In 2014, DC Water received approval from entitling and advisory entities to construct a 2-million-gallon water tower on the historic St. Elizabeths East campus.
However, construction must be accompanied by mitigation measures per the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The possible adverse effects are to be addressed with mitigation measures developed with, and approved by, the State Historic Preservation Officer, among other vested entities. It was determined that the final mitigation design selection will be the result of a competitive process administered by DC Water and as influenced by community preferences developed through a collaborative process. This proposal consists of a variety of programmatic elements beyond the basic water tower mitigation. These include a public plaza, interactive information wall, water awareness center, water feature, enhanced landscaping/community orchard, and expanded public parking.
