Frozen Tropics: Location Change for H Street Lounge MTG

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Location Change for H Street Lounge MTG

From the Comm.-

Due an unforeseen issue the location for the Special Community Meeting
has been changed to 1005 H St NE. Tuesday, December 16 at 7:00pm

54 Comments:

Derek said...

I was busy with work and missed it. I almost went straight to the Senate Square, but good thing I didn't.

Someone please give the meeting minutes of what was discussed and reactions.

Dec 16, 2008 8:45:00 PM

poo poo said...

change of venue at last minute?

is this due to poor planning, or plain opportunism?

all suspect to me.

tsk, tsk....

Dec 16, 2008 9:08:00 PM

Stop401 said...

As usual, poo poo does nothing but complain and make irrelevant comments.

Thankfully, about 25 concerned neighbors showed up to address serious community concerns.

I suspect Commissioner Richardson will post something on his blog that captures the highlights of the meeting.

Dec 16, 2008 9:31:00 PM

Anonymous said...

I couldn't make the mtg. I'll be eager to hear what was discussed.

Dec 17, 2008 8:58:00 AM

Mr. Logic said...

It was hilarious. Mr. Cornish did not want to release the details of the business because he was afraid someone would steal his idea – from what I can gather that idea is a fine dining restaurant with load amplified music, VIP room, no parking, a fenced in area outside for trash on the side that serves up fried food until 3 AM, and serves more booze that food. I see his vision as a cross between Club Love and Citronelle, without the Citronelle part.

Mr. Cornish could not answer any of the questions posed to him in a straightforward manner. It did prove to me that any moron can make money in this country.

I have a feeling if this place does open it will soon be shut down just like Studio 400.
A fool and his money….

Dec 17, 2008 12:23:00 PM

Tom A. said...

Hey Mr Logic, a bar with food is an extremely INNOVATIVE idea. I can't believe no one has thought of it before!

I'm stealing his idea right now!

Dec 17, 2008 12:37:00 PM

Greg said...

I was extremely disappointed by the meeting for two reasons: 1) The lack of presentation by Mr. Cornish and 2) The volatile way in which many neighbors posed their questions at the meeting.

I believe that Mr. Cornish could have alleviated many of our concerns about his proposed establishment, if he would have come prepared. However, the way in which many questions were asked were both counterproductive and borderline offensive. Hopefully, as this process moves forward, people can try to control their emotions and allow us to work out an agreement that will benefit both the neighborhood, as well as Mr. Cornish’s establishment.

Dec 17, 2008 1:23:00 PM

JJ said...

I was at the meeting. In no particular order, here are some of things we discussed and my impressions (this list is not exhaustive) of the proprietor's responses:

Tavern License (CT) vs. Restuarant License (CR): Cornish applied for a CT license but stated that 401 would primarily be a restuarant with live music and a bar. In light of this, someone asked if he would be willing to re-apply as a Restuarant (CR license) since that is what he was representing his business as mainly. Cornish basically said "no" b/c he said it would cost more and would just delay things.

Live Music: Cornish confirmed that there would be live amplified music and that 401 would have a stage. He was not specific about what kinds of music, although he mentioned open mike nights, poetry readings as examples. Someone asked if he would be willing to prohibit certain kinds of music in a voluntary agreement (i.e., go-go music). Cornish said he would not have go-go music, but would not agree to putting music limits in a voluntary agreement.

Trash Removal: Cornish had no specifics relating to trash removal. He stated that he would hire a contractor to remove trash by the time 401 opened. He had no specifics on where he would put the trash, how often it would be picked up, or what contractor he would hire.

Parking: Cornish seemed to think that he had roughly 10 parking spots around him that he could use. Several people who live on the same block flat out told him that was incorrect. The parking issue was tabled without resolution.

Generally, Cornish expressed a willingness to come up with a voluntary agreement. However, whenever he was asked about the details of his business or what limits he would agree to, he was exceedingly vague and non-committal. I thought it was rather extroardinary that he could not answer basic questions like "How many tables will you have at the restuarant?" or "what will be the layout of the place?" He had no architectural plans.

