Final site development plans for the 11th Street Bridge Park have been approved, the National Capital Planning Commission announced on Friday. The new elevated park project will span the Anacostia River, and will repurpose existing piers from the old 11th Street Bridge in Southeast D.C.

According to a release from the NCPC, the park plans to include a café, a picnic garden complete with hammocks, an environmental education center, a 11,000-square foot play area, two overlooks, and other attractions.  An amphitheater is also planned for construction right next to the existing Anacostia Riverwalk Trail.

The park’s landscaping is being given extra care – gardeners  will prioritize planting native fauna, and milkweed will be planted to attract monarch butterflies. Any Issues with wetland changes and pier dredging are still being worked out with the District Department of Energy and Environment.

Earlier this year, the park’s organizer announced that the first of five commissioned pieces of art for the park had been selected. Eleven rainbow-colored arch sculptures entitled “Anacostia’s Sunrise/Sunset Portals,” will be installed before the opening. 

Plans for the park began in 2014 . It originally had a construction budget of $40 million, but that has since risen to $92 million. An additional $88 million will be used to implement an “equitable development strategy” that includes workforce training, preservation of Black-owned businesses, and  investing in the arts and affordable housing. Corporate sponsors including Capital One, Exelon, and JP Morgan have signed on to help foot the bill. 

The park’s  grand opening has been pushed back multiple times, and is now planned for early 2025.

This story has been updated to include additional information on the breakdown of the cost of the park.