Demolition of Mazza Gallerie mall at 5300 Wisconsin Avenue NW is now underway. This demolition won't be like that of White Flint Mall last decade, nor of Lakeforest Mall next year, however. Property owner Tishman Speyer is demolishing the top levels of the mall, but will retain a base of the retail pavilion and the existing underground parking garage. It will then build 7-story-tall residential building with 325 apartments on top of that base, and include a substantial 25,000 square feet of ground level retail and restaurant space. The demolition process appears to be a very methodical one so far.
Do the plans include a dynamite implosion of this structure?
ReplyDeleteI was kind of hoping the garage would be reconfigured since it is a bit crazy with the central spiral.
ReplyDeleteLake Forest, Mazza Gallery ... others?
ReplyDelete@ 7:25 PM - the structure is not massive enough to trigger the desired progressive collapse. It is my understanding that 5 stories is the minimum. And the developer intends to reuse the base of the structure.
ReplyDeleteUnimaginable. When Mazza opened in 1977 it was an imposing, somber, majestic temple of retail; mythic, Olympian. The name was uttered with hushed reverence. One fairly trembled setting foot inside. Customers behaved with a comportment and gravitas akin to a personal audience with the Pope. No loitering cliques of shrieking teens; no meandering porcine shoppers, quart-sized colas in hand; nary a pair of blue jeans or Spandex leggings in sight. And now apartments. It took nearly fifty years, but the teens and bovine lumpen have finally wrought their revenge.
ReplyDeleteThe parking garage remains and I'm sure the developers could accommodate the inclusion of a memorial crypt for you.🙄
DeleteWhy are the traffic lanes on two sides of this mall closed for demolition? Is DC anti cars and anti parking?
ReplyDelete