Letter
Dear Mr. Miller:
In its meeting of 20 November, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed the final designs submitted by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development for the public space components of the Southwest Waterfront development, known as The Wharf. These include public space elements associated with Phase 1 of the development as well as final designs for the piers, wharf frontage, parks, streetscapes, and parks. The Commission approved the submission with the following comments to be addressed in the final documentation of the project, the review of which is delegated to the staff.
The Commission members commended the project team for the quality of the design and for its responsiveness to their previous guidance, commenting that the refinement of the streetscape elements will result in a rich urban environment that emphasizes the primacy of the waterfront setting. As the final documentation of the project is completed, they requested the additional refinement of three elements: simplifying the Market Pier arch; regularizing the alignment of poles along Maine Avenue if possible; and redesigning the Blair Alley fountain—which they did not approve as presented—preferably through the engagement of a professional artist.
The Commission looks forward to the next review of the individual building components for The Wharf as they are developed. Please coordinate with the staff for review of the final documentation of this project and for any future submissions.
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
M. Jeffrey Miller
Interim Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 317
Washington, DC 20004
cc: Shawn Seaman, Hoffman-Madison Waterfront
Hilary Bertsch, JJR-EEK
Paul Josey, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects
Michael Vergason, Michael Vergason Landscape Architects