Although summer is dying down, the developments of the new Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA) are ramping up at St. Elizabeths Campus! Construction has already hit a few milestones of having excavation and foundation work already underway – with a building permit expected in October 2017, a weather tight building in spring 2018 and substantial complete in 2019!
Already, stage one infrastructure construction started in November 2016 and new roads and utilities will be installed between now and fall of 2018. Stage two infrastructure will include a reconfiguration of the new Congress Heights Metro Station bus terminal and a new 13th St. Construction, which are estimated to begin in FY19.
Additionally, infrastructure improvements will facilitate and support construction of the new ESA, 252 units of multi-family affordable housing, 110 townhome units and 170K square feet of commercial office space with 40K square feet of ground floor retail.
Likewise, DC Water has also started construction of a new 2 million gallon water tower which will provide improved water pressure and service for residents in Congress Heights and other neighborhoods in Ward 8. A master parking study has been completed for the St. Elizabeths East Campus and has indicated that there will be adequate parking within the Campus to accommodate activities at the ESA, RISE and Gateway Pavilion.
We are excited about the new developments and hope you are too. Stay tuned for updates on our progress as we continue construction on ESA!
