(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser officially opened The Wharf, a new mile-long waterfront neighborhood of residential, hotel, office, retail, and entertainment space on the Potomac River in Southwest DC.
“With the opening of The Wharf, we are breathing new life into the Southwest Waterfront and giving residents and visitors an exciting new place to enjoy local DC,” said Mayor Bowser. “The Wharf is another example of what we can accomplish when public and private sectors come together to build a world-class destination. This project has already put thousands of District residents to work, and through the creation of new jobs and affordable housing, The Wharf will continue to help us spread prosperity to residents throughout DC.”
The Wharf will produce nearly 6,000 permanent jobs and provide $94 million in direct annual tax revenue to the District. The District invested approximately $200 million in tax increment financing and secured agreements with The Wharf to hire at least 51 percent District residents, with 20 percent designated for Ward 8 residents and 30 percent of apprenticeships for residents in Wards 7 and 8. In addition, The Wharf has invested $1 million in workforce training for residents.
“The Wharf is one of the most transformative projects in the District creating a new waterfront destination with a full mix of uses and amenities including 205 units of affordable housing in Phase 1 alone,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner. “The development team shared the District’s common goals of making The Wharf a world-class destination as well as an engine of economic opportunity for District residents.”
The Wharf estimates that 12 to 15 million people will visit the area annually, and 20,000 residents and visitors are expected to visit The Wharf on each of the four days of opening events.
Earlier this week, Mayor Bowser unveiled two new transportation options for getting to The Wharf: the Southwest DC Shuttle and Water Taxi. The shuttle connects The Wharf to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro/VRE station, the National Mall, and the L’Enfant Plaza on 10th Street. Visitors can also access The Wharf using the new water taxi service that connects from The Wharf’s Transit Pier to Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria in Virginia, and, coming soon, National Harbor in Maryland. In addition, construction has begun on Banneker Park which will provide a stairway and bike paths to better connect the Waterfront with the National Mall.
The Wharf stretches across almost one mile of waterfront on 24 acres of land and more than 50 acres of water from the Municipal Fish Market to Fort McNair. When complete, it will feature more than three million square-feet of residential, office, hotel, retail, cultural, and public spaces, including waterfront parks, promenades, piers, and docks. The development group, Led by PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette, is comprised of ER Bacon Development, City Partners, Paramount Development, and Triden Development.
More information on how to get to The Wharf can be found at wharfdc.com/getting-here or by downloading the District Wharf app for iPhone or Android. To view all of the opening weekend events, visit www.wharfdc.com.