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[CNJRoss]

WMATA news release:

 

For immediate release: September 10, 2018

Metro and City of Alexandria announce selection of contractor for Potomac Yard Metro Station

 

Metro (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) and the City of Alexandria have announced that Metro today selected Potomac Yard Constructors as the prime construction contractor for the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station. The project is a joint venture of Halmar International and Schiavone Construction Co., well-established subsidiaries of global construction companies. The $213.7 million construction contract is the most recent milestone in the effort to bring a new transit station to Alexandria.

 

“We look forward to the construction of the Potomac Yard Metro Station, an exciting project that will provide jobs and expand transit options for the fastest-growing part of the Alexandria community,” said Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld. “Once complete, the station and surrounding development will create a thriving community, connected by transit, where people can enjoy seamless access to jobs, education, stores, restaurants and entertainment options – both on site and throughout the region.”

 

“For more than 40 years, our community has explored and worked towards the possibility of adding a Metro station in Potomac Yard,” said City Manager Mark B. Jinks. “The selection of a contractor brings us one major step closer to making this long-standing goal a reality. The new station will improve neighborhood walkability and transit options while reducing traffic congestion. We look forward to working with the community in the coming months to finalize the details of the station design.”

 

The station, to be built on Metrorail's Yellow and Blue Lines between the existing Braddock Road and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stations, will provide an extensive range of benefits for Alexandria and the surrounding community, including walkable access to regional transportation systems for neighborhoods in the northeast area of the city. The station is also expected to generate billions of dollars in new private sector investment over the long term and eventually support 26,000 new jobs and 13,000 new residents. The Potomac Yard area represents the most significant redevelopment and tax base growth opportunity for Alexandria, with the potential to achieve the vision for an urban mix of uses near transit.

 

The $320 million project budget includes the construction contract and other direct spending by Metro and the City. Metro has set a goal of 18 percent of the project spending going to small and minority-owned businesses. The station will be funded through a variety of sources – including new tax revenue gained primarily from development in Potomac Yard over the next 40 years, regional transportation authority grants, and developer contributions.

 

The City will solicit public input this fall on design changes to the new station, including the contract’s requirement to improve access from the south to the station’s north entrance. Construction of the station is expected to begin in spring 2019, with completion by late 2021 or early 2022.

 

For more information about Potomac Yard projects, including additional information about the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station, visit alexandriava.gov/PotomacYard.

[CNJRoss]

The Zebra , Alexandria  VA 4/20/19:

WMATA to use eminent domain for part of Potomac Yard Metro project

 

After years of negotiations, the transit agency offered $50,000 for 6,200 square feet.

 

 

Alexandria, VA – In an effort to keep the Potomac Yard Metro station project on track, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is using eminent domain to purchase Alexandria land from the Potomac Green Homeowners Association. WMATA reportedly filed a civil suit in Alexandria after two years of failed negotiations and requested $50,000 as fair value for the 6,200 square feet of land at a traffic circle at Carpenter Road and Potomac Green Drive.

 

SNIP

 

.  .  .  WMATA said in court documents that once the $320 million station is finished in 2021 or 2022 that the land will be returned to the community in its previous condition.

 

More here.

[CNJRoss]

The Washington Post, 12/19/19

Metro and Virginia kick off major construction on Potomac Yard Metro station

 

 

 

Major construction on the Potomac Yard Metro is officially underway and the station is on track for a spring 2022 opening, officials said.

 

Metro and the City of Alexandria are celebrating a groundbreaking for the $320 million station Thursday, kicking off two more years of construction on a project officials hope will turn the area around it into a vibrant community with offices, housing and retail.

 

“This is a significant, transformational project,” Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson (D) said. “By bringing a new Metro station in here, we are shaping the type of development that is going to be happening in Potomac Yard for generations to come.”

 

 

Continue here.

[CNJRoss]

ALXNow, Arlington, VA 12/19/19
 

Southern Entrance Debate Resurfaces at Potomac Yard Metro Groundbreaking

 

 

After 20 years of planning, work has started on the Potomac Yard Metro station.

 

Officials past and present came together at 2 p.m. today (Thursday) at the future Potomac Yard Metro station, currently the parking lot of Regal Potomac Yard movie theater.

 

The goal is to have the station opened by March 2022.

