On August 10, 2007, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for Poplar Point, a 130-acre site along the eastern banks of the Anacostia River in Ward 8.

The purpose of the RFEI was to identify highly qualified developers who have the creative vision, demonstrated experience and organizational and financial capability and capacity to plan, construct and potentially operate a world-class mixed-use development and waterfront park.

Poplar Point offers an unparalleled opportunity to create a residential, commercial, cultural, and recreational development in one of the nation’s strongest real estate markets. It boasts exceptional views of the downtown skyline, including the US Capitol, the Washington Monument, the new Washington Nationals Baseball Stadium, and the Navy Yard, as well as the tree-lined ridge in Southeast Washington. Poplar Point and its mile-long shoreline on the Anacostia River is one of the last major undeveloped waterfront areas in the District. 

Yet today, Poplar Point is largely an underutilized and isolated collection of federal facilities. The District’s vision for the redevelopment of Poplar Point is embodied in the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan and includes high-quality development, an emphasis on urban waterfront life, a commitment to environmental stewardship and the preservation of community character that fully engages local residents, community groups and other stakeholders during the planning and development process. Redevelopment should promote equitable housing access, greater job and business opportunities, and a clean, safe and sustainable environment.

Poplar Point is one of the key sites in the District’s ambitious Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, which calls for more than $10 billion worth of investment–new parks, trails, housing, retail, office space and cultural amenities—along the river’s banks during the next 20 years. Its redevelopment will reconnect residents of nearby Barry Farm, Hillsdale, Fairlawn and Historic Anacostia to the river.

Responses to this RFEI were due by November 2, 2007. Please select the link below to read the RFEI:

• Request for Expressions of Interest for the Mixed-Use Redevelopment of Poplar Point*

Poplar Point is currently controlled by the federal government, but Congress has authorized the transfer of the site to the District government. As a condition of the transfer agreement, the District and Clark must initiative a federal environmental impact study to determine what uses can be accommodated at the site.  

The District cannot finalize a development plan until the impact study is complete, but the development program will likely include hundreds of units of housing, new retail, hotels and office space. The site must include a 70-acre waterfront park. The District has required that at least 51 percent of the new jobs created as a part of the development go to District residents, the project must include affordable housing and 35 percent of the contracting dollars must be awarded to small and local certified businesses.   

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