Only on MAN: Rep. Mica: Expect "blockbuster" '08 NGA effort

For first time, National Gallery of Art confirms participation in Apex Building expansion; says it will raise over $100 million.

MANscoop: In an exclusive interview, Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) told MAN he would undertake a "blockbuster" effort in 2008 to enable the National Gallery of Art to expand into the Federal Trade Commission headquarters. Mica is the ranking minority member on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He said that the National Gallery of Art had told him it is committed to spending in excess of $100 million to renovate and move into the FTC's Apex Building. As a result, the NGA could add much-needed space by expanding into a so-called North Wing at no cost to the federal government.

(The Apex Building is at the top of the image above. For MAN's initial scoop on the NGA's planned move and for more on the building, click here.)

For the first time, a National Gallery spokesperson confirmed the NGA's cooperation in the plan to expand into the Apex Building. "We're committed to raising at least $100 million," NGA spokesperson Deborah Ziska said. She added that the Gallery's internal planning has determined that the NGA needs an additional 150,000 square feet of space. In part because of the uncertainties involved in renovating an older building, it is not clear how much space the Apex Building would provide.

"If we act now, we can move the project forward," Mica told MAN. "I'm very committed to this. To get blockbuster-level support next year is my top priority."

Mica said that the deal was important for the FTC, too: Right now the FTC has 450 employees in the Apex Building, and others in at least 200,000 square feet of rented office space around Washington. The FTC's leases expire in 2012, and if Congress acts in 2008, all of the FTC's offices could be moved into a single building in a timely fashion. Mica said that Washington, DC Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) has agreed to the plan, provided that the FTC jobs stayed in the District of Columbia. (At publication time, Norton's office had not returned a phone call.)

"This way we could meet this future space requirements for the FTC and the future space requirements for the NGA," Mica said. "We'd end up with a cultural triangle and millions of people would have access to the building instead of just a handful of FTC employees that are split from their other locations."

The National Gallery of Art currently rents 60,000 square feet of office space at 601 Pennsylvania Ave. The NGA's leases expire in the same year as the FTC leases: 2012.

Mica said that he'd already started a "full-court press" to line up key legislators behind the proposal, including a meeting with Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) just before he spoke with MAN on Thursday. Brownback is the ranking minority member on the Senate appropriations subcommittee for financial services and general government. Mica listed several other Republicans he had talked with, including Rep. Ralph Regula, Brownback's appropriations subcommittee counterpart in the House. Mica said that the only Democrat whose support he'd secured to date was Del. Norton's. Democrats control both the House and the Senate.

Mica said that he became interested in moving the FTC 5-7 years ago. "I saw its rough condition," he said. "Then I learned that [the FTC] had a split operation. I went to both the National Archives and to the National Gallery to see who would have the best use for [the Apex Building]. It just seems to make sense that those two would be logical participants for that space. The Archives just underwent a huge restoration, and they weren't as interested in such a huge thing. The National Gallery needed more space and had not had a chance to do some of the things that the Archives did.

"There are so many things that could be done with the project. I've used the library at the National Gallery and it's totally confined. They could use a dramatically expanded space. The nation's National Gallery of Art should have a premier library. Some of the top floors in the FTC would be great for something like that. There are a lot of other spaces in the NGA that are crammed, for research and administrative purposes, but would be suitable space to free up in both the East and West Buildings, especially on the bottom floor and in the central atrium [of the East Building] that would lend itself to incredible additional exhibition space. We need to plan for more.

"Washington should not only be the center of politics and government, but the center of our nation's culture. And when you have public asset like [the Apex Building] that is not properly utilized, and an opportunity for a great common sense project that would benefit generations, well then, let's do it."

UPDATE, Friday 10am EDT, and only on MAN: A key House Democrat has yet to take a position on the Mica/NGA expansion plan.

UPDATE, Friday, 3pm: Analysis of the plan, ramifications.