Photo by Susannah Moore for Alexandria Living Magazine
Thursday evening, Hilco Redevelopment Partners (HRP) held its seventh community meeting for the redevelopment of the old Potomac River Generating Station (PRGS) site.
The PRGS first began operations in 1949. It was shut down in 2012 following years of opposition from local residents and environmentalists who were concerned about the plant's air pollution. Power company GenOn leased the site for decades and residents commonly referred to it as the GenOn Power Plant (click here for behind the scenes photos of the site taken during a public tour of the site).
HRP purchased the 18-acre site from Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco) in 2020 with plans to redevelop the property for mixed-use, in keeping with the Old Town North Small Area Plan.
Three main points drive the redevelopment of the property: The first is to integrate the site with the rest of Old Town North by creating connections like extended roads and transportation. The second is to connect people to the waterfront by optimizing its proximity to and views of the water. Finally, the project will provide meaningful public open space.
At Thursday’s meeting, representatives of the company focused on land use and affordable housing. Future meetings will focus on environmental and sustainability issues (Feb. 24) and transportation (on a date TBD in March).
The project is still in its very early stages and specific designs and building uses have not been finalized, but the main focus will be on residential, office, innovation, retail and arts uses in addition to the 14 acres of public open space.
The variety of uses will be distributed evenly over the six blocks of the project to ensure 24/7 activation of spaces. Roughly 20 to 60 percent of the buildings will be for commercial use (including arts, retail, office and potential hotel) while 40 to 80 percent will be for residential use.
The mixed-use nature of the project will emphasize walkability and the promotion of diversity. There would be a variety of office buildings from Class A to co-working and innovative or creative uses. Retail would be a mix of shops, restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating, similar to the Wharf, Barca and Robinson Landing further south along Alexandria’s waterfront.
Art is an important part of the Old Town North neighborhood and potential art uses on the site would vary from public art to performance arts and could include art lofts, arts walks, performance space and other features.
Despite the overall size of the site, restrictions like easements and the Pepco substation, which will remain on the property, mean that only 40 percent of the land is available for building construction which does not include roads, sidewalks and open space.
In order to promote diversity and art in the redevelopment, HRP will take advantage of the City’s arts and affordable housing bonuses, which allow up to 30 percent of additional density, although HRP says it will likely only use 12 to 15 percent in bonus area.
HRP is dedicated to increasing affordable housing which could take the form of a contribution to the City’s affordable housing fund and/or public-private partnerships which would allow for innovative solutions to the affordable housing demand. Deeds would ensure that rental units would remain affordable (typically 40-80 percent AMI) for at least 40 years and affordable ownership opportunities (typically 70-100 AMI) would be for perpetuity.
The Old Town North Small Area Plan and urban design guidelines say building heights can reach up to 140 feet with transitions. With the additional bonus space, heights could reach up to 172 feet or 16 stories in the middle of the site but actual heights will be determined later during the DSUP process.
For reference purposes, the smoke stacks that currently exist on the site are 162 feet high and nearby Marina Towers is 135 feet or 14 stories. Pedestrian perception of heights will be minimized by architectural details and the presence of other people using the spaces. Building strategies and landscaping will also minimize the noise from Reagan National airport.
HRP will present the project for public hearings before the Planning Commission and City Council in June. Construction on the site is not expected to start until 2024. More information on the project and future meeting dates as well as recordings of past meetings can be found at https://www.hilcoredev.com/projects/hrp-alexandria.
