[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 72 (Tuesday, May 24, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE NATIONAL MALL REVITALIZATION AND DESIGNATION ACT

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                       HON. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON

                      of the district of columbia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 24, 2011

  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, today, in honor of National Preservation 
Month, I rise to reintroduce the National Mall Revitalization and 
Designation Act. The National Mall is Washington's most neglected and 
underutilized federal property, despite being so well-known and 
treasured. The Mall lacks everything that this majestic natural wonder 
deserves, from an official identity to basic amenities. My bill 
authorizes the National Capital Planning Commission, NCPC, to expand 
the boundaries of the Mall where commemorative works may be located, 
requires NCPC to study the commemorative works process, and requires 
the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan to Congress to enhance 
visitor enjoyment, amenities and cultural experiences in, and the 
vitality of, the Mall within 180 days.
  I worked closely with NCPC and other agencies in drafting the bill. 
The bill would give NCPC the responsibility and necessary flexibility 
to designate the Mall area for commemorative works for the first time 
and to expand the Mall area for that purpose when appropriate. The bill 
requires NCPC to accommodate future commemorative works and cultural 
institutions. Tourists and workers downtown should be able to walk to 
the Mall and hear terrific music and other entertainment, from string 
quartets to poetry readings, perhaps during lunch at attractive tables 
where good--not fast--food is available. Residents of the city and 
region should be able to find space for fun and games beyond the 
cramped space between Third Street and the Lincoln Memorial.
  Bordered by world-class cultural institutions, the Mall itself has 
been reduced to a lawn with a few--too few--ordinary benches and a 
couple of fast food stands. The Mall needs a total makeover for the 
21st century that would be worthy of Pierre L'Enfant's vision for the 
city he planned and the McMillan plan, which is largely responsible for 
what is referred to today as the Mall--the space between the Capitol 
and the Lincoln Memorial. In writing the bill, I recognized that the 
federal funds needed to make the Mall the 21st century destination it 
should be will not be forthcoming in this fiscal climate. Nevertheless, 
we must move now to begin to rescue this space, which has been damaged 
by heavy use and is often used by pedestrians as no more than a 
throughway, despite its magnificent potential. With the necessary 
imagination, making the Mall an inviting place with cultural and other 
amenities is achievable now.
  The NCPC is well on its way to meeting the bill's requirement for an 
expansive, 21st century definition of the Mall. Frustrated by 
continually fighting off proposals for new monuments, museums, and 
memorials on the already crowded Mall space, I asked the NCPC to devise 
a mall presentation plan. In 2003, Congress amended the Commemorative 
Works Act to create a reserve area--a no-build zone where new memorials 
may not be built. This action was helpful in quelling some but by no 
means all of the demand from groups for placement of commemorative 
works on what they view as the Mall.
  Recognizing the need for more commemorative works sites, NCPC and the 
Commission on Fine Arts, CFA, released a National Capital Framework 
Plan in 2009, which identifies sites near the Mall that are suitable 
for new commemorative works, including East Potomac Park, the Kennedy 
Center Plaza, and the new South Capitol gateway. Five new prestigious 
memorials are scheduled for such sites, including the Eisenhower 
Memorial and the U.S. Air Force Memorial. I appreciate that NCPC and 
the CFA work closely with the District of Columbia in designating off-
Mall sites for new monuments. The District welcomes the expanded Mall 
into our local neighborhoods to increase the number of tourists that 
visit them, enhancing the work of the District of Columbia government 
and the local organizations such as Cultural Tourism that offer tours 
of historic District neighborhoods. The off-Mall sites for monuments 
also complement development of entire new neighborhoods near the Mall, 
particularly the District's redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront 
and work on The Yards, which, under my bill, now includes a waterfront 
park and eventually will include a mixed-use public-private 
development.
  The Mall Revitalization and Designation Act is the first step in an 
effort to focus Congress on finally giving the Mall its due after 
decades of neglect and indifference. The bill starts at the beginning--
expanding what we mean by the Mall, and taking the first steps to 
breathe life into a space that is meant for people to enjoy.

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