Plans to bring a wellness retreat to southeast Washington, D.C., and transform an underdeveloped area into a recreational venue with thermal baths, dozens of saunas, mineral pools and waterslides moved a step close to reality this week.
On Thursday, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city selected Austrian-based developer Therme Group to develop the retreat on 15 of the 110-acre area known as Poplar Point on the east side of the Anacostia River.
The development would contain an approximately 500,000-square-foot facility that would be built over three years and cost approximately $500 million, a spokesperson for Therme Group confirmed to CoStar News. Therme expects the facility to attract roughly 2 million visitors annually, according to The Washington Post.
“By combining cutting-edge technology with our commitment to sustainability and holistic wellbeing, we are setting a new standard for how cities can integrate wellness into everyday life,” Therme Chairman and CEO Robert Hanea said in a statement.
Located between the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and the 11th Street Bridge, the site currently contains open space, wetlands and remnants of government facilities. It currently is under the National Park Service’s jurisdiction, and the District of Columbia is working to officially complete the transfer, city officials said.
Considered by the District as "one of the last significant waterfront development opportunities on the East Coast,” the rest of the area not used by Therme is slated to include a 70-acre riverfront park and trail system as well as 25 acres for other mixed-use development.
Economic development catalyst
Therme’s project is estimated to generate $1.5 billion in tax revenue over 25 years, 5,000 local construction jobs during development and 720 permanent jobs upon completion, the District said.
“Not only will it create jobs and opportunity, it will serve as a catalyst for economic growth along the Anacostia waterfront in Ward 8,” Mayor Bowser said in the statement.
Therme had been looking for a suitable site for its facility in Washington since at least 2023. The company said it welcomes over 3.5 million visitors annually at its existing locations in Europe and has plans for new projects in Manchester, England; Frankfurt, Germany; Toronto; Incheon, South Korea; and additional locations in the U.S.
In fact, Therme said early this year that it plans to develop 10 wellness facility projects across the country in the coming years. It formed a joint venture for the ownership and development of its U.S. business with New York-based developer The Georgetown Co., a firm that acquired a 25% equity stake in the company. CoStar News reported that Georgetown Co. plans to buy the former Hotel Harrington in the District.
The Therme wellbeing facility "will bring long-overdue benefits to this historic community," said Kristina Noell, executive director of the Anacostia Business Improvement District, said in a statement.
The environmental assessment process for the site is expected to continue through winter 2026, according to a slideshow presented during a March 18 community meeting.
Next month, the future of Poplar Point is set to be discussed by the National Capital Planning Commission that reviews projects in and around the District.