Mayor Bowser and Events DC Celebrate the Opening of the Apple Carnegie Library on Saturday, May 11

WASHINGTON, May 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, May 11 at 10:00 a.m., Mayor Muriel Bowser and Events DC, the District's convention and sports authority celebrated the opening of Apple Carnegie Library to the public.  This is Apple's most extensive historic restoration project to-date, restoring and revitalizing the Beaux-Arts style building once home to Washington, DC's Central Public Library. Originally funded by Andrew Carnegie and opened in 1903, the Library will once again be a center for learning, discovery and creativity for the community, keeping with Carnegie's vision of a public and free space for all. 

"Apple Carnegie Library is a place for community. This is an innovative partnership that is creating jobs and opportunity for our residents and a new destination for everyone who visits downtown DC," said Mayor Muriel Bowser. "I want to thank Apple for having the vision to reimagine and restore the library and for working with the Historic Society of Washington to breathe new life into an iconic DC landmark."

As part of their opening celebration, Apple Carnegie Library will host a six-week StoryMaker Festival, featuring 40 local DC artists across multiple mediums, highlighting photography, music, video, art and design.  This festival programing is a part of "Apple at Today" and will be led by GoldLink, Nigel Baker, No Kings Collective and more.   

"We couldn't be more thrilled and excited for the repurposing of our Carnegie Library. This partnership with Apple represents a tremendous opportunity not only for Events DC but for our city and its future," said Max Brown, Chairman, Board of Directors at Events DC.  "This partnership would not have come together without the support and leadership of Mayor Bowser.  One of our primary goals at Events DC is to leverage our assets to create exciting and innovative experiences for our residents and 22 million visitors that come to our city annually – and our collaboration with Apple does just that."

Showcasing their commitment to Washington, DC, nearly half of the store's 200 employees are Washington, DC residents and others have joined from Apple stores across the region and country. The team speaks 27 languages, including more than 20 team members fluent in American Sign Language. 

"Together with Apple, we look forward to reopening not only the doors of Carnegie Library – but reopening the doors of our city's past to its prosperous future – that showcases an innovative and cultural commitment, while preserving its history," said Gregory A. O'Dell, president and chief executive officer of Events DC.  "This collaboration is about more than simply bringing another retail space into the downtown corridor.  Apple's commitment to Carnegie Library reinforces the Mt. Vernon Square area as a convention and entertainment district in the heart of our city – further connecting the Mt. Vernon Square/Shaw neighborhood with the bustling downtown Chinatown/Penn Quarter neighborhood."

Apple's presence at Carnegie Library will enable our city to attract a new audience to the area, increase traffic to surrounding local businesses, and help revitalize the neighborhood as it creates a common place for our community to gather.  Not only as an economic driver for the city, Apple will also be an asset for our city's hospitality and convention business, being adjacent to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and its headquarters hotel, the Marriott Marquis. 

Visitors to Apple Carnegie Library will be welcomed by a revitalized grand entry plaza on K Street and a new grand entry staircase on Mount Vernon Place that creates an inviting route through the building to the adjacent Convention Center and neighboring Shaw District. The Library's Vermont marble facade and sculptures on the south have also been completely restored.

Apple Carnegie Library will be the home to the new DC History Center, which will include the Kiplinger Research Library, three galleries and a new museum store, all owned by the Historical Society of Washington, DC. 

For more information on Apple Carnegie Library and the DC History Center, visit apple.com/today and the StoryMakers Festival page.

ABOUT EVENTS DC
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, delivers premier event services and flexible venues across the nation's capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District's hospitality and tourism economy that hosts more than 1.7 million visitors and generates more than $400 million annually in total economic impact, and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the RFK Stadium-Armory Campus (RFK Campus), including Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Festival Grounds at RFK Campus, the non-military functions of the DC Armory and the Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Stay current on the 190-acre RFK Campus Redevelopment Project at www.RFKCampus.com. Events DC also built and serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. Events DC manages Gateway DC, R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center and the Entertainment and Sports Arena (www.ESAontheRise.com), all conveniently located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.eventsdc.com and find us on social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube (Events DC), and Twitter (@TheEventsDC).

CONTACT: Ashley Forrester, 202-439-7109, [email protected]

SOURCE Events DC

Related Links

http://www.eventsdc.com