While I'm all for businesses opening up on H St. and think we should encourage business development, I didn't think Cornish was really that willing to make concessions to community concerns. Again, he was very vague about the business plan and was at times combative. During one heated exchange he basically said he didn't care if any of us showed up to his place -- which wasn't exactly received well.

Dec 17, 2008 2:05:00 PM

Anonymous said...

These were all good summaries of the meeting. I'd like to address two comments to avoid misunderstandings. First, regarding the venue change, our ANC commissioner booked the venue well in advance and confirmed several times, including the morning of the meeting. Senate Square ambused him 3 hours before the meeting and revoked permission to use their room. They said something about a double-booking. We're happy things worked out and people were able to make it to the other location.

Second, it would have been nice if everyone had been level headed at the meeting, but unfortunately, for many residents this is an emotional issue. The heated exchanges likely reflect frustration with Mr. Cornish. This isn't the first time he's appeared before residents and it is not the first time he's stonewalled legitimate questions about the basic operation of his establishment. The residents have been asking him for several months the same questions over and over again and have been receiving inconsisent and evasive answers. Some questions may have sounded silly, I'll grant you that. But based on Mr. Cornish's reticence to engage the residents on basic issues of concern, many residents suspect that he is lying, outright, to the community and have lost patience.

Dec 17, 2008 3:03:00 PM

Sarah said...

I'm clearly not entirely up to speed on things but can someone please explain what it is about go-go music that makes it so evil that a venue must agree not to play it?

Not biased, just interested in what causes this type of animosity.

Dec 17, 2008 3:52:00 PM

Cornish said...

This whole process has been an embarrassing reminder of what is wrong in our city. I have been here all my life and have invested in this city for many years (good times and bad). The only individual that has ever spoken to me directly about my plans is ANC Richardson. He has let you all down by misrepresenting our concept and what we are trying to accomplish. As for the "community meeting". I was told we were there to work out a voluntary agreement which I had forward to ANC Richardson almost a month ago and he had in his hand. It appears no one at the meeting even knew about that. As for the meeting itself, no agenda or format was ever forwarded to me after many requests and the last minute the time and the place was change causing the actual owner of the building and my head chef to be late and some members of my group not to make it at all. Richardson pressed to start it anyway. We have a formal mediation where everything is actually on the record as opposed to people who have been grossly misled blurting out insulting, ridiculous, gotcha questions. Again it sadness me that on a block that has been boarded up for 20 years, people are hostile to progress and development. I don’t sit around complaining and nit picking others ideas. I get out and put my time and my money where my mouth is. I think this has been a process frought with misunderstandings and miscommunications but I will gladly take your petty ridicule to actually get something accomplished in this city. In the end, I know I will create more jobs help people than individuals who engage in this kind of petty banter. P.S. as I stated yesterday I put the concept statement part of my business plan and full menu list on the website. Feel free to pot shot that and the floor plan as I’m sure you guys know more than me, my bankers, and investors.

Dec 17, 2008 4:15:00 PM

Tom A. said...

Please clarify, is Mr. Cornish the person who opened up Studio 400, which was shut down by the city fairly quickly because of a variety of violations? If so, I can understand peoples' concerns.

Dec 17, 2008 4:29:00 PM

Cornish said...

Mr. Cornish never even heard of studio 400. Just more propoganda and non sense. Mr. Cornish is a CPA and MBA and life long D.C. resident who would never jepordize what he has accomplished by opening up a dive bar for a few months to be shut down. The comparison to Studio whatever with kids reeking havoc in the streets came from Richardson through his own imagination.

Dec 17, 2008 4:46:00 PM

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know the URL for Mr. Cornish's website? Also he seems like a big time investor -- anyone know other places he has bankrolled?

Dec 17, 2008 4:46:00 PM

Cornish said...

The site is hloungdc.com and I'm not a big time investor. I'm just a local guy trying to add to my community by providing jobs and opportunity for others.

Dec 17, 2008 4:49:00 PM

Mr. Logic said...

I am curious now if Cornish is Mr. Cornish or his puppet. Mr. Cornish do you refer to yourself in the third person? I know Mr. Logic does.

