Georgetown Waterfront Park

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The Georgetown Waterfront Park is a new national park that is under construction in Washington, DC. Part of the Georgetown Historic District, the park stretches along the banks of the Potomac River from 31st Street, NW to the Key Bridge. The result of many years of advocacy and fund raising, the site will feature several notable design features. Once completed, the site will link 225 miles of parkland along the Potomac River stretching from Cumberland, Maryland to Mount Vernon, Virginia. The park was designed to passively complement the natural curve of the river.

1 History
2 Design elements
3 References
4 External links

[edit] 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 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.

[edit] Design elements

The park will feature gently sloping grass hills and shade trees. The landscape blends with mixed-use paved pathways. The promenade will provide panoramic views of Theodore Roosevelt Island, the Key Bridge, and the Kennedy Center. Several distinctive design elements including an interactive fountain, river stairs, and scenic overlooks have been proposed. This part of the park, known as the Wisconsin Avenue Plaza will serve as a gateway to the Potomac. The final phase of construction is scheduled to be completed by 2009.

The Georgetown Waterfront Park with the renovated Georgetown Incinerator in the background.	A sign depicting the proposed design elements of the Wisconsin Avenue Plaza.	The Washington Harbour approach to the park.	A view of the mixed use trails that wind along the waterfront.
Rosslyn rises behind the park's open green space.	An open field with mixed use development, the Whitehurst Freeway, and the Key Bridge in the background.