The Uncertainty Before the Storm

Josvel Acevedo, of Alamo Flags in Falls Church, sets up a row of banners representing NATO nations at the Ronald Reagan Building. (By Bill O'Leary – The Washington Post) Related Links First NATO Leaders Arrive for Summit Summit Q & A Map of Closings

By Philip P. Pan
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 22, 1999; Page B7

One day before the leaders of the free world seize control of downtown Washington, the city is bracing for the unknown.

How bad will traffic be? Will Metro be overwhelmed? Who's open? Who's closed? It seems no one can say for sure what will happen when the NATO summit begins tomorrow, but everyone is trying to find out.

Ask Andrew Blare, president of Colonial Parking, which of his 100 downtown garages and lots will be open, and he replies with a question of his own: "Well, what have you heard?"

He explains that most Colonial garages will open, except for a few of those located in buildings where large numbers of employees are excused from work. So far, the only one he knows will definitely close is the garage at 370 L'Enfant Plaza.

"We're still getting information coming in," he said. "A lot of what we decide will be up to tenants and buildings."

But at least he had an answer. Other garage companies didn't bother to return phone calls.

The U.S. Secret Service also is a bit squirrelly. The agency said street parking near hotels where dignitaries are staying will be restricted, but it refused to identify the streets or the hotels. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out, though, what with all the no-parking signs going up.

Businesses are dealing with the uncertainty by preparing for the worst. The city is awash with closures and cancellations.

The Warner Theater, however, declared yesterday that the show must go on. Though the theater is located just north of the NATO no-drive zone, Warner officials said they won't cancel any of the four shows there this weekend. Two shows by comedian Eddie Griffin, scheduled for Friday, are nearly sold out. But tickets are available for Chuck Brown on Saturday and for George Clinton and the P Funk All Stars on Sunday.

No word on whether summit participants will be rushing to the box office.

Vicki Radke, Warner's marketing director, urged patrons to take Metro for all but Griffin's 11 p.m. performance Friday. She said the 1,800 ticketholders for that show might want to drive because it won't end until more than an hour after Metro closes.

Radke said she has been assured that several parking garages in the area will be open if patrons can reach them. "As long as E Street stays open, we should be okay," she said. "As of today, it still looks like it's going to be open."

The Hecht Co. is worried about patrons reaching the department store at Metro Center. World leaders may be marking NATO's 50th anniversary, but Hecht's happens to be celebrating 142 years of business this weekend with its annual "Anniversary Sale." The NATO summit has forced Hecht's to cancel plans to open its Metro Center store for extended hours tomorrow and Saturday. Instead, the store will keep its usual hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

With NATO organizers urging people to stay away from downtown and so many government employees excused from work Friday, Hecht's spokeswoman Nancy Chiftolini said store managers wonder if crowds will show up at all.

"Unless we can get all these heads of state to shop at our store, we're just not certain what's going to happen," she said.

Chiftolini said Hecht's will have a special concierge desk at the store to help both tourists and diplomats. But foreign dignitaries won't get any special treatment: "They have to use the coupons just like everyone else."