Georgetown University finalized an agreement with the National Park Service (NPS) and Washington, D.C. officials to construct a university boathouse and develop the waterfront area along the Potomac River, the institutions announced June 10.
The agreement, which the Council of the District of Columbia must approve, gives the university a parcel of federal land west of the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge to build a boathouse and grants D.C. a second parcel of land east of the bridge to develop for public access. Constructing a boathouse, which the university has been working toward for decades, would give the rowing teams a designated place for training and support local waterfront public access.
Lee Reed, Georgetown’s director of intercollegiate athletics, said the new boathouse will create new opportunities for Georgetown’s rowing teams.
“This announcement is a huge step forward for our men’s and women’s rowing programs,” Reed wrote in a statement to the Hoya. “The collaboration between the University, the National Park Service and the District of Columbia sets us on a path to construct a home for our rowing teams, while also enhancing the Georgetown waterfront for the local community.”
The deal is the culmination of decades of advocacy for a university boathouse, including a similar deal with NPS in 1998 and city approval in 2003, which moved the university and NPS incrementally closer to an agreement.
The university expects the D.C. City Council to review legislation approving the deal toward the end of the year and anticipates beginning construction after a two-year permitting process.
When construction finishes, Georgetown’s rowing teams will move to the new boathouse from the Thompson Boat Center, a public space managed by the National Park Service where the teams have practiced for almost 50 years.
Ellie Power (SFS ’26), Sydney Thompson (SFS ’26) and Alex Junko (CAS ’26) — the captains of the women’s rowing team — said they are excited to have a physical location to call “home.”
“We’re honoring where we’ve come from and getting to work with our men’s programs to build something lasting for the future,” Power, Thompson and Junko wrote jointly to The Hoya. “This boathouse will surely give the program more space to build on previous years of momentum and provide the opportunity to further positively impact the wider Georgetown community.”
Interim university president Robert Groves said in a press release that the agreement will support both the university rowing teams and the greater Georgetown neighborhood.
“This collaborative effort, which has been underway for decades, will create a special space for the Georgetown rowing community, and will usher in a new era for public access to the Georgetown waterfront,” Groves said in the press release. “We appreciate the ongoing engagement with both the City of Washington DC and the National Park Service, as well as the leadership of Georgetown President Emeritus John J. DeGioia and Mayor Muriel Bowser, as we move to the next stage of this effort.”
Plans for a Georgetown boathouse previously faced opposition in 2003 from environmental groups and local rowing organizations that criticized transferring public land for private use and obstructing views of the river. University, city and federal officials claim the boathouse and related development will benefit the entire area.
The deal includes Georgetown donating land to the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, which runs along the canal south of the Hilltop campus.
Jennifer Nersesian, NPS’ national capital regional director, said that by expanding public access to parks, the agreement prioritizes protecting public land and outdoor engagement.
“A transfer of this nature reflects the careful balance between preserving our nation’s public lands and fostering public access to the Potomac River,” Nersesian said in the press release. “By clearing the path for a long-envisioned boathouse, we’re supporting outdoor recreation and environmental education, and connecting new generations of users to the natural and cultural treasures of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park waterfront.”
The Georgetown boathouse’s docks will be open to the public throughout the year for recreational use, according to the press release. Key Bridge Boathouse, a private boathouse currently operating in the area, will move to another location yet to be determined.
The city-operated waterfront land will aim to improve public access to the waterfront and connect with the existing Georgetown Waterfront Park, the developed area along the Potomac River, according to the press release.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said the boathouse will benefit the entire Georgetown area by developing riverside land.
“I am proud to lead a city that works hand-in-hand with our partners to bring long-envisioned projects to life,” Bowser said in the press release. “This collaborative effort between the District, Georgetown University and the National Park Service transforms underutilized space along our treasured Potomac River into a beautiful, new boathouse that Georgetown University and the community will enjoy.”
“The new boathouse will be an asset and opportunity for residents, young athletes, and visitors alike as the District embarks on our own planning work to increase and improve public access to the waterfront,” Bowser added.
Power, Thompson and Junko said the boathouse will help solidify and unite the rowing community at Georgetown.
“We look forward to seeing the progress unfold in our final year here and anticipate that this will continue to foster the growth of the program’s identity on the Potomac for years to come,” Power, Thompson and Junko wrote.
