Car Barn 400-p, 4th FlOOR Patio and COVERED Pavilion

Car Barn 400-P, 4th Floor Patio and COVERED PAVILION


Location:    Car Barn, 4th Floor Patio and Pavilion (3520 Prospect Street, N.W.)

Hours:         7:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. approx.  Monday - Friday
                         (not available evenings, weekends or University holidays)

Maximum Occupancy for your Event:  410 people

Reservations / Availability:  Check the calendar at the bottom of this page.


Description / Usage Overview:  The Car Barn 4th Floor Patio and Pavilion space (outdoor patio and covered pavilion in the center of the patio) is available for use by faculty and staff, and University student organizations for University-sanctioned events.  Please note that the Car Barn location is not available for private usage or rental to outside organizations or individuals.   

The Car Barn 4th Floor Patio and Pavilion is available for use only from 7:30 a.m. until approx. 8:00 p.m. in the evening, Monday through Friday.  It is not available late evenings, weekends, or on University holidays, and certain special University events may preclude reservation during certain times -- New Student Orientation week, Commencement week, etc.).  

The Car Barn 4th Floor Patio consists of a large U-shaped patio, with a central area containing a raised, covered Pavilion. There are many mesh metal picnic tables and seating on the Patio and raised Pavilion.  The Patio / Pavilion is heavily used by many groups during the weeks leading up to and after Graduation / Commencement each May, and heavily used again in late August / early September for Fall Orientation / Welcome events.   The Patio is also part of an active pathway from the Prospect Street entrance into the Car Barn and into the offices of the Graduate School (Suite 400) and the Graduate School Quiet Study Lounge (Suite 410) — and this must be maintained and managed during any event. 

-- Raised Pavilion specifics:  The raised covered Pavilion can be used for covered events. There are power outlets available, but no running water is available in the raised pavilion. Although the outdoor patio is fully handicap-accessible  through the Prospect Street lobby and side door and via the M Street lobby, the raised Pavilion IS NOT handicap-accessible – it has approx. 8 steep steps up to the covered Pavilion.  The Pavilion has ceiling lights that are controlled by slider switches just inside the door next to the Prospect Street elevator.  There are numerous picnic style tables with benches on the upper pavilion -- DO NOT bring additional patio furniture up from the patio or remove patio furniture down from the Pavilion.

-- Patio specifics:  The outdoor patio is fully handicap-accessible through the Prospect Street lobby and side door and via the M Street lobby (however, the raised Pavilion IS NOT handicap-accessible – it has approx. 8 steep steps up to the covered Pavilion).  The Patio is lit by bright street lamps that turn on automatically.  There are numerous picnic style tables with benches spread through the Patio -- DO NOT bring additional patio furniture down from the Pavilion.

Overlapping Reservations / Shared Usage:  The 4th Floor Patio / Pavilion is a very large space.  In some cases, for smaller groups and events, multiple events may be scheduled for the same or overlapping times with advance notification for both groups. Groups are expected to work together to share this large space cordially. 

Special Student Group Usage Policy: A faculty or staff sponsor must make the reservation for a student organization and the faculty or staff person making the reservation must be present throughout the entire event to ensure that all the policies for use and cleanup are followed. The faculty / staff person is the responsible person for that event. 

Alcohol Policy: If alcohol is served or provided during your event, University policies regarding age verification (id, wristbanding, etc.) and crowd control must be followed.  These differ depending on the size of your event. Please review the following link for additional information: https://studentaffairs.georgetown.edu/policies/student-organizations/serving-alcoholicbeverages.  For larger events, groups may need to work with the GU Police (GUPD) to hire special crowd control coverage for their event.

Furniture: Tables and chairs are located on both the main Patio and in the covered, upper Pavilion area.  The tables and chairs are not to be moved from Patio Level to the Pavilion (or vice versa).  They may be re-arranged on the same level, as long as they are put back approximately as before.   Contact GEMS - Georgetown Event Management group if you need additional information about table / chair rental, alcohol policies, alternate spaces, etc.  Any patio tables or chairs  that were moved out of position should be straightened up, and put back into approximately the original configuration. 

Signage:  Please note you may have to ask students to move from the area as you setup your event, and during your event.  For large events, or day-long events, users should post signs in the Prospect Street Lobby and doors leading out to the Patio / Pavilion 1 day in advance indicating that there is a private event on the Patio or Pavilion  (along with the date and time).  

Tents and Structures: No tents or other structures are allowed to be erected on the Car Barn patio due to the potential damage the weight of the structures and the damage tent poles can make on the roof top pavers. In addition, the Car Barn rooftop is subject to extremely strong winds during thunderstorms, and is exposed to lightning.  The only structures that can be erected would be several small 10x10 pop-up sun-shade type canopies, with small sandbag weights (if needed) or other non-penetrative mountings.

