[Archived] Alexandria Commissions to Hold Joint Public Hearing on Waterfront Phasing and Funding

For Immediate Release: December 9, 2014

The Alexandria Waterfront Commission and Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission will hold a joint public hearing this Thursday, December 11, at 7 p.m., to receive public input on how to prioritize future phasing and funding for the City's Waterfront Plan.  The meeting will take place in the gym at the Nannie J. Lee Recreation Center, 1108 Jefferson St.  Advance registration is not required to attend or speak.

"The Waterfront Plan provides a vision for what our Waterfront can be," said Mayor William D. Euille.  "Now it's time for the community to help choose which specific design ideas should be implemented, and in what order."

In June 2014, City Council approved the design of public improvements known as the Phase I Design, including park features, walkways and promenades, flood mitigation, and other features.  These improvements are estimated to cost $120 million, and cannot all be implemented simultaneously for a variety of physical, regulatory, and fiscal reasons.  Public input is needed to prioritize the phasing of the implementation (the order in which the improvements will be undertaken) and the manner in which they will be funded.  The City Manager will recommend a multi-year phasing and funding plan as part of the Fiscal Year 2016 to 2025 Capital Improvement Program presented to City Council in March 2015.

The Phase I Design lends itself to further phasing because the design divides the Waterfront into a "Core Area" from Duke St. to Queen St., and a "Non-Core Area" north to Third St. and south to Wolfe St.  The accompanying chart illustrates the public improvements and associated costs for each area.  The Core Area is divided into primary and secondary subareas, with the assumption that the landside and infrastructure elements of the primary subarea would be implemented first.

City Council approved the overall Waterfront Plan in 2012.  In 2013, The Olin Studio firm incorporated community input to begin transforming the Plan's vision into a world-class, aspirational preliminary Phase I Design.  This design addresses the long term ideals of the Plan's vision for a variety of unique outdoor park rooms along the Waterfront -- some active and some passive -- connected by a continuous walkway and promenade.  The design also incorporates significantly improved flood mitigation infrastructure.

The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City's Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To request a reasonable accommodation, or to request materials in an alternative format, contact Jack Browand at jack.browand@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.5504 (VA Relay 711).

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