Dive Brief:

• The Smithsonian Institution's Arts & Industries Building — original home of the National Museum, and located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. — has been undergoing a $55-million renovation that included a roof and windows.
• There will not be any visitors from the construction industry or elsewhere to appreciate the work anytime soon, however, because the Smithsonian cannot afford the rest of the cost of opening the building to the public, a memo to the staff says.
• Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough told workers that the 133-year-old structure "will remain closed for the foreseeable future.”

Dive Insight:

The Arts & Industries Building was closed for renovations in 2004. Two years later, the National Trust for Historic Preservation was worried enough about the prospects for it that the building went onto the trust's list of America’s Most Endangered Places. A report last year said that upkeep and capital costs for all Smithsonian properties, which include the National Zoo, should be funded at $250 million annually.