$500M Spa Resort Chooses D.C. Site For First U.S. Location

Nearly two years after an Austrian wellness concept started its search for a water park oasis in Washington, D.C., Therme Group has found its spot.

The District selected Therme — which operates giant, water-centric wellness oases in Europe — to anchor a mixed-use development at Poplar Point on the south side of the Anacostia River, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Thursday at D.C.'s annual March Madness economic development event.

Therme would offer thermal baths, saunas, wet rooms, mineral pools, water slides, immersive art and restaurants among a biophilic landscape. It says it would keep the facilities “affordable and accessible” by offering discounted entry fees to seniors, students, athletic clubs and local residents. 

“We envision a Poplar Point that creates jobs for residents and opportunities for businesses and for more visitors from around the region, our nation and the world,” Bowser said at the event.

Therme officials previously said it would cost $500M to build the project. The mayor's office said it would generate 5,000 local construction jobs during development and 720 permanent jobs upon its completion, as well as a projected $1.5B in tax revenue for the city over 25 years.

The federal government owns the 110-acre site and is in the process of transferring the land to the District. Therme would be developed on 15 acres of Poplar Point, while a mixed-use development would rise on another 25 acres. The other 70 acres would be turned into a riverfront park and trail system.

Therme D.C. is now the anchor component for the most heavily commercial of three development options for Poplar Point that D.C. and the National Park Service, which has long controlled the site, are considering.

The “Greenway Connections” alternative envisions consolidated green corridors across the site while colocating open space with wetlands, according to the National Capital Planning Commission agenda. The “Central Wetlands” alternative focuses on preserving a central wetlands area with surrounding development. 

The NCPC is reviewing the concepts at a meeting next month. The final decision on the plan ultimately rests with the Department of the Interior, according to a spokesperson from the mayor's office.

Each scenario would include multiple memorials and open space. They are also all envisioned to include a native meadow, educational wetlands, waterfront park, water taxi terminal, neighborhood parks and general playfields.

This is just the start of D.C. and NPS’ process to determine the best option for the site. That process, which includes an environmental assessment, is expected to take more than a year and last through the winter of 2026, according to materials presented at a community meeting Tuesday.

Plans to develop the Poplar Point site have been in the works since as far back as 2006, when Congress passed legislation to set the requirements the District must meet to acquire the land. While that transfer process is still being worked out, the site has undergone multiple environmental assessments and cleanup efforts in the years since.

In August, the mayor's office selected HR&A Advisors as its owner's representative to guide the District through securing control and developing the site. At the same time, it put out a request for expressions of interest for a ​​“destination anchor” to take 15 acres of the developable site.

The District first announced in May 2023 that Therme was looking exclusively in the city for its first U.S. location, and now it has agreed to be that destination anchor.

“From the beginning, our goal has been to bring a unique, community-driven destination to our nation’s capital city,” John Alschuler, the chair of Therme Group US and former chairman of HR&A, said in Thursday’s release.

“After extensive collaboration with District leaders and community stakeholders, Poplar Point emerged as the clear choice: a site where we can increase access to wellbeing, expand public green space and invest in a historically underserved neighborhood,” he added.

Therme envisions opening 10 U.S. locations, each around half a million square feet. It also has upcoming locations in Europe and Asia. In February, it announced it would partner with New York-based real estate firm The Georgetown Co. for its U.S. expansion, with Georgetown buying a 25% stake in Therme.

Poplar Point is next to the Bridge District, a new mixed-use community from Redbrick LMD expected to come in at 2.5M SF of development.