originally uploaded to flickr.com by ElvertBarnes
Last week the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District released its annual report at a well-attended lunch presentation, hosted in a new (and available for rent) office building on Half Street SE. The Annual Meeting was attended by hundreds of city officials, developers, lenders, contractors and other parties interested in the state of the neighborhood quickly becoming the fastest growing area in the city. With presentations by Councilman Tommy Wells, Washington Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo, and the Riverfront BID Michael Stevens, guests learned about the progress made in revitalizing the area between the Navy Yard and South Capitol Street and were treated to delectable cupcakes from Buzz Bakery (a business coming to the Riverfront area).
Many exciting projects are on the horizon in the Capitol Riverfront BID, including the 2012 opening of Canal Park: a 3-acre green space that will eventually include a children’s play area and a seasonal ice skating rink. The amount of office space available in the BID will more than double in the coming years, from the current 6.8 million square feet to over 15 million. Planned residential units and hotel rooms will dramatically increase density in the area as well. Councilman Wells touted the Riverfront as potentially the “most multi-modal neighborhood in the city,” having dedicated routes for pedestrians, bicycles and cars as well service by Metrorail, Metrobus, and water taxi.
The entire Capitol Riverfront BID Annual Report can be found here.