Upcoming Events

Now that monsoon season has apparently ended, SWBID and SWNA will be hosting Southwest Duck Drop this Sunday at the SW Duck Pond, located at 6th and I streets from 1 – 4pm, which was rescheduled from May due to rain. The event is the celebration of the refilling of the SW Duck Pond and is the second year the BID has hosted. There will be ice cream, BBQ, a local Blues band, games, dance demonstrations, and it is free! 

During the weekend of June 16 and June 17, Events DC will host DC JazzFest at the Wharf, with free performances at District Pier, Transit Pier and Hyatt House, along with a ticketed concert at The Anthem. The schedule of events can be found here. 

The 13th Annual Capital Fringe Festival will be held at venues across Southwest from July 7 through July 29, including Arena Stage, St. Augustine’s Church, Christ United Church, Westminster Church, and Blind Whino. Tickets go on sale on June 18. More details will be posted here when available. 

The DC State Fair will make its return to Southwest this fall when the annual event will be held on Sunday, September 23 at Waterfront Station, located at 4th and M streets. Last year, the fair was also held in Southwest – the DC State Fair has been held in previous years in Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, Shaw, and NoMa. The Southwest BID was instrumental in bringing the fair back to Southwest. According to a press release, contest entries so far include Best Bud, Honey, Wine, and Fiber Arts categories. New categories include Best Salsa, Best Biscuit, and Best Cookie. Other events include the Pet Parade, live music, food and craft vendors, and demonstrations.

I Street Church to be Redeveloped

Bethel Church DC360 at 60 I Street is slated for redevelopment. Cornerstone Development has plans to develop a 186,000 SF residential building on the church property. The site is located across the street from the Randall School site, which will be redeveloped by Lowe Enterprises and Telesis/Rubell into a modern art museum and residential project. 

Waterfront Academy is located on the second floor of Bethel, so as a result of the church redevelopment and the school’s growth, it is searching for a new home and has embarked on a $13 million fundraising campaign. Waterfront Academy is a dual immersion (Spanish and English) Montessori school with emphasis on charity and stewardship in the Catholic tradition. The school wants to stay in the SWDC area, where it’s been since opening in 2014. Before opening at Bethel, Waterfront Academy planned to locate on the 1200 block of South Capitol Street. 

According to a fundraising email sent by the school, the new space will allow Waterfront Academy to serve at least 135 students each year. The school will be modeled after the traditional Spanish colony and will feature a Chapel, Library, Teacher’s Lounge, Administrative Office Suite, Infirmary, Gymnasium, Kitchen, one Nido (Infant) Classroom, two Toddler Classrooms, three Casa (Preschool) Classrooms, two Lower Elementary Classrooms, two Upper Elementary Classrooms, one Middle School Classroom, and an outdoor plaza featuring an Urban Farm, Outdoor Classrooms, and Natural Play Space. 

Bethel Church DC360 is the latest house of worship to face redevelopment in Southwest. St. Augustine’s at 6th and Maine moved into its new space in 2016, adjacent to 525 Water condos that was developed by PN Hoffman. A few blocks east on M Street, St. Matthews’ long journey to a new home is months away from completion as construction continues on its new sanctuary and adjacent Valo apartment building by Trammell Crow. Riverside Baptist Church at 7th Street and Maine Avenue partnered with PN Hoffman to redevelop their site with space for a new sanctuary along Maine Avenue and an apartment building at the corner of 7th and I streets named The Banks. Over at Westminster Church, the congregation is finalizing an agreement with a developer to build a new sanctuary on the 600 block of I Street along with mixed income housing. One house of worship in the neighborhood that didn’t get redeveloped into housing is the Living Hope Church at 1200 1st Street. The building has been converted into Kadampa Meditation Center Washington DC Temple for World Peace and received a new paint job and signage in recent months. Although the old Friendship Baptist Church at Delaware Avenue and H Street was originally planned to be redeveloped as a condominium project, the developer changed course and leased the space to Blind Whino SW Arts Club. Land adjacent to the church building was slated to become a temporary housing facility for homeless families, but those plans were scuttled and the shelter will instead be built on the Unity Clinic site at Delaware Avenue and I Street.

