Lewis George Won't Commit Poplar Point to Spa
The mayor-elect declined to back the Therme Group's $550 million bathing retreat proposal for the District's last major waterfront site.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Remote Work
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D.C. Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George declined to commit the 110-acre Poplar Point site to the Therme Group spa proposal. She said she does not want to foreclose other development proposals at the site on the Anacostia River.
Why it matters
Poplar Point is the District's last major waterfront development opportunity, so the decision shapes how the site is used. Lewis George said it should be used to build more affordable homes, which would shift the project away from the Bowser administration's chosen anchor.
The Therme proposal is a $550 million thermal bathing retreat on Poplar Point, a 110-acre parkland on the Anacostia River's eastern bank. Lewis George has not said which alternative proposals she would back.
The players
Janeese Lewis George
Lewis George is the D.C. mayor-elect who won the 2026 race and will succeed Muriel Bowser in January 2027.
Muriel Bowser
Bowser served nearly 12 years as D.C. mayor and sought to finalize Poplar Point legislation before leaving office.
Therme Group
Therme Group is the spa and wellness company whose $550 million thermal bathing retreat was selected as the Poplar Point anchor.
The details
The Bowser administration selected Therme as the anchor for Poplar Point in 2025 and accelerated the redevelopment over the past few years. Lewis George told The Washington Sun last month she had concerns about the project and said she hopes to show real impact in her first year in office.
Timeline
2025: Bowser administration selects Therme as the Poplar Point anchor.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Lewis George wins the mayoral race.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Lewis George says she will not foreclose other Poplar Point proposals.
January 2027: Lewis George takes office, succeeding Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Roadmap
The incoming mayor's position on Poplar Point marks a possible departure from the Bowser administration's 2025 choice of Therme as the site's anchor. The outcome will determine whether the District's last major waterfront parcel is used for a commercial spa or for housing.
For D.C. residents, the Poplar Point decision will determine whether the waterfront parcel becomes a commercial retreat or new housing. Lewis George's pledge of 72,000 new homes citywide suggests housing may take priority at the site.
The takeaway
Watch how the new mayor handles Poplar Point, since it will show whether her housing priorities translate into concrete development decisions on the Anacostia waterfront.
What happens next
Lewis George takes office in January 2027, when the Poplar Point decision will fall to her administration.
Further reading
Explore more on Remote Work in Washington as the city's incoming leadership reshapes its development plans.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bisnow.
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