There’s a large, empty plot of land in the Potomac Yard neighborhood that was, until last week, slated to become a large entertainment district with sports facilities and more. Now that the proposal to build a professional sports arena has been consigned to the history bin, what should go in that space?
First, some history: “For decades, City plans have assumed that over time, the existing shopping center and its acres of surface parking, would give way to a new mixed-use neighborhood, with residential, commercial, entertainment, a school, park land and much more,” Mayor Justin Wilson wrote in his most recent email newsletter. “The North Potomac Yard Plan, includes the area north of East Glebe Road continuing to the City border, and allows over 7.6 million square feet of development.”
JBG Smith, which was heavily invested in the arena proposal and promised to preserve 1,000 units of affordable housing if the deal went through, owns the property. The development and real estate company recently started a new, 20-year lease in the existing shopping center, according to Wilson, which means Alexandria’s most-beloved Target store will stay open.
So, What Now?
JBG Smith released a statement when Monumental Sports & Entertainment revealed it would keep its professional sports teams in downtown Washington, D.C. deriding the political forces that killed the arena proposal.
In the statement, the company said, “Instead, the existing surface-parked, single story shopping center on the site will remain through the remaining 20-year term of the Target lease and development on the remaining land will likely be far less dense. … We will continue to pursue alternate uses and amenities to further develop our sites adjacent to the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus. We will also continue to work tirelessly to attract business and customers to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the local communities in which we invest….”
Part of the North Potomac Yard Plan, last updated a few years ago, called for a significant amount of office space for large companies. However the need for office space has collapsed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unlikely any big companies will have much interest in building new office buildings on the land, despite its proximity to the new Potomac Yard Metro station. (In fact, even large Alexandria presences like the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office are reducing office space leases as workers who have gotten used to working from home become less likely to return to the office full time as the years pass.)
Residents are not short on ideas for the area. On various social media sites, residents have said that:
- Alexandria could use another public school and more green space, sports courts, soccer fields and other recreational uses.
- Part of the arena proposal called for Alexandria to have its own large events venue for larger performances and where Alexandria City Public Schools could host graduation, and some residents are saying having such a venue would be helpful.
- Others are calling for a new bowling alley, movie theater and other semi-affordable entertainment options for local families.
However, any future development will depend somewhat on what will work for property owner JBG Smith, as well as local residents and city leadership.
“With this proposal now dead and the shopping center likely to remain for the foreseeable future, we must now pursue large-scale economic growth elsewhere in the City, pursue greater austerity in the provision of City services or prepare taxpayers for a more significant burden in the future. Those are challenges that future City Councils will grapple with along with Alexandria residents,” Wilson wrote in his newsletter.
