On Black Lives Matter Plaza, businesses wonder what's next

The two-block stretch of public street just north of the White House recently converted by the District of Columbia into “Black Lives Matters” plaza is now a hang-out zone indefinitely closed to commerce and motorists – raising concerns about whether city officials will ever reopen the area. 

D.C. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser had the words “Black Lives Matter” painted onto the road surface on Friday, several days after violent protests within that stretch resulted in a fire in St. John’s Episcopal Church and President Trump clearing the area of protesters the next day so he could visit the historic church.

The mayor’s office on Tuesday did not return calls asking whether – or if – the area will be reopened. 

A source at the AFL-CIO, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said that rumors have begun to circulate about the city planning to keep that stretch of 16th Street NW permanently closed. 

“It’s a concern to everyone along here,” the source told Just the News.

The federation, which represents 55 national and international workers unions, was hit hard by the protests on the night of May 31, when St. John’s was set on fire. 

“They destroyed our building,” the source also said. 

Workers are still trying to board up the building – after 20 windows were smashed, stone walls were defaced and the lobby was set ablaze.

On Monday morning, the D.C. government instructed all buildings in downtown Washington to board up their lobbies and storefronts, amid ongoing protests and demonstrations.

At the historic St. Regis, just up the block from the AFL-CIO, the establishment’s director of sales and marketing, Ramón Von Schukkmann, told Just the News that the luxury hotel has "not been notified nor heard that (the plaza closure) is going to be more permanent.”

"Right now, our hotel is operational,” he said, adding that management has had “zero complaints” about the protests taking place or guests' accessibility to the 16th Street NW entrance.

Von Schukkmann also commented on the notable shift in tone of the protests following the May 31 chaos.

“We’ve seen a positive effect on 16th Street,” he said, noting that the area remains a “tourist hotspot” and that some guests have even specifically requested rooms overlooking the Black Lives Matter mural.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the hotel has hosted a number of CEOs in town to meet with President Trump and members of his White House coronavirus task force.

According to Von Schukkmann, the hotel would “love” to take down the boarding “as quickly as we feel is possible,” but is unsure if that would require permission from the mayor’s office. The hotel is also currently utilizing a number of extra security personnel. 

The St. Regis is now using its secondary, K Street NW entrance to transport guests in and out of the building, which has not been an issue due to a lower-than-average number of guests because of the pandemic.

However, Von Schukkmann imagines that in six weeks or so, when business hopefully picks back up, it will be a “logistical challenge to get our guests into the building and out” if cars do not have access to the 16th Street entrance.

No business Just the News spoke with has been given any guidance from City Hall regarding the reopening of Black Lives Matter plaza to traffic, or when they will receive the formal go-ahead to remove the boards from their windows.