Overview JD's Photos Riverfront News Items
A January 2008 rendering of the 5.8-acre, four-building RiverFront project, as seen from the Anacostia River, with Nationals Park a strong presence just to its northeast. A hotel, two office buildings, a residential building, a riverfront esplanade, a glass-enclosed retail galleria, and a public plaza are all parts of this 1.1-million-square-foot proposal. This site map shows the January 2008 revised design and layout, with the Nationals ballpark to the north, and to the left/west the eventual revised configuration of South Capitol Street (running in a traffic oval at the foot of a new Frederick Douglass Bridge).
Working from right to left, here are some additional details:
A public plaza on the far eastern edge of the project would complement Diamond Teague Park on its eastern side, helping to pull stadium-goers to the Anacostia riverfront and the Riverwalk esplanade.
The eastern office building would be smaller than in previous designs, but would have much more ground-floor retail.
To the west of the east office building would be "Potomac Quay", highlighted by a glass-enclosed 365-day-a-year galleria-type atrium. There would be ground-floor retail on both sides of the quay, and also a two-story destination restaurant on the south end of the Quay; a "watercourse" with fountains would run into and through the atrium.
The residential, hotel, and west office buildings are now curved around the "Piazza Cascade", where an oval drive connecting the lobbies of the three buildings surrounds a large water feature.
The Riverwalk and Esplanade remain unchanged from previous designs, with a depth of no less than 75 feet and with a bike path separated from the pedestrian areas.
Construction of the project's first phase (the eastern office building with ground-floor retail, the public plaza, and perhaps the glass-enclosed galleria) could begin in 2010, with zoning approvals having been finally received (after 10 years of winding through the system) in 2008. Phase II would be the 160-unit residential building, and at the same time the underground parking and loading for the rest of the project would be built. Phase III would be the western office building, followed by the Phase IV hotel. The final two phases could not start until the new Frederick Douglass Bridge is built, since the old bridge is on the western edge of the RiverFront property.
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A watercolor released in November 2007 shows a closer and more detailed view of the Piazza Cascade and two of the three buildings that surround it; the residential tower is at right and the west office building is at left. The portico for the hotel is seen at far left.
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Another November 2007 watercolor, depicting the glass-covered Potomac Quay as seen from its north entrance on Potomac Avenue. To the left is the east office building and to the right is the residential building, both of which would have their ground-floor retail accessible from the Quay. You can also see the "water course" at right running through the quay.
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A January 2008 view of the eastern edge of the project, looking from the historic pumphouse out in the Anacostia River back toward the public plaza and the grand staircase of the ballpark. It's envisioned that water taxis will eventually dock at this location.
A December 2007 rendering, looking west on Potomac Avenue from First Street, showing RiverFront's northern side, facing the ballpark. The building at left is the east office building, which would be RiverFront's first phase of construction. The plaza at far left would flow into the city's planned Diamond Teague Park. The rendering also shows the ground-floor retail planned for all spaces along Potomac Avenue.
A January 2008 rendering showing the western end of the development, which will border a new large traffic oval at the intersection of South Capitol Street and Potomac Avenue, when the new Douglass Bridge has been built to the south of the current one, which will be demolished. The westernmost portion of RiverFront in fact can't be built until the new Douglass Bridge is done and the old one removed, because the old bridge sits on part of the development's footprint. From left in this rendering you see the east office building, a sliver of the residential building, the west office building prominently at center, and the hotel at far right.
An overhead view of the RiverFront site, as seen from the southeastern viewing platform of the Nationals Ballpark, in September 2007. (9/1/07)
Two views showing the striking changes along Potomac Avenue, even before a shovel of dirt has been turned at RiverFront. The top photo is from March 2006, looking west from south of the Potomac Avenue/First Street intersection, standing in the park maintained by the Earth Conservation Corps; the second photo, from January 2008, taken from basically the same location (really! look at the landmarks and utility poles!) shows the new intersection, and Potomac Avenue's new alignment to the south of its old footprint. Sidewalks and historic streetlamps have been installed as well. (Note also the disappearance of the South Capitol Street viaduct in the distance.) 
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Overview JD's Photos Riverfront News Items
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A January 2008 rendering showing a nighttime view of RiverFront on the Anacostia. All renderings provided by 