Dec 17, 2008 4:51:00 PM

Cornish said...

Your a funny guy with an ironic name. I go by Tony most of the time.

Dec 17, 2008 4:56:00 PM

E said...

for some reason, the link "hloungdc.com" does not work for me.

Dec 17, 2008 5:26:00 PM

Anonymous said...

We clearly should give any local entreprenuer who is willing to invest in this neighborhood a fair chance. To that end, I express my appreciation for Mr. Cornish to put forth his plans for 401 H Street and I think most neighbors agree. However, I just wanted to let you know that the neighborhood (and other neighborhoods) have been burned by seemingly legit businesses before which is why there is such angst regarding your business. Especially when said business has a liquor license.

I hope there is another meeting of minds, without any vitrol or animosity (there's no excuse for emotional and angry questioning, nor is there an excuse for telling neighbors you don't care if they come... IMO) of the last meeting. I think Mr Cornish can understand why residents don't want H to become the next Adams Morgan, but at the same time are willing to work with local businesses to come to an understanding or compromise that is mutually agreeable.

Dec 17, 2008 5:32:00 PM

truth seeker said...

This appears to be how Mr. Cornish has dealt with the community in the past. I think this excerpt from the Post demonstrates the respect he shows the communities in which he invests -

"As for aesthetics, Cornish said the building, when it is complete, will be far superior to the dilapidated, vacant property he bought last year for $425,000. "To each his own," he said of those who object to such additions. "If they don't like it, they should have gone and bought it themselves."

For context, see the full story - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/24/AR2007092401555_pf.html

Sound familiar?

Until he earns the community's trust, he's dumping his money in a black hole.

Dec 17, 2008 5:35:00 PM

Anonymous said...

Anthony Cornish, the developer who is converting the single-family home to a condominium, said he used siding for the third floor because "brick is more expensive."

It does not sound like Mr. Cornish is truly upscale. Eyesore here we come....

Dec 17, 2008 5:51:00 PM

Anonymous said...

This was his development in Petworth:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcmetroblogger/tags/petwortheyesore/

Dec 17, 2008 6:22:00 PM

Anonymous said...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/
dcmetroblogger/tags/petwortheyesore/

Dec 17, 2008 6:23:00 PM

Kornesh said...

Cornish said:

Mr. Cornish never even heard of studio 400....

Wait, then who am I again?

Dec 17, 2008 6:25:00 PM

Anonymous said...

Mr. Cornish -- That menu really looks good.

Your chef created it? The guy who will actually be running the restaurant? And he is really planning to serve these items?

Dec 17, 2008 6:48:00 PM

Cornish said...

More of the same non sense that keeps us stuck in mistrust and name calling but going nowhere. Trying to make me the boggie man will not improve that block. Notice I did not speak to the reporter from the local paper because, as you can see, I've been burned before by trying to talk common sense to people who are trying to stir up controversy.

I will continue to try where others have failed. I only hope that reasonable people will prevail over ignorance.

Dec 17, 2008 6:53:00 PM

Cornish said...

Those are the menu items that we will mix and match at various times to keep variety. The vegan menu I think will add a very unique flavor to the place. One of our chefs is an exclusive vegan guy but all chefs will be able to prepare his stuff.

Dec 17, 2008 6:57:00 PM

Anonymous said...

Hmm. I hope thats really true. But seems kinda weird that all the dishes are taken word-for-word from this restaurant in Modesto, California.

Did you steal their chef? Or did your chef steal their menu?

http://www.jacobsfinedining.com/menus.html

http://hloungedc.com/menu

Dec 17, 2008 7:16:00 PM

401 is incompetent and sad said...

smoke and mirrors folks.

smoke and mirrors.

don't be fleeced by this cornish personage.

it's all about getting approval, and then "changing" the plans due to the dynamics of the economy, neighborhood, etc.

if you know the neighborhood, and you have even a tiny bit of business savvy, the CORN would have come prepared.

they have no clue, and obviously don't give enough of a sh*t to have done their due diligence and come to a meeting prepared to address the concerns of the residents.

yeah, yeah, blame it on mr. richardson. truth is, he's not there to guide you through the process, he's there to set up dialogue.