 

SNIP

 

A group of local residents were at the groundbreaking with a banner and signs demanding the south entrance be restored. The entrance has continually been brought up in the Potomac Yard Working Group meetings, including earlier this week on Tuesday, but while a ramp may be built from the southern neighborhoods to the area outside the station, it’s not the true southern entrance many residents are hoping for.

 

More here w/photo album.

[CNJRoss]

WTOP radio 3/21/20
 

Alexandria settles on Potomac Yard entrance design

 

 

After years of debate, Alexandria has finally settled on a design for a disputed entrance to the new Potomac Yard Metro station on the Blue and Yellow lines.

 

The recommended southwest entrance includes two elevators and stairs up to a pedestrian bridge. The city did not release the exact price, but said the entrance is within the $50 million provided by Virginia’s state government for the project as the state lured Amazon and the new Virginia Tech Innovation Campus to the area.

 

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[CNJRoss]

Progressive Railroading 3/24/20

WMATA to improve access at future Potomac Yard Station

 

WMATA's Potomac Yard Station will be built on Metrorail's Yellow and Blue lines. Photo – alexandriava.gov

 

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and Alexandria, Virginia, city officials last week added a new station design option with enhanced southwest access for the future Potomac Yard Metrorail station project.

 

Following pricing discussions with WMATA’s construction contractor, the new station design would include a bridge accessible via elevator and stairs, city officials said in a press release. 

 

In 2018, the Alexandria City Council also approved a station design with one east side access point and two west side access points with a ramp. The ramp option would cost about $10 million to $15 million less than the new enhanced bridge option.

 

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[KevinKorell]

ALX Now, 7/24/20:

 

    Virginia Tech Wants Potomac Yard Metro Station to Include ‘VT’ Initials   

 

 

Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus could bring a wealth of economic sustainability to Alexandria, and now the school has requested that the future Potomac Yard Metro station include “VT” in its name.

 

Read

[CNJRoss]

WRC-TV 4/16/21
 

Potomac Yard Metro Station Begins to Take Shape

 

The station is set to open in the spring of 2022

 

 

A new Metro station is being built at Potomac Yard in Alexandria, Virginia.

 

The construction, which has been planned since the ‘90s, begins to take shape as Metro trains roll through. The expected opening date is in the spring of 2022.

 

“There has been a ton of progress, just in the last six months,” said Kevin Chambers, a nearby resident.

 

Continue here with video report.

[CNJRoss]

WMATA news release

 

For immediate release: July 26, 2021

  Metro Announces Potomac Yard Metrorail Station Opening Delay

 

 

Today, Metro announced a delay of at least five months to complete construction of the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station. Prior to the announcement, Metro notified the City of Alexandria of the delay.

 

Metro engineers determined that the original design of the Automatic Train Control (ATC) systems, which was based upon specifications written by Metro, did not meet all of the important safety requirements to ensure the safe operation of trains. The ATC system prevents trains from getting too close to one another and ensures trains always maintain a safe distance.

 

The need to redesign the ATC system is the result of project management decisions for which Metro is accountable. Metro is working with the contractor to reduce delays in the project schedule and ensure system safety. Construction of the station will continue largely on schedule, but there are some track-related construction elements that are dependent upon the completion of the ATC design.

 

The station, originally expected to open in April 2022, is now anticipated to open in or around Fall 2022 in order to complete the design and implementation of this safety critical system. Metro will work with its contractor to seek ways to prioritize completion of the ATC elements of this project.

 

The Potomac Yard Station will be located in the southern end of National Landing on Metro's Yellow and Blue lines between the existing Braddock Road and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport stations. This project was initiated by the City of Alexandria and will be largely funded by tax revenues and developer contributions generated by planned new development in the Potomac Yard neighborhood. The station will provide a wide range of benefits for Alexandria and the surrounding communities, including walkable access to regional transportation systems for residents in the northeast area of the city.

 

 

 

[CNJRoss]

WTOP-FM Washington, DC 7/26/21

 

‘Deeply disappointing:’ Opening of new Potomac Yard Metro station in Alexandria delayed

 

The new Potomac Yard Metro station that was set to open near the sprawling Amazon headquarters development in Alexandria, Virginia, next spring will be delayed by at least five months because of design flaws in a critical safety system, Metro announced Monday.

 

Construction on the Potomac Yard station, on Metro’s Blue and Yellow Lines, began in December 2019 and was expected to be completed by April 2022.

 

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