Hoffman-Madison Waterfront Opens The Wharf To The Public On October 12
A World-Class Waterfront Destination and Neighborhood Rises From The Southwest Quadrant of The Nation's Capital
WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Phase 1 of The Wharf opens to the public, reestablishing Washington, D.C., as a true waterfront city and destination. The $2.5 billion, 3.2 million square foot waterfront neighborhood features new residential, office, hotel, shops and restaurants, cultural, marina, and public uses, including 10 acres of public waterfront parks, promenades, piers, and docks, all designed by one of the most impressive lineups of architects in the nation. The mix of uses offers something for everyone, with an incredible mix of best-in-class brands, local favorites and renowned chefs and shops. The Wharf is the largest waterfront development in the nation and the first significant redevelopment in Southwest D.C. in more than 50 years, drawing inspiration from waterfronts around the world and designed to bring the community to the water's edge. The Wharf impacts the region in many ways from generating funding and employment opportunities, creating sustainable infrastructure, incorporating public spaces, reconnecting people to the waterfront, and making the region more accessible.
Built as a public-private partnership that began more than a decade ago, this monumental waterfront neighborhood opens with a six-month long celebration of events and public activities, beginning with a four day celebration on October 12-15, 2017. A full schedule of Kickoff Celebration events can be found here. During the Kickoff Celebration Weekend on October 12-15, The Wharf is hosting free concerts on three outdoor stages and strolling entertainment, art exhibits and more, with more than 50 entertainers. The headlining event is a free, public concert on District Pier with The Bacon Brothers, the folk rock soul country band made up of award-winning actor and singer Kevin Bacon and his brother, Michael.
Through the construction of The Wharf there has been an expansion in the usage of the waterfront from a previously private, fenced off boat parking lot to an active harbor with public access across the entire site in addition to upgrades made to all existing facilities. The Wharf introduces stunning community spaces including public parks and four public piers, which offer seating, event spaces, firepits, swings, public kayak launch, transit options, as well as seasonal uses like ice skating, in addition to ongoing public events and programming.
QUOTES:
"After working more than a decade to make The Wharf a reality, we are honored to open this incredible, thriving waterfront neighborhood to the public," said Monty Hoffman, Founder and CEO of PN Hoffman. "The Wharf is a world-class destination that offers something for everyone, from music to great food and drinks, many ways to connect and play on the water to phenomenal free events at the new parks and piers."
"The opening of The Wharf is especially meaningful to all of us at Madison Marquette," said Amer Hammour, Chairman of Madison Marquette. "While we have worked for years to redefine excellence in mixed-use projects across the United States, we have also been fully committed to making this landmark project a reality. The Wharf is a first-class destination with compelling amenities and experiences comparable to those found in capital cities around the world. We are proud that The Wharf will now enliven and inspire this historic Southwest neighborhood and provide dynamic waterfront activation to Washington, D.C., residents, visitors, shoppers, concert-goers, and office workers throughout the year," Mr. Hammour added.
"With tomorrow's opening of The Wharf, the District is getting a brand new, world-class neighborhood that showcases the city's strategic and prized waterfront location," said Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. "A record five years after my bill was signed into law officially setting us on this journey, we are at the culmination of the first stage of a pivotal transformation of perhaps the city's most valuable underutilized site. District and area residents and millions of tourists will not have to come far from the Mall to enjoy a set of exciting new amenities. I particularly look forward to the jobs and economic activity that will benefit D.C. residents. I thank Monty Hoffman, Amer Hammour and the team at Hoffman-Madison Waterfront for their dedication and leadership on this visionary project."
"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 continues to help us spread prosperity to residents throughout DC."
What to expect beginning Oct. 12 at The Wharf:
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
The Wharf is becoming one of the premier entertainment destinations in the country. It is home to four live music venues where you can see a 6,000 person show at The Anthem, an intimate performance at a bar on Pearl Street, or a public event on the floating stage.