Photo Tour Part 1: District Wharf

On a picture perfect Saturday, I decided to go around and take photos of most of the construction activity in the quadrant. First up was District Wharf. It’s hard to believe the first phase will finally open in less than two months! Of course, portions of the first phase are already complete - 525 Water and St. Augustine's Church were completed in 2016 and Waterfront Park, with a portion dedicated to DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton opened last spring. Leasing has begun at both apartment buildings along Maine Avenue – Incanto and The Channel. Meanwhile, a large share of the condo units at VIO have already been pre-sold and two of the office buildings have landed tenants that traditionally wouldn’t locate in Southwest, including a law firm. One tenant I neglected to mention previously is Washington Gas, which according to the Washington Business Journal will move its headquarters from 101 Constitution Avenue NW to 1000 Maine Avenue and will occupy at least 70,000 SF of space in two floors. The Anthem continues to line up acts for its inaugural year of operations, including Foo Fighters, who will perform on opening night - October 12. Dozens of restaurants will be opening in the coming months, although only a few non-restaurant retailers have been announced so far, such as CVS, District Hardware & Bike & Cafe, The Press, Bella Moda Salon and Spa, and Cordial Craft Wine, Beer & Spirits. Below are some photos taken from East Potomac Park:

Going from west to east (or left to right): VIO, Canopy by
Hilton and Hyatt House hotels, the gazebo at 7th Street Park
and the recreation pier.

From left to right: Intercontinental Hotel, Capitol Yacht Club,
VIO, Canopy by Hilton and Hyatt House hotels.

From left to right: 1000 Maine Avenue, The Channel
apartments, and District Pier.

Zoomed-in view of The Channel apartments and the entrance to
the Anthem, as well as the Transit Pier, with space for
Cantina Marina Bambina.

From Maine Avenue, one can see more details coming along, including signs for parking garages and entrances to buildings. Don't try to follow the parking garage signs just yet though...the garages are not open to the public yet.  See below:

Hyatt House faces 7th Street Park, which now has landscaping
and lighting installed.

A sliver of Incanto apartments, 800 Maine, and The Channel.

A portion of The Channel apartments, which has over 500 units.

View of 800 Maine, District Square, & The Channel apartments.

Pier 4 office building from Waterfront Park

A view of the first phase of District Wharf from 10th Street.

District Wharf Photo Update

The countdown is on for the grand opening of the first phase of development at District Wharf (formerly known as The Wharf). A new clock was installed along Maine Avenue, counting down the days until October 12, 2017. While 525 Water and St. Augustine’s church are both complete, the bulk of construction for phase one won’t be complete until next fall. The massive parking garage which will span most of the development will open in the middle of 2017. Many of the buildings have already “topped-off”, but progress seems to be furthest along on the apartments at 750 Maine Avenue and VIO condos. Meanwhile, 1000 Maine Avenue is finally starting to come out of the ground. A law firm may be one of the office tenants in either 1000 Maine or 800 Maine, which would be a significant milestone for the project and the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood since the majority of office tenants that have traditionally called Southwest home are government agencies or contractors. Following are a few progress photos taken from East Potomac Park.

Parcel 2 apartments & Wharf Hall

Parcel 1, District Pier & Parcel 2

District Pier & Intercontinental Hotel

Intercontinental Hotel, VIO &
Capitol Yacht Club (center) 

Docks under construction near Pier 4

Hyatt House & Canopy by Hilton 

View looking north

View looking south

Photo Tour Part Two: Parcel 11 & Waterfront Park

Parcel 11 at The Wharf is further along than the other portions of phase one of development. 525 Condos started settlements in late July while St. Augustine's Church will have its convocation service celebrating its grand opening in September. Utility work is complete at Waterfront Park and some vertical construction is now evident - the large trellis has now been built.

