Existing comment:
Saving the Tivoli:
Although the Tivoli was spared from the devastation that many buildings on 14th Street experienced during the 1968 riots, it suffered from neglect and threat of demolition for the next thirty years. The District's Redevelopment Land Agency purchased the Tivoli and the remaining block as a part of its urban renewal program. Plans to convert the building into a community center never materialized, and the theater and its retail shops closed in 1976,
In 1981, the neighborhood activists formed "Save the Tivoli, Inc." to protect the building from further neglect and possible demolition as well as to develop economically viable reuse strategies. In the mid 1980s, the Tivoli was designated both a local and national landmark, and attempts to demolish the building were blocked by the community preservationists. In 1998, the city issued a new request for development proposals, and the following year awarded Tivoli Partners, with Horning Brothers as General Partner, the rights to develop the entire block.
Collaboration with the City Offices of Planning, Economic Development, and Historic Preservation as well as community leaders, arts advocates, and historic preservation groups enabled Horning Brothers to achieve both goals of historic preservation and economic development. In 2003, Horning Brothers began a complete exterior restoration and interior renovation to accommodate neighborhood-oriented retain, offices, and a 270-seat performing arts house for GALA Hispanic Theatre. In December 2004, the lights on the Tivoli's magnificent marquee were switched on once again, signaling the landmark's grand reopening. The Tivoli's restoration and the construction of Tivoli Square, with supermarket and town homes, are key elements in the re-establishment of Columbia Heights as a vibrant hub of commerce, housing, and the arts. |