and the big STUDIO 401 was hoping that mr. richardson was going to guide them through the process.

why?

he represents the interests of the neighborhood, not some dipsh*t that wants to open up a "club" and call it a.... whatever. if he fails at this, i bet you he'll try and make it a "church" or some such.

lame.

the fact that mr. richardson is even giving these f*cking idiots that don't abide by the law is a credit to his non-partisanship.

and the results of the meeting are clearly not acceptable by the neighborhood.

mr. cornish, please... take a business class before you try to establish a "business".

i don't want to say that you're stupid, but.... ummm... okay - you're not stupid.

but you definitely don't know how to garner neighborhood support for an "enterprise".

jeez... i can't believe you're not embarassed.

way to lose out on an opportunity, mr. businessman.

if you want to open a business and be responsive to the community in which you operate, you need to be a bit more savvy about how you present your concepts (exactly that: CONCEPT).

don't blame mr. richardson for your failure, blame your sorry arsed self. do something called research and social investigation. you would know that if your brain weren't located below your pelvis.

Dec 17, 2008 8:38:00 PM

401 is evasive: why? said...

one last thing, after having spilled my consciounsnes, and reread the thread.

if this .... "businessman" that started off with an illegal business and went to a public forum to establish his (yawn) new idea for a "new" business in a public forum can't even figure out what he is supposed to be accountable for... do you really think he'll be successful?

if he went against public "hearings" in any other neighborhood in the city, he'd be laughed out of the bldg.

why does he think he can bullshit people in NE and set up his nuisance in this part of dc?

because he thinks he can.

let's put a stop to these bloodsuckers.

i bet he lives in maryland.

these idiots really piss me off.

and yes, he's friggin stupid.

i said it first.

401 owner is a jackass and an idiot.

prove me wrong.

i still can't believe that his lack of business savvy during the "hearings" is blamed on mr. richardson.

point one: the guy will not take accountability for his presence in the neighborhood.

WATCH OUT.

it's just the beginning.

don't let him blame others...

next thing, he'll be blaming you.

Dec 17, 2008 9:06:00 PM

Chris Metzler said...

Mr. Cornish -- thank you for posting here. I have a couple of comments and questions that I hope you'll take the time to consider seriously.

Until two days ago, the menu listed on your website was very, very different from the menu you now make available at the same URL. In its previous incarnation, the menu could not be reasonably described as anything more than pub grub/bar food. Meanwhile, on that page, a list of cocktail names were presented as prominently as the listed bar food. Given that fact, the fact that you've sought a Tavern license rather than a Restaurant license, and the fact that there are questions about the operations of the food service end of your establishment that haven't been answered, can you see why people would worry that you plan to operate a bar rather than a restaurant? Particularly since this trick (opening a bar under pretense of opening a restaurant) has been used many times in this city in the past?

Your new menu is indeed more elaborate and speaks more of a genuine restaurant than the previous version. Can you explain, though, why the non-vegan portion of your new menu is nearly word-for-word identical to this menu at Jacob's Fine Dining in Modesto CA, right down to the same quirky names for items (e.g. "Don't Kiss Me") typographical errors, misspellings, and formatting mistakes? With the exception of replacing Dungeness Crab Cakes with Blue Crab Cakes, your appetizer, salad, and entree lists are all character-for-character identical to that of Jacob's.

The "vegan" portion of your menu, meanwhile, appears to be made up of items lifted character-for-character from vegetarian items in this version of the menu of Busboys & Poets, although a couple of one-character typos appear in yours (where they have "sake mushroom soy glaze," you have "cake mushroom soy glaze" on your menu).

Can you understand why this, too, would make people suspicious?

Dec 17, 2008 10:02:00 PM

funderburke said...

Anon 7:16, great find. I for one am curious to know what the answers are to your questions.

I don't understand the vitrol. I live a block and a half away, and while very skeptical I am willing to listen. Having said that, the more I hear, the less I support this project.

Dec 17, 2008 10:03:00 PM

Chris Metzler said...

Heh, anon 7:16 noticed it first. I need to not be so flippin' verbose, hehe.

