The National Mall is a neglected “disgrace” that demands at least $500 million in upgrades to restore, preserve and perhaps expand for future generations, a U.S. House panel was told Tuesday.
“There’s no great national park that suffers from this kind of neglect,” D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton told the National Resources Committee subcommittee on national parks, forests and public lands, which held a hearing on the Mall’s future.
The 650-acre Mall, Norton said, suffers from poorly maintained turf, dying trees, scant lighting and an utter lack of amenities. Others voiced concern that the park is growing too crowded, with the impending construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial visitors center and, possibly, the National Museum of the American Latino.
“I have a concern that our generation is claiming it more than others,” said Rep. Jay Inslee, D-Wash. “I don’t want the baby boomer generation to be seen as greedy.”
The National Park Service is expected to complete its 50-year National Mall plan by the end of the year. The document will guide improvements to park infrastructure, amenities, access, cultural, recreational and educational facilities, and safety and security improvements — upgrades that come with a $500 million price tag, said John Akridge II, chairman of the Trust for the National Mall.
Akridge, a real estate developer, described the current park as a “disgrace.” The trust, he said, will lead the effort to raise private dollars for its restoration and preservation, using the park service plan as a road map.
“We can hope that the Mall’s memorials, museums and open space will inspire visitors and future generations of Americans to greatness of their own,” said Rep. Raul Grijalva, subcommittee chairman. “But these hopes will not be realized if the condition of the Mall fails to inspire.”
“A bigger question is, what belongs there?” asked Judy Scott Feldman, president of the National Coalition to Save Our Mall.
Feldman called on Congress to establish a commission of nationally renowned experts to guide the planning for the Mall’s future, which could include an expansion to encompass East Potomac Park, Theodore Roosevelt Island, L’Enfant Promenade, and the South Capitol Street corridor. There are too many agencies and organizations with competing priorities plotting the Mall’s path, she said.
“It’s time for a radical rethinking of the Mall and its future,” she said. “This is not a task just for government agencies.”
