Trump International Hotel Breaks Ground on Pennsylvania Avenue

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At the site of the Old Post Office Pavilion in Downtown Wednesday, billionaire Donald Trump broke ground on the Trump International Hotel, which many supporters in attendance heralded as a new engine that will dramatically revitalize Pennsylvania Avenue and benefit the community.

This will be a “truly great not only hotel but economic development project” Trump said at Wednesday’s ceremony.

The $200 million redevelopment of the historic building, which is slated to be completed in 2016, will result in a 270-room luxury hotel that is expected to generate 700 construction jobs, 500 permanent jobs following the opening and $100 million in tax revenue over its first ten years of operation.

At the groundbreaking, Mayor Vincent C. Gray said the hotel will be the “centerpiece of the continued revitalization of Pennsylvania Avenue” and Downtown. Gray noted that today there are more people living in Downtown, guests are enjoying Downtown “24-7” and the area is becoming increasingly vibrant. Every city council member views the Trump International Hotel project as part of the “continued development of Downtown,” Gray said. 

Council member Muriel Bowser, chair of the committee on economic development, said she is “so proud of the resurgence of Downtown” and said the Trump International Hotel helps define D.C. as a place for investment, jobs, restaurants, retail, college students and international talent. “The District is the place to be,” Bowser said.

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said the hotel is “destined to become the centerpiece” of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Commissioner Norman Dong of the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Public Buildings Services, U.S. Rep. John Mica of Florida, multiple members of the city council, and Trump Hotel Collection leadership including daughter Ivanka Trump, sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump and Chief Operating Officer Jim Petrus also participated in the groundbreaking.

“America’s Main Street,” as Pennsylvania Avenue is known, connects the White House to the U.S. Capitol and has been the chosen scene for many official functions throughout history including presidential inauguration parades.

Efforts to revitalize the aging corridor are currently underway, including discussions by the Pennsylvania Avenue Initiative, which is comprised of the National Capital Planning Commission, the GSA, the National Park Service, and additional federal and city agencies.