Existing comment:
Pennsylvania Avenue Development:
On June 1, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed an order officially calling for the redevelopment of Pennsylvania Avenue. Over the course of the following year and under the leadership of then Undersecretary of Labor and future Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the Pennsylvania Avenue Redevelopment Plan was created. The new proposal was set to be discussed with Congressional leadership upon President Kennedy's return from his visit to Texas in November, 1963.
Following the tragic events of November 22, 1963, discussion of the proposed redevelopment was postponed until President Lyndon B. Johnson, at the request of the late President's wife Jacqueline Kennedy, approved the creation of Temporary President's Commission on Pennsylvania Avenue. Over the course of 25 years, Mrs. Kennedy and Senator Moynihan worked tirelessly to champion the restoration plan that would revitalize Pennsylvania Avenue into the lively, dignified, inviting and impressive avenue it is today.
During this period, Canada was looking for a new location in Washington. The Government of Canada purchased the land across from the National Gallery on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1978 and construction of the Embassy began in 1986. |