A new DC Archives is within sight
Your actions to support DC’s irreplaceable documentary heritage have paid off!
Over the last two years, your pressure has resulted in:
The Council establishing the Archives Advisory Group to provide granular oversight in 2020.
A small allocation in the FY 2022 budget that allowed Hartman-Cox Architects to begin designing a state-of-the art, highly sustainable facility that will open at the University of the District of Columbia in the spring of 2026.
The Mayor appointing a highly qualified, resourceful State Archivist in 2022.
In February, the first draft of the new facility (a Concept Design) being made public here.
Let’s not let this momentum slip. We need to make sure the design team hears from archives users like you, and we need to ask Council to solidify funding in this budget season:
Support the Mayor’s supplementary budget appropriation of $30M for the new DC Archives building. The previous $73 million allocation was based on 2015 estimates of the cost of construction—out of date even before the vast price increases during the pandemic and before a concept design was completed. Therefore, this $30M brings the total capital allocation to an appropriate $103 million.
Give the Office of Public Records & DC Archives more staff. If the DC Archives had the same personnel as state archives of similar size, they would have 18-20 full time employees. Currently, they only have 8. Reaching appropriate numbers will be a gradual process, meaning that at least 4 new staff need to be hired this year. These new staff members can help undertake the tremendous amount of work needed to prepare for the move.
We are asking you to help us tie up loose ends and seal the deal. There are two actions you can take in the next week:
Attend the Archives Design Consultation
We encourage you to attend the (virtual) “New Archives Design Meeting” where Hartman-Cox will discuss the Concept Design and engage the audience in a design discussion, this Wednesday, April 5th at 2pm. Register here.
This event is promised to be the first in a series. High attendance and productive engagement will help us make sure there are many more.
Email the Council to secure funding
(Don’t know your councilmember? Not a DC resident? See below.)
Here is a draft letter you can use, or you can write your own.
Dear Councilmember [INSERT NAME],
FY24 is a critical year for the construction of a new State Archives for the District of Columbia, and one we anticipate with great excitement! We should see the clearing of the space, completion of the design, and groundbreaking.
In order to get this project over the finish line, we need just a few things from you this budget season:
Support the Mayor’s supplementary budget appropriation of $30M for the new DC Archives building.
Fund 4 new FTEs for the Office of Public Records & DC Archives.
DC is ready for a new state archives that is staffed with a full complement of professionals, so that our city’s history can be preserved and understood. We hope this budget will help accomplish that vision.
Thank you in advance for your support.
[PUT YOUR NAME HERE]
Don’t know your councilmember? Here’s how to find them:
Send the email to councilmembers who have overseen the archives
Chairman, At-Large: Phil Mendelson, pmendelson@dccouncil.us
(Oversees the Archives) At-Large: Anita Bonds, abonds@dccouncil.us
(Oversees Public Facilities) Ward 4: Janeese Lewis George, jlewisgeorge@dccouncil.us
You can also send it to at-large councilmembers, who represent the whole District
At-Large: Robert C. White, Jr., rwhite@dccouncil.us
At-Large: Christina Henderson, chenderson@dccouncil.us
At-Large: Kenyan R. McDuffie, kmcduffie@dccouncil.us
Only send the email to the ward councilmember who represents you. Don’t know your ward? Find it with this tool, your ward is the first number, i.e. ANC 6B05 = Ward 6, Charles Allen.
Ward 1: Brianne K. Nadeau, bnadeau@dccouncil.us
Ward 2: Brooke Pinto, bpinto@dccouncil.us
Ward 3: Matthew Frumin, mfrumin@dccouncil.gov
Ward 5: Zachary Parker, zparker@dccouncil.gov
Ward 6: Charles Allen, callen@dccouncil.us
Ward 7: Vincent C. Gray, vgray@dccouncil.us
Ward 8: Trayon White, Sr., twhite@dccouncil.us
Not a DC resident? Your voice still helps, but please only email Anita Bonds and Phil Mendelson.
We have never been closer to a DC Archives that is accessible to all. Thank you for your support in this moment.