Norton's National Mall Revitalization and Designation Act to Add Amenities and More Area to Mall
Norton's National Mall Revitalization and Designation Act to Add Amenities and More Area to National Mall
May 24, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today reintroduced the National Mall Revitalization and Designation Act, to authorize the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) to expand the boundaries of the Mall where commemorative works may be located to relieve pressure on the central Mall and to require the Secretary of the Interior to submit a plan to Congress to enhance visitor enjoyment, amenities and cultural experiences on, and in the vitality of, the Mall within 180 days.
"The National Mall is Washington's most neglected and underutilized federal property yet perhaps its best known and most treasured," said Norton. "The Mall needs a total makeover for the 21st century, but I recognize that the federal funds needed to make the Mall the 21st century destination it should be would be difficult to secure in this fiscal climate. We can move now to rescue this space and expand its boundaries to accommodate commemorative works while adding low- and no-cost cultural and other amenities to make the Mall an inviting place."
Norton worked closely with NCPC and other agencies to draft this bill. The bill would give NCPC the responsibility and necessary flexibility to designate the Mall area for commemorative works and to expand the Mall area for these purposes when appropriate. In 2003, Congress amended the Commemorative Works Act to create a reserve area where new memorials may not be built. This action was helpful in slowing some of the demand from groups for placement of commemorative works on the central Mall.
Recognizing the need for more commemorative works sites, the NCPC and the Commission on Fine Arts released a National Capital Framework Plan in 2009, 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. Norton's bill gives NCPC authority to designate spaces that are considered part of the Mall.