Southwest Waterfront
SW
OVERVIEW
SITUATED AT THE CONFLUENCE OF THE POTOMAC AND THE ANACOSTIA RIVERS and directly adjacent to the National Mall, the Southwest Waterfront attracts new residents and visitors with ten world-class museums, seven performance venues, and a rapidly expanding food and cultural scene thanks to the opening of The Wharf. The area’s residential population continues to grow, with hundreds of new residential units underway.
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Southwest WaterfrontNEIGHBORHOOD FEATURES
Neighborhood Growth
- The new WMATA headquarters at 300 7th Street delivered in 2022 with 227,000 SF of office and retail space.
- Waterfront Station II is a 12-story building expected to deliver in 2023 that will offer 449 apartment units, retail, and performing arts/theater space. Retailers include DC-based early childhood education provider AppleTree School and a three-meal café by Good Company Doughnuts.
- Phase II of development in The Wharf will deliver 547,000 SF of office space in three buildings, 95,000 SF of retail space, a 131-room Pendry hotel, 351 residential units (apartments & condos), a 200+ slip marina, and public spaces in 2022.
- The historic Randall School is currently undergoing renovations to become the new home for a contemporary art museum (Rubell Museum) and 18,600 SF of commercial space. Gallery 64, a 492-unit multifamily building, will be constructed adjacent to the school.
Placemaking
- In 2022, the Southwest BID will create the Southwest Mobility Innovation District (MID), funded in part by a grant from DMPED, to promote mobility innovation in service of the neighborhood ecosystem in a rapidly changing section of DC. This will include the launch of a new demand-responsive neighborhood shuttle.
- Southwest’s Sunday Suppers, a series of free community suppers held every Sunday evening in August in parks around Southwest, will continue in 2022.
- As a beautification effort, Southwest BID engaged numerous local artists to design and decorate traffic boxes around the neighborhood to incorporate more color and character into everyday life.
Top Local Industries
60,770 Total Area Employment
- Public Administration: 49%
- Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services: 16%
- Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation: 8%



Contact: Southwest Business Improvement District
Steve Moore
Executive Director