Potomac Yard Metro Construction Will Relocate Park, Disrupt Weekend Metro

MAP of Potomac Yard metro planning from presentation

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Want to have a say in the Potomac Yard Metro station?

The $268 million ground-level station, set to open in the spring of 2020, will serve Metro’s Blue and Yellow lines between the Braddock Road and Reagan National Airport stations. The stop will be located between the CSX railroad tracks and the George Washington Memorial Parkway, north of Potomac Greens and east of the existing Potomac Yard Retail Center.

The station is expected to bring 26,000 new jobs, 21,000 new homes and $1.5 billion in new tax revenue over the next 20 or 30 years, the Washington Post reported in December. Metro projects opening year ridership for the station at 3,600 per day and 11,300 daily rides in 2040.

But the construction will mean some sacrifices including relocating a park, disruptions in weekend metro schedules and possibly lots of dust for nearby areas, according to the City.

Plans for the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station will go to the City of Alexandria Planning Commission and City Council for approval in June, according to the City. Before that, there will be numerous opportunities to learn about the project. Upcoming public meetings are listed below:

• Monday, April 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Potomac Yard Metrorail Implementation Work Group at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St. This meeting will focus on station design.
• Wednesday, May 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Community Meeting 2, at the Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St. This meeting will focus on potential construction impacts and ways to minimize or avoid those impacts.
• Tuesday, May 17, 6-8 p.m.: Open House 1 at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe Street. This meeting will provide information about the project, including design, environmental impacts, and construction impacts. It will be an open house format, designed so the members of the community can drop in on their own schedule.
• Monday, May 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Potomac Yard Metrorail Implementation Work Group at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe Street. This meeting will focus on station design.
• Thursday, June 2, 6:30-8:30 p.m.: Open House 2 at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St. This meeting will provide information about the project, including design, environmental impacts, and construction impacts. It will be an open house format, designed so members of the community can drop in on their own schedule.

Staff will also be providing project updates to nearby civic associations and to relevant boards and commissions.

For more information about this project, visit the City’s Potomac Yard website at alexandriava.gov/PotomacYard.