The Washington Business Journal is reporting that D.C.’s Chinatown arch is getting an upgrade, replacing all dragons with Chipotle chile symbols and McDonald M arches. Famed Penn Quarter/Chinatown restaurateur Jose Andres‘s face will be drawn into the middle of the arch. He’ll be flanked by sketches of Hooters girls.

Okay, that was not true!!!

(Though if the arch were accurately attempting to portray the neighborhood, it would be.)

But, the Chinatown arch is getting an upgrade to the tune of $287,000, the WBJ reports.

An assessment by AEPA Architects Engineers PC — the original architects of the arch — shows it is in need of a major face lift, since column paint is peeling off and its joint fillers are completely eroded.

In addition, the metal band around the base needs to be replaced and tiles have fallen off of the roof.

D.C.-based AEPA will do such restoration work as scraping off existing paint and repainting the columns, decorative beams and lintels, as well as repairing and restoring the worn-out decorations.

The job will take eight weeks and will be completed by late July/early August.

Image by Carl C, flickr Creative Commons