Hundreds of acres of federally owned D.C. land will be turned over to the District after Congress Thursday approved a long-awaited land swap, breathing life into major projects destined for undeveloped plots throughout Washington.
Included in the land swap are the 110-acre Poplar Point in Southeast, anticipated location of a new soccer stadium and park, the Old Naval Hospital, and Reservation 13, a 66-acre tract just south of RFK Stadium that once housed D.C. General Hospital.
The city also will acquire multiple small parcels along the Anacostia River considered key to the waterfront revitalization, a multibillion dollar economic development project.
In return, the federal government will take control of the West campus of St. Elizabeths Hospital, future headquarters of the U.S. Coast Guard.
The bill was introduced by U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., and co-sponsored by D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D. It had the strong support of President Bush.
“This legislation provides us with tremendous opportunities to build a brighter and more vibrant future for the District of Columbia, and I believe that with this bill, we have taken a significant step forward towards better stewardship of land in the District of Columbia,” Mayor Anthony Williams said in a statement.
“Ultimately, this legislation promotes economic development in the District that will make the Nation’s Capital more vibrant and more prosperous.”
