Trumps Visit Downtown

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Father and daughter team Donald and Ivanka Trump were in town today to talk about Washington real estate at the Washington Post (1150 15th Street).  During the hour-long conversation, Donald Trump proclaimed Downtown D.C. one of the greatest locations in the world, declaring the area as “spectacular.” Both guests said they’re excited about redeveloping the Old Post Office Pavilion (1100 Pennsylvania Avenue) into a luxury hotel.

“We’re moving as quickly as we can to get everything done,” said Donald Trump. “The minute we get the approval,” said Ivanka Trump, “we will be ready to go.”

The U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) selected the Trump Organization to revitalize the 113-year-old historic landmark last year, after issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking a private partner to restore the 400,000-square-foot Downtown treasure and the adjacent vacant pavilion. Both are still negotiating a comprehensive deal for redeveloping the building that could be completed in a few weeks. The effective deadline is this June.

During the Washington Post Live talk, which convenes some of the biggest names in government, business, nonprofit organizations and the media for conferences, Ivanka Trump highlighted the company’s work with historic preservation projects, saying it has significant experience and success in this area. She said the project will create 500 construction jobs and 500 permanent positions when the hotel opens in late 2015 or early 2016.

She said D.C.’s phenomenal hotel market needs a new luxury hotel, and she has been in talks with some of the “greatest restaurateurs in the world” about leasing retail space in the hotel. Donald went on to say he had been in contact with Tiffany & Co. and they were very interested in retail space.

The 261-room Trump hotel, along with a planned museum, will bring new vitality to Pennsylvania Avenue, Ivanka Trump said. The museum will include a story about the popular, 315-foot clock tower, which will remain open to the public and continue to be operated by the National Park Service (NPS) once the project is completed. The hotel, she added, will have the largest ballroom in Downtown D.C.

In addition, the Trumps said they want to hire the best local talent to fill several hundred positions. Ivanka Trump has already met with local high schools to discuss future employment opportunities for students.

Overall, the hotel project will leverage about $200 million in private sector funds and have a 60-year lease. More information about the redevelopment efforts is available at the GSA Web site.

The DowntownDC BID is a consulting partner with the GSA through the Section 106 process of the National Historic Preservation Act and, therefore, has been involved with meetings concerning this project.