The Wharf / Southwest Waterfront

Multimodal Planning Brings Vibrancy and Sense of
Place to the Southwest Waterfront

Description

The Wharf is a mixed-use project spanning several blocks along the Southwest Waterfront in the District of Columbia. The area includes offices, residential, retail, hotels, live music venues, and a theatre. Today, the Wharf is an exemplary urban waterfront redevelopment and the site of a vibrant dining and entertainment scene.

Home of the longest operating fish market in the U.S., the Wharf has experienced ups and downs over more than two centuries, including urban renewal efforts that separated the waterfront from the National Mall by a highway. When the opportunity arose to revitalize the area, the Gorove Slade team envisioned a Wharf that would seamlessly connect to the wealth of transportation options in the region, including bicycle trails, Capital BikeShare, WMATA Metrorail, buses, and pedestrian infrastructure.

A project of this complexity requires vision. Gorove Slade guided the development and planning teams through complex transportation issues, beginning with the initial planning stages and continuing through the creation of a master plan and the approval of each phase of construction. Our team incorporated modern features in the transportation design—including a cycle track running alongside Maine Avenue, curb extensions, shared curbless streets, and below-grade, shared parking—while evoking the context of a historic working wharf that feels as if it was always there.

This project exemplifies Gorove Slade’s expertise in using innovative transportation planning practices to design public spaces that center on human experience. This emphasis on placemaking helps promote social interaction and community engagement through solutions like flexible internal streets that can be closed to vehicular traffic and implementing curbless, shared designs. This approach also acknowledges the diverse ways individuals interact within the Wharf. For example, an area facilitating morning deliveries to a retail shop might be closed to automobile traffic in the evening to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists safely.

We take a bespoke approach to engaging diverse public, private, and community stakeholders. The Wharf successfully blends intimate spaces with expansive public parks and amenities by prioritizing public and active transit modes–and minimizing space dedicated to vehicular parking and internal roads. Much of what people experience at the Wharf is customized to the space and required special approval from the DC Zoning Commission and District Department of Transportation to execute. Our team’s thorough research and application of innovative multi-modal transportation impact review methodologies helped secure the necessary permitting, garnered positive reviews, and ensured that the transportation plan would support every other aspect of redevelopment.

The former Southwest Waterfront was a failed attempt during urban renewal that separated the city from the water. Now DC’s Southwest Waterfront is bustling with activity, as the Wharf is a destination of choice for locals and tourists alike. On any given day pedestrians flock to the piers and public parks as riders of all ages use bikes and scooters on designated paths. Significantly, this project demonstrates that designing for a human scale doesn’t have to come at the cost of excluding cars or other vehicular traffic. Through thoughtful, informed transportation planning that was flexible and responsive to changing conditions, the Gorove Slade team achieved the collective goal of creating a place where all are welcome.

Details

Client: Hoffman & Associates
Location: Southwest Waterfront, DC
Project Size: 3.5 M sf
Services: Studies, Planning, Design, Parking, Operations, Entitlement
Land Use: Mixed Use

“The quality of work, attention to detail, and responsiveness of Gorove Slade’s project team is unmatched. With a team of over 45 consultants, architects, and designers that came together to create The Wharf, Gorove Slade stands out. Their willingness to challenge traditional transportation planning paradigms to help create a public space that’s designed for humans first and foremost makes them unique and is why we have chosen to work with them on projects from the world-class waterfront neighborhood, The Wharf to innovative mixed-income communities like The Westerly in the heart of Southwest Washington and entertainment anchored mixed-use destinations like Parcel B at Audi Field.”

Shawn D. Seaman, AIA

Former President, Hoffman & Associates

The Wharf project was led by developers Hoffman & Associates and Madison Marquette. Gorove Slade has had the privilege of partnering with Hoffman & Associates on a number of projects over the years, including: