North Potomac Yard is the largest of 12 development and open space sites that make up the 295-acre former railyard in the north end of Alexandria, Virginia. Home to one of the busiest freight railyards and a major node in the north-south trade and transportation corridor on the east coast, Potomac Yard was decommissioned in 1987. And thus, began the ""BIG IDEA"" that has now been nearly 30 years in the making.
Soon after the railyard closed, the 1992 Potomac Yard/Potomac Greens Plan introduced the concept for a new inline Metrorail Station. The subsequent North Potomac Yard Small Area Plan, adopted in 2010 and updated in 2017, further honed in on the new Metro Station concept, establishing a long-term vision for the 70 acres of the former railyard as a transit oriented, mixed use, sustainable community. With the Potomac Yard Metrorail station as its anchor and the recommended density and land use mix, North Potomac Yard stands poised to become a long-term economic engine for the City. The Plan guides growth and redevelopment by taking advantage of a robust urban grid, planned economic diversity, a central location in the region, and proximity to Washington National Airport.
The BIG IDEA: Link people and places by building a new inline Metrorail station - only the second in WMATA's 40+-year history - to enable and support an additional 7.5M square feet of mixed-use, transit-oriented development in one of the country's fastest growing corridors.
After 28 years of political leadership, the persistent challenge of navigating changing administrations, evolving technology, shifting community preferences/needs, an enormous funding gap and a volatile market, this long-term vision is on the cusp of being realized.
This presentation will discuss:
- the details of this long-term vision,
- the challenges posed and strategies used to preserve the BIG IDEA through various changes (economic, political, social); and
- status of how the vision is being realized.
Jeffrey Farner
Confirmed Speaker
Mr. Farner, Deputy Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of Alexandria, Virginia, has over 22 years of planning, urban design, and development experience in the public and private sectors. For the past 14 years, he has overseen new urban development and complex planning and urban design projects within …
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Mr. Farner, Deputy Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of Alexandria, Virginia, has over 22 years of planning, urban design, and development experience in the public and private sectors. For the past 14 years, he has overseen new urban development and complex planning and urban design projects within Alexandria. Mr. Farner oversaw and managed brownfield and redevelopment projects including North Potomac Yard and the soon under construction Metro station, the Beauregard Small Area Plan and the Oakville Route 1 Corridor Plan. His involvement comprised plan preparation, development of urban design standards and guidelines, and implementation of developer contributions.
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Jose Ayala
Confirmed Speaker
Jose Carlos Ayala, CNU-A, is an Urban Planner and Designer with the City of Alexandria’s Department of Planning and Zoning in the Neighborhood Planning and Community Development Division. His duties as an Urban Planner/Designer include providing community-based long-range planning and analysis regarding development and advising other City agencies on land …
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Jose Carlos Ayala, CNU-A, is an Urban Planner and Designer with the City of Alexandria’s Department of Planning and Zoning in the Neighborhood Planning and Community Development Division. His duties as an Urban Planner/Designer include providing community-based long-range planning and analysis regarding development and advising other City agencies on land use, design and other planning issues. Ayala has been an active accredited member of the Congress for the New Urbanism since 2011. He served on the City of Orlando’s (FL), Zoning Adjustment Board and as Planning and Zoning Commissioner-at-Large. Additionally, Ayala served the City of Orlando Main Street Program on a pro-bono basis. Ayala holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental and Growth Management Studies and a Master’s degree in Planning in Civic Urbanism, both from Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
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Richard Lawrence, AICP
Confirmed Speaker
Richard Lawrence Jr., AICP is an urban planner for the City of Alexandria, Department of Planning & Zoning – Neighborhood Planning and Community Development Division. With over 10 years of planning, development, and research experience in the public and non-profit sectors, Richard has been with the department since 2010. Currently, …
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Richard Lawrence Jr., AICP is an urban planner for the City of Alexandria, Department of Planning & Zoning – Neighborhood Planning and Community Development Division. With over 10 years of planning, development, and research experience in the public and non-profit sectors, Richard has been with the department since 2010. Currently, he manages a variety of citywide projects and initiatives, oversees master plan implementation, provides other development and technical reviews, and facilitates community engagement processes. As a project manager, he works to advance the strategic goals of the city, creating equitable and sustainable communities. Richard holds a dual Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design and Social Sciences Interdisciplinary - Urban Public Policy from SUNY-University at Buffalo and a Master’s degree in Community Planning from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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