The Wharf will open new restaurants, office spaces, parks and luxury apartments as its second phase of development nears completion.

The Wharf, a popular outdoor development in southwest Washington, D.C., is home to a number of restaurants, hotels, shops and apartment complexes. While The Wharf opened in 2017, its development was split into two phases. Phase 2 will complete the remaining 1.25 million square feet of the development with the addition of new restaurants, office spaces, parks and luxury apartments, and expects these renovations to be complete by the end of the year. A public celebration of the opening is planned to take place on the five-year anniversary of The Wharf’s opening Oct. 12, although some Phase 2 locations will not open until renovations are completed.

The $3.6 billion expansion includes seven new restaurants that are set to open, including Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, Kinfolk Southern Kitchen, Milk & Honey and Slice of Matchbox.

The Pendry Hotel, a luxury boutique hotel, will begin accepting guests Nov. 1. Along with the hotel, 255 apartments and 96 condominiums will also be added, bringing a fresh real estate market to The Wharf. Luxury apartment complex The Tides is open and has allowed residents to begin leasing.

Julie Keleti, who serves as the marketing and communications manager for the District Wharf Community Association, said she is excited about the new recreational and cultural engagement opportunities that the expansion will bring.

“This is the completion of The Wharf that was always envisioned from the beginning,” Keleti wrote to The Hoya. 

Georgetown University McDonough School of Business (MSB) associate professor Christie Nordhielm said the expansion and opening of new locations in Phase 2 will likely expand the commercial success of The Wharf.

“There is massive expansion down here right now, a commercial expansion,” Nordhielm said to The Hoya. “The expansion thus far has been successful, so the only reason that any decent-thinking business person will make an investment like that is because they believe that there is a potential profit in it.”

According to Keleti, The Wharf has seen a surge in business in the past few months as District officials have eliminated COVID-19-related restrictions.

“The Wharf has been a place for years where local businesses have flourished,” Keleti wrote. “During the past 6 months, at least a quarter of The Wharf’s retail tenants have repeatedly reported some of the strongest monthly sales ever, and The Anthem has sold over 19% more tickets between January and August of 2022 than they did during the same pre-pandemic period in 2019.”

The Wharf estimates that 12 to 15 million people visit its location each year. Keleti said she hopes the new waterfront additions will further connect The Wharf to its local community.

“The Wharf as a whole has really connected DC back to its waterfront, and this Fall that is further highlighted by offering a full mile of waterfront experiences from the Fish Market to Fort McNair,” Keleti wrote.

Nordhielm said she hopes the expansion will positively impact economic opportunities in the neighborhood around The Wharf.

“For D.C., the trick economically is to bring in people from outside of D.C.,” Nordhielm said. “We have a fixed amount of people here in this area, so anything that attracts people from the DMV, the greater DMV, and of course nationally or even internationally, is what’s really going to benefit D.C.”

Keleti said she believes Phase 2 will serve as a positive contribution to the vibrant culture that is already prominent in the District.

“DC is such a fun and dynamic city with something for everyone, and The Wharf is adding to that energy in really exciting new ways,” Keleti wrote. “We hope that another half-mile will continue to offer new reasons for Washingtonians to keep coming back to The Wharf and enjoying what has made it a beloved neighborhood and destination in the District since it opened in 2017.”