Georgetown Waterfront Park
History
The park has been in various stages of planning and development for several decades. In 1968, the National Capital Planning Commission identified the Georgetown Waterfront as future parkland. An agreement was reached between the National Park Service and the mayor of the District of Columbia to transfer 10 acres (40,000 m) of land for the proposed park.
In recent years, the Georgetown waterfront has been redeveloped from industrial blight to a thriving commercial and residential destination. Parts of the park site had served as a parking lot before construction began. The Washington Harbour complex and a movie theater on the Georgetown Incinerator site regularly draw crowds down to the waterfront.
Design elements
The park features gently sloping grass hills and shade trees. The landscape blends with mixed-use paved pathways. The promenade provides panoramic views of Theodore Roosevelt Island, the Key Bridge, and the Kennedy Center. Several distinctive design elements include an interactive fountain, river stairs, and scenic overlooks. This part of the park, known as the Wisconsin Avenue Plaza, serves as a gateway to the Potomac River.
References
- A Short History of the Park
- Georgetown Historic District
- Historical Planning Document - Georgetown Waterfront Park
- Kaplan, Peter "City seeks plans for Georgetown incinerator", Washington Business Journal, Friday, June 28, 1996
External links
- Georgetown Waterfront Park - A National Park on the Potomac
- Lucas, Phillip "Phase 2 construction restarts at Georgetown Waterfront Park," The Washington Post, August 6, 2010
- Dvorak, Petula "Hope for the Waterfront at Last?", The Washington Post, May 11, 2006
- The Capital Crescent Trail
- Current Construction Wisconsin to 31st Street