Potomac Yard
Encyclopedia
Potomac Yard was one of the busiest rail yard
s on the Eastern Seaboard
of the United States
. Today, it refers to the neighborhood encompassing the same, which straddles southeastern Arlington County
and northern Alexandria, Virginia
, bounded by U.S. Route 1
, the George Washington Memorial Parkway
, Four Mile Run
, and Braddock Road
. It may also refer to one of several developments on the site, especially the Potomac Yard Retail Center strip mall
.
with the creation of the District of Columbia in 1791, and retroceded to Virginia
in 1846.
Its role as a transportation hub began when Congress chartered the Alexandria Canal Company in 1830. The canal, which opened on December 2, 1843, would connect the port of Alexandria with the end of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
(completed 1850) in Georgetown via the Potomac Aqueduct Bridge
. It would operate until abandoned in 1886.
Railroad development began in the 1850s, though stymied by political concerns and by the American Civil War
. Order to the region's mishmash of active and abandoned rail lines and stations did not come until the City Beautiful movement
of the late 19th century. The 1901 Plan for Washington, D.C. (report of the McMillan Commission) proposed consolidating the region's rail operations, including a new Washington Union Station (approved 1903, completed 1908) and a New Long Railroad Bridge (completed 1904).
In accordance with the plan, the Pennsylvania Railroad
(PRR), Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
, Southern Railway
, Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
, Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
, and Seaboard Air Line Railway formed the Richmond-Washington Company to manage traffic. This holding company controlled the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
(RF&P), the new Alexandria Union Station
, which opened in 1905, and the new switching yard—Potomac Yard—which opened on October 15, 1906.
The booming "Pot Yard" attracted thousands of workers, who largely settled in the areas of Del Ray and St. Elmo. These subdivisions incorporated as the town of Potomac
in 1908, but were annexed by the City of Alexandria in 1930.
Potomac Yard in its heyday was one of the busiest railyards in the Eastern United States, processing thousands of cars daily. The PRR extended its railway electrification
program to Potomac Yard in 1935, marking its southernmost point—the Penn Central segment of the famous Tropicana
Juice Train
operated from here. The site reached capacity in 1937.
After the corporate mergers of the former separate railroad companies that used the yard to interchange freight cars, the need for Potomac Yard greatly diminished. It was determined by the RF&P that the land was worth more than the need for yard switching. The PRR's old catenary
was dismantled in the 1980s. The facility was declared a toxic waste site in 1987. The RF&P finally decommissioned it in 1989. Plans for rehabilitation and redevelopment of the land have been a source of intense debate since then.
site. In 1995 the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) approved RF&P's study and cleanup plan, and cleanup was declared completed by 1998.
Various commercial and community interest groups came into conflict over the future of the brownfield land
. The City of Alexandria rejected the original mixed use plan in 1992. Jack Kent Cooke
, owner of the Washington Redskins
, unsuccessfully pushed for the construction of a new football
stadium
on the site. Seventy of the 400 acres (1.6 km²) of the site were approved for retail use in 1995; the Potomac Yard Center, a 589856 square feet (54,799.4 m²) strip mall anchored by big box stores, was completed in 1997. Other sections of Potomac Yard have since been slated for development as residential units, office space, parkland, and retail use. The Potomac Yard Complex by Crescent Resources is already under construction. One and Two Potomac Center was completed in November 2005 and houses several EPA offices. The southernmost portion of the Alexandria section is under construction as of August 2006. It includes two plans, one for Arlington and one for Alexandria. The Alexandria portion of the site is highlighted by a new Town Center. The plan also includes 1900000 square feet (176,515.8 m²) of office space; a 625-room hotel; 135000 square feet (12,541.9 m²) of neighborhood retail space; and approximately 1,900 residential units.The plan for the Arlington site includes 2800000 square feet (260,128.5 m²) of office space; a 625-room hotel; 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of neighborhood retail space; and approximately 1000 residential units. The plan also calls for a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) park, which will be owned by Arlington County.
Recent efforts to develop a Virginia Railway Express
commuter rail station at Potomac Yard have failed due to the high costs of the project and studies showing low demand for the station. As a result, such a project is near the bottom of the priority list of the City of Alexandria and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
(Metro).
In late 2008, the city of Alexandria founded the Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group. The members of this group have been tasked to reopen and address the idea of integrating Metro into the yard. In addition, the city and the mayor put together the Metrorail Feasibility Study Group, in order to verify the cost to the citizens and the optimal location of a Metro station.
As of Summer 2009, The Eclipse condominium and Camden Apartment buildings have been completed. The Eclipse building includes retail space that houses FedEx Kinko's, Quiznos, Bank of America
, Harris Teeter
, McGinty's Public House, and other retailers. National Gateway I and II have finalized exterior construction and is expected to have the interior finalized for tenants by Fall of 2009. These two buildings have confirmed retail of an LA Fitness and Wachovia
bank. Currently, The main feature of Center park is finalizing construction, which will include a cafe, amphitheater, and a water feature. The northern end includes a Renaissance
Hotel, which is finalizing exterior construction. Other projects include a Archstone-Smith (formerly Charles E. Smith) apartment complex and National Gateway 3-6, all of which have not broken ground.