Dec 17, 2008 10:16:00 PM

truth seeker said...

Prediction:

When challenged about the menu, Cornish will a) deny it is plagarized, b) say it is "conceptual" or something like that and that they're working the details of the menu, or c) call the community stupid for having the audacity to question his culinary prowess.

Before that happens remember this is the same menu he circulated as his own at the community meeting.

This "businessman" should save his money and find a new place for his venture.

Dec 17, 2008 10:22:00 PM

Anonymous said...

Mr Cornish,
A word to the wise take heed to the saying that to succeed, a black man/woman has to three times as good as white man/woman. When opening a restaurant he has to be five times as good.

Add to this you have two infamous business that have opened in the last year, Club 400 and XII. These business caused an uproar in the neiborhood,both for legitmate reasons.

As for what this has to do with you? First the name of your establishment is strikenly simular to Club 400 and you're located across the street from the other establishment. That's just too much of a coincidence for some people. Second your name has lounge in it, simular to XII Lounge . For strange reason, some people don't like the word lounge.

Third you're black. Hmmm just like the owners of the other two businesses. You are just not to be trusted.

Dec 17, 2008 11:23:00 PM

Rob said...

Dear Mr. Cornish,
One MBA to another, after reading all of these comments I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt but I noticed one thing. You threw around words like "nonsense" and "propaganda" yet you didn't clarify any of the questions that people say were not answered at the meeting.
I think if you were to lay out the answers to the questions--or why they can't be answered right now--then I'd be inclined to think you're being unfairly treated.
One question I have is why locate at the West end of H rather than in the "Arts and Entertainment District"? I'm guessing so there's metro access to your place?

Dec 17, 2008 11:25:00 PM

John said...

Rob - You're funny - West End v. East End of H Street. Some people here find lots of interesting ways to diving the neighborhood!

Dec 18, 2008 4:19:00 AM

truth seeker said...

Anon 11:23,

Your suggestion that this is about race is offensive and misplaced.

Mr. Cornish has stated publically he wants to open a restaurant, but calls the place a "lounge" and has applied for a CT (Tavern) license and not a CR (Restaurant) license.

Mr. Cornish has stated he wants a fine dining establishment, then posted a menu with bar food only, then when pressed posted a menu copied nearly verbatim from another website.

Mr. Cornish first stated he'd run a youth mentoring program from the basement to teach youth life skills like "bartending and food prep", then stated that concept was off the table, then shows up with an "executive chef" who plans to run a program for former youth offenders out of 401 H. St - so which is it?

This isn't about his race, this is about a person who can't keep his story straight and a community that cares enough to demand accountability.

Dec 18, 2008 7:01:00 AM

jamie said...

Mr. Cornish,

Like Chris above, I want to thank you for taking the time to speak to us on this blog. And unlike a disturbing number of people here, I don't intend to fling insults while safely ensconced in online anonymity.

A couple of questions:

1) I like the photograph of the restaurant interior on your website. I realize this is from somewhere else, but would the inside of your establishment look similar to that?

2) Given that there is a jazz bar right across the street from your proposed location, and a rock & roll club down the street, what kind of musical acts do you envision performing at H Street Lounge?

3) What safeguards do you propose to keep your establishment from having a negative effect on the community? As I'm sure you know, many of us are eager for our neighborhood to have plenty of dining, drinking, and entertainment establishments, but also recognize that those kinds of establishments can just as easily adversely affect a neighborhood as they can positively affect one.

Thanks in advance.

Dec 18, 2008 8:40:00 AM

Anonymous said...

Anon. 11:23, I've never met Mr. Cornish, seen his picture or attended the meeting - I didn't know he was black until you mentioned it. You're creating an issue that wasn't previously there.

Most important thing said on this thread was from Truth Seeker (5:35), "Until he earns the community's trust, he's dumping his money in a black hole." SO TRUE! I only hope Mr. Cornish hears you! Sounds like he has a ways to go.

Dec 18, 2008 9:41:00 AM

4th and G said...

Honestly, who teaches bartending to a "youth." Isn't the legal drinking age 21? And at 21, isn't a person typically refered to as an "adult?" Just askin'...

