This doesn’t come as a huge surprise, but it’s certainly a nice boost to Friends of the Georgetown Waterfront Park: Jack Evans has written to GSA-head Dan Tangherlini to support the public park-use of the West Heating Plant property.
As discussed here before, the Friends of the Georgetown Waterfront Park are lobbying GSA to put some sort of a restriction on the West Heating Plant property before selling it that would require the future owner to maintain the south half of the property as a public park. This could involve a division of the lot, an easement, or some other restriction. (While some have wistfully proposed the demolition of the plant itself, that is not likely to happen. For what it’s worth, GM thinks it’s a beautiful building and would oppose any demolition).
As GM also mentioned in that other article, the elevation of Dan Tangherlini to the head of GSA has been seen as a fortuitous event for the efforts to secure the parkland. Tangherlini is a well respected, long-time DC resident who previously served as the head of DDOT and WMATA and was Fenty’s City Administrator. Many Georgetowners hope that those District ties will endear Tangherlini to their position and a letter from Evans will certainly help.
The auction was originally going to happen in the late summer or early fall. GM has not heard whether this schedule has been solidified yet.