Noise / Amplified Sound: Users of the Car Barn 4th Floor Patio and Pavilion should be aware that this is a relatively noisy area — frequent overhead airplanes landing at the nearby airport, street traffic and noise from Prospect Street, M Street, and Key Bridge, and other noises found in an urban environment. All events should be considerate of the academic and administrative activities that take place in the Car Barn, and especially of nearby neighbors. Amplified sound or music must be maintained at reasonable levels the entire time, and especially after 7pm.

Restrooms: The best restrooms for users to use are located on the 2nd floor of the Car Barn, via the Prospect Street elevator. Groups at large events may wish to post signs directing attendees to the nearest bathrooms.  Directions: take the elevator from inside the Prospect Street lobby to the 2nd floor, and exit to the right, near the vending machines. Other restrooms are located on the 1st Floor. (The restrooms on the 3rd floor are at the M Street side of the building and are quite distant from the Prospect Street elevators).  There is another set of small restrooms located just inside the Graduate School (Suite 400) however access to these restrooms and the  M Street elevator is not available after the Graduate School closes for the day (usually 9am - 5pm).  

Electricity / Water: There are some outdoor power outlets available scattered around the Patio area along walls, and some power connection on the upper Pavilion. The area is not wired for sound, nor is there any running water or disposal available. There is no indoor kitchen or other indoor food prep areas available. Suggested area for food prep is on the east side of the building, near the entrance to the air-handler room — fabric partitions/screens can be erected by users, if desired. Not that food prep areas cannot be setup inside the Car Barn building itself.

Rental Tables / Items:  If chairs and tables were rented, it is best to have them removed by your caterer immediately after your event so that the Patio / Pavilion can be used by people after your event.  However, for evening events, they may be neatly stacked up along the Prospect Street wall (near, but not blocking access to, the Exorcist Steps metal gate or the Prospect Street metal gate) for pickup the next business day (as soon as possible). Failure to clean up or re-arrange the area after use will result in loss of future privileges. 

Please make sure that your users keep the space clean, dispose of trash properly as described above, and re-arrange the picnic tables, trash cans, and other patio items when finished — this will keep you in good standing for future reservations, and have this space available for the next users.

SPECIAL TRASH Cleanup POLICY


VERY IMPORTANT!   A requirement of ALL USERS of the 4th Floor Patio and Pavilion is that you MUST provide (or rent/purchase) disposable trash cans (check with GUFacilities, GEMS - Georgetown Event Management Services, or your caterer) and remove them at the end of the event  - OR -  you or your caterer / vendor must haul away all trash cans/trash bags at the end of the event.  This includes trash that your guests have deposited in the stationary trash cans on the Patio and upper Pavilion. All users of the Car Barn 4th Floor Patio and Pavilion must provide adequate disposable trash cans and waste receptacles, and must thoroughly clean up after their function, placing any trash into receptacles, picking up loose items and trash, and wiping up any spills, dropped food, or other substances. No trash or trash bags can be left on the Car Barn patio at the end of the event.  Normally, you would have your caterer include removal of trashbags from the area at the end of the event as part of their contracted cleanup duties.  Otherwise, it is up to you and your staff to remove the trashbags.  No trash or trashbags can be left overnight.

The reason for this special trash disposal requirement is 2-fold:  Firstly, because raccoons, dogs, cats, and rats will tear open the bags and scatter trash if left overnight; , and secondly, the trash will be blown into neighboring yards, the street. This presents MAJOR issues between the University and the surrounding neighbors and must be strictly controlled by these trash policies.   Because of this, groups not cleaning up thoroughly after your event is a SERIOUS, MAJOR VIOLATION of the 4th Floor Patio / Pavilion usage policy, and future usage privileges may be curtailed or revoked.

Additionally, all users of the Car Barn Patio / Pavilion must ensure that the following additional cleanup is done at the conclusion of their event:

TO MAKE A RESERVATION FOR THE CAR BARN PATIO / PAVILION

First:  View the Car Barn 400 calendar (below) to check possible availability. Note: if you see the NetID login box and not a calendar below, you need to close the page, log into your Google Email first, then return go to the page -- the Calendar view is restricted to Georgetown University users.)

Second:  Send an email to Rick Pike (piker@georgetown.edu) and let him know:

Rick and/or the Graduate School Deans Office staff will then review and (hopefully) accept your reservation.  If approved, they will enter the event into the Car Barn Patio / Pavilion calendar with your meeting title and name, and they will invite you to the meeting so that you can see the reservation in your personal GU Calendar (if not you'll be told why (usually a conflict) and invited to try for another date or time.  If you decide you no longer need to use the space or if you need to reschedule it, please contact Rick Pike (piker@georgetown.edu) to change the reservation and make the original time/date available to others.

Any other questions not addressed here about use of the Car Barn Patio/Pavilion should be directed to Rick Pike (piker@georgetown.edu).