Forgey: Build It, And They Will Come

“Arena Stage, the 53-year-old godmother of Washington’s lively theater scene, is getting ready to change its architectural personality from introvert to extrovert in one huge, but perhaps not-so-easy, step… Making it happen poses a formidable challenge. The price tag is estimated to be a cool $100 million, exactly 100 times the original cost of Arena’s 42-year-old building at Maine Avenue and Sixth Street SW.” Still, says Benjamin Forgey, the Arena renovation is a crucial project in the District’s ongoing renewal efforts, and architect Bing Thom’s design is deserving of completion.