Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Unveiled Waterfront Park Makes a Splash

Colin Soper for The Hoya After 30 years of intermittent construction, the Georgetown Waterfront Park officially opened this month. The spot features vast green lawns, seating areas and views of the Potomac River.
Colin Soper for The Hoya
After 30 years of intermittent construction, the Georgetown Waterfront Park officially opened this month. The spot features vast green lawns, seating areas and views of the Potomac River.

The Georgetown Waterfront Park, a neighborhood recreational space that has been undergoing on-and-off renovations for the last 30 years, reopened early last week.

The transformation of the park is a $24 million project funded by a combination of private contributions and grants from the D.C. and federal governments.

The Philadelphia-based landscape planning firm Wallace, Roberts and Todd designed the park to reflect the aesthetics of the Potomac River .

The space features a promenade with three overlooks, a bike trail joining the capital Crescent Trail with the Rock Creek Trail, walking paths, a fountain plaza and an amphitheatre that offers views of boat races occurring on the water.

“The park is wonderful for all the communities in Georgetown,” Ron Lewis, chair of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for Ward 2E, said. “It’s a place to enjoy a part of the community that has been closed off for a long time.”

The 9.5 acre park, which was aimed at providing additional space for Georgetown’s cyclists, joggers and pedestrians, was constructed in two stages.

Wallace, Roberts and Todd first developed its plan for the park in 2005 and established a budget of $15 million for the construction, which was to be completed in 18 months.

The first phase of construction finished in 2008 and the second began in the spring of 2009.

But the project was significantly delayed in early 2010 after contractors found an underground slab of concrete that prevented any further digging. The completion of the park ultimately required over $2.2 million in additional funds and an extension of the project’s timeline.

Samantha Smolka (COL ’15) said that though she does not travel to the park often, she is interested in spending more time at the waterfront’s newest attraction.

“It’s not somewhere you would frequently visit, but it’s nice to stop by on a sunny afternoon,” she said.

Other students, like Jill Jagoe (NHS ’15), appreciate the benefits of having such a large public space in the neighborhood.

“It’d be a good place to go to get off campus during high-stress times with friends,” she said. “It adds a relaxing atmosphere to sit back and enjoy the beauty of Georgetown.”

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