Carnegie Library may become an Apple store

Washington, D.C.’s quasi-independent conventions agency, Events DC, is looking for ways to re-use the 113-year-old Carnegie Library, and it may have found an idea that could potentially be a big attraction for Downtown. The Washington Post reported that representatives at Apple hope to open a flagship store and events center at the location.

Currently, there is only one Apple store in D.C. proper, located in Georgetown. Developers of CityCenterDC also created a space for the company, but Apple withdrew from negotiations.

The Washington Post anticipates scrutiny from city officials on the project due to the fact that Carnegie Library is publicly owned and operated with taxpayer dollars raised through hotel occupancy taxes. It also holds historical importance as the first ever desegregated public building in the city.

In the past, there have been efforts to re-use the building as a local history museum, music museum, or even a new location for the International Spy Museum, but none of these plans worked out.