Museum of Arts and Sciences Making Peace With Neighbors, To Throw Parties Soon

After strongly worded community opposition looked to stall new development at the former Platinum night club venue, tensions have calmed, construction is underway, and the property is set to officially become the Museum of Arts and Sciences (MoA&S) shortly. But this isn't exactly your mom's museum, as there will be no exhibits, simply empty space making room for the private events that will eventually fill its rooms. Bought by Peter Andrullis through The Equitable Place, LLC for $10 million in June of last year, developers hope 915 F Street will become to new hot spot for receptions, fund-raising events, and art shows (ahem, and partying, ahem) in the Penn Quarter neighborhood.

There had been serious concern from residents that the new business operating under the moniker "Museum" and purporting to act as an "educational" event space for curated art events, live performances, poetry readings, and the like, is all simply a guise for a nightclub like Platinum to be reincarnated. It's difficult to fault locals for having concerns, as the museum's plans call for three large dance floors (40' x 40', 34' x 20', 30' x 10') and the ability to serve alcohol to patrons (with up to 1,300 imbibers allowed) until 2am on weeknights and 3am on weekends. In an attempt to explain his new venture, owner Andrullis originally communicated his business as one that would cater to museum/party-goers aged 25-35 and earning upwards of $50,000, insinuating that income level largely determines a person's propensity for bad behavior.

Think this, but with dinosaur bones hanging from the ceilings.

And while the museum vs. night club debate will certainly linger, the project team, under new leadership, has weathered the storm of protest and worked to quell some fears about the excessive noise levels and raucous behavior that the site was previously known for. In a business overview initially given to neighbors, the team emphasized that the site will "not operate as Platinum did or as other area nightclubs do" and will shy away from events that "lessen management control" like "cash bar only" parties. The locals didn't buy it at first, and were well organized and forcefully vocal in their frustration at community meetings, but the parties have sinse approached middle ground.

At one point the venture was threatened when official letters of opposition from ANC6C, ANC2C, Downtown Neighborhood Association, and The Ventana/Mather studios were sent to Alcohol Beverage Regulatory Administration (ABRA). But the Andrullis family decided to take a back seat and allow local resident and hospitality expert Giles Beeker to lead, manage and control the development going forward. Employing a more effective community relations campaign, the MoA&S is now moving quickly forward with their business plan. Addressing the next door residents' security concerns, Beeker helped forge an in-depth security plan, laying out their strategy to maintain "neighborhood peace, quiet, safety and security" before, after, and during the Museum's events; the plan also includes specific policy and procedure to curb, if not entirely eliminate, lines of patrons waiting to enter the property. In coordination with the surrounding community and their legal representative Manny Mpras, Beeker also developed a Voluntary Agreement incorporating specifics of the security plan and other stipulations such as noise abatement and parking issues; the Agreement was recently approved essentially as-is by ABRA.

Renovations at the future Museum are moving along and inspections have begun. The third floor theater-like balcony has been stripped away so the interior sets up more like the multi-purpose facility developers promised and less like a nightclub. One of the most important renovation features, the soundproofing of several top floor, rear rooms was recently completed. The facade of the building is also getting a thorough makeover helping to erase the scars of the bullets from the shooting that shuttered the Platinum night club in 2008.

After rejecting the community protesters' initial request to deny and dismiss the Museum's ABRA application in late June, the MoA&S was required to submit more detailed business plans and security measures before moving forward with their liquor license application. All requested details were submitted in late July and a fact finding hearing was held in early September. The results of that meeting have not been made public, but the process appears to be moving more smoothly without the weight of community opposition. Developers initially hoped to open the venue on October 1st, but will certainly not have the proper licensing by then. Inspections are expected to continue as construction on the main floor winds down this fall, and work on the upper floors will continue into the new year even after doors are opened. The first experimental mash-up of art, science, and alcohol could happen very soon.

Washington D.C. Real Estate Development News