town topics

Sen. Charles H. Percy Honored

the georgetowner

June 2008

Image: Georgina Horsey, Georgetown Garden Club, Gail Percy, Senator Percy’s  daughter who received the award on his behalf, and Dede Petri, also with the Garden Club.

Georgina Horsey, Georgetown Garden Club, Gail Percy, Senator Percy’s  daughter who received the award on his behalf, and Dede Petri, also with the Garden Club.

Senator Charles H. Percy was recently awarded the Garden Clubs of America Meritorious Service Award for his contributions to  the Georgetown Waterfront Park. The award was presented to his daughter, Gail Percy, at the annual meeting of the Georgetown Garden Club.

Senator Percy accepted the position as Chair of the Georgetown Waterfront Commission in 1997, at a time when the concept of a park stretching from 31st Street to Key Bridge had been given broad approval by both the District of Columbia and the federal agencies. However, many steps were needed to make the Park a reality. Senator Percy’s advocacy resulted in the National Park Service agreeing to make the Waterfront Park a public private partnership, allowing private funds to be raised to build the Park.

With Senator Percy as Chair, the Georgetown Waterfront Commission served as a community forum for gathering ideas for the nature and design of the Park. A distinguished firm of landscape architects were chosen with community input, a design was created and approved by the community, the Old Georgetown Board, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission.

Finally, enough public private funds were raised to begin construction in early 2007 on Phase I of the Park, stretching from 34th Street to Wisconsin Avenue. This part of the Park is nearing completion and will be open to the public this summer.

The $9 million needed to complete the Park has been raised, and phase 2, a central plaza at the foot of Wisconsin Avenue and continuing to Washington Harbour at 31st Street, has been funded by a $4.5 National Park Service Centennial Challenge grant, a $3.5 million appropriation from the District of Columbia and $1 million in private funds.

Thanks to his persistence, passion and attention to detail, Senator Percy’s dream of turning the historic site of Georgetown with its magnificent views of Roosevelt Island, Key Bridge and the Potomac Palisades into a beautiful riverfront park has finally come true.