PROGRAM SUMMARY

September Program: Museums in the Mix

Panelist bios in order of speaking

Vernon E. Knarr

Joined Studley in 1994. Previously he served as principal and owner of Vector Realty Group. With over 26 years of experience in the commercial real estate industry, Vernon is well-known expert on the metropolitan Washington region sales market. Vernon specializes in sale of investment and development properties, analyzing and valuing properties, acquisitions and dispositions and build-to-suit. He has transacted over 2 billion in sales. Vernon has received the Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors "Sales Transaction of the Year" and "Top Producer" awards as well as numerous other professional honors.

In 2000, Vernon Knarr and Lois Zambo, both brokers with Studley, completed the transaction for the Newseum to design and develop a new public museum at the site of 6 th and Pennsylvania Avenue. This transaction allows the Newseum to relocate from Arlington, VA to the last remaining site on Pennsylvania Avenue facing the Mall. As part of the transaction, the Newseum agreed to donate $25 million to the District of Columbia for affordable housing in return for their agreement to close the deal by year-end. Demolition began in December 2000. "To be successful working with museums, one must have an incredible amount of patience," Vernon stated. "Those types of deals can take years to complete."
In addition, with Vernon's assistance, the National Women's History Museum is currently searching for a new home in the District.
Vernon holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Marketing form the University of Maryland.

Greta Perry

An active CREW member since 1985.

Greta has 25 years experience in construction and development. She started in construction in the early 1980's for a developer/contractor in Baltimore, Struever Brothers Eccles and Rouse, where she fell in love with the construction industry. She expanded her talents working as on site field engineer/project manager for the Center for the Arts at George Mason University for Turner Construction, completed dozens of interior projects and award winning law firms for RAND Constructions and, while at Mark G. Anderson Construction Management, Greta was tasked with the construction management for the International Spy Museum. One of the most challenging projects in her portfolio, she coordinated the work of four architectural firms, managed the overall construction of the project as well as coordinated another 25 vendors, artists, and consultants. The International Spy Museum was also the first museum in DC to make use of the TIF program.

The Spy Museum was comprised of the renovation of five historic buildings, whose floors did not line up, and the construction of one new building. Within the space, designers created a museum, the restaurant Zola, the Spy City café, and special event space.

"Because the exhibits evolved as the building was being constructed, there were over 400 change orders on the construction side," said Greta.

After completing the Spy Museum, Greta went on to work on the restoration of the Woodward and Lothrop for Douglas Development. This summer she started her own firm, Greta Perry Construction Management.

Greta holds a B.A. Social Welfare/B.A. Fine Arts, Ohio Wesleyan University

Greta is past president of Jubilee Support Alliance. The recipient of the DC CREW 2002 Public Service Award and DC CREW's 2005 annual Esprit de Corps award.

Kathy Coakley Barrie

Served as Vice-President of Exhibition Development and Design for the Cleveland-based Malrite Company during the creation of the International Spy Museum. This project tested an experimental model and business plan for a sustainable or for-profit museum concept. “We were all working in good faith putting this project together,” she said. Her team of writers, historians, exhibit designers and intelligence experts (spies) was responsible for storylines, research, content development, writing, acquisition of artifacts, interactive exhibits and consistent design of the permanent exhibitions.
Ms. Barrie also insured the seamless integration of design concepts and themes throughout all the components of the International Spy Museum complex-- from the Museum's award-winning restaurant, Zola; to the Spy City Café; the Museum's Store, its merchandise range and new product development; as well as overall International Spy Museum graphic identity, website and publication program. Ms. Barrie fulfilled similar roles for Malrite's current project, the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage which opens in October in Cleveland. Ms Barrie has enjoyed a serendipitously circuitous career path through the visual arts to museum education, to collaborative public space projects and who knows what's ahead. She was awarded a mid-career Loeb Fellowship in Environmental Studies at Harvard University, and is always on the look-out for the next stimulating gig.

Vernon Knarr:

National Women's Museum (NWM)

Lacks space; lacks funds
Can't get space without funds; hard to raise funds without space
Supported in Congress by all women Senators
Looking to go into space behind the Old Post Office – space owned by GSA
Nat'l Women's Museum wants to negotiate directly with GSA for space
GSA looking to put our RFP on space
Studley and NWM will respond to RFP
NWM and Studley also going legislative route with a bill in Congress.

