Draft map – 2013 Alexandria CaBi expansion

[Arlingtonrider]

This is great but I’m incredibly disappointed that they didn’t include a station near the Target at Potomac Yards. It would have been an ideal ride from the Shirlington station for errands. I think having a station at Potomac Yards is a major key to getting good usage of the South Arlington stations, and probably would result in much greater use of the Crystal City stations as well.

[bobco85]

@Arlingtonrider 54828 wrote:

This is great but I’m incredibly disappointed that they didn’t include a station near the Target at Potomac Yards. It would have been an ideal ride from the Shirlington station for errands. I think having a station at Potomac Yards is a major key to getting good usage of the South Arlington stations, and probably would result in much greater use of the Crystal City stations as well.

I agree, especially with the Four Mile Run trail so close. Look at CaBi’s station map, the closest station is at South Glebe Rd and Potomac Ave. I think ideal places would be at the movie theater and in front of the Target. I’m sure that in 2014 stations will be there.

[PotomacCyclist]

I wonder if there is opposition from the landowner, for some reason. The CaBi crowdsourcing map has multiple proposed stations and Yes votes for those locations, so it’s clear that people want a CaBi station or two in Potomac Yard.

Or maybe they want to hold off because of the construction work in the area, even though that is taking place a few blocks to the south of the shopping center.

[Arlingtonrider]

It would be great if someone could tell us the reasoning – maybe one of the Alexandria BPAC folks?

I agree on the sites mentioned – one by the movie theater, as well as by Target, would be fantastic.

I’m certain they would be good for business there too!

[dasgeh]

You’d think the businesses there would want CaBi, since it would be a nice and easy ride from the Crystal City Metro.

[PotomacCyclist]

UPDATE: FAST Potomac Yard only covers the Arlington portion of Potomac Yard. They do not operate on the Alexandria part of Potomac Yard (the shopping center and the new office, hotel and residential developments to the south of Target).

I have to correct my previous post. I forgot about FAST Potomac Yard. From their website:

“With Full Access Solutions in Transportation (FAST) for Potomac Yard, employees, visitors and residents of this area can ease their travel hassles and improve the way they get around.

As a non-profit group led by the area’s land developers, we’re working to reduce single-occupant vehicle trips to Potomac Yard while improving the efficiency of the area’s transportation infrastructure. And we’re doing it through a program of smart plans, great incentives and unique services that help you make the best transportation decisions. There’s no better way to get to Potomac Yard.”

http://www.fastpotomacyard.com/aboutus.html

They encourage biking and carpooling. They have even co-sponsored both of the CaBi stations in the Arlington part of Potomac Yard.

http://www.capitalbikeshare.com/stations

I thought that FAST Potomac Yard would co-sponsor additional bike stations in the shopping center area, but it hasn’t happened, for some reason. (I just sent them an email asking about any possible bike stations there.)

[PotomacCyclist]

In other somewhat-related news, it seems that the long vacant buildings of National Gateway, on the Arlington side of Potomac Yard, could be switching from (empty) office zoning to an institution of higher education. The buildings were finished a few years ago but there have never been any tenants except for LA Fitness on the lower two levels. All of the other spaces and floors are empty. They haven’t even used those spaces for temporary events, the way that Crystal City uses its empty buildings for special events like Artomatic, post-5K parties, the Crystal City fashion week and the charity sales event.

But now there is a sign on the building indicating that the owners want to change the zoning from Office/Commercial to educational. Apparently there was a public hearing at the County planning commission about this a couple months ago. (I don’t know if anyone attended. Probably not, because most people have forgotten that the buildings even exist, LA Fitness members excepted.)

