Photo courtesy of WMATA
Braddock Metro Station
Metro is looking for a developer to turn the bus loop and Kiss & Ride lot at Alexandria's Braddock Road station into apartments, shops and an underground garage.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority released a request for proposals on Sept. 15 for the roughly 3.4-acre property at 720 N. West St., next to the Blue and Yellow line station. Proposals are due Dec. 15, and Metro expects to select a developer in the second quarter of 2027.
"Braddock Road is an opportunity to transform underused transit property into a walkable, mixed-use destination that brings more homes and neighborhood-serving amenities close to reliable transit," Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said in a news release. "We are looking for a development partner with the creativity, experience and financial capacity to deliver a project that strengthens the station, supports Alexandria's growth and creates long-term value for Metro and the region."
What could be built
Metro's planning analysis indicates the property could support about 420,000 square feet of development, up to about 380 homes and 21,000 square feet of retail, according to the release. Metro envisions a walkable destination with active ground-floor amenities, public spaces and strong pedestrian and bicycle connections to the station and the surrounding neighborhood.
A conceptual test fit included in the solicitation shows two seven-story, medium-density buildings with 378 apartments on the upper floors, retail and amenity space on the ground floors, and a single underground garage with 270 spaces serving both buildings. Metro said it welcomes creative development and financing approaches.
Only about 1.8 acres of the site is developable, according to the solicitation, and any building must sit at least 25 feet back from Metro's rail station infrastructure.
Metro prefers a ground lease, meaning the transit agency would keep ownership of the land while the selected developer leases it for up to 99 years.
The station is served by multiple Metrobus routes, and more than 1.3 million jobs are within a 30-minute commute, with downtown Washington less than 20 minutes away by rail, according to Metro.
City approvals still ahead
The winning proposal would still need the City of Alexandria's approval. The Metro parcels are zoned for utilities, which allows only a narrow set of transportation, energy and water uses. The city's Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan envisions rezoning the site with a maximum floor area ratio of 3.0, and developers should expect to need a development special use permit, the solicitation says.
Under the city's zoning ordinance, developers can seek up to 30% more density and up to 25 feet of additional height in exchange for affordable housing. One-third of that bonus square footage should be set aside for households earning up to 60% of the area median income.
"Braddock Rd station site has tremendous potential to welcome new residents, strengthen our local economy, and build on the walkable character that makes this community unique," said Alexandria City Council member Canek Aguirre, who serves as an alternate director on Metro's board. "We look forward to seeing innovative proposals that deliver benefits for both Alexandria and the region."
Changes for riders
The selected developer would also deliver improvements to the station's bus loop and Kiss & Ride area, according to Metro.
The bus facility would become a one-way, bus-only driveway entering from North West Street, running along the western edge of the station and exiting onto East Braddock Road at a new traffic signal. The five existing bus bays would remain, and two bus layover spaces would be added, according to Metro board documents.
The 21-space off-street Kiss & Ride lot, which also serves taxis and rideshare pickups, would close. Pick-up and drop-off would move to the curbs along westbound East Braddock Road and southbound North West Street, where Metro expects about 14 to 18 curbside spaces, including accessible spaces. The site's 65 bike racks, 12 bike lockers and Capital Bikeshare station would stay.
The changes drew a split response. Metro received 322 comments during its spring public comment period and an April 20 hearing: 44% in support, 43% opposed and 13% neutral, according to Metro's final staff report. Traffic and congestion drew the most comments. Residents also raised flooding at the Braddock Road, West Street and Wythe Street intersection, the loss of the Kiss & Ride lot for older, disabled and family riders, and pedestrian and bike safety near George Washington Middle School.
Metro called the traffic impacts "minor," noting that North West Street carries about 6,000 vehicles a day and East Braddock Road about 13,000. On flooding, Metro said the city leads infrastructure improvements in the area and that it would include design measures on its property to minimize the project's impact on the stormwater system. Staff recommended no changes to the plan, and Metro's Board of Directors took up the proposal Sept. 10.
More details are on Metro's Braddock Road project page.
Part of a larger push
The Braddock Road solicitation advances Metro's 2022 10-Year Strategic Plan for Joint Development, which set a goal of advancing 20 joint development projects by 2032.
Since 1975, Metro has completed 62 joint development projects totaling 11,100 homes, 6.1 million square feet of office space and 1.3 million square feet of retail at 33 of its 98 stations, according to the solicitation. That's more than any other transit agency in the country.
Any agreement with the selected developer must be approved by Metro's Board of Directors, with concurrence from the Federal Transit Administration.
Developers interested in the site can attend a site visit at 720 N. West St. on Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. Questions are due Oct. 12, and Metro will post answers Oct. 26. More on Metro's joint development opportunities is at wmata.com/realestate.
