After years in the making, the final phase of The Wharf in Southwest Washington, D.C., opened Wednesday.
The final phase completes the waterfront development that first opened in 2017 and transformed the area into a destination for locals and tourists. The new section of The Wharf includes more restaurant options, a fourth hotel and three office buildings.
“It’s been incredible; we’ve had seven million visitors here this past year,” Wharf Developer Monty Hoffman said.
The development's new restaurants include Blank Street Coffee, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, Kinfolk Southern Kitchen, Limani, Milk & Honey and Slice of Matchbox.
The newest hotel along The Wharf is the Pendry, a boutique luxury hotel with two restaurants and a bar. Other new buildings include the Amaris condominiums, The Atlantic's headquarters and the 670 and 680 Maine office buildings.
One of the most exciting parts of the new update, Hoffman said, is that the public will now have access along the waterfront from The Wharf to Buzzard Point. It also includes a new fountain made with marble from the same quarry as Arlington National Cemetery's headstones, according to a tweet from The Wharf.
“We’ve extended Wharf Street all the way over to Fort McNair, so for the first time you can go from the Jefferson Memorial to Buzzard Point along the waterway; that’s pretty exciting,” Hoffman said.
Traffic and parking options are another part of The Wharf's development considerations. The waterfront destination is currently accessible by water taxi, car, Metro and shuttle bus.
“I think Circulator buses and those pieces will hopefully evolve further to help get people here,” Hoffman said.
The Wharf's development has been noticed by other cities, including officials from Baltimore looking to revamp the Inner Harbor.
District officials said they hope Congress takes note of The Wharf’s success as they consider whether to give D.C. the rights to develop another waterfront parcel.
“It actually serves as a great model not just for what happened at The Wharf, and what could happen at other places around the District, but it could be the model for RFK as well,” D.C.'s Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio said.
The Wharf celebrated its fifth anniversary and the completion of the neighborhood with District leaders Wednesday night.
