Norton’s Southwest Waterfront Redevelopment Bill Passed by Senate Committee

Norton's Southwest Waterfront Redevelopment Bill Passed by Senate Committee

December 14, 2011

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's (D-DC) bill for redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront today passed by voice vote in the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. She expects the full Senate to pass the bill early next year. "We are a city with an extraordinary east to west waterfront, but only half of it is under development, thanks to our Southeast Waterfront public-private partnership law. Now, with the Southwest Waterfront redevelopment bill, the city will have seamless waterfront development and an entirely new waterfront community in Southwest Washington," Norton said. The House passed the bill by voice vote earlier this month.

The Congresswoman said she was grateful to an old friend, Senator Joseph Lieberman (ID-CT), for preparing the way so quickly for her bill to be marked up in the Senate before Congress adjourned this year. She also worked closely with House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), and said she appreciated his work in getting the bill through the House and to the Senate before the end of the year.

Norton's Southwest Waterfront redevelopment bill, H.R. 2297, which has been on a fast track since the House markup on November 3, clarifies the legal status of the property and is essential for the District to move forward with a major redevelopment project that will bring 2.5 million square feet of hotels, office space, retail and residences to the Southwest Waterfront, as well as increased maritime activity.

The Southwest Waterfront redevelopment project will create thousands of jobs for District residents, generate millions of dollars annually in local tax revenue, create new and improved waterfront parks and docks, and revitalize the southwest quadrant of the city. The new Arena Stage and the Washington Kastles tennis stadium, which are already at the waterfront, and the Graduate School USA's commitment to a long-term lease there, have jumpstarted the redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront.