$42 Million Forest City Project Breaks Ground

WASHINGTON, DC-Ground was broken yesterday on a piece of one of the District’s largest development projects – a waterfront park overlooking the Anacostia River. The 5.4-acre development is being built for $42 million in a public private partnership with Forest City Washington. It is part of the District’s plan to transform 42 acres of the former Southeast Federal Center site into an urban waterfront destination.

The Park at the Yards will include a riverfront promenade, open lawns for community gatherings and outdoor events, gardens with benches and plants, a riverfront courtyard enclosed on three sides by retail pavilions, a canal basin and waterfall, a pedestrian bridge, and the restoration of the historic Lumber Shed building. The District’s Anacostia Riverwalk Trail will run through the park. It is being funded in part with proceeds from U.S. Department of Transportation Building PILOT Bonds.

Designed by M. Paul Friedberg and Partners and located between Nationals Park and the Navy Yard, the Park at the Yards is part of the Yards — one of the largest public-private projects in decades in the District. The Yards at full build out will have approximately 2,700 new condos and apartments, 400,000 square feet of retail, 1.8 million square feet of office, and the preservation of historical buildings already located on the site.

Its development will place the Capital Riverfront on developers’ map as an ideal destination, Eric Siegel, of the Cohen Cos. and chairman of the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District, tells GlobeSt.com. “We will have the most amount of green space in the District,” citing two other parks underway in the BID — Diamond Teague park and Canal Park, which is encompassing three city blocks.<p."Unlike other areas in the city we will have much greater public infrastructure and public amenities and that will attract more businesses to be here, more retail and night life as well as residents."