Alexandria officials have finally unveiled their vision for the city’s historic waterfront without answering the thorny question of what’s to be done with a ritzy boat club at the heart of the proposed development.
Renderings show a leafy, colorful promenade along Old Town’s waterfront, running from Dangerfield Island in the north down to Jones Point, under the Wilson Bridge.
The drawings represent the first glimpse of what city planners have in mind for a city center that will build on the economic and cultural success of Old Town.
“It’s a check-in to see if we’re going in the right direction,” city planning director Faroll Hamer told the Washington Examiner.
City officials have said the waterfront redevelopment could cost up to $100 million, but Hamer said Wednesday it was much too early to talk about costs.
A new waterfront has been the dream of city leaders for decades, but plans have continually run aground.
That’s mostly because of the Old Dominion Boat Club, which sits at the foot of King Street.
Club leaders have been reluctant to part with their prime real estate.
Complicating matters is Nixon-era litigation between the club and the federal government over who owns the river banks on which the club sits.
The case is now on appeal, and arguments may come as early as the fall. Hamer said she hopes that the sides can work out a deal before then.
“We have a ways to go, but we are working in good faith towards a resolution,” she said.
Club leaders are balking at Alexandria’s proposal to run King Street all the way into a pier on the river. They also are concerned about proposals to move the club’s parking lot a few blocks away.
The parking would be under a city-owned restaurant, and the club and the city are arguing over how to share the revenues from the new restaurant, Hamer said. A mediation session is scheduled for next week, Hamer added.
