The
District
government
is
negotiating
terms
of
a
lease
that
would
allow
organizers
of
D.C.’s
gay
community
center
to
convert
a
city
park
at
17th
and
P
Streets,
NW,
into
a
community
center
complex
that
would
include
a
public
park
and
an
underground
garage
with
as
many
as
540
parking
spaces.
Wanda
Alston,
Mayor
Anthony
Williams’s
special
assistant
for
gay,
lesbian,
bisexual
&
transgender
affairs,
said
the
lease
would
make
the
final
approval
of
the
development
of
Stead
Park
contingent
upon
support
from
the
surrounding
community
and
the
Center’s
ability
to
secure
financing.
But
Alston
and
Patrick
Menasco,
president
of
the
Metro
D.C.
Center
for
Gay,
Lesbian,
Bisexual
&
Transgender
People,
said
the
city’s
decision
to
open
lease
negations
with
the
Center
represents
a
major
step
forward
in
advancing
the
ambitious
project.
Plans
for
the
project
call
for
building
a
three-story
community
center
with
35,000
to
40,000
square
feet
of
usable
interior
space
on
a
section
of
Stead
Park.
The
68,000
square-foot
park
is
located
behind
existing
buildings
on
P
and
Q
Streets
and
16th
and
17th
Streets,
NW.
The
Center
would
include
offices,
meeting
space,
and
a
small
theater
suitable
for
gay
performing
arts
groups
and
films
sponsored
by
the
city’s
One
In
Ten
gay
and
lesbian
film
festival,
according
to
information
released
by
Menasco
last
year.
Last
week,
Menasco
said
the
center
would
also
include
a
gymnasium
open
to
the
public.
He
has
described
the
proposed
facility
as
a
“multicultural
GLBT
community
center
that
can
support
our
community’s
diverse
artistic,
social,
recreational,
spiritual,
educational
and
civic
activities.”
The
park,
which
includes
a
playground
and
soccer
field,
would
remain
a
public
park
but
would
be
upgraded
and
maintained
by
the
center
on
behalf
of
the
city,
according
to
plans
released
last
year.
Similar
to
the
Jewish
Community
Center
located
a
few
blocks
away,
Menasco
said
the
gay
community
center
would
be
open
to
the
public,
including
local
civic
and
community
groups.
He
said
the
project
would
cost
between
$10
million
and
$15
million.
The
parking
garage
would
serve
as
the
main
“revenue
stream”
to
pay
for
the
center’s
operations,
Menasco
said.
However,
he
said
additional
financing
from
the
city
would
also
be
needed,
and
center
officials
would
soon
make
an
appeal
for
financial
assistance
to
the
mayor
and
D.C.
Council.
According
to
Menasco,
the
project
could
provide
reserved
parking
spaces
for
nearby
residents,
but
the
majority
of
spaces
would
be
used
for
patrons
of
nearby
restaurants
and
businesses
in
an
area
plagued
by
a
chronic
shortage
of
parking.
He
said
preliminary
plans
call
for
the
parking
garage
to
be
built
on
two
or
three
levels
underground,
with
about
180
parking
spaces
per
level.
He
said
the
approval
of
a
lease
by
the
city
would
clear
the
way
for
the
Center
to
pay
for
a
full
architectural
plan
for
the
project.
However,
he
said
the
Center
would
not
finalize
architectural
plans
without
first
obtaining
input
from
nearby
residents,
including
input
from
the
Dupont
Circle
Advisory
Neighborhood
Commission.
ANC
commissioners,
who
are
elected
by
residents
in
neighborhoods
throughout
the
city,
serve
on
advisory
bodies
for
city
agencies,
which
are
required
to
give
“great
weight”
to
their
recommendations.
Darren
Bowie,
the
openly
gay
chair
of
ANC
2B,
which
represents
the
Dupont
Circle
area,
said
the
commission
looks
forward
to
learning
more
about
the
community
center
project.
“Formally,
they
have
not
come
before
the
ANC
to
make
a
presentation,”
Bowie
said.
“I
cannot
comment
until
I
know
more
details.”
ANC
commissioner
Mike
Silverstein
said
he,
too,
would
have
to
learn
more
details
about
the
project
before
making
a
decision.
Among
other
things,
Silverstein
said,
he
wants
to
determine
whether
the
Stead
family,
which
donated
the
land
to
the
city
for
a
park,
placed
any
restrictions
on
its
use
through
terms
attached
to
its
gift
of
the
land.
“We
would
have
to
see
the
historic
documents
to
see
if
a
center
is
allowed,”
he
said.
With
Williams’
approval,
Neil
Albert,
director
of
the
D.C.
Department
of
Parks
&
Recreation,
invited
the
Center
to
draft
a
proposed
lease
for
developing
the
Stead
Park
site,
according
to
Alston.
“We
met
with
Parks
&
Recreation
a
year
and
a
half
ago,”
Menasco
said.
“They
liked
the
idea
and
asked
us
to
come
back
with
more
details.”
Last
month,
Menasco
said,
Albert
said
he
liked
the
details
and
asked
the
Center
to
draft
a
proposed
lease.
“The
mayor
is
supportive
of
a
community
center,”
Alston
said.
“He
wants
to
see
a
plan.
So
far,
we
have
seen
things
only
in
bits
and
pieces.”
Menasco
said
the
Center
has
prepared
a
“summary
book”
which
describes
the
proposed
project
in
some
detail.
He
said
he
planned
to
release
the
summary
to
the
Blade
but
did
not
do
so
by
press
time.
Lou
Chibbaro
Jr.
can
be
reached
at
lchibbaro@washblade.com.
