Photo Courtesy of the City of Alexandria
Thursday afternoon, the City of Alexandria hosted a public groundbreaking ceremony for the new Potomac Yard Metrorail Station.
The groundbreaking took place at the future location of the station’s northwest entrance (3601 Potomac Ave.), adjacent to the Regal Potomac Yard movie theater. The movie theater will be closing in 2020 to make room for massive redevelopment of the area for the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus, related Amazon HQ2 development and the new Metro Station.
“Today’s announcement is a major milestone that has been a quarter-century in the making,” said Mayor Justin Wilson in a pre-groundbreaking statement. “Alexandria has worked closely with Metro and our federal and state partners to plan for a new Potomac Yard Metrorail Station that will improve mobility, promote economic development, and protect our environment. We now officially move from planning the station to constructing the station.”
The new Potomac Yard Metrorail Station will serve the Metro Blue and Yellow line trains. The station is projected to cost $320 million. Funding is coming from new tax revenue from Potomac Yard area development, funds from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, and developers.
The station should open in early 2022 if construction goes according to plan.
According to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, models suggest that 5,000 to 6,000 daily trips will be shifted from automobiles to transit once this station is constructed and about 10,000 to 11,000 boardings daily are expected at the station. Pedestrian and bicycle facilities will be included at the new station, providing safe and convenient access to local trails.
At Thursday's groundbreaking, several residents showed up in protest of the elimination of a third (South) entrance to the Metro station. The two planned-for entrances are at the northwest and northeast of the Metro station area.
The Washington Post reported earlier this fall that a $50 million state grant for that entrance was restored after being defunded, but all options for the second entrance far exceed the $50 million grant.
A letter from the Potomac Yard Civic Association suggested the City could have borrowed slightly more on the recent bond issuance, since the City has a stellar financial record and received a very low interest rate on borrowed funds. Civic Association representatives say the City should use the state grant, contingency funds and cash from the Potomac Yard Reserve Fund to pay for the South Entrance.
"We call upon the City Manager [Mark] Jinks, Mayor [Justin] Wilson, and City Council to honor their commitments to the residents and greater community and develop a mixed finance package to build the South Entrance," the letter concluded. It was signed by Mila Yochum, president of the Potomac Yard Civic Association.
Current plans call for a ramp from the southwest side of the station to the northwest entrance to improve station access. City officials are working on plans to upgrade that from a ramp to a bridge.
City of Alexandria
The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus will include three academic buildings on the north end of the area, and other buildings with retail, offices and residential. The Metro station will be near the south end of this development behind where Target is now located.
Long-term plans call for a coordinated development district in the area now occupied by the area's main retailers including Target, Barnes & Noble, Shoppers (closing in January) and other stores. Read more about the Innovation Campus development plans here.
