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Old Town North EA
George Washington Memorial Parkway » Old Town North EA
The George Washington Memorial Parkway (GWMP) has partnered with HRP Potomac, LLC (HRP) to prepare a plan and Environmental Assessment for improvements to National Park Service (NPS) lands adjacent to the Potomac River Generating Station, a decommissioned coal-fired power plant in the Old Town North neighborhood of Alexandria, VA. HRP is redeveloping the 18.8-acre site into a mixed-use district, creating opportunities to enhance safety, access, and visitor experiences along the Parkway, Mount Vernon Trail, and Potomac River waterfront.
The project area extends from just north of Slaters Lane to just south of Bashford Lane and includes portions of the Parkway and Mount Vernon Trail. Proposed actions address longstanding safety and access challenges, expand recreational opportunities, and improve coordination of public space and maintenance across federal and private lands.
Proposed improvements include:
- Trail and Waterfront Enhancements: Add new connections to the Mount Vernon Trail connections, remove invasive vegetation, create river overlooks, provide recreational access to the Potomac River, replace the aging cantilevered trail bridge and widen trail, and enter into agreements to ensure long-term maintenance.
- Transportation and Safety Upgrades: Redesign intersections at Slaters Lane and Bashford Lane, improve East and West Abingdon Drives for multiple modes of travel (vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians), and add safety features such as crosswalks, turn lanes, bike lanes, and signals.
- Public Space Integration: Expand public access to the waterfront, improve views of the river and Washingtons monumental core, and coordinate parks and open space with the adject redevelopment district.
- Realty and Infrastructure Actions: Coordinate an exchange of easement interests over select parcels to accommodate proposed future use.
NPS is preparing the EA in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate potential impacts of these actions and gather public input. The project will strengthen connections between the Parkway and the surrounding community, improve multimodal safety, and enhance the visitor experience along one of the most heavily used sections of the Parkway and Mount Vernon Trail.
The project area extends from just north of Slaters Lane to just south of Bashford Lane and includes portions of the Parkway and Mount Vernon Trail. Proposed actions address longstanding safety and access challenges, expand recreational opportunities, and improve coordination of public space and maintenance across federal and private lands.
Proposed improvements include:
- Trail and Waterfront Enhancements: Add new connections to the Mount Vernon Trail connections, remove invasive vegetation, create river overlooks, provide recreational access to the Potomac River, replace the aging cantilevered trail bridge and widen trail, and enter into agreements to ensure long-term maintenance.
- Transportation and Safety Upgrades: Redesign intersections at Slaters Lane and Bashford Lane, improve East and West Abingdon Drives for multiple modes of travel (vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians), and add safety features such as crosswalks, turn lanes, bike lanes, and signals.
- Public Space Integration: Expand public access to the waterfront, improve views of the river and Washingtons monumental core, and coordinate parks and open space with the adject redevelopment district.
- Realty and Infrastructure Actions: Coordinate an exchange of easement interests over select parcels to accommodate proposed future use.
NPS is preparing the EA in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to evaluate potential impacts of these actions and gather public input. The project will strengthen connections between the Parkway and the surrounding community, improve multimodal safety, and enhance the visitor experience along one of the most heavily used sections of the Parkway and Mount Vernon Trail.