Master Plan Underway for D.C.’s Southwest Federal Corridor

A coordinated vision is taking shape for the roughly 230 acres of federal land south of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., according to Diane Sullivan, acting executive director of the National Capital Planning Commission. She spoke at a Thursday event hosted by Mayor Muriel Bowser's administration.

The commission is working with the General Services Administration, the Deputy Mayor's Office for Planning and Economic Development, and the DC Office of Planning on early-stage work. A commission spokesperson said an initial iteration is expected in the first half of next year.

Sullivan outlined three guiding principles: restoring the original L'Enfant street grid in place of the Urban Renewal layout, extending a park network from the Monument to the Wharf, and creating distinct neighborhoods. Three proposed districts were shown on a map: Tidal Basin Quarter on the west, primarily residential; a 10th Street Cultural/Entertainment District in the middle, focused on museums; and Capitol Triangle on the east, planned as a hub for federal agencies.

The GSA has been selling federal buildings individually this year, including the Regional Office Building and the Liberty Loan building, while several other properties are slated for disposal. Officials have not confirmed whether the area will follow the parcel-transfer model used for Navy Yard and St. Elizabeths East.

For developers and financiers, the practical takeaway is that parcel-by-parcel acquisitions near the Tidal Basin and Forrestal sites should be underwritten with the possibility of future zoning and street-layout changes.