The Georgetown Waterfront Park is a national park completed in Washington, DC in the fall of 2011. Part of the Georgetown Historic District, the park stretches along the banks of the

Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands of West Virginia, Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Datas ...

from 31st Street, NW to the Key Bridge. The result of many years of advocacy and fundraising, the site features several notable design elements. Now complete, the park links of parkland along the Potomac River stretching from

Cumberland, Maryland Cumberland is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Allegany County, Maryland. It is the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,076. Located on the Potomac River, ...

Mount Vernon, Virginia Mount Vernon is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 12,416 at the 2010 census. Primarily due to its historical significance and natural recreation and beauty, ...

. The park was designed to passively complement the natural curve of the river.

History

The park has been in various stages of planning and development for several decades. In 1968, the

National Capital Planning Commission The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) is a U.S. government executive branch agency that provides planning guidance for Washington, D.C., and the surrounding National Capital Region. Through its planning policies and review of development ...

identified the Georgetown Waterfront as future parkland. An agreement was reached between the National Park Service and the

mayor of the District of Columbia The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed ...

to transfer 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 Theodore Roosevelt Island is an island and national memorial located in the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. During the Civil War, it was used as a training camp for the United States Colored Troops. The island was given to the federal governme ...

, the Key Bridge, and the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (formally known as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, and commonly referred to as the Kennedy Center) is the United States National Cultural Center, located on the Potom ...

. 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

* ttp://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/1996/07/01/story6.html 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

* ttps://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/10/AR2006051000814.html Dvorak, Petula "Hope for the Waterfront at Last?", The Washington Post, May 11, 2006
The Capital Crescent Trail

Current Construction Wisconsin to 31st Street
{{authority control Georgetown (Washington, D.C.) National Park Service areas in Washington, D.C. Parks in Washington, D.C. Rock Creek Park Protected areas established in 2011 2011 establishments in Washington, D.C.