Insurance May Pay for Damage to Library

WASHINGTON - After fires destroyed two historic buildings in the District, the city was looking at paying as much as $40 to $50 million to rebuild.

But WTOP Radio has learned there is now some good news.

The fire at the Georgetown Library was caused by contractors doing renovations, according to the District fire chief. The contractor had a general liability insurance policy for $2 million, and there was an additional indemnification clause that protects the District from any loss.

A spokesperson for the Office of Contracts and Procurement, which oversaw the contract, says Dynamic Corp. carried a bond that should cover all the costs to rebuild the library.

A spokesperson for D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty says the District's attorney general is reviewing the insurance policy to determine how to recover the money.

The April 30 fire broke out in the early afternoon as Dynamic Corp. installed new windows as part of a multi-million dollar renovation project.

Flames engulfed the entire roof and parts of the structure collapsed. The dozen or so people inside the library at the time of the fire got out unharmed.

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) wants an investigation into the District's fire hydrant system after news that two of the hydrants closest to the Georgetown library were not working.

D.C Councilmember Jack Evans (Ward 2) shares those concerns, but says the District does not need help from Congress.

"No, we don't need Congress to get involved in fixing fire hydrants," Evans says. "They have a lot of things that they need to be doing that are more important than that for the country, not necessarily the city.

"We have the capability of doing this and we're going to go out and do it and I always get galled when congressmen take opportunities to do whatever they do. They don't need to be involved in this."

(Copyright 2007 by WTOP Radio. All Rights Reserved.)