WASHINGTON - The more than 25 million visitors who flock to the National Mall every year will begin to see a more open and connected landmark if a proposed plan becomes reality.
Tourists and residents would be able to walk from the Lincoln Memorial to the Kennedy Center, from the Mall to the federal buildings downtown, from the Mall to the waterfront and from the city to East Potomac Park - which is near the Jefferson Memorial - without having to cross busy highways.
It's called the National Capital Framework Plan, which is undergoing public comment until Oct. 10.
Planners are trying to figure out how best to integrate Washington's symbolic significance as the nation's capital with its role as a city. Elizabeth Miller, project manager for the plan, said at a public comments meeting Tuesday that downtown Washington - away from the museums and monuments - has the potential to be a tourist destination itself.
"Washington is also becoming known as a vibrant, urban city," she said.
The plan follows the steps of the McMillan Plan, introduced in 1902, which inspired the development of the National Mall and Union Station, as well as the creation of parks along the Potomac River. It also works off of the 1997 Legacy Plan, which established a "no-build zone" to make room for more than 100 future memorials and museums.
"We realize many of these ideas are bold and grand, and many might say this is all a pie in the sky," Miller said. "But some said that about the Legacy Plan and even the McMillan Plan."
The new plan calls for expanding public transit near tourist destinations, even adding a new Metrorail stop at East Potomac Park. It also suggests adding new destinations along Pennsylvania Avenue to reinforce its role as "American's main street" and removing obstacles, such as buildings blocking views of the waterfront from other landmarks.
"It will actually help us create these places where visitors, residents and workers can experience this city unlike any other capital in the world," Miller said.
Diane Saupe, a 44-year-old resident of Columbus, Ohio, said she would support the major changes. She was visiting with her family and said she especially liked the idea of adding more mass transit around the key tourist areas.
"It's a lot of walking," she said as she took photos of her two daughters at the Washington Monument. "Each thing is just so time-consuming in itself, it's hard to fit it in aside from the walking."
Another group, Trust for the National Mall, is trying to raise as much as $500 million in donations to spruce up the existing Mall.
Caroline Cunningham, the group's president, said she likes the framework plan's vision, especially the ideas to expand mass transit and integrate the city into the Mall.
Cunningham said Trust for the National Mall, which partners with the National Park Service, believes the Mall is in a state of disrepair and needs serious attention. She said they hope to focus first on two areas: cleaning up the lawn between the Washington Monument and the Capitol and taking care of the water in the reflecting pools and ponds.
"All of them are filthy," Cunningham said. "And in fact, my understanding from the Park Service last week is several baby ducks died because of the quality of the water " in the pool at the foot of Capitol Hill.
Residents who attended Tuesday's public comments meeting expressed concerns about parking and security.
Miller said planners hope to shift some of the activity that occurs on the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol, such as festivals, to areas such as East Potomac Park. Moving those activities, she said, might help protect the Mall, which has bare dirt in some areas from overuse.
She said buildings, such as the Forrestal Building on Independence Avenue, and highways, including those near the Kennedy Center, that block visibility and make walking from one point to the next difficult can be a psychological barrier for visitors.
The planners said some changes can happen more quickly than others. Many wouldn't occur until current buildings or bridges wear out and need to be replaced.
Thomas Luebke, secretary of the Commission of Fine Arts, said that the plan could help officials decide how to replace buildings or bridges.
"This is a road map," he said. "It can guide our decisions."
D.C.-area residents can give their opinions at a final public comments meeting Sept. 24, but National Capital Planning Commission spokeswoman Athena Hernandez said people around the country can view the plan at the agency's Web site and submit comments via e-mail to frameworkplan@ncpc.gov.
The Mall lawn between Third Street and 17th Street needs to be replaced and needs a new sprinkler system, said Caroline Cunningham, president of Trust for the National Mall, which is raising money for the Mall’s upkeep. SHFWire photo by Audrie Garrison
Pedestrians have to cross a tangle of highways to walk from the World War II Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial. The National Capital Framework Plan proposes adding a Metrorail stop near the Jefferson memorial. SHFWire photo by Audrie Garrison.
Some of the grass is dead, and a tree stump remains near the crosswalk at 14th Street near the Washington Monument and the Mall. SHFWire photo by Audrie Garrison
The reflecting pool by the Lincoln Memorial, known for its role in historic events such as Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, needs to be cleaned, according to a group rising money to refurbish the Mall. SHFWire photo by Audrie Garrison.
