Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square in Washington.
Washington’s International Spy Museum has likely found its permanent home in the basement of the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. The District of Columbia’s official convention and sports authority, Events DC, along with museum owner, the Malrite Company, have announced a proposal to redevelop Mt. Vernon Square, with groundbreaking projected in 2015 and a grand reopening in 2017.
While specific details of the project are still being worked out and a price tag has yet to be revealed, Events DC President and CEO Greg O’Dell said the proposal is indeed a partnership, and the Malrite Company will be sharing the cost with the city. As the proposed plan entails redeveloping on federal property, the review processes with various local and federal agencies to get final approval and officially move forward with the project are quite extensive.
Although the plan will add 58,000 square feet of new space to the library, O’Dell said very little will actually be done to the existing building as most of the new space will be created underneath the library, where the Spy Museum will be permanently relocated. The project will also include the addition of a state-of-the-art Visitors Center, an outdoor amphitheater and special events venue, a public playground and park area, an above ground café and retail space, and consolidation and renovation of existing space for the Historical Society of Washington’s gallery and offices.
Executive Director of the Spy Museum Peter Earnest said the move to the library will allow the museum more space to host temporary exhibits, which it is unable to do due to limited space in its current location at 800 F St.
“The idea is to be able to bring in an exhibit temporarily, and, if it’s popular, have it travel,” Earnest said. The museum opened “The Enemy Within,” a perspective on terrorism in American history, in 2005 and it’s been traveling ever since. To replace the exhibit, the museum opened “Operation Spy” – an interactive experience in which participants can take on the role of an international spy—with the intention of it becoming a traveling exhibit as well. Due to the exhibit’s extreme popularity, the museum has kept “Operation Spy” and no longer has space for temporary exhibits.
Earnest said another challenge the museum has had at its current location since it opened in 2002 is drawing visitors from the mall. He said the new location may still have its challenges, but the Spy Museum has earned its reputation in and around D.C. and they are fortunate that they will not have to establish a new brand. He also believes that all of the development taking place in Mt. Vernon Square will help draw more tourists and visitors to the nation’s only museum dedicated to espionage and intelligence.
“[Mt. Vernon Square] is very much a growing part of Washington,” Earnest said in reference to CityCenterDC, a 10-acre, 2.5-million-square-foot development project featuring residences, offices, shopping, restaurants, hotels and active parks scheduled for completion in January 2014. “Over the years, it’s just blossomed.”
As part of the proposal, Milton Maltz, founder of the Malrite Company and the International Spy Museum, will donate the new museum to the community, converting it from a for-profit to a nonprofit entity. Earnest said what’s proposed will be challenging and expensive, and specifics of the agreement in terms of financing have yet to be finalized. However, he said feedback from review boards and the public thus far has been positive, and he expects the plan to be approved and that the gifting of the museum to the city will allow Maltz to leave behind a legacy with the International Spy Museum as a permanent fixture in D.C.
O’Dell said discussions between Events DC and the Malrite Company started more than a year ago, eventually leading to the proposal announced in September. “We found out, by happenstance, that the Spy Museum was looking for a permanent home,” he said. Earnest said the Carnegie Library is a gorgeous building, and will be a ideal home for the museum.
When Events DC, which also owns and operates the adjacent Walter E. Washington Convention Center, acquired the Carnegie Library back in 2011, they began using it as special events space and it has also continued to house the Historical Society’s offices. O’Dell said the redevelopment will enable them to better capitalize on the million-plus visitors to the area each year, as well as serve residents with the addition and revitalization of outdoor park and venue space. Under the proposal, the Spy Museum will be the primary tenant of the building, and Events DC will continue maintaining and operating the grounds and library.
O’Dell believes that, coupled with the ongoing development in Mt. Vernon Square, completion of the proposed project will help fulfill Events DC’s mission to create economic and community benefits, and can also lead to the area becoming part of a conventions and entertainment district that will eventually stretch down to Pennsylvania Avenue.
Interviewed for this story: Peter Earnest, (202) 654-0946; Greg O’Dell, (202) 249-3000