If the glass-encased office on the third floor of the John A. Wilson Building is any indication, Adrian Fenty appears to be keeping his promise of transparency when he assumes the mayor’s office in January.
Taking a cue from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, construction crews began knocking down walls to clear the way for Fenty’s new $200,000 “bullpen” at City Hall this week. Materials lined one of the hallways on the third floor Tuesday.
Fenty will work and sit among 33 staff members, including deputy mayors and other city employees, in the large, open room, spokeswoman Mafara Hobson said. It is a management style that Fenty has instituted in his transition office at the Frank D. Reeves Municipal Center, and it is vastly different from outgoing Mayor Anthony Williams’ sixth-floor office suite.
The site was chosen for its space. It will be paid for with city money set aside for Wilson Building maintenance, Hobson said.
But how Fenty manages his office in the long term could be a matter for speculation.
Fenty, who routinely works 18-hour days, is known for his energy and for expecting the same from those who work for him.
While some Bloomberg employees have complained of micromanagement because of the bullpen style, it has not been an issue so far during the transition, which has instead been infused with a feeling of “energy,” Hobson said.
“We’re sort of getting a trial run here in the Reeves Center,” Hobson said. “He sits right behind me, so it’s great. If I have a question, he’s right here.”
