The Kingman Island and Heritage Island Planning and Feasibility Study is a draft report that assesses the feasibility and cost of developing, maintaining, and managing a state-of-the-art nature center and other possible structures and uses of the islands consistent with the National Children’s Island Act of 1995, the Anacostia Waterfront Framework Plan, and the Comprehensive Plan. This report proposes uses of the Islands for recreational, environmental, and educational purposes.
In 1999, Kingman and Heritage Islands were transferred to the District of Columbia with the intent that their use is focused on children. The result of this study lays out a plan to immediately enhance this unique natural resource as an educational and recreational asset for children and residents of the District. In the near-term, strategic and cost-effective improvements can be implemented to facilitate the already successful school and volunteer programs carried out on the Islands.
In addition, this document sets out an ambitious long-term goal for the Islands: to serve as a focal point in the overall ecological revival of the Anacostia River. Achieving this goal—which includes the design and construction of a sustainable and ecologically sensitive Environmental Center—will require coordination with the National Park Service and numerous District agencies. For this reason, to manage construction costs, and possibly maximize grant funding opportunities, the team proposed that the Masterplan for Kingman and Heritage Islands be an incremental one.
