If you commuted on Maine Ave., SW this morning, you may have noticed a countdown clock mounted to the sign for the Wharf. While it’s nearly universal fact that construction projects never finish on time, the developers of the Wharf are publicly holding themselves to the October 12, 2017 deadline for completing the majority of the first phase of the $2 billion development. Hence the clock, which was installed overnight and will hit zero in 365 days.
In a year, promises Hoffman-Madison Waterfront, the Wharf will open with nearly 225,000 square feet of office space, more than 175,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, 870 residences, three hotels, four public piers, a 6,000-person concert hall, a water taxi hub, the relocated Capital Yacht Club, and more.
The developers give a lengthier timeline for the rest of the first phase, stating in a press release that a “reimagined and expanded 200-year-old fish market environment,” day docks, and an office tower at 1000 Maine Ave. “will open in time for the blooming” of the cherry blossoms in spring 2018.
The “fish market environment” getting reimagined is the Maine Avenue Fish Market, whose owners are currently embroiled in litigation with the Wharf developers. Incorporating the historic market into the new development has long been a part of the design for the Wharf. Previous reports had the revamped fish market finishing by 2017. Hoffman-Madison says the new timeline is due to infrastructure issues, not the lawsuit.
Marisa M. Kashino joined Washingtonian in 2009 and was a senior editor until 2022.
