Susannah Moore
If you walk, run or bike along the Mount Vernon Trail just north of Old Town, you can’t miss the unsightly presence of rusted metal and concrete structures looming silently over the landscape. They are the remains of the Potomac River Generating Station (PRGS), which operated for more than 60 years before environmentally-minded Alexandrians shut the plant down in 2012.
In 2020, Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) purchased the abandoned coal-fired power plant, which sits on over 18 acres along the Potomac River, with the vision of transforming the site into a sustainable, mixed-use community, fully integrated into the surrounding Old Town North neighborhood. HRP will follow the guidelines laid out by the City’s 2017 Old Town North Small Area Plan.
It has been a long journey for HRP so far, as they have held more than 45 engagement events over 16 months with community members, and officials from the City of Alexandria and the National Park Service. A Coordinated Development District (CDD) plan was approved on July 5 that lays the groundwork for details like road configuration, open space layout, land use and density and height maximums for buildings.
The CDD approved a mix of uses for the site with 20-60 percent of the site approved for commercial use (office, arts, innovation, hotel and retail) and 40-80 percent residential (including affordable housing), depending on market demands.
But the site has a long way to go before the new mixed use community becomes a reality. HRP is currently working on Infrastructure Development Site Plan (IDSP) and Coordinated Sustainability Strategy (CSS) submissions with the City. The DSP lays out roadways, streetscapes, sidewalks and utility plan for the site. The CSS establishes metrics for sustainable performance thresholds across six categories: the site itself, indoor environment, water, materials and waste, energy and carbon, and climate and resilience.
The plan currently calls for 14.2 acres of new or improved publicly-accessible open space and improved connections for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles via road improvements, especially at Slaters Lane and Bashford Lane. It also calls for the creation of a Woonerf, or a people-focused street, along the waterfront.
So when can we expect to see depictions of the actual buildings that will be built at the site? Probably not until the later part of 2023 when developers prepare to submit Concept 2 Development Special Use Permit (DSUP). It is around this time that abatement of the site will begin. During its 60 years of operation, the power plant emitted approximately 200 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. It is expected there will be some areas of contaminated soil at the former plant.
John Newhall, who heads up construction for HRP said that deconstruction of the power plant will not take place until mid to late 2024 and will take 14-18 months to take down the above grade portions. “You’re not going to see implosions, you’re not going to see major drops of building sections. What you are going to see is dust mitigation. All of the work is going to be done in a systematic manor, basically taking down structural sections day by day,” Newhall explained at a Wednesday evening community meeting hosted by HRP.
HRP will keep nearby residents updated on construction logistics via a website. The developer will also be required to submit a construction management plan to the city and hold preconstruction meetings with the community. Real-time monitors will be around the perimeter of the site to test dust to make sure it is not contaminated beyond allowed limits.
More information can be found on HRP’s website at www.hilcoredev.com/projects/hrp-alexandria.