Dec 18, 2008 9:58:00 AM

ro said...

I do think race has been a factor in this discussion, not just the race of the owner but the race of the likely patrons. (a ban on go go music? whatever Lithgow.) similar issues of race were apparent with 12/CluckU and with Martini Lounge (yes the dreaded L word) and the proposed Liquid Lounge (there's that word again.) Napa calls itself a ``restaurant lounge'' too. It's right there on the Napa website. I'm surprised there's been no drive-by shootings there yet. Where's the outrage!? We all know how crazy those lounges can get. I bought a lounge chair from crate and barrel last summer. By September the chair was smoking weed all night, blasting hip-hop music and littering my backyard with 40 ounce bottles and shell casings. I took it back to the store and exchanged it for a chaise. So much more peaceful now.

Putting the sarcasm aside, I was sort of siding with Cornish initially, not because I liked his idea per se but I think everyone has a right to open whatever business they want law/regulations permitting. But some of the accounts of the meeting seem to be a red flag, and the Petworth eyesore building doesn't instill much confidence that we're dealing with a businessman who's willing to take community concerns into account. Also the hlounge website seems to be a blatant rip off in many ways. The photo is of another bar, the floor plan isn't even specific to the location of 401 H and as someone else pointed out, the menu appears to have been plagiarized.

This has gone from being sketchy to potentially just plain fraud. I'm sorry Mr. Cornish, I would like to support you if only to stick it to the Chicken Littles, but in this case I have to side with the NIMBYS who seemed to call this one from the start. Based on your comments you seem to think we should be grateful to have your club over a vacant building. So far you have only really made a case that the vacant building would probably be better than what you are proposing. It's not an all or nothing game. This city is changing and so is H SSt. There are several business on H that have opened in the past couple years that are operating with a better sense of community needs and concerns. I am by no means opposed to the idea of a nightclub flat out, but I am opposed to a business that is being sold to the residents in such a dishonest way.

Dec 18, 2008 9:59:00 AM

Anonymous said...

Wow. I must say that I too was in the camp of business is better than vacant properties and I always, always give the benefit of the doubt to folks trying to start legitimate businesses, but damn the pieces of this puzzle are ugly.

The menu issue is downright funny, someone should email Jacob's Fine Dining that they have a fan, but am fairly certain Hloungdc will be revised prior to Jacob's getting a deserved chuckle.

On the eyesore photos, are there any photos post construction? I enjoyed the laughs brought on the the architectural prowess.

The architect (haha) appears to have been an LSD dropping MS Escher fan.

Word verification - Spliths - haha.

Dec 18, 2008 10:15:00 AM

against 401H St Lounge said...

The Meeting at the Gym....VERY interesting....
About 25 concerned people turned up to hear Mr Cornish make his plan clear..
I would say he did exactly that,extremely clear
That there is NO PLAN OTHER THAN TO SLIDE THROUGH THE PROCESS, GET OCCUPANCY
AND THEN OPEN A BAR WITH VIP LOUNGE ..
he actually said you can not tell me how to run my business i will do what it takes to make money.

Also The Chef see web site .. http://hrtcdc.org/home is already listing 401 Hstreet with a phone number ,you can donate money to her venture which is not listed with the IRS ... Mr Cornish has stated that this idea is not on the table.

Our questions to him were unfortunately uneven at best but that was really due to the fact that he never presented a real plan.
In the end he was hostile and evasive ,now to post a menu clipped from another web site is more than disengenous.
Actually it shows us clearly how shady this whole < fine dining lounge vip club > really is.
I beleive he is not to be trusted.

Dec 18, 2008 10:27:00 AM

barracuda said...

I have to say that I too really wanted to believe Mr. Cornish. I'm very concerned about the fact that his "chef" plans to run a program for youth offenders out of the same building. I don't even think that's legal, much less a good idea. You can't run a mentoring program for you in the same building as an establishment with a CT license.

Dec 18, 2008 10:33:00 AM

Rob said...

