In case u missed it, Alefantis emphatically stated for the record yesterday on the Kojo Mnambi radio show that Comet Ping Pong DOES NOT HAVE A BASEMENT.
https://thekojonnamdishow.org/shows/2016-11-30/pizza-propaganda-the-local-fallout-from-fake-news
Now, this is problematic because it contradicts all the available evidence we currently have. Including James Alefantis hinself talking about canning 10 tons of tomatoes at Comet and storing them in said basement. Which can be found here in this Metro Weekly article.
http://www.metroweekly.com/2015/04/from-scratch-james-alefantis/
In addition to his own words previously confirming the existence of a basement, we also have this book, Boutique Restaurants, which documents the interior of Comet Ping Pong. The only available images are too low of a resolution to make out the description. However, the space depicted is able to be assumed to be a basement area of the building. (Cant find the link to the book right now, i have screenshots on my twitter tho)
Another puzzling piece of information is the listing of Comet, 5037 Connecticut Ave. on propertyshark has the stories of the building listed as '2'.
http://www.propertyshark.com/mason/Property/11881126/5037-Connecticut-Ave-NW-Washington-DC-20008/
Other supporting evidence is a confirmed basement level in a neighboring business, Politics and Prose. Across the street there is Joe's Basement Bar, so we know buildings in the immediate vicinity have basements.
Fox News biggest argument in favor of "debunking Pizzagate" was the statement of fact that "Comet Ping Pong does not have a basement"
I'll leave it to the greater community to interpret the implications of these findings published above.
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pizzathrowaway ago
It seems possible that the basement where he stores extra sauce is not on site. There is definitely no basement there.
I'm not sure what photo in the restaurant book you think is in a basement? They all look like the front room area, plus one of the kitchen/bar and one of the bathroom. There's one photo that I can't really tell what it is.
Politics & Prose is not in the same building, though it is in the same complex, a few doors down. The whole strip of stores is kind of on a hill, so the ground level exit from Comet out back is on the same level as the **basement **exit from Politics & Prose, they both exit to the parking lot. See: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Comet+Ping+Pong/@38.9554688,-77.0701022,3a,75y,72.27h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s0-tiSgOn-MJLr6hd2YBmyg!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D0-tiSgOn-MJLr6hd2YBmyg%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D67.65328%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x89b7c9b98f61ad27:0x81a8bf734dd1c58f!8m2!3d38.9559497!4d-77.0699666!6m1!1e1
HomeboyChris ago
Third image down on the right
pizzathrowaway ago
oh, yeah, that's the one that I can't tell what it is. If it's a basement it's got a REALLY unusually tall ceiling, judging from that ladder.
HomeboyChris ago
So what more obvious possibility are you suggesting?
pizzathrowaway ago
well the ceiling height is about the same as everywhere else on the main floor. So it might be somewhere else on the main floor.
Also, amazon says this book came out in 2008, so it might be a photo of the back room before they had finished up the back room? I really don't know though. I wish we had a better quality version of the picture.
HomeboyChris ago
The ceiling height appear to be no higher than the room in the instagram photos with the construction. Actually kinda looks like the same room imo.
pizzathrowaway ago
yeah, i couldn't figure out what room that was either. But can't be a basement because it's clearly open to the outdoors.
HomeboyChris ago
No because look at the light overhead. Same lighting effect. Most likely a brightly lit room.
pizzathrowaway ago
light overhead is skylight.
HomeboyChris ago
No idea where you pulled 'skylight' out of
pizzathrowaway ago
there's skylights all through the center of comet.