Washington Harbour

Washington Harbour
The Potomac River waterfront in Georgetown with Washington Harbour to the right
LocationWashington, D.C., U.S.
Address3000 and 3050 K Street, N.W.
Coordinates38°54′06″N 77°03′36″W / 38.901796°N 77.060086°W / 38.901796; -77.060086
StatusComplete
GroundbreakingNovember 1981
ConstructedJune 1986
UseOffice space, retail space, condominia
WebsiteTheWashingtonHarbour.com
Companies
ArchitectArthur Cotton Moore
DeveloperWashington Harbour Associates
OwnerMRP Realty and Rockpoint Group (as of March 2013)
ManagerMRP Realty
Technical details
CostUS$200
Buildings5
Size6 acres (24,000 m2)[1][2][3][4]
Leasable area536,000 square feet (49,800 m2)[5]
Parking489[6]

Washington Harbour is a Class-A[7] mixed-use development located at 3000 and 3050 K Street, N.W., in Washington, D.C., in the United States. The southern edge of the development borders the Potomac River on the Georgetown waterfront. Designed by Arthur Cotton Moore, the complex consists of two curved towers and three other buildings attached to them, all of which are in the Postmodern architectural style. The complex contains luxury condominia, offices, retail space, restaurants, and underground parking.

Construction of the complex was preceded by a seven-year zoning and legal battle over the future of the Georgetown waterfront. This dispute led to the designation and development of a new national park, the Georgetown Waterfront Park. A two-year controversy over the design of the complex, which included accusations of malfeasance by a D.C. agency, followed. Construction began in November 1981, and was complete in June 1986. Critical reception of Washington Harbour was mixed, but the public quickly embraced it.

Washington Harbour suffered significant management problems in its first two years, which led to the removal of one of its developers as property manager. The complex was sold to local real estate magnate Conrad Cafritz in 1988 in a controversial purchase-like lease agreement. Cafritz subsequently sold the property, which has had six different owners between 1990 and 2013. It was put up for sale again in 2013.

Washington Harbour has a first-of-its kind set of floodgates designed to help protect it against Potomac River floods. However, failure to use the floodgates properly caused a major flood in 2011, which led to a lawsuit and a $30 million renovation.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference SanchezFlow was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Rogers, Walter. The Professional Practice of Landscape Architecture: A Complete Guide to Starting and Running Your Own Firm. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1997, p. 102.
  3. ^ Harriston, Keith. "Georgetown Waterfront's Renaissance." Washington Post. August 8, 1992.
  4. ^ At least one source claims the complex covers only 3.43 acres (13,900 m2). See: Bredermeier, Kenneth. "New Waterfront Plan Opposed In Georgetown." Washington Post. March 5, 1980.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference HaggertyBuys was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "MRP, Rockpoint Close Purchase of Washington Harbour." Washington Business Journal. June 22, 2010. Accessed 2013-03-16.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference PlumbRefile was invoked but never defined (see the help page).