Dupont Hotel in Talks to Expand Into Dupont Underground

• February 14th 2014

by UrbanTurf Staff

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The Dupont Circle Hotel is in talks to open a bar and a spa in the Dupont Underground space, UrbanTurf has learned.

“The Arts Coalition for the Dupont Underground (ACDU) has held exploratory discussions with the Dupont Circle Hotel about the hotel’s presence in the east platform, including a direct subterranean link with 1500 New Hampshire Avenue,” ACDU’s Braulio Agnese told UrbanTurf.

Another person familiar with the negotiations says that the team behind the Dupont Underground is “currently in discussions with the hotel to potentially take some of the space for a below ground bar and spa.”

If you have been following the saga of the Underground, the 75,000 square-foot former streetcar station below Dupont Circle, you know that a number of plans have been tossed out for the subterranean space, so don’t hold your breath regarding this latest concept becoming reality. However, ACDU is optimistic regarding the plans.

“There are various buildings along Connecticut Avenue and around Dupont Circle with below-grade spaces that abut the old streetcar station and tunnels,” Agnese said. “As the ACDU continues to develop plans for a commercially viable and culturally progressive destination, we believe that close connections with the businesses and buildings in the Dupont Circle area are vital to the project’s success, and we are hopeful that the D.C. government is ready to move our efforts into the next phase of pilot testing.”

Last week, we wrote about the possibility of the Dupont Underground taking cues from some of the ideas planned for abandoned Metro stations in Paris.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.production.logicbrush.com/articles/blog/dupont_circle_hotel_in_talks_to_expand_into_dupont_underground/8130.