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
s on the Eastern Seaboard
Eastern seaboard
An Eastern seaboard can mean any easternmost part of a continent, or its countries, states and/or cities.Eastern seaboard may also refer to:* East Coast of Australia* East Coast of the United States* Eastern Seaboard of Thailand-See also:...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Today, it refers to the neighborhood encompassing the same, which straddles southeastern Arlington County
Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal capital district. On February 27, 1801, the United States Congress organized the area as a subdivision of...
and northern Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, bounded by U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south U.S. Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs 2,377 miles from Fort Kent, Maine at the Canadian border south to Key West, Florida. U.S. 1 generally parallels Interstate 95, though it is significantly farther west between...
, the George Washington Memorial Parkway
George Washington Memorial Parkway
The George Washington Memorial Parkway, known to local motorists simply as the "G.W. Parkway", is a parkway maintained by the U.S. National Park Service. It is located mostly in Northern Virginia, although a short section northwest of the Arlington Memorial Bridge passes over Columbia Island,...
, Four Mile Run
Four Mile Run
Four Mile Run is a stream in northern Virginia that starts near Interstate 66, at Gordon Avenue in Fairfax County and proceeds southeast through Falls Church to Arlington County in the U.S. state of Virginia...
, and Braddock Road
Braddock Road (Alexandria, Virginia)
Braddock Road in the City of Alexandria runs northwestward from West Street near the Braddock Road Metro station to the Alexandria campus of the Northern Virginia Community College, just beyond Beauregard Street...
. It may also refer to one of several developments on the site, especially the Potomac Yard Retail Center strip mall
Strip mall
A strip mall is an open-area shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front...
.
History
English settlers built several plantations on the site in the 18th century. The land, much owned by the Swann and Daingerfield families, became part of Alexandria County, D.C.Alexandria County, D.C.
Alexandria County was part of the original 100-mile square created as the District of Columbia in 1791 pursuant to Article I, Section 8, paragraph 17, of the United States Constitution...
with the creation of the District of Columbia in 1791, and retroceded to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in 1846.
Its role as a transportation hub began when Congress chartered the Alexandria Canal Company in 1830. The canal, which opened on December 2, 1843, would connect the port of Alexandria with the end of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal, and occasionally referred to as the "Grand Old Ditch," operated from 1831 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, D.C. The total length of the canal is about . The elevation change of...
(completed 1850) in Georgetown via the Potomac Aqueduct Bridge
Potomac Aqueduct Bridge
The Aqueduct Bridge was a bridge between Georgetown, Washington, D.C., and Rosslyn, Virginia, in Arlington County. It was built to transport cargo-carrying boats on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Georgetown across the Potomac River to the Alexandria Canal...
. It would operate until abandoned in 1886.
Railroad development began in the 1850s, though stymied by political concerns and by the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Order to the region's mishmash of active and abandoned rail lines and stations did not come until the City Beautiful movement
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
of the late 19th century. The 1901 Plan for Washington, D.C. (report of the McMillan Commission) proposed consolidating the region's rail operations, including a new Washington Union Station (approved 1903, completed 1908) and a New Long Railroad Bridge (completed 1904).
In accordance with the plan, the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR), Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
, Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
, Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
, Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
, and Seaboard Air Line Railway formed the Richmond-Washington Company to manage traffic. This holding company controlled the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad
The Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad was a railroad connecting Richmond, Virginia, to Washington, D.C. It is now a portion of the CSX Transportation system....
(RF&P), the new Alexandria Union Station
Union Station (Alexandria)
Alexandria Union Station is a historic train station in Alexandria, Virginia south of Washington, D.C. To avoid confusion with nearby Washington Union Station it is usually referred to locally as simply Alexandria Station. Its Amtrak code is ALX....
, which opened in 1905, and the new switching yard—Potomac Yard—which opened on October 15, 1906.
The booming "Pot Yard" attracted thousands of workers, who largely settled in the areas of Del Ray and St. Elmo. These subdivisions incorporated as the town of Potomac
Potomac, Virginia
Potomac, Virginia, is an extinct incorporated town formerly located in Alexandria County. A planned community, its proximity to Washington D.C. made it a popular place for employees of the U.S. government to live...
in 1908, but were annexed by the City of Alexandria in 1930.
Potomac Yard in its heyday was one of the busiest railyards in the Eastern United States, processing thousands of cars daily. The PRR extended its railway electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
program to Potomac Yard in 1935, marking its southernmost point—the Penn Central segment of the famous Tropicana
Tropicana Products
Tropicana Products is an American based company, and was founded in 1947 by Anthony T. Rossi in Bradenton, Florida, U.S.A. Since 1998, it has been owned by PepsiCo, Inc. Tropicana's headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois.-Anthony T. Rossi:...
