In CVC, lawmakers need GPS

Five months after it opened, lawmakers are getting lost constantly in the massive Capitol Visitor Center — leading to suggestions of breadcrumbs, signs or a CVC GPS system to help members find their way.

“Right now, short of breadcrumbs, most of us get hopelessly lost in the cavernous facility,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). “It’s very easy to get lost, and we’ve got to do something about it so that it is very clear how you connect back to the House.

“The sign for the tunnel leading to [the] Cannon [House Office Building] is a piece of paper taped to the wall that someone printed out. That’s just not adequate,” he said.

{mosads}As the $621 million, 580,000-square-foot center approaches its sixth month and 1 millionth visitor since opening its doors last year, Connolly’s colleagues echo his frustration with the building’s layout.

“I get lost every time I go in there,” said Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio). “It opens up in places I never expect. I’m wandering through [the Capitol] and all of a sudden there’s a door to the Capitol Visitor Center.”

“It’s a large and terrific facility, but it would be nice to have a Capitol Visitor Center GPS on my BlackBerry,” said Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.).

The center soon may be more user-friendly, according to Rep. Robert Brady (D-Pa.), chairman of the overseeing House Administration Committee, who said, “It’s a big place. We’ll put some better signs up.”

Tom Fontana, the CVC’s director of communications and marketing, verified that the staff were in a constant state of adjusting the center to users’ needs. “A full review of both interior and exterior signage requirements is ongoing,” he said.

The CVC was built around the idea of giving tourists an educational entrance for their visit to the Capitol, but the center also has two wings’ worth of rooms that House and Senate lawmakers can use for committee hearings and caucus meetings.

{mospagebreak}Some lawmakers said the space in the other office buildings was getting so cramped that the additional CVC space is a warm welcome — even if the tradeoff involves their getting lost periodically.

“We all ought to be thankful for it,” said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.). “There’s plenty of room for meeting space. Never again are we going to have to fight over where we’re going to have a meeting.

“It’s a true addition. I’m not saying it’s worth the money, I’m just saying that it’s a damn good building. And besides, I always find out where I’m going — they’ve got a lot of nice people who point you in the right direction.”

{mosads}Even the ranking Republican on the House Administration Committee said he gets lost.

“Even though I’m on the House Administration [panel], I still have difficulty navigating my way around,” said Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.). “I don’t know if it’s a question of signage or we’re just not used to it at this point.”

Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) agreed with Lungren, saying that it might just be a matter of getting familiar with the building’s layout. Stearns said the U.S. Capitol Police, who are often asked for directions, haven’t gotten all of their bearings yet.

“I had a difficult time finding a congressional room,” Stearns said. “It didn’t seem to be clear, the demarcations to get to it, so I had to ask a guard, and one of the guards didn’t know either.”

But the center’s labyrinthine qualities could be a blessing, according to Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.). He pointed out that members may be kept safe because of the lack of signs leading to the Congressional Auditorium, which is where members can go in the event of an attack.

“If someone is trying to get us [attack us], you want them to get lost,” said Larsen. “For security’s sake, you don’t want too many signs around saying members of Congress are sitting in this room over here.”
But for some members, the CVC is everything they had hoped it would be, and more.

“It far exceeds my expectations,” said Rep. Al Green (D-Texas). “And that is not something usual for me. Usually things only meet my expectations, and that far exceeds my expectations.

“Emancipation Hall [has] a feeling of freedom. When you’re in there it’s like you’re outdoors and you can just enjoy God’s gift to mankind. It’s just a wonderful experience.”