INDUSTRIAL LAND IN A POST-INDUSTRIAL CITY District of ...

District of Columbia Industrial Areas Study DC Office of Planning
Prepared by Phillips Preiss Shapiro Associates, Inc.
LAND USE
Land Use, General Character, and Function This site is home to the U.S. Capitol Power
Plant, which provides steam for heating and chilled water for cooling the entire Capitol complex.
Surrounding Land Use Context Some residential is located nearby, but the primary uses
are medium-high density commercial uses. So the immediate south are CSX railroad tracks
which extend southeast to 11th Street, SE and across the Anacostia, northeast through
Southwest and then across the Potomac into Virginia, and spur into Buzzard Point and the
Power Plan complex itself.
Access and Circulation Getting to the site is easy. Access to this well-guarded site is
highly restricted.
PROPERTY DATA
Major Tenants The one tenant is the U.S. Capitol Power Plant.
Ownership Patterns and Property Assemblages The Federal government owns this land.
OTHER
Environmental Issues We were unable to discern exactly what fuel is burned at this
facility, but given its vintage (1910) we presume it is oil or coal. It may have been upgraded to
natural gas, of course. In any case, there would be numerous associated environmental issues
including air, water, and soil pollution.
Historically or Architecturally Significant Buildings The power plant was built in 1910, and may
be eligible for historic listing, though we were unable to determine this for ourselves.
Development Pressures There are no known development pressures on this land.
Other Planning Issues It is unlikely that the Federal government will ever relinquish
control and operation of this facility.
KEY FINDINGS
The presence of the U.S. Capitol power plant makes it unreasonable to seek any
change in land use.
Security concerns and the small size also preclude any private users on the site, but
foresighted federal planning should consider locating additional appropriate federal
users on the site.
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