I have laid eyes on Donald Trump in person once or twice. Like many celebs whom we encounter often in the media, sometimes more than we wish, “the Donald” is not all that tall. He appeared as wide as he is high, but that’s my snarky side talking. The orange sweep/comb-up-and-over is real, very real — or unreal, depending on your appreciation of hair sculpture.
Trump has been safely sequestered in New York for most of his business and TV career, though he has developed hotels in gambling and resort towns. He’s made some brief, empty gestures at running for the White House, which would have brought him to our fair capital. His dalliances got him some airtime, but few took him seriously. Everyone knew he was running a media stunt, rather than a political campaign.
Now it seems the Donald is attempting to break into the D.C. scene as a developer. The General Services Administration has chosen Trump to renovate the Old Post Office, a gem on Pennsylvania Avenue. The classic structure at the White House end of America’s Main Street is federal property, unfortunately, so the feds were in position to choose Trump over two other firms, Hilton Worldwide and Waldorf Astoria.
To Robert Peck, who directs the regional GSA, and the squad of bureaucrats who evaluated the bids, I ask: What were you thinking? Why entrust a national landmark in the capital to a man who spends more time in bankruptcy court than he does in TV studios? Trump’s capability to complete a project is spotty, at best. I reported on his Aspen hotel project years ago that went belly up, but that was one of many.
Trump is not known for understatement — in dress, demeanor or design. The Old Post Office renovation is an enormously complicated project that cries out for a developer who has proven his commitment to care and craftsmanship. Trump does not come to mind. The project will involve preserving parts of the historic structure, while building out a luxury hotel and first-class retail and restaurants. It will be one of the most complicated and costly projects to be undertaken on the avenue in decades.
I’m not always a fan of review boards, but in this case they might save us from Trump Towers or a Trump casino. The National Capital Planning Commission, the Fine Arts Commission and at least one historic preservation review board will have to bless every element of the project.
It’s quite possible that Trump will wilt under the scrutiny. It’s also possible the time and money required to complete the project will deter the New Yorker.
But if Trump does finish the job, do we have to endure his name from the building? Who wants to see signs for the Trump Old Post Office? Would we have to read Trump on a sign hung over Pennsylvania Avenue? It might lead to naming rights for other monuments on the avenue. What next: Google Archives? Beretta FBI Building? Walmart Commerce Department?
Maybe the Donald should remain in Manhattan.
Harry Jaffe’s column appears on Tuesday and Friday. He can be contacted at [email protected].
