http://blog.washingtonpost.com/goingoutgurus/2008/05/fort_reno_park_closed_immediat.html Fort Reno Park Closed Immediately and Indefinitely Fort Reno Park, the site of an annual summer concert series that is one of D.C.'s most beloved and longest-running outdoor events, is closed immediately and indefinitely after United States Geological Survey satellite imaging reports found high levels of arsenic in the soil.
William Line, a spokesman for the National Park Service, said that the NPS would continue to work with the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency to determine any public health risks and further courses of action. He refused to give any timetable for a possible reopening and said that to speculate would be irresponsible. Snow-fencing was erected around the perimeter of the park at 6 a.m. today.
The closing of the park raises questions about the fate of the Fort Reno Summer Concert Series, which was set to begin a twice-weekly series of free shows in mid-June. No list of artists of dates has been announced for 2008, but many of the city's most famous punk and indie rock bands have performed on Fort Reno's stage over the last 39 years, including Fugazi, the Dismemberment Plan, Ted Leo, Q and Not U and Velocity Girl.
We'll update this blog post with more information when we get it.
-- David
UPDATE: When contacted by phone, Fort Reno Summer Concert Series organizer Amanda MacKaye was caught completely off guard by the news. The NPS had indicated that groups with permits to use the park were notified of the closure, but apparently that wasn't the case quite yet. "It's almost comical in a way," MacKaye said. "Just this morning I was thinking how things were finally coming together, how we had a few shows lined up, and now this." She said she would provide further updates after speaking to her contacts within the NPS.
By David Malitz | May 14, 2008; 1:35 PM ET Misc. , Music
