pushing the best of the four designs they’ve presented to date:
http://www.ifoapplestore.com/photos/georgetown_rendering_nixed_1.jpg
If I were Apple at this point, I’d scrap the plans — obviously DC wants to maintain a certain skeevyness in Georgetown. http://www.ifoapplestore.com/db/wp-content/themes/redie/images/comments.gif
Shmoe- I totally agree. There are areas of DC that would be just as lucrative for Apple without the B.S. they are having to endure with gtown. Problem is, they bought the building, doubt there are buyers for such a piece of commercial real estate in these times.