D.C. Waterfront Keeps Developing
Conventional wisdom around Washington seems to hold that all those mixed-use residential and retail towers that have popped up through the gentrifying corridors of Northwest D.C. will be largely left empty, or at least, that we won’t see many more of them. After all, the housing bubble has burst badly here, the economy is weak, and no one can take out a loan to even open a restaurant, right?
Well, apparently not. Four large developers have submitted plans to develop a 67-acre parcel of land on the Anacostia River in Southeast D.C. This is hardly the most desirable location in town—on the other side of the river sits one of the most impoverished, crime-ridden areas of the entire Eastern Seaboard. But Capitol Hill’s eastward creep has been so dramatic that it now extends almost to the river. Hence the development’s name, Hill East.
Three developers have given various ambitious plans for mixed-use mega-projects that would involve office, residential and retail space. One also includes an ice-skating rink. The fourth argues that loans will not be available to developers and instead they should build the streets and sewers and sell the parcels to developers in years to come. That prediction, of course, may be vindicated.
But it seems to me that D.C. is in an almost uniquely strong position compared to other cities at the moment. The manufacturing, finance, tourism and real estate sectors that propped up cities such as New York, Charlotte, St. Louis and Las Vegas may be weakening, but that just means more federal government spending, and it all emanates from D.C. Everything from lobbying to stem cell research will be keeping D.C. afloat—or so the city, and local developers, apparently think.
Ben Adler reports on Republican and conservative politics and media for The Nation as a Contributing Writer. He previously covered national politics and policy as a staffer at Newsweek, Politico and the Center for American Progress. Ben also writes regularly about urban and environmental policy, and he was a 2008-2009 urban leaders fellow at Next American City.
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Darrin D. Davis in Washington, DC-Anacostia on Wed, Feb 04, 2009 at 6:50pm
“... on the other side of the river sits one of the most impoverished, crime-ridden areas of the entire Eastern Seaboard.” Apparently you’re not very educated about Washington, DC. I live in SE DC, Anacostia and that is not how I would describe the area now.. I am solidly middle-class, as well as, my neighbors. Get your facts straight before you write. The area is not the same as years before. Had you fact-checked you would know!
DG-rad in Anacostia, DC on Sun, Feb 08, 2009 at 12:35pm
people who haven’t crossed the river just assume it is horrible. it has a reputation a long time in the making, but that doesn’t mean that the reputation reflects the reality.
i certainly would have expected better from Next American City.
Sean Murphy in Ithaca, NY on Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 6:40pm
40% (as a modest number) of D.C. Metro’s GDP is directly based on government jobs and government spending. It’s as close to a recession-proof region as one will find.
Darrin D. Davis in Washinton, DC on Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 5:11pm
Agreed DG-rad.
Darrin D. Davis, Principal Broker/Owner
Anacostia River Realty, LLC
2027 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE
Washington, DC 20020
(202)285-7665