Newseum

Well endowed institution
Able to afford the last space on Pennsylvania Avenue facing the mall.
Deal done in very short time with major logistic challenges involving District and Federal agencies e.g. need for the District to find new space for occupying tenants including DC Department of Employment Services and more them out within under a deadline situation
Although a 501C3 organization and not subject to tax, Newseum is going to pay taxes on the property

Greta Perry:

International Spy Museum

For-profit museum in an city that has many free museums
Located in historic buildings in downtown DC
Building owner – Douglas Development
Developer – The Malrite Company
Deal – reasonable rent; no tenant improvement money
Developer used TIFs and other tax breaks
Challenge to coordinate 4 architecture firms, 25 vendors and consultants
Historic preservation of façade
Building includes exhibit space, admin space, Zola restaurant, Spy City Café, event space for 200, and museum store

Kathy Coakley Barrie:

International Spy Museum

Started this museum from just an ideas - no model for it.
Museum program from scratch including collection, exhibit design, program for event space, café, administration space and restaurant space.
Challenges and fun of starting the collection – first major piece, an enigma machine.
Board of Directors includes from covert operations people from other countries including Russia.
Powerpoint presentation showed the museum, construction photos and pieces in the collection.

EVENT SUMMARIES

CREW Career Day

CREW Career Day was a "first" for CREW DC. Chris Reed our liaison to CREW Foundation and committee chairs Greta Perry and Susan Strohm organized the program held at the renovated Woodies building on a new floor added to the building. The Career Day was a pilot program geared to high school girls that are preparing for college, taking the SAT's and selecting a career path. The purpose was to present all of the professions that are part of commercial real estate – all of the resources needed to complete a project from start to finish. A CREW professional presented each aspect of commercial real estate. In addition Greta Perry gave an overview of the history of the Woodies building and the evolution of the project and the history of F street retail in downtown Washington, DC.

The presentations were informative and excellent. A quiz was given at the at the end of the program and the girls could meet with each of the presenters for assistance. Even though it was a rainy cloudy day, it did not dampen the spirits of the group.

14 Girl Scouts from 3 troops in Prince Georges, Prince William and Dumfries attended. The highlight of the program was a mid-day tour and shopping at H&M on the ground floor of Woodies, combined with a questionnaire of building components to be found in the store.

A check was presented for $1,000 from CREW Foundation to the Girl Scouts. At the end of the program the attendees were presented with back packed filled with gifts from CREW member firms.

A big thank you to the CREW Career Day committee for making Career Day a big success.

Green Roof Roundtables

The Green Roof Roundtable was an informative program with the latest information and sources for the installation and implementation of a Green Roof. The hand out provided listed all of the firm names and website addresses for development and installation of a green roof.

Blake Real Estate installed the first Green Roof on a commercial office building in Washington DC at 1425 K Street. Kelliann Whitley of Blake, and property manager for the building gave an overview of Blake's decision to install the green roof and the benefits gained. One of the significant accomplishments was the green roof planting was installed by teens and children from Covenant House. The work was done at night between 1 and 4 AM. An electronic leak detection system was installed that can pinpoint a leak to a 3" area. Building managers from Canada and other countries have visited the Blake green roof as it has become a benchmark.

Russell Katz a project developer and architect for Montgomery Oaks Management presented his project called Elevation 314 located in Takoma directly across from the Metro Station. This was mixed use project with residential and retail. Hickcock Warner Cole Architects was the consultant retained by MOMI for the project. A green roof, central green courtyard and an extensive storm water management system were designed for the project. It has been a role model for the community.

Alexi Boado, Project Officer from the District of Columbia Department of Health commented on the support the city will provide for green roof and environmental projects. DC has an in place grant program for subsidizing green roof installations for Not for Profit firms but not for developers. He is an excellent resource to contact in the development of storm water management requirements for a project.

Click here to view/download the presentation (PDF)

Click here to view/download the press release (PDF)

16th Annual Jubilee Gala

Click here to view/download Gala Program pages (PDF)

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