A plan to turn three concrete piers into a recreational park over the Anacostia River is moving forward. After a six-month design competition, the architects of the 11th Street Bridge Park project announced four finalists in the competition, and the plans they proposed are nothing short of bold.

Scott Kratz, director of the 11th Street Bridge Park, says that more than 80 design firms responded to an open call for design submissions, which was launched in March of this year. The Bridge Park’s jury, which was “made up of noted experts in the fields of landscape architecture, architecture, urban design, community, engagement, and public health,” narrowed the submitted design proposals to just four, which will be on display over the next month for anyone to view and submit feedback. Renderings of the design proposals will be on display from September 14 to October 11 at THEARC Gallery (1901 Mississippi Avenue SE) and from September 24 to October 11 at the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum (1901 Fort Place SE) and at the District Architecture Center (421 7th Street NW).

The design proposals — which feature everything from urban gardens and waterfalls, to amphitheaters and even a climbing wall — were submitted by teams from the architecture firms Balmori Associates/Cooper, Robertson & Partners, OLIN/OMA, Stoss Landscape Urbanism/Höweler + Yoon Architecture, and Wallace Roberts & Todd (WRT)/NEXT Architects / Magnusson Klemencic Associates.

“We are so thrilled to see the best designers in the country envision our dynamic new space located in the nation’s capital” Kratz said in a statement. “The variety among the different renderings is really quite remarkable. With these stunning and thoughtful designs, each team transformed community- inspired ideas into a Bridge Park that will quickly become a destination for residents and tourists alike.”

The park will be built on concrete piers which used to support an old freeway bridge. Two bridges spanning the Anacostia River were replaced three new ones.

After a month of public viewing and feedback, the design teams will present their proposals to the 11th Street Bridge Park jury on September 29 and September 30 at the THEARC Gallery (that’s open to the public, by the way). On October 16, the jury plans to hold a press conference to select the winner of the competition.

Speaking with DCist back in November of 2013, Kratz said that the estimated cost of the project would be $25 million, with an additional $10 million “for an endowment to help partially support on-going operations and maintenance.” While funding for the project was still something they were figuring out, Kratz says they’ve found at least some of it. $1 million has been provided by a pre-capital campaign from public and private donors, while the D.C. government has committed to providing $14.5 million toward making the 11th Street Bridge Park a reality.

In an email, Kratz says that they’re now anticipating a $40 million capital campaign (an additional $5 million for “design fees, administration, etc.”). Kratz writes that they “anticipate the remaining funds will be raised from private sources—foundations, individuals, corporations, etc.”

You can find more information about the project, along with detailed descriptions of each design team’s proposal, here.