Wharf set to open on Southwest Waterfront in DC

WASHINGTON - It's a renaissance of sorts for the Southwest Waterfront as the Wharf is almost open for business.

The massive development, made up of restaurants, condos, a live music venue and much more, is expected to attract thousands of people a day to the waterfront. The Wharf is set to open on Thursday as the Foo Fighters take the stage at The Anthem.

Mayor Muriel Bowser was in the area Tuesday morning to promote all the alternative transportation to the development, including a new water taxi that will bring visitors from Virginia and Maryland to the Wharf.

"What a way to come to a concert, to a restaurant right here in D.C. and have a really pleasant ride wherever your end point is," Bowser said. "There is also a free shuttle bus that the development project is offering, and it looks like metro bus, but it's wrapped in blue and it says Southwest Waterfront."

While there is parking at the Wharf, it's limited and will be costly, not to mention traffic in the area is already congested.

A concern moving forward with the Wharf is safety and security. D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen said while police and fire crews are currently prepared, as the waterfront expands, he said city resources must also expand in the area.

"I have confidence for today that we're covered. We've got the men and women serving trained and they're going to serve us well, but as we continue to grow our waterfront, as we continue to grow our city on our rivers and on our water I think we've got to make more investments to make sure we're ready," Allen said.

In the video player above, FOX 5's Matt Ackland give us a peek of the Wharf.