Photo by drtana

After quick public outcry, the National Park Service is putting its planned eviction of Jack’s Boathouse on hold.

The kayak and canoe launch, which has stood on the bank of the Potomac River since 1945, was told December 18 that it had to leave its longtime home under the intersection of the Key Bridge and the Whitehurst Freeway by the end of January to make way for the Park Service’s coming redevelopment of the Georgetown waterfront.

But after thousands of phone calls, emails and online petitions, the Park Service did an about-face, The Washington Post reports:

But Monday night, [Park Service director Jon] Jarvis said he had “directed the staff at the park and the Regional Office to withhold further action on the lease termination until I have conducted a thorough review and determined the best course of action.”

Jack’s Boathouse had also been the beneficiary of a Change.org petition calling on the Park Service to reverse its decision to remove the landmark boathouse.

On the business’ Facebook page, boathouse owner Paul Simkin wrote that “we are overjoyed.” Still, he cautioned the Park Service is still evaluating things, but held out hope that Jack’s Boathouse’s 27 employees and throngs of river-navigating customers would not be put out.

“While there is much work still to be done to ensure a future at the boathouse, we are hoping beyond hope that we will be able to be there for our customers, and that our great staff will be able to hold on to their jobs,” he wrote.