Kitchen in model unit in 525 Water

Living room in 525 Water model unit

525 Water lobby area

Street access to units at 525 Water

Trellis at Waterfront Park

St. Augustine's Church

525 Water Begins Settlements

The first units have settled at 525 Water, one of the condo buildings at The Wharf. According to the Washington Business Journal, four units have settled so far, and all of them belong to leadership at PN Hoffman, the master developer of the mega project on the Southwest waterfront. More than 50 percent of the units at 525 Water have sold so far, which means that settlements can begin. The article states that the building received its certificate of occupancy within the past week. 525 Water is part of Parcel 11 at The Wharf, which will be the first buildings to deliver in phase one. The new St. Augustine’s will open its doors next month with a convocation service on September 24. The remaining buildings in phase one from 7th Street to the Municipal Fish Market will deliver in the fall of 2017.

Parcel 11 Update

Construction will be wrapping up at the new St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in the next couple of months. On Wednesday, September 24, the church will celebrate its reopening with a convocation, starting at 4pm. Meanwhile, 525 Water condos are approaching 50% pre-sold and the building is open for unit tours. Move-ins are scheduled to start this summer. These are the first buildings at The Wharf that will be completed. Infrastructure work continues at Waterfront Park, a three-acre open space adjacent to 525 Water, and construction should be completed either late this year or by early next year. The remaining buildings in phase one are supposed to be complete in the fall of 2017.

Wharf Update

The Wharf is buzzing with construction activity, as structural steel framing for the new Wharf Hall at Parcel 2 is out of the ground and pillars for the apartment building there are now above ground. Meanwhile, the apartment building at Parcel 4A has now reached the fourth floor and VIO condos (Parcel 4B) is not far behind.

It was announced in Globest.com that Hoffman Madison Waterfront received construction financing for the dual Canopy by Hilton/Hyatt House hotel project on Parcel 5 adjacent to 7th Street Park. 

Starting next month, 7th Street at Maine Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic so work can get started at 7th Street Park. Also in May, traffic will reopen on Water Street and M Place around the new 525 Water condo building and St. Augustine’s Church, the former of which looks almost complete.

Utility work continues at the new Waterfront Park adjacent to 525 Water condos. Construction on the park is expected to be complete late this year.

Work on extending the commercial Pier 4 continues. Look here for more information on what’s planned at the new Pier 4. A pair of construction cameras have been set up so you can keep track of what’s going on at The Wharf. 525 Water/St. Augustine's should open in 2016 while the rest of phase one should be complete by the fall of 2017. 

525 Water "Tops Off"

After less than a year of construction, 525 Water condos has “topped off” according to a press release, which means the building has reached its maximum height. The five-story building will contain 108 condos and is adjacent to the new St. Augustine’s Church, where a groundbreaking ceremony was held last month. 525 Water is also adjacent to the new 3.5-acre Waterfront Park. The above photo was taken in early June when the building was only at three stories. 

PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette are partners on this development, which will be the first residential building to deliver at The Wharf. Delivery is scheduled for next summer and condo sales are slated to begin this fall. Prices will begin in the $400s for studios with the largest three bedroom units selling for over $1 million. 525 Water will be joined by VIO, which is the second condo building planned during phase one of development. Sales at VIO will begin this summer. 

Also in Wharf news, a tower crane is now visible for the planned Intercontinental Hotel – signage on the crane is illuminated at night. The WBJ reports that three additional tower cranes have been recently approved for the site, which is now a huge hole in the ground.

