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Construction Starts on Massive Mixed-Use Development On the D.C. Waterfront

Construction Starts on Massive Mixed-Use Development On the D.C. Waterfront

After  nearly a decade of planning, a $2 billion, three-million-square-foot mixed-use development is underway on Washington D.C.’s Southwest waterfront. In March, construction started on Phase 1 of The Wharf, a project that is being developed by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront and designed by Perkins-Eastman. The new neighborhood will have marinas, green space, entertainment venues, and plenty of retail, residential, and hotel space.

Specifically, Phase 1  covers 24 acres of land, 50 acres of waterfront, and will include 648 apartments, 240 condos, 680 hotel rooms, 200,000-square-feet of retail space, and 435,000-square-feet for offices.

The development is situated along the Washington Channel and is part of the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative—a 30-year, $10 billion plan to transform the waterfront. Construction on this project is slated to wrap up in 2017.

Aerial renderings of the project depict a fairly standard mixed-use development with an urban layout and massing. At street-level, the project differentiates itself into a more detailed design treatment of steel, brick, and glass. Industrial light stanchions line a cobblestone promenade, and new seating and piers bring people out to the water. The facades of the ground-floor retail and restaurants are varied, adding variation and interest to the project. Or, as Perkins Eastman put it, “the architectural character relies on a diversity of scales and materials, utilizing stepped-back facades, a variety of complementary materials, and careful attention to the pedestrian scale.”


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