DINING
With restaurants, bars and food concepts ranging from chef-driven fine dining to innovative fast casual, The Wharf added an entirely new centralized culinary hub to the city's renowned collection of restaurants, turning Southwest into DC's newest food destination. Opening October 12 are: Ben & Jerry's, The Brighton, Cantina Bambina, Del Mar, Hank's Oyster Bar, Kirwan's Irish Pub, Kith/Kin, Requin, Shake Shack, Taylor Gourmet and Velo Café at District Hardware.
SHOPPING
The Wharf offers a mix of stores and boutiques, from internationally known brands to local favorites. The Wharf's open-air shopping hub, District Square, features a mix of stores and boutiques including a new location for DC's iconic Politics and Prose, Martha Spak Gallery, A Beautiful Closet, Ligne Roset, d/Eleven and more. Additional shopping open along the waterfront and The Wharf's romantic cobblestone streets include: Cordial Craft Wine, Beer & Spirits, Anchor on Board with West Marine Pro, CVS Health, The Press, BLINK Optical, Bella Moda Salon & Spa, and District Hardware and Bike.
TRANSPORTATION
The Wharf is expanding transportation options and making the region more accessible. The waterfront is activated with the addition of a regional water taxi, free jitney service to East Potomac Park, docks for transient boaters, kayak/stand-up paddle board rentals, Southwest Shuttle bus service, underground parking, as well as additional infrastructure including bike trails and parking.
The Wharf encourages people to use alternate modes of transportation to attend the weekend festivities – water taxi, Metro, ridesharing, bus, bike, walk. Special services for the weekend include a Capital Bikeshare Corral, free bicycle valet, extra bicycle racks, and coordination with ridesharing services.
PUBLIC PARKS & PIERS
The Wharf's public piers, parks and waterside promenades is turning the Southwest neighborhood info a true waterfront destination for tourists and locals alike, with opportunities for riverfront strolls, sailing lessons, event spaces, firepit, free kayak/SUP launch, access to the water taxi and jitney, seasonal uses like ice skating, swings, concerts, and events.
DISTRICT WHARF APP
Visitors and tenants can navigate all the new offerings The Wharf via the new District Wharf app that contains a live news feed, updates and information on events, a directory as well as real-time transportation updates and more. The app is available on Apple and Android devices.
The Wharf is a model public-private partnership. The Southwest Waterfront is the largest planned unit development (PUD) in the history of Washington, D.C, and The Wharf received the largest TIF in city history at $198 million. The project's principal public partner is the District's Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED). The list of public and private stakeholders that have reviewed the project is extensive—nearly a dozen entities at the District and regional levels alone. Gaining approval of The Wharf plan required building consensus in the halls of Congress, in the Council of the District of Columbia, and in the local Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANC) and Southwest neighborhood, including more than 750 community meetings. This public review and approval process was critical to achieving the best possible program and design, and maintaining a powerful core vision during the creation of a project that balanced public and private stakeholder objectives. Developing this neighborhood brings more than 1,100 construction jobs and 4,800 permanent jobs to the District, as well as $40 million to $65 million annually in taxes generated.
The Wharf's opening season runs through Spring 2018 with the unveiling of the restoration of DC's iconic, 200-year-old Municipal Fish Market. Phase 2 of The Wharf is scheduled to begin construction in late 2018.
The Wharf
The Wharf, developed by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront, is a $2.5 billion, world-class, mixed-use waterfront development centrally located on the Potomac River, along the historic Washington Channel. Situated along the District of Columbia's Southwest Waterfront and adjacent to 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 uses including waterfront parks, promenades, piers and docks.
Led by PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette, the development group is comprised of ER Bacon Development, City Partners, Paramount Development and Triden Development.
More information is available at www.wharfdc.com.
Contact:
Sofia Royce, BrandLinkDC
o. 202.733.5223 c.352.328.1489
[email protected]
SOURCE The Wharf
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