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Articles
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| Plans propose to make Southwest Waterfront ‘world class’ |
VOICE writes, "Plans propose to make Southwest Waterfront ‘world class’
BY BEN WEINSTEIN
Developers announced grand conceptual plans last week for the estimated $800 million Southwest Waterfront redevelopment, including a maritime museum, water activities open to the public and a canal through East Potomac Park.
In addition to new retail, hotel, office and residential space, the city's "world-class waterfront" could include a town square, public parks, water-transportation piers, an aquarium and public marinas — possibly even a public fishing pier or beach. But planners said it's too early to say what will make the final cut and which elements are too expensive. "
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Nevertheless, officials said the public-private project will reorient the District outward from the mall to the waterfront. "It is one of the biggest remakes on the face of Washington, D.C., in a lifetime," Ward 6 Councilman Tommy Wells said on Sept. 19 at a presentation on the waterfront project. "It will create the first true waterfront neighborhood."
Planners said they envision lively streets and architecture for the waterfront, a departure in design from the city's orderly federal style toward one closer to the great European waterfront cities. But they also said the 47-acre project will rely heavily on community input.
"We don't have formulas, we don't have prototypes," said designer Stan Eckstut of Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn architects. "We're starting with the community."
Before plans are finalized, developers must clear a few hurdles, including securing land from current leaseholders and getting permission from the federal government if they intend to cut a canal through East Potomac Park.
Monty Hoffman of PN Hoffman, a lead project developer, said they are currently in negotiations with existing leaseholders and plan to finalize the land-disposition agreement with the District this fall. Hoffman also said work is scheduled to begin late 2009 and end in 2015. "We are at the beginning of a long journey," Hoffman said.
Southwest residents worry about increased traffic and parking problems associated with the waterfront project, the new Nationals baseball stadium and the new office and residential buildings slated for development in Southwest and Near Southeast in the near future.
Wells said Southwest can expect 12,000 to 15,000 new residents and 25,000 new employees in the next 10 years. "It is an extraordinary challenge."
"Most of the great places in the world are congested," Eckstut said. He added that the project's design will favor pedestrians over cars and that aiding rushing commuters through Southwest on visually unappealing highways is not part of the plan. But, he said, developers also want to limit the number of vehicles driving on waterfront streets; a wharf street, for example, could be open or closed to traffic depending on the day or time.
Waterfront business owners are also concerned about the redevelopment plans. While the Maine Avenue Fish Market will stay open, the restaurants, nightclubs and other businesses on the waterfront may not be part of the project.
"Preserve the fish market. Leave it, don't clean it up too much," Eckstut said, adding that it will become a central attraction on the waterfront and an anchor for area retail.
Jay Juergensen, with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, said waterfront businesses may be temporarily closed during construction. But, he added, there's no schedule yet.
The 2 million-square-foot development will have 30 percent of its residential units set aside as affordable housing. Developers must also adhere to the District's guidelines for hiring local, small and disadvantaged businesses. There will be approximately 770 housing units, 230,000 square feet of retail space and about 2,000 parking spaces.
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Posted on Sep 26, 2007 18:08pm.
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