Juice Train
Juice Train
"Juice Train" is the popular name for famous unit trains of Tropicana fresh orange juice operated by railroads in the United States....
operated from here. The site reached capacity in 1937.
After the corporate mergers of the former separate railroad companies that used the yard to interchange freight cars, the need for Potomac Yard greatly diminished. It was determined by the RF&P that the land was worth more than the need for yard switching. The PRR's old catenary
Overhead lines
Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains at a distance from the energy supply point...
was dismantled in the 1980s. The facility was declared a toxic waste site in 1987. The RF&P finally decommissioned it in 1989. Plans for rehabilitation and redevelopment of the land have been a source of intense debate since then.
Redevelopment
At decommissioning, decades of industrial use had left the site contaminated with heavy metals and hydrocarbons, including diesel. It was immediately declared a SuperfundSuperfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
site. In 1995 the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) approved RF&P's study and cleanup plan, and cleanup was declared completed by 1998.
Various commercial and community interest groups came into conflict over the future of the brownfield land
Brownfield land
Brownfield sites are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial facilities available for re-use. Expansion or redevelopment of such a facility may be complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations. Cf. Waste...
. The City of Alexandria rejected the original mixed use plan in 1992. Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke
Jack Kent Cooke was a Canadian entrepreneur and former owner of the Washington Redskins , the Los Angeles Lakers , and the Los Angeles Kings , and built The Forum in Inglewood, California and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.-Early career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Cooke moved with his family to...
, owner of the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, unsuccessfully pushed for the construction of a new football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
on the site. Seventy of the 400 acres (1.6 km²) of the site were approved for retail use in 1995; the Potomac Yard Center, a 589856 square feet (54,799.4 m²) strip mall anchored by big box stores, was completed in 1997. Other sections of Potomac Yard have since been slated for development as residential units, office space, parkland, and retail use. The Potomac Yard Complex by Crescent Resources is already under construction. One and Two Potomac Center was completed in November 2005 and houses several EPA offices. The southernmost portion of the Alexandria section is under construction as of August 2006. It includes two plans, one for Arlington and one for Alexandria. The Alexandria portion of the site is highlighted by a new Town Center. The plan also includes 1900000 square feet (176,515.8 m²) of office space; a 625-room hotel; 135000 square feet (12,541.9 m²) of neighborhood retail space; and approximately 1,900 residential units.The plan for the Arlington site includes 2800000 square feet (260,128.5 m²) of office space; a 625-room hotel; 100000 square feet (9,290.3 m²) of neighborhood retail space; and approximately 1000 residential units. The plan also calls for a 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) park, which will be owned by Arlington County.
Recent efforts to develop a Virginia Railway Express
Virginia Railway Express
The Virginia Railway Express is a regional/ commuter rail service that connects the Northern Virginia suburbs to Union Station in Washington, D.C., via two lines: the Fredericksburg Line from Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the Manassas Line from Broad Run/Airport station in Bristow,...
commuter rail station at Potomac Yard have failed due to the high costs of the project and studies showing low demand for the station. As a result, such a project is near the bottom of the priority list of the City of Alexandria and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, including the Metrorail, Metrobus and MetroAccess...
(Metro).
In late 2008, the city of Alexandria founded the Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group. The members of this group have been tasked to reopen and address the idea of integrating Metro into the yard. In addition, the city and the mayor put together the Metrorail Feasibility Study Group, in order to verify the cost to the citizens and the optimal location of a Metro station.
As of Summer 2009, The Eclipse condominium and Camden Apartment buildings have been completed. The Eclipse building includes retail space that houses FedEx Kinko's, Quiznos, Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
, Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter is a chain of supermarkets based in Matthews, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte. , the chain operates 207 stores in eight Southern states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.Harris Teeter is a...
, McGinty's Public House, and other retailers. National Gateway I and II have finalized exterior construction and is expected to have the interior finalized for tenants by Fall of 2009. These two buildings have confirmed retail of an LA Fitness and Wachovia
Wachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States based on total assets...
bank. Currently, The main feature of Center park is finalizing construction, which will include a cafe, amphitheater, and a water feature. The northern end includes a Renaissance
Marriott International
Marriott International, Inc. is a worldwide operator and franchisor of a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities. Founded by J. Willard Marriott, the company is now led by son J.W. Marriott, Jr...
Hotel, which is finalizing exterior construction. Other projects include a Archstone-Smith (formerly Charles E. Smith) apartment complex and National Gateway 3-6, all of which have not broken ground.
External links
- City of Alexandria: Potomac Yard/Potomac Greens Small Area Plan (PDF), Adopted 1992 Master Plan.
- McCaffery Interests: Potomac Yard Retail Center
- Comstock Communities: The Eclipse at Potomac Yard
- Potomac Yard Development LLC: http://www.potomacyardalexandria.com
- Potomac Yard Neighborhood: Lynhaven