courtesy of Max Cook
With Mayor Vincent Gray’s term having descended into scandal before it could even get underway properly, and Mayor Adrian Fenty having lost his re-election bid in a disastrous confluence of cronyism, hubris and effectiveness, it’s hard not to think back to the days of Mayor Anthony Williams and smile just a bit, especially given his immense popularity as mayor. Today, Williams was named to be the next CEO of the Federal City Council.
The Council has spearheaded several large projects in the history of the District, including the massive redevelopment of Southwest DC in the 1960s, the redevelopment of Union Station in the 1980s, the move of the Wizards to the Verizon Center in the late 1990s, and the construction of the Convention Center in the middle of the last decade. One local blogger compared the Federal City Council to the Stonecutters.
Williams’ return to the forefront of the District’s stage is a welcome breath of fresh air, given the last 24 months of scandal, infighting and drama. Attach the stone of triumph, Tony!