The District of Columbia has allocated $10 million to acquire a half-acre site near the “Exorcist Steps,” Washington Business Journal reports. Currently it’s home to a closed gas station, but it could be an excellent location for the eastern terminus of a gondola that takes passengers between Rosslyn and Georgetown, Alex Koma writes.
Sorry, the gondola could actually happen?
The Arlington County Board sent a letter to gondola machers in 2017 saying, in effect, Thanks anyway: “Given our identified and pressing transportation needs, along with some ongoing concerns about the long-term value of the gondola, the Board is not in favor of any further funding of the gondola project,” former Board Chair Jay Fisette wrote.
Despite the brush-off, gondola proponents have continued to push the plan. Former Congressman Tom Davis, Wizards/Caps owner Ted Leonsis, and JBG Smith CEO Matt Kelly wrote a Washington Post opinion piece urging local leaders to find a way to string cable cars across the Potomac.
The site could also be a charging station for electric cars, Georgetown BID CEO Joe Sternlieb tells Koma, or perhaps the location of a Georgetown Metro station at some point in the future.
If you’re a fan of the aerial option, the local publication ARLnow offers a “Gondola Now!” T-shirt that looks pretty snappy (full disclosure: I own one).
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
