Outlook 2025: Georgetown’s Community Leaders Share What’s Ahead
By • January 15, 2025 0 19
Georgetown University
Cory Peterson. Courtesy Georgetown University.
We are looking towards a 2025 filled with continued improvement and community across our Washington, D.C., campuses. We continue to work to modernize our Hilltop Campus through the construction of a new residential facility on the site of the former Henle Village complex. We look forward to opening this new residence in fall of 2025. We also launched a multi-year utilities project on Healy and Copley Lawns to replace aging underground utilities with more energy-efficient infrastructure.
We will also continue to develop our Capitol Campus in downtown D.C., growing Georgetown’s impact just blocks from the U.S. Capitol. A home for discovery and interdisciplinary and civic engagement, the Capitol Campus builds on our historic strengths and brings together new opportunities for collaboration in a vibrant new living and learning community in the heart of D.C.
You can find out more information about current projects and their impacts to Georgetown’s campus and the local community at facilities.georgetown.edu.
— Cory Peterson, Associate Vice President for Community Engagement and Local Government Affairs, Georgetown University
Georgetown Village
Georgetown Village’s hiking group. Courtesy Georgetown Village.
Georgetown Village is very excited to continue our membership and volunteer expansion into 2025. In addition to our twice-weekly exercise class, which is open to the community, we are also now offering a weekly meditation session and continuing our monthly movie nights, social hours and excursions, in addition to our online programming. We have our annual Town Hall meeting scheduled for Jan. 26, and we look forward to hearing from our members and volunteers with their ideas for future Village programs and projects.
Georgetown Village continues to offer a Durable Medical Equipment Lending closet to the community and appreciates the many equipment donations we have received. We also appreciate the amount of financial contributions we received from the community in 2024 and hope we can count on your continued support, as we are very concerned about how the new administration will affect the government grants that we receive.
Our concerns for 2025 include funding our ongoing programs and the rising need for driving volunteers in the community. Volunteer drivers continue to serve a vital role in our community by ensuring everyone in our community has access to vital medical care, groceries, pharmaceuticals and the other essentials of daily life. As our founding members are aging, we are seeing a greater need for volunteers to provide transportation to medical appointments as well as to grocery stores.
We welcome members 55 and older and are very pleased to see a cohort of younger members joining the Village. This is resulting in an increased level of social programming for our younger members as we provide more volunteer assistance for our older members.
— Lynn Golub-Rofrano, MSW, Executive Director, Georgetown Village
Georgetown BID
Georgetown’s pandemic recovery has come full circle, with the commercial district ending 2024 with 13.2 million visitors — the largest crowds since 2019. More visitors mean a market for more hotel rooms, many of which will be delivered in the first quarter thanks to the new Canal House on 31st Street. The hotel also offers two attached townhomes, a library lounge, specialty suites and a private courtyard.
On the restaurant and retail front, momentum has yet to slow. If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to eat more ice cream (no, just us?), you’re in luck. Amorino Gelato is expected to open soon, known for its rose-shaped Italian treats that are sold everywhere from Paris to London. Additional restaurant openings in 2025 include Alara, Jinya, Florería Atlántico and My Little Chamomile, with 15 new Georgetown businesses on the horizon.
Multiple office conversions and development projects are also underway, leading to 500-plus residential units in the pipeline. The Flour Mill at 1000 Potomac St. NW sold in September 2024 to Related Fund Management and Network Realty Partners. 1000 and 1050 Thomas Jefferson St. NW went through design review and permitting to convert both buildings into mixed-used residential.
As we welcome new businesses and development projects to Georgetown, we will continue to prioritize safety and security initiatives, led by our Community Safety Coordinator, as well as operations and streetscape efforts to ensure Georgetown is a well-managed, safe and beautiful place for all residents, visitors and businesses.
We look forward to an eventful 2025 in the most literal sense, from the Georgetown BID’s 22nd annual French Market in April, to our second Fête de la Musique – World Music Day in June, joining the celebrations for WorldPride in D.C., the return of Dancing on the Waterfront and more arts and culture events.
— The Georgetown BID
Georgetown Main Street
Georgetown Main Street’s Rachel Shank. Courtesy of Georgetown Main Street.
Georgetown Main Street has a full calendar and initiative docket for 2025. We continue to prioritize the stability and visibility of our small businesses along the Wisconsin Avenue Corridor and hope you will too. Neighbors should expect the same major events and programs we’ve brought to the community in the past: Art All Night, Fall Market and our “tour events” like the Flower Tour in April and the Cookie Tour in December. We have a new big event up our sleeve and hope to unveil it soon.
We are looking forward to progress on the major construction projects in the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Wisconsin Avenue and the continued opening of new restaurants. The “creep” of national chains up Wisconsin Avenue is something we’re watching. We ask neighbors and friends of Main Street to be intentional in 2025 to dine at new local spots, get your gifts from independent shops down the street and leave positive reviews when you have good experiences. It will take all of us supporting local to retain the charm and individuality in this place we all love.
— Rachel Shank, Executive Director, GMS
Citizens Association of Georgetown
Brittany Sawyer, executive director of CAG. Courtesy photo.
The Citizens Association of Georgetown continues to build upon our 147-year legacy of preserving Georgetown’s historic heritage, advocating for residents, providing information about public safety and bringing our neighborhood together. This year, CAG will host the popular Concerts in the Park and Architectural Tour, along with new programs focused on historic preservation and safety.
CAG has the most active block captain network in the District, covering 90 percent of Georgetown. Studies have shown that neighborhoods with high “collective efficacy” have less crime. We are asking the community to join the block captain network to safeguard against crime.
A key challenge is that D.C. is facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall, which will impact city services. Under these circumstances, cities are shifting towards hyperlocal “place governance” of government and nongovernment collaboration. Community involvement in CAG’s efforts creates a safer and connected community.
— Brittany Sawyer, Executive Director, Citizens Association of Georgetown
