Revitalization is in the air in Washington, DC and next up on the docket is a defunct trolley station located just under Dupont Circle, one of DC’s most popular neighborhoods. A group known as the Arts Coalition for the Dupont Underground s ecured a five and half year lease on the abandoned and graffiti-riddled station in December amid hopes that the space could be completely transformed into a living, breathing center for the city’s thriving arts culture.
The project is rather massive in scope, as there is about 75,000 square feet slated to be developed, however the ACDU already has a solid head start. Earlier in the year the coalition surpassed its goal to crowdfund more than $50,000 to go toward the overhaul of the space.
Eventually the coalition would love to see the space transformed into a fully functional arts incubator that can host exhibitions, events, performances, educational events, pop-up retail and dining, film shoots and commercial photography and space available for rent for private events. As a steward for the innovative space, the ACDU would also love to see the formation of an institution or group that can help to promote the space as well as the local art scene.
Official plans for the underground station remain loose as there are many businesses and venues that can make these goals a reality. Among the proposals that have been thrown on the table are an underground hotel, restaurant, art gallery, theater, fine arts storage space, winery and cafe. What is known is that this development will add even more to the vibrant life that Washington, DC home owners have come to love about the city.
“At the moment, all of this is theoretical,” said Braulio Agnese, an ACDU board member, to Urban Turf. “What the final proposal will bring to the city, we’re not sure. Underground agriculture, a spa, there’s a whole bunch on the table. We haven’t figured out what the final mix will be.”
Short Term Plans for Dupont Underground are Imminent
While the long-term future of the space remains in question, Agnese and the coalition are first working on creating a blank slate for developers to work with. The space is currently filled with trash and covered in graffiti, so the initial money that was raised through crowdfunding will go toward converting the space into a clean and habitable venue for further construction.
“It will pretty much be an open box,” said Agnese. “The part the public will see most is the platform and a little bit of the tunnels. We need to bring that up to code, so that’s the construction we need to do, but then it’s not going to look a whole lot different than it does now.”
The group hopes to rent out the ‘open box’ in order to raise funds that will go toward transforming this once-forgotten part of the city into a thriving scene for locals to take advantage of.
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