Norton National Mall Roundtable Produces Recommendations to Enliven Mall Experience

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released a set of recommendations that originated at Norton's National Mall Roundtable on Thursday, and invited residents to continue to contribute suggestions for improvements to the Mall, particularly those that would benefit resident use. In her roundtable opening remarks, Norton posed the question, "Can grass and people occupy the same space at the same time?" This question was answered by National Park Service (NPS) National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Bob Vogel, who said efforts are already underway, including the expansion of the gravel space on the Mall to accommodate more foot traffic, an upgrade to more sturdy soil coverage, and bringing the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival back to the Mall on the grass in front of the National Museum of the American Indian. The present Mall turf soil is being replaced with a sturdier soil, allowing for activities such as an upcoming concert that will draw hundreds of thousands of people, a presidential inauguration, and others that do not require further turf renovation. This soil replacement will allow for most activities thought to be no longer permitted to continue in existence. Norton is urging residents to email their National Mall improvement suggestions to NortonEvents@mail.house.gov with "National Mall Improvement" in the subject line, and they will be forwarded directly to the appropriate agencies. The Roundtable brought together Vogel, Caroline Cunningham, President of the Trust for the National Mall, Michael Mason, Director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Thomas Luebke, Secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, and District residents, who asked questions and provided suggestions for Mall improvements. Among the recommendations from the roundtable were:

• Working with District of Columbia Department of Transportation to bring a Circulator Mall route, which Vogel said will be in place in time for the 2015 Cherry Blossom Festival
• Increased food options on the Mall, including lunch fare brought from restaurants or a limited number of regulated food trucks;
• Chairs and tables in the shade to allow people to sit for lunch or at other times;
• Holding more events at Constitution Gardens, now being revitalized, which is one of the Mall's most beautiful but forgotten places;
• Refocusing on the development of East Potomac Park;
• Increase appreciation for both the Mall and the Smithsonian museums by bringing certain pieces of art or artifacts onto the Mall and explaining them during the day; and
• A designated dance floor on the Mall

"The reason for the highly productive National Mall Roundtable was that there have been no major hearings or public meetings to discuss the work currently underway to enliven the National Mall," Norton said. "Residents need to know about this wonderful flowering of the Mall. What yesterday's roundtable proved is that grass and people can occupy the Mall at the same time. We now invite the public to continue the brainstorming process by emailing their ideas and suggestions to NortonEvents@mail.house.gov with ‘National Mall Improvement' in the subject line."

Norton decided to hold the roundtable following the recently enacted NPS turf restoration regulations affecting events on the grass, food truck vendors receiving fines from the U.S. Park Police, and other Mall issues, including the proposition of bringing a Circulator route to the Mall. In January 2013, NPS issued regulations that limited the use of the National Mall in order to preserve the grass around the National Mall. Consequently, most organizations no longer use the Mall for public events. Furthermore, NPS, which allows only one concessionaire to supply food on the Mall, has also asked D.C. to enforce D.C. regulations on prohibiting vending on streets that cross the Mall.