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Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) on why she is opposed to building skyscrapers in the nation’s capital.
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About thirteen or fourteen floors that significantly smaller than a tall structure in DC the 550.
That Washington monument.
Congressman -- DC residents thank you so much for joining us we appreciate your time.
Of course.
-- you we interest in the story because DC.
Is one of the few places in America right now -- is lucky enough to have a robust housing market where there's still a lot of demand prices have been rising.
There are jobs we would think that you would be all for supporting that.
And adding additional housing additional jobs additional office space by building more and taller buildings what are you get -- Well you gotta understand that the city gets its identity.
It's very identity from its -- -- from the fact that he cannot build above a certain -- limit food non interest I found.
And building above that limit there is some interest in whether or not where you can already build in the monumental core.
Pot which is which has a floor which is used mostly for mechanical purposes.
Could also be used to house real people.
And the chairman of the committee no one within the district.
Has asked me and asked the mayor in the Bay Area the city is the is the real party here.
Whether they would be interested.
In adjustments to the height limit outside of the monumental core.
Now on our cross to get anywhere close to that you're gonna have you seen planners in your City Council in their neighborhood residents.
Take a very deep look at that because the height limit is pretty sacrosanct in the District of Columbia remember it means revenue.
As well because people come here because they want to be able to see.
Without having need to to look who's got -- -- that's present how we get to five million visitors.
A year for that reason.
You do you actually do people come there to see those monuments and they need hotels to stay in -- in fact that's been one of the biggest arguments.
Is that the price of hotels -- DC it is really high and that this would significantly bring down.
The cost of saying the city would bring in more tourists.
Because you would add one or two more floors I mean they're not talking about building.
Huge skyscrapers are trying to one or two more floors additionally to buildings and there you could bring down the cost of hotels you could bring down the cost of living.
You could add jobs at the same time.
All the -- -- I would love to have this problem that they need more capacity other cities would be so envious of this.
Grow our regular you're running away with the first of all most of the -- -- already built.
And you're not gonna have people adding floors.
And most of the monumental downtown is already built the only thing people are talking about is whether a a floor that's already -- -- Not billing above it but a floor that's already there.
Could be used.
-- for residential purposes -- yes for for office purposes and that's something we're looking at.
But you've got to understand that this city has its identity and its revenue because of these -- this.
Yeah -- and -- -- where there is is some interest although it comes on the committee -- -- and we don't quite know where.
Residents and businesses are in the city but there's some interest in.
All -- from the monumental core.
More in the neighborhoods whether or not vols are places where what you're talking about building higher could make some sense a -- far from that.
This is because that kind of see where you've got to go through so many layers.
Before you get to a decision like that I think everybody that's already down.
What is important to know is that they're not some -- minds here and I'm certainly not close -- -- can see that fat.
In this city we do have structural problems because yes you can build very high and some with say we gotta live with that because you get some revenue because of that.
And you get some other benefits because of that you've got away those.
It and you -- about the layers I think that's one of the big points of this story congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton thank you so much for joining us say we appreciate it.
My pleasure.
