Apple could transform historic Washington DC building into new store

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2008-0601-dc-citymuseumcarnegielibrary
It's not a giant glass cube, but it's not too shabby!
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri/Wikipedia CC

Residents of Washington D.C. could be about to get a stunning new Apple flagship store, located at the historic 113-year-old Carnegie Library in Mount Vernon Square.

Negotiations between Apple and the the Events D.C. organization have reportedly been going on since the start of the year, and seem to be working in Apple’s favor.

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“Apple would be a huge attraction,” D.C. Council member Jack Evans told the Washington Post, noting that the arrival of Apple could help stimulate growth in the downtown area.

The proposed Apple Store would, in some senses, resemble the Union Square Apple Store in San Francisco, which also features an outdoor events space for concerts, forums etc.

The company certainly has its work cut out for it, however, since the 63,000-square-foot space is publicly owned and, due to its protected status, could cause negotiations to be a challenge. Previous uses of the building, such as a one-year-stint as a local history museum and aborted plays for it to be both a music and spy museum, have failed to work out in the long-run.

With that said, if anyone is able to demonstrate how it can respectfully pay tribute to historic landmarks, while also bringing more value to surrounding areas, it is Apple — which has previously transformed historic buildings such as New York’s Grand Central Terminal and a 130-year-old former bank in Paris into Apple Stores.

Would you like to see the Carnegie Library as an Apple Store? Leave your comments below.

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