John-I asked the West end vs East end question as a legitimate business question. On the one hand, the east end is designated for Arts and Entertainment and boasts a number of existing establishments...which could be a plus for a new club. But on the other had the West end offers metro access. So I'm wondering about the choice.

For your information I live in Trinidad so it's not like I'm being a NIMBY here.

Dec 18, 2008 2:40:00 PM

John said...

My apologies, Rob. I misunderstood the context of your question. - John

Dec 18, 2008 8:49:00 PM

inked said...

Let's keep it civil please.

Dec 19, 2008 7:51:00 AM

Anonymous said...

I am an unfortunate neighbor of XII "Restaurant" & Lounge who decided to give Mr. Gibson the benefit of the doubt. Since XII opened in March, for the first time in the six years I have lived here I have sometimes genuinely wished for the return of the heroin and meth dealers who at least kept the neighborhood quiet at night. I attended the ABRA hearing at which Mr. Gibson promised he was opening a "nice, casual, family-style restaurant with occasional light entertainment." It's an interesting family-style restaurant that often doesn't open until 9pm and sometimes only a few nights/week. From all I have heard and seen, H Lounge sounds awfully familiar. In fact the posted Voluntary Agreement is simply a copy of the one the Linden neighborhood asssociation has with XII. That VA has not done us one bit of good, and we are still waiting, 6 months later, for a preliminary hearing about repeated and egregious violations ocurring in June. In retrospect, we should have listened to the soon to be retired ABRA commissioner, who warned us to be very careful about what we relented to, because after an establishment has its license, it is nearly impossible to shut it down, no matter the severity of violations or harm to the neighborhood. Just ask H2O's neighbors.

Dec 21, 2008 2:35:00 PM

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU Anon. 2:35 for your input. I agree 100%. I had my suspicions of Mr. Gibson from the beginning, I don't trust him, and the sooner XII closes the better off H St. will be. I say good riddance.

Dec 22, 2008 9:14:00 AM

against 401H St Lounge said...

Thank you Anonymous .
interested that 12 sounds very similar to Mr Cornish proposed H st lounge also that you the neighbors gave 12 the benefit of doubt and are now paying the price. seems like it is going to close ?
You also mentioned the problems with H20
and getting that closed ,i heard somewhere that there was talk of recycling the kitchen equipment from H20 to the new proposed 401 H street nightclub .I wonder if some of mr Cornishs silent partners were not involved in that fiasco.

The Cornish proposal is so flawed that i do not understand how it even got this far .
If we let this VIP club - Not Fine Dining as he sometimes touts and then a moment later talks about promoters and events that need a velvet rope...you all know what that will mean.
We will end up with a disaster on the corner of 4th and H.
Everyone must oppose this and not let him smooth over the real issues and get a license, and a lease.
As of now there is no lease signed and nor should there be.
This building and the area around is slated as small business coffee shops, dry cleaners, florists etc not VIP night clubs There is no problem with a real restaurant or bagel house or a food store that the neighborhood would welcome. The proposed
development across the street between 3rd 4th on H street with resdidential and parking shopping will be great. Not 401 VIP bar No way.

Dec 22, 2008 5:51:00 PM

Anonymous said...

Can't stand it - gotta say it: For all you XII supporters out there.... Told you so!

Dec 22, 2008 8:34:00 PM

Anonymous said...

Can't stand it - gotta say it: the non stop hate towards XII is laughable. XII has nothing to do with this proposed establishment. What negative externalities does XII create that are not created by other establishments on H like Rock and Roll? Everyone acts like XII is failing and will soon be closed. How would anyone besides Bernard or someone else adffiliated with XII know such a thing?

Someone also made a great point about Napa 1015 Restaurant and LOUNGE (which I love).

Ro is right, race is a factor and the failure to admit it is cowardly.

This blog is great, a large number of the people posting comments are incredibly annoying. As they say, ignorance is bliss.

Happy Holidays haters. Long live XII.

Dec 23, 2008 10:35:00 AM

Anonymous said...

It's obvious you're a XII backer and NOT someone who lives in back of XII. You try the latter and I bet you will no longer be a supporter. As someone said earlier, "Good ridance XII"

Dec 23, 2008 11:26:00 PM