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“My wife, Sally, and I agreed something
needed to be done, so with the help of Georgina
Sanger and several other Washingtonians, we
founded the Trust for the National Mall in an
effort to assist the National Park Service in
restoring the National Mall to a place
of beauty befi tting our nation’s capital.
We knew that we wouldn’t be alone
in our efforts, since there were many
people in this community who cared
about this sacred and historic space.
We’ve designed the Trust after
the Central Park Conservancy in
New York. Thirty years ago, half of
Central Park was closed off, and its
800 acres were completely run down.
In 1980, Mayor Koch asked Bill
Beinecke, former chairman of S&H
Green Stamps, to lead a private effort
to restore that park, and a successful
public-private partnership was born.
More than 25 years later, and with
close to $500 million raised, Central
Park is truly a world-class park. We hope
to follow the New Yorkers’ lead, raise a
similar amount, and restore the National
Mall to a place of beauty and pride for
future generations.
In November, Secretary of the Interior
Dirk Kempthorne announced the Trust’s
designation as the offi cial partner of the
National Park Service (NPS) to fund the
restoration of the National Mall. Under
his and NPS Director Mary Bomar’s
leadership our partnership is fl ourishing. They,
along with the new National Mall Superintendent
Peggy O’Dell, truly see the value in creating
productive public-
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private partnerships to restore
our national parks.
Others before us have set a wonderful
precedent of ensuring the beauty of and
protection of our public spaces. Lady BirdJohnson was an inspired advocate for beautifying
green areas, making sure that parks and public
spaces were protected and that funding was
appropriated and spent to that end. Today,
with budget cuts and a deferred maintenance bill of $5 billion in the NPS system, the work
cannot be done by the government alone.
The National Mall carries a $350 million
deferred maintenance deficit, and with 25
million visitors annually (more visitors than
Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon
parks combined), the decay from this wear and
tear is massive and continues to grow.The NPS is undertaking a National Mall
Planning process to help determine the future
of the space. This public process, with input
from more than 23,000 people from around
the country, is designed to enhance the visitor
experience and protect the historic and
civic integrity of the National Mall.
The most important messages from the
public have been to protect the space
for freedom of expression and First
Amendment demonstrations, increase
the number of toilets and food facilities,
and improve the beauty of the area. The
National Mall Plan, due to be released at
the end of 2008, will serve as a blueprint
for the Trust’s work.
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The Trust has a long-term goal
to raise over $500 million for the
National Mall to help the National
Park Service as it “preserves unimpaired
the natural and cultural resources
and values … for the enjoyment,
education, and inspiration of this and
future generations.” In addition to the
estimated $350 million needed for
the deferred maintenance backlog,
approximately $100 million is needed
for infrastructure improvements like
building additional food and restroom
facilities. Another $50 million is needed
to improve educational programming
the park’s rich history to impart
its visitors with the rich history
represented by the park.
The National Mall, the 700-acre stretch
of land located between the Capitol and the
Lincoln Memorial and from Constitution
Avenue to the Jefferson Memorial, is a symbol
of democracy and America’s heritage. It
encompasses the strength and proud history
of our nation, symbolizes the democracy that
our forefathers worked so hard to secure, and
represents the sacrifi ces of so many who have
given their life to preserve our ideals. It is
“America’s Front Yard.”
As a real estate developer and property
manager, I know what an immensely diffi cult
and ongoing task it is to maintain the National
Mall in world-class condition. But to honor
our forefathers and all the people who have
made this land – and our country – what it is
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