Will Georgetown-Rosslyn Gondola Happen? Official Can't Say

It's been a month since ZGF Architects was chosen by the Georgetown-Rosslyn Gondola Executive Committee to look into a gondola spanning the Potomac River, and a ZGF principal said in a recent interview it's too early to say whether it will happen at all.

ZGF principal Otto Condon couldn't say much in the interview with UrbanTurf posted May 27, avoiding making predictions on the feasibility of the gondola or even general details on an eventual design. Currently, the team is examining "potential alignments, potential station or stop areas," Condon said.

In addition, the team will be looking at the economic side of it, and how the gondola could be incorporated into existing land use.

The team hasn't gotten into the design yet, Condon said in the interview, noting that they are "just starting to ramp up." There will be a series of meetings with stakeholders, and then some public meetings before design work can begin in earnest -- assuming it happens at all.

As far as total construction time, the funding and permitting process, and any other sort of timeline, Condon declined to even venture a guess. He also added it's too early to say how feasible the gondola would be at all. "We're not here to sell a gondola, we're here to provide an objective study," he said.

The Georgetown-Rosslyn Gondola Executive Committee announced April 28 that a team led by ZGF Architects LLP will conduct the feasibility study for the project, beating out seven other bids. The project aims to provide a public transportation option that will connect Georgetown and Rosslyn, alleviating traffic issues over the Francis Scott Key Bridge and providing another way for residents to cross the river since the Metrorail system isn't available in Georgetown.

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