Event to Discuss Plans for Anacostia Waterfront

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HILL EAST. Poplar Point. The Anacostia Riverwalk. The replacements of the 11th Street and Frederick Douglass bridges. If you can't keep all of the various redevelopment projects for the greater Anacostia waterfront area straight, you might want to stop by the upcoming Anacostia Waterfront Community Fair, slated for this weekend.

The gathering, sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and the District Department of Transportation will allow city officials, developers and nonprofit organizations to interact with the public and discuss proposals for the Anacostia waterfront, a part of the city that was long neglected, but is seeing a surge in interest.

The fair will take place Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Coletta of Greater Washington at 19th Street SE and Independence Avenue. It comes as the city is expected to officially pick a developer to transform Poplar Point into a mixed-used destination near the Anacostia neighborhood's historic core.

One of the development plans, masterminded by Clark Realty Capital, is emerging as a favorite because it would build a three-block deck over part of Interstate 295 that would link Poplar Point and old town Anacostia, Nakamura reports. It would also set aside room for a potential D.C. United soccer stadium, which pleases D.C. Council member Marion Barry, who has pushed a plan to relocate the team there. The Ward 8 lawmaker has been at odds with D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty since negotiations broke down between the city and United officials over the proposed sports facility, which Barry and many of his constituents say would give their underdeveloped part of town a needed economic boost.

» "Poplar Point Prospects Prompt Dialogue" [WaPo]
» "Poplar Point, in the Future" [WaPo]

File photo by Lucian Perkins/The Washington Post