[Archived] Alexandria Waterfront Plan Reaches Milestones

• On June 14, 2014, City Council unanimously approved Phase I of a Waterfront design that provides for many exciting new public amenities. An expanded pedestrian plaza at the foot of King Street, to be called Fitzgerald Square, will allow unobstructed views of the river and include many places to walk or relax. The area could include a fountain during the summer and an ice skating rink in the winter. The square will have visual and physical connections to an expanded and improved marina to the north, and to enhanced parks and streets to the south and west. An expanded Point Lumley Park will include a civic building, children’s play area, and outdoor reading room, all of which will be adjacent to a new tiered continuous public boardwalk along the Potomac. The Phase I design, which also includes critical flood mitigation infrastructure, was accomplished in partnership with the world-acclaimed landscape architectural firm, The Olin Studio, and URS Corporation. Phase II of the design process will begin in fall 2014.
• On June 24, 2014, City Council unanimously approved property exchange and settlement agreements between the City and the Old Dominion Boat Club (ODBC), which will allow ODBC to construct a new clubhouse and parking lot one block south of their current locations. On June 25, City Manager Rashad M. Young and ODBC President Richard Banchoff executed the agreements on behalf of the parties. The agreements will be presented in July for ratification by ODBC’s members, a majority of whom voted in March to approve the move option. The properties that ODBC will transfer to the City form the heart of the new Waterfront design, and their transition to public open space is a critical step in the Waterfront Plan. ODBC’s new facilities will include a modern, flood-proof clubhouse and parking for members, and eventually, new piers. 
• Also on June 24, the City executed contracts to acquire the parking lot properties at 204 and 208 Strand Street. The City’s purchase of these two parcels, totaling one half-acre between Duke and Prince Streets, is a significant step to successful implementation of both the Waterfront Small Area Plan and the Open Space Master Plan by facilitating the expansion and enhancement of Point Lumley public park. 

“These three accomplishments are tangible examples of how the plan for Alexandria’s Waterfront is taking shape,” said Mayor William D. Euille. “The approved Phase I design depicts a vibrant Waterfront consistent with Alexandria’s historic character, which will make Alexandrians proud for generations to come. The acquisition of the ODBC and Strand Street properties will finally allow our vital open space and flood mitigation projects to move forward.”

For more information about the Waterfront Plan and related activities, visit alexandriava.gov/Waterfront.

For media inquiries, contact Craig Fifer, Acting Director of the Office of Communications and Public Information, at craig.fifer@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3965.