WASHINGTON — A D.C. Appeals Court judge has delayed the redevelopment of the former McMillan water treatment plant into a park one day after city officials gathered at the property for a groundbreaking.
Judge Roy W. McLeese issued his decision on Thursday.
The decision represents a win for a neighborhood coalition that filed suit over what residents call irregular bidding practices for the job.
Mayor Muriel Bowser and local leaders held a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site on Wednesday. She told WTOP that she had received positive feedback from the courts on the city’s position and was confident that the project would continue.
Friends of McMillian Park want the city to go through a competitive bidding process for the development of the 25 acres into a multiuse site. Current plans call for a public park, community center, grocery story and affordable housing.
The site, adjacent to McMillan Reservoir, filtered the city’s water using sand from 1905 to 1986.
