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Local advisory neighborhood commission hopefuls make their case in Q&A / Page 15-18
New exhibit featuring diverse artwork from the Dominican diaspora opens tomorrow / Page 21
Preservation board set to review revised plans for redevelopment of nightclub building / Page 3
Opinion/6 Police Report/11 Real Estate/13 School Dispatches/8 Service Directory/29 Week Ahead/3
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The Dupont Current
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Voters set to consider D.C. statehood
Serving Dupont Circle, Kalorama, Adams Morgan & Logan Circle
BOO AT THE ZOO
Historic service station eyed for redevelopment ■ Dupont: Residences, retail
proposed for parkside parcel
By CUNEYT DIL
Current Correspondent
The mayor and D.C. Council members had a loud message to early voters in line Saturday afternoon outside One Judiciary Square: In a highly charged presidential election year, District residents shouldn’t forget about their local races. Statehood, after all, is on the ballot. After waiting years for Congress to move on legislation granting Washington, D.C., statehood, the city proposes to press the issue with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. In April, Mayor Muriel Bowser charted the new course, which will involve petitioning Congress directly to be admitted as the 51st state to the union. A state constitution was approved last week by the D.C. Council, and the boundaries of the new state have been set. “D.C. is running for statehood this year,” Del. Eleanor Holmes See Statehood/Page 17
Vol. XV, No. 22
By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer
Brian Kapur/The Current
The National Zoo hosted its annual “Boo at the Zoo” event over the weekend, featuring animal encounters, festive decorations, candy and snack giveaways from more than 40 treat stations throughout the grounds.
The historic Sunoco station that occupies a gateway into Dupont Circle from Georgetown could undergo a significant transformation in the coming years, as a developer proposes to build a large residential building on the site. The New York-based Marx Realty has announced its intention to relocate the Sunoco building elsewhere on the 2200 P St. NW site, renovating it for retail use and constructing an attached nine-story building with 34 apartments. The project will require approval from numerous agencies and faces possible opposition from neighbors, who have expressed initial concerns about the prospect of a high-rise occupying the space. Built in 1936 for the Gulf Oil Corp., the station’s building hasn’t been altered much over the years and was designated a landmark
Rendering by Marx Realty
The 1936 building would shift on the 2200 P St. property to make way for the new construction.
in1993. The developer hasn’t chosen a course of action for relocating the building, but a project document indicates three options: keeping it near its current orientation fronting P Street NW; reorienting it to face 22nd Street; or reorienting it to face 23rd Street. Marx Realty did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication. Daniel Warwick of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B (Dupont Circle) first reviewed the See Project/Page 5
Halloween fans aim to spread cheer and fear By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer
Open House Fall 2016
Join us for this amazing opportunity to see our school in action! Our experienced teachers, motivated learners, and globally-respected international curricula will prepare your child with the skills and confidence they need to succeed on the world stage.
Date: Wednesday, November 9 Time: 9am - 10.30am (Session 1) 1pm - 2.30pm (session 2) Place: 2001 Wisconsin Ave, NW Washington, DC 20007 To reserve a space, please RSVP to Megan.liu@biswahington.org In your response, please indicate if you prefer to attend Session 1 or Session 2
www.BISWashington.org
Many people like Halloween enough to dress up in costume or take their kids trick-or-treating. Far fewer love it enough to spend hours decorating their homes in preparation for the spooky holiday. Sara Stone-Psihas and her husband, Greg, are among those few. They spent a few hours over several days earlier this month transforming their Georgetown row home into a visual feast for Halloween fanatics: larger-than-life spiders crawling up the front walls; a gaunt witch on a broomstick dangling from a nearby tree branch; and mechanical skeletons that talk when pressed. But the outdoor decorations to the home, located in the 3000 block of P Street NW, don’t even tell the whole story. When the couple offered a tour to The Current on Friday, even spookier haunts awaited
Brian Kapur/The Current
Andrew Huff of 16th Street Heights aims to tell a frightening story with the spread on his lawn.
inside. Two plastic skeletons sat with arms crossed at the dinner table to the left. An enormous statue with a pumpkin for a head watched over the kitchen. And in the living room, by the fireplace: a life-size replica of Hannibal Lecter that recites the famous “fava beans and a nice Chianti” line from “The Silence of the Lambs.” The couple were visibly excited to show off their house to a reporter. But when it came to explaining See Halloween/Page 28