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Arts group pursues Dupont

Underground venue eyed for exhibition space

By Ian Bauder THE WASHINGTON TIMES | Wednesday, October 8, 2008

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Buried by years of dispute, Dupont Down Under could soon see the light of day.

An arts group has sketched a plan to turn one of the two abandoned trolley platforms and tunnels under Dupont Circle into an exhibition space - and not for the adult exhibitions once proposed.

The Arts Coalition for Dupont Underground hopes to use the space for art and fashion shows, small concerts and architectural exhibits.

“There are the very large museums, like the Smithsonian, then there are the very small galleries around the city,” said the coalition's Julian Hunt. "We want to pick up a missed opportunity.”

Adam Griffiths, a representative for the coalition and for the Washington Project for the Arts, said that traveling art shows in need of medium-sized venues "never make it to D.C."

"These traveling shows will be one of our main revenue streams," he said.

Dupont Down Under has been having troubles for years. In 1992, local entrepreneur Geary Simon acquired the lease for a proposed multiuse facility that would include a food court, a supermarket and a gym. The idea failed and Mr. Simon's company filed for bankruptcy, effectively blocking city efforts to terminate the lease.

In 2000, Washington Sports Club, which originally planned to build a gym alongside the failed food court, sued to gain full control of the lease. The company's claim was based on a contract giving Washington Sports Club control of the property if Mr. Simon's plan failed. Although a judge ruled in favor of the Washington Sports Club, the company decided not to pursue its building plans.

Last year, D.C. Council member Jim Graham, Ward 1 Democrat, proposed the space as a home for adult-theme clubs displaced by construction of the Nationals Park baseball stadium. Strong opposition from local groups halted the plan.

Mr. Griffiths said exhibition space would be more suitable for the neighborhood than previous projects. He said he had received letters of support from the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the Galleries of Dupont Circle.

The group said it is petitioning the Office of Property Management for control of the lease. Bill Rice, spokesman for the OPM, was contacted but did not comment on the status of the petition or the lease.

The coalition hopes to have the space ready in six months to a year. Mr. Griffiths said it needs only basic repairs.

The group released an artist's rendering of the underground exhibit. The illustration suggests a tony environment with enough natural light that several of the wine-sipping patrons are wearing sunglasses.