Washington Canal Park

Named for the historic Washington Canal, which provided a water-borne connection between the Anacostia River and the Potomac River via the National Mall. Delays in removing the school buses that use two of the park's blocks as a parking lot lasted for years, but on April 4, 2009, the buses were relocated to a new lot at DC Village, and in May 2009 the three blocks began being cleared of asphalt and fences (and trees). In early 2009 Olin was chosen to create a new design for the park. Construction began in spring 2011, and a Nov. 1, 2012 opening is being targeted.

Links:
CanalParkDC.org - Official Web Site | Twitter Feed | Restaurant Deal Announced (11/17/11)
Olin | Ceremonial Groundbreaking, August 31, 2010 | Garfield Park - Canal Park Connector Path Project
Canal Park Check Presentation, April 2007 (DC16 Video) | Canal Park Concept Submission to NCPC (Original design, Nov. 2006)
2004 Design Competition Web Site | Mayor Williams Announces Design Competition Winner (12/10/04) | Someday in the Park (WBJ, 10/11/04)
JD's Canal Park News Items


            Overview/JD's Photos            Canal Park News Items            

For a complete set of Before-and-After photos from around the park's perimeter,
see my Canal Park Expanded Photo Archive.


A rendering, as seen from the southwest corner of Canal Park's footprint, at Second and M streets, SE. The water fountain at front will become a skating rink in the winter months. The pavilions seen here will include the Park Tavern restaurant, with outdoor seating, which will be operated by Capitol Hill restaurateur Xavier Cervera. (Image courtesy of the Canal Park Development Association.)


A February 2012 photo of the main pavilion, as seen from roughly the same angle as the above rendering. The gray gravel is where the water feature/skating rink is being built. (2/26/12)



A rendering showing the east side of the pavilion. (Image courtesy of the Canal Park Development Association.)


Sort of the same angle as the rendering at left, in April 2012. (4/3/12) 



Infrastructure work is well underway on the northern block of the park, and you can see the beginnings of where the sidewalk will be,
on the park's western edge north of K Street. (4/8/12) 


A stitched-together panorama showing the pavilion as well as the plaza that will include the park's ice rink (at right) in winter. (Since this is a panorama, be aware that some perspectives might be a bit skewed.) (1/19/12)


A rendering showing how the ice rink will be laid out in the winter, with the "figure 8" design that is somewhat unusual in North America. (5/14/12) 



Canal Park's footprint covers three blocks running north from M Street SE to I Street. This shows the view from M Street looking north, in May 2003. (5/03)


The same location, with construction underway and the pavilion visible. The building in the distance is 225 Virginia/200 I, itself undergoing a transformation. (4/08/12) Click to see all available photos of this location.



Two overhead views of the park's northern two blocks, seen first in September 2004 as the school bus lot and the overgrown lot, then again in a wider view in January 2012. The changes happening around the park's site are striking, most notably the change from the Capper/Carrollsburg public housing units to Capitol Quarter townhouses (and parking lots) in the blocks to the east, plus the renovation of 225 Virginia at top.



... And the view from the north edge of the park, at I Street, looking south, in July 2005, with Capitol Hill Tower under construction. (7/14/05)


The same location, with dirt from the digging out of the two south blocks piled up. (4/08/12) Click to see all available photos of this location.



Two views of the western side of the park, looking southward, first in August 2003. (I always loved the wooden elevated guardhouse that's just barely visible at left.) (08/03)


The same location, with the northern block of the park at long last cleared. (4/08/12) Click to see all available photos of this location.



The view to the north on 2nd Street just north of L (with the Post Plant in the background) as it looked for years. (5/08)


The same location, under construction. (4/08/12) Click to see all available photos of this location.



The western version of 2nd Street southeast forms the western border of Canal Park; you can see it here, at left, in April 2004, with only 1100 New Jersey (and the little Star Market) offering any presence along 2nd Street. (04/04)


The same location, and with Capitol Hill Tower finished at right, and the new Department of Transportation Headquarters building now towering over M Street. (4/08/12) Click to see all available photos of this location.



A southwest-facing view of the southernmost block of the park, back in 2004 (as work was getting underway on the Department of Transportation). (09/04)


Kind of the same location, during construction (darn you, fences!). (4/08/12) Click to see all available photos of this location.



Looking north on 2nd Street (or is it Canal Street? The world may never know), just past its intersection with M Street, in October 2003. The park will run along the right; 1100 New Jersey is at left, completed in 2003. (10/03)


Again looking north, but this time on the east side of the park's footprint, in May 2003. (05/03)


On August 31, 2010, a ceremonial groundbreaking with Mayor Fenty, Ward 6 council member Tommy Wells, and other dignataries was held to mark the start of construction on the park. (See more photos of the groundbreaking.) (8/31/10)



In April 2007, the JBG Cos. (developers of the DOT HQ at the southern end of the Canal Park site) presented the city with a check for $4 million, $2.5 million of which will go toward the creation of both Canal Park (the rest will help fund Diamond Teague Park a few blocks away). The contribution was required as part of the zoning order that established the Department of Transportation HQ Here, Mayor Fenty speaks to the crowd assembled at 2nd and M Streets, with the ubiquitous School Buses of Canal Park in the background. (04/07)


From left: Chris Smith of William C. Smith, Mayor Fenty, the mother and father of ECC volunteer Diamond Teague, Councilman Tommy Wells, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Development Neil Albert, and Ben Jacobs, CEO of JBG Cos. (see ceremony video from DC16) (04/07)


(Left) A rendering of the original Gustafson, Guthrie & Nichol park design, looking south toward the Department of Transportation HQ. This rendering was displayed on the large sign at 2nd and M Streets (right), which was the backdrop for councilman Tommy Wells' remarks at a check presentation ceremony in April 2007 (see ceremony video from DC16).




            Overview/JD's Photos            Canal Park News Items            




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