Waterfront Station Opens Up in Southwest DC

WASHINGTON - The escalators at one Metro stop in southwest D.C. are up and running, taking you into a neighborhood with a new look.

Residents near the southwest waterfront told FOX 5 they have spent years in the shadow of the Capitol building, but have always felt overlooked. That changed a lot Wednesday.

Mayor Adrian Fenty officially opened Waterfront Station . Right next to the Waterfront/SEU Metro Station, it has a new Safeway, restaurants and 535,000 square feet of office space.

"The facades of these buildings look fantastic. Inside these buildings are the hardest working people in the entire world. You know them generally as the government of the District of Columbia," said Mayor Fenty.

Mitchell Schear, President of Vornado/Charles E. Smith held up a photo of the old Waterside Mall.

"It's just been such an incredible journey to get to this day. Ten years in the making from when we first met with city officials and the community about what was then Waterside Mall," said Schear.

As ANC commissioner, Mary C. Williams attended more meetings than she cares to count.

"We were adamant. We were ferocious. And sometimes, we were downright rude,” Williams said.

But when Williams was asked if they got what they wanted, she replied, “We got what we wanted.”

The development also includes the reopening of 4th Street SW. Residents say it is becoming the neighborhood they always hoped to have.

For more information about Waterfront Station, go to www.waterfrontstation.com/