The trend of redeveloping formerly industrial waterfront space in cities was en vogue long before D.C. jumped on the bandwagon in the 1990s when it targeted land along the Anacostia River for redevelopment.
Baltimore’s revitalization of its Inner Harbor began in the 1970s as one of the nation’s first modern day waterfront revitalization projects designed to spur growth. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which opened in 1992 as the first retro ballpark in the country, capped off what had been a decadelong effort to bring new residents and business to the city’s formerly industrial waters. Pittsburgh followed in similar suit around the turn of the century with PNC Park and its own industrial waterfront revitalization.
Such projects bring new life to long-forgotten sections of cities.
Tom Murphy, an Urban Land Institute expert and former mayor of Pittsburgh in the 1990s, said the new development brought new businesses to the Rust Belt town — like American Eagle’s new headquarters– and formerly worthless sites are now city revenue generators.
“There’s a huge value in it,” he said. “We have had now in Pittsburgh on old industrial sites, literally billions of dollars of new investment.”
Major redevelopment in D.C., however, can become complicated because of the city’s unique position as the nation’s capital. Developers of the Southwest Waterfront’s dealings include but are not limited to the National Capital Planning Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Congress and the District Zoning board.
“There’s always been that problem of property ownership,” said Murphy. “But it’s a huge untapped potential I think for Washington.”
— Liz Farmer