St. Augustine's Groundbreaking is Tomorrow

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church will held at the construction site, located at 600 M Street, tomorrow at 11 am and is open to the public. The MTFA Architecture-designed church will replace the former building which was demolished starting in October 2014. Construction of the adjacent condo building by PN Hoffman began in late 2014 and is moving along quickly. At the new St. Augustine’s Church on Parcel 11 of The Wharf, there will be views of the church from M Street and Maine Avenue since it will be located at a prominent corner. There will be a soft curved edge in front of St. Augustine's to complement the curvature of Arena Stage across the street. The two-story church will be approximately 15,000 square feet with the sanctuary located on the second floor offering views toward the Washington Monument. Also on the second floor will be classrooms and a library. On the ground floor, the entrance will lead to a vestibule that connects to classrooms and an all-purpose room, which will be available for community events, similar to how the former St. Augustine's building was used for meetings. The new church building is expected to open in 2016. 

Rendering courtesy of MTFA Architecture

Coming Soon to The Wharf: Norton Plaza

Within the past week or so, demolition was completed at St. Augustine's Church located at 6th Street and Maine Avenue, which will be replaced with a new sanctuary and 108 mixed-income condos. A sheeting and shoring permit has been obtained and excavation is scheduled to begin by mid-December. Waterfront Park will begin construction next May and will be completed the following April, around the same time the adjacent church and condo building will be finished. 

Meanwhile, office leasing has begun for the two office buildings planned in the first phase of development at The Wharf totaling 485,000 square feet on parcels 1 and 3a. 800 Maine Avenue (parcel 3a) will be 220,000 square and 1000 Maine Avenue (parcel 1) will be 265,000 square feet. An added amenity for tenants of 800 Maine Avenue will be access to the Wharf Club, containing a 7,000 SF fitness center, meeting space, an infinity pool, and a one-acre park above the planned Wharf Center concert venue, overlooking the Washington Channel. Both builings will be completed in the third quarter of 2017 and are anticipated to achieve LEED-Gold certification. 

The Wharf was featured in an article in the New York Times. Some news-worthy items from the article:

• One of the public plazas at The Wharf will be named after DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who was responsible for coming up with the name "The Wharf" and whose great-grandfather escaped slavery in Virginia and came to Southwest in the 1850s.
• 20 restaurants will open in the first phase of development.  
• Among the planned businesses to open will be a rum distillery.
• Letters of intent have been signed for two-thirds of the planned retail space in phase one.
• The Maine Avenue Fish Market will be enhanced with the addition of pincic tables,  transient docks for day-trippers, and fruit & vegetable vendors. 

Renderings courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Portions of The Wharf are Ahead of Schedule

 

Demolition continues apace over at The Wharf development. Phillips Flagship is now gone and the only building left along the waterfront from 7th Street to the Maine Avenue Fish Market is the Capital Yacht Club/Jenny’s Asian Fusion (both establishments have been relocated to the former Channel Inn).  Utility work along Maine Avenue should last until sometime in December.
 

Over at 6th and M streets (also known as Parcel 11), demolition began last Thursday at St. Augustine’s Church. Prior to the demolition, the copper beech tree on site was moved to the site of the future Waterfront Park near where the Maine Lobsterman statue used to be located (it has been put in storage and will be reinstalled near the Maine Avenue Fish Market). In the demolished church’s place will be a new St. Augustine’s, as well as 108 mixed-income condo units, which should be complete in 2016.

Even more progress has been made on the water side of The Wharf development as crews are months ahead of schedule. New docks and slips have been installed for the Capital Yacht Club to the east of 7th Street and piles are being driven for the massive District Pier that will extend from Maine Avenue at 9th Street out into the Washington Channel. Work on the seawall will also soon be underway. 

Meanwhile, renovations have been made to the former Channel Inn at 7th and Water streets and will contain several offices, including Perkins Eastman DC, Clark Construction, Capital Yacht Club, Jenny’s, Madison Marquette, E.R. Bacon Development, Hoffman-Madison Waterfront, and PN Hoffman & Associates (PN Hoffman’s corporate headquarters will remain at the Wharf – either at Parcel 3A or at Pier 4). Jenny's may re-open at the Channel Inn by next moth in a cafe format serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.