Delays Drag Out Georgetown Waterfront Park Construction

Officials anticipate the second phase of construction of the will be all-but finished sometime around July 21, but - don't get too excited, too soon.

Several finishing touches, including connecting the park to Pepco's power grid, will need to be completed before the park is opened to the public. These final steps could take up to a month, or more.

The grand opening of the park is scheduled for Sept. 13, almost three years after the second phase construction began in late 2008. Construction was originally planned to take about two years.

Bob vom Eigen, president of the Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park, said developers experienced pain points last year when unanticipated problems led to delays and soaring project costs. 

A five-foot-thick foundation slab from the old Capital Traction Company building- which was demolished in the 1960s - was located beneath the surface of the Waterfront Park site, and was not discovered until excavation work began for Phase 2, vom Eigen said. Approximately 1600 tons of cement debris, left over from that building's demolition, was found underground, too.

"Removal of these obstacles cost $2.2 million more than budgeted to complete the project, but the D.C. government, private donors and a matching grant from the Park Service covered the shortfall," vom Eigen said.

These donors will be honored at the grand opening ceremony, he said.

It's a date that Georgetown residents are eager to mark on their calendars, said Jennifer Altemus, president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown.

"The Waterfront Park has been so long in the making that we are just happy to see any progress," Altemus said. "We are so looking forward to the task finally being complete. It has been a herculean effort to get this done and we are excited to have it finished."

The Waterfront Park is spread over 10 acres along the Potomac River, extending approximately from to the Key Bridge. According to the Friends of the Georgetown Waterfront Park website, the second phase of this project will include a "low-arcing fountain" surrounded by benches and a set of river stairs, which will mark the finish line for regattas.

Councilman Jack Evans, who represents Ward 2, including Georgetown, on the D.C. Council, said this project has been 20 to 30 years in the making.

"This is the last piece that needs to be finished," Evans said, stressing the city's financial contribution to the park.

The District originally invested $3.5 million in the park, which was matched with $3.5 million in private funding. When unanticipated cost overruns emerged, the city allocated an additional $1 million for the project, which, again, was matched with private donations, Evans said.