Sesame Street 40th Anniversary Exhibit

by KimFromTheK

Through November 30, Union Station is showcasing a photo exhibit celebrating Sesame Street's 40th Anniversary. The exhibit is in the main hall and highlights how the program reaches children all over the world. The show's content and themes are adjusted to accurately reflect issues relevant to that country, for example, Kami, a Muppet on the South African version of the show, has HIV and helps millions of children who are impacted by HIV/AIDS daily.




The exhibit is small but informative, and I recommend checking it out if you're in or near Union Station.

Union Station movie theatres closed

The Phoenix Theatres at Union Station closed on October 12th without much fanfare. The only coverage this month from the Washingtonpost is regarding a congregation that had held Sunday mass services in the movie theatre for the last 13 years.

I can't seem to dig up much on the plans for renovations for Union Station. Ashkenazy Acquisition has purchased the leasehold interest on Union Station in 2007. I believe their aim is to dramatically upgrade the retail and restaurant offerings by eliminating these theatres and revamping the food court.

Editor's note: I wrote this post around 8am this morning and queued it up for 1pm. Seems in the interim DCist ran a similar post on the story.

Discover Colombia Through Its Heart

With the family in town over Labor Day weekend I was a frequent visitor to Union Station. Picking up and dropping off the fam for Amtrak and taking my young niece on the DCDucks (which I knew she'd get a kick out of).

Union Station is currently the epicenter of a promotion by the Colombian Embassy called Discover Colombia Through Its Heart. The exhibit which runs from September 5th through 15th includes 47 larger than life sculptures – seven interactive 13-foot heart sculptures displayed in Washington’s Union Station, and 40 eight-foot heart sculptures.

Allicia from ReadysetDC has written a great comprehensive post on the exhibit's background and the event calendar so I won't rehash that. To be balanced I'll make you aware of an human rights group's response called No More Broken Hearts that opposes this PR campaign and the proposed Free Trade Agreement being discussed in Congress.

In front of the DC Historical Society at Mount Vernon Square

One of 7 interactive hearts inside the main hall of Union Station

Three of the hearts outside the front of Union Station

Getting past the Colombia specific politics of this particular exhibit do you enjoy or dislike these kind of temporary art installations? I know not everyone agrees but I enjoyed the Party Animals in 2002 and the Pandamania (flickr) in 2004 and generally support more of these organized citywide public art endeavors.

Linked up: 600 Mass, Franklin, and Union Station

City Center DC: In this development slowdown should the Old Convention Center site be converted to parkland? [DCMetrocentric]

Franklin Square: Plans to transform the Franklin School (13th & K) into a home for one or more charter schools have failed. Did they really have a chance? [TheOther35Percent]

Chinatown/MVT: A preview of the CORE Architects renderings for 600 Mass - a LEED Silver 380,000sf office project. [DCMetrocentric]

600 Mass rendering from CORE Architects

Union Station: A plan is being put before Congress with intent to streamline Union Station's role as a transportation hub with an intercity bus terminal. [DCMud]

Mount Vernon Triangle: Justin from ReadysetDC bestows love on MVT bikes and bike racks. He also shares a glimpse inside of Gold Leaf Studios (443 Eye St NW)

Joe Biden: Amtrak commuter

The Daily Kos points recent Democratic ticket Joe Biden's history of support for Amtrak.

• Commutes to work each day from Wilmington,DE to DC on Amtrak
  
• Original co-sponsor of the Amtrak Reauthorization Bill (National Defense Rail Act), S.104, introduced on January 7, 2003
  
• Amtrak president George Warrington presented Biden with a "Champion of the Rails" award in June 2001
  
• The American Passenger Rail Coalition (APRC), a national association of railroad equipment suppliers and rail businesses, presented him its "Rail Leadership Award" in March 2002.
  
• Son Hunter Biden is on the Amtrak board.

From Treehugger; Joe Biden on a bus in 1976 and in 2004 on a train

I don't want to create a political debate free for all. Simply wanted to point out that the Obama/Biden ticket is mass transit friendly. The Triangle has very close proximity to both Union Station and downtown proper which will continue to be *THE* hub of metro and most future transit projects such as possible light rail or streetcars.

UPDATE (8/28/2008 8:40pm): Added the photo from Treehugger.

Union Station Intermodal meeting

Earlier this week Ward 6 had a Community Meeting on the Union Station Intermodal Transportation Center Feasibility Study. Union Station and the surrounding area has many exciting projects on the horizon. These include being a hub for the H Street NE Streetcar, a potential move of the Greyhound station to Union Station, a possible Blue Line reroute, and a 3.0 million square foot mixed-use development concept to be built above the existing rail yard called Burnham Place.

The study itself focuses on:

• Baseline Transportation Improvement Studies
  
• New Rail Passenger Concourse
  
• Upgraded Amtrak passenger concourse
  
• Improved Emergency Access & Egress
  
• Improvements to the Existing Rail Concourse
  
• Tour Bus & Commuter Parking Accommodations
  
• Streetcar Integration
  
• Pedestrian Tunnel from Union Station to 1st Street, NE
  
• New Metrorail Entrance from the H Street Bridge
  
• Baseline Environmental Requirements Study

David Alpert of GreaterGreaterWashington attended the meeting and posted a recap on his blog. If this topic interests you I recommend visiting his site with frequency as he covers DC Mass transit issues in a very detailed and comprehensive manner.