Residents will have an opportunity this week to question officials from the company that did the transportation analysis for the potential professional sports arena coming to Potomac Yards.
This Thursday, city officials will host a community conversation with representatives from Kimley-Horn about transportation planning for arena traffic. Transportation has been one of the biggest concerns among area residents.
The event will be hosted online from 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday. Residents can register online here.
City Officials Release HR&A Report
On Friday, the City of Alexandria released the full (with some redactions) the Potomac Yard Economic and Fiscal Impact Study by HR&A Advisors. City officials had been getting criticism from residents since early December for only releasing a summary.
Interestingly, the report seems to include plans, in a footnote, to demolish Alexandria Toyota at 3750 Richmond Highway for a nearly 500,000 square-foot mid-rise residential building with 577 units. That is included in Phase 2, which would be completed by 2031.
The plans also incorporate academic buildings for Virginia Tech, separate from the planned Innovation Campus, which is not included in the analysis and seems to plan for the redevelopment of the shopping center. (City officials have said Target will stay or return after their space is rebuilt.)
"We are focused on providing facts and information instead of correcting inaccuracies and misrepresentations from D.C. and others whose priorities do not align with the best interests of Alexandrians," city officials wrote ahead of the release.
Richmond Still Fighting
The session for the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate is scheduled to end on March 8, leaving officials just a few weeks to complete the passage of bills required for the arena to move forward.
The House of Delegates passed legislation to move forward on the proposed arena, but the bills face hurdles in the Senate, where Sen. Louise Lucas, chair of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee, is opposed.
The Senate version of the state budget, released Sunday, did not include significant funding for Metro required to handle arena crowds. It also did not include needed sections to create the arena authority.
In addition, groups like the Stop The Arena coalition are actively lobbying locally and in Richmond against the proposal. (The group joined the George Washington birthday parade on Monday.)