Here’s the notice:

SITE PLAN AMENDMENTS:

SP# 346 W/2005 Potomac Yard E-West LLC to allow approximately 187,000 sq. ft. of office GFA for use as a school of higher instruction in the “C-O-1.5” zoning district under ACZO §23A and §36 H. Property is approximately 58,935 sq. ft.; located at 3500 and 3550 S. Clark St.; and is identified as RPC# 34-027-046. The approved density is 1.5 FAR Office/Commercial. Applicable Policies: GLUP “Medium Residential” and “Low Office-Apartment-Hotel”

http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/CountyBoard/notices/CountyBoardNoticesPublicLegalNotices.aspx

I didn’t know about this until a couple days ago, when I happened to be looking at the empty building, wondering if anything would ever be done with it. That’s when I saw the red notice on the door. Out of curiosity, I looked up the online hearing notice. But I can’t find any other info about this. Which “school of higher instruction”? An established university? Perhaps UVA or Va. Tech are expanding? Or a for-profit school? Or a different type of school, such as a cooking school?

I think it would be great for that area to have a solid tenant moving into the empty buildings. It just doesn’t look good to have those new buildings sitting empty like that. It’s not good for the County either. The school could spur development in the neighborhood. Harris Teeter is reopening its store in the Eclipse this fall. But other retail spaces are empty, and construction on the other sites in the Arlington part of Potomac Yard has stalled, likely because of the failure to draw any tenants to National Gateway.

Along with a possible school, the Crystal City-Potomac Yard transitway is supposed to get underway next year (with bus rapid transit). Maybe all of this activity can make it more attractive to add bike stations in the Alexandria part of Potomac Yard. Some of the new buildings and townhouses are a long walk from Braddock Rd. Metro, the shopping center and Crystal City. Bike stations there and at the shopping center could remove the need to take short trips by car. (The transitway could help too.)

NOTE: The zoning request indicates that 187,000 sq. ft. of space could be used for the school. The existing National Gateway only includes 58,935 sq. ft. This could mean that if a school were to move in, that they would use not only National Gateway but two other buildings. Those buildings have already been included in master plans for the area, but the sites are currently undeveloped. So the school would have a major presence in Potomac Yard. Now this really has me curious. What school could it be?

[Arlingtonrider]

Thanks for providing a link to the FAST website. I submitted a comment to them requesting CaBi stations at the Potomac Yard Target and Regal Cinema. It was very easy to do (in case anyone else would like to submit one).

[dasgeh]

@Arlingtonrider 54850 wrote:

Thanks for providing a link to the FAST website. I submitted a comment to them requesting CaBi stations at the Potomac Yard Target and Regal Cinema. It was very easy to do (in case anyone else would like to submit one).

Me too!

Re: a school on this land, I wonder if Arlington could entice GM Law to move there, and use the current GM Law space for a new ES and MS in a convenient part of the county…

[DismalScientist]

@dasgeh 54884 wrote:

use the current GM Law space for a new ES and MS in a convenient part of the county…

Bringing school boundary issues into this forum is clearly worse than even bringing up regular politics, religion or sex.:p

[ShawnoftheDread]

@DismalScientist 54891 wrote:

Bringing school boundary issues into this forum is clearly worse than even bringing up regular politics, religion or sex.:p

I thought the latter was the entire reason for this forum. Oh wait, wrong browser window.

[PotomacCyclist]

I received a reply from FAST Potomac Yard. They only manage the areas on the Arlington side of Potomac Yard, where the two existing CaBi stations are located. They do not cover the shopping center or the new developments to the south of Target.

The Potomac Yard Center (the official name of the shopping center) is managed by McCaffery Interests. I believe this is the correct contact info this time:

http://www.mypotomacyard.com/contact.htm

I just sent an email to them, asking about any CaBi plans and noting the popularity and benefits of Capital Bikeshare, for both the Center and for CaBi members.

[PotomacCyclist]

The GM Clarendon campus has expanded since they first opened up (I think). Seems unlikely that they would spend a lot of money to move elsewhere in the County, especially since any Potomac Yard Metro station won’t be ready for a few years, if ever.

[PotomacCyclist]

Mystery solved re the possible school in Potomac Yard. I wrote to ARLnow about it and they did some digging.

InfiLaw System, a Florida-based consortium of independent law schools, was planning to open a new law school at National Gateway. Though the site plan amendment was approved to allow for educational use, InfiLaw System has decided not to follow through on their plans for the school. It’s kind of odd. The amendment was approved this spring and then the consortium almost immediately changed their minds about the project. It’s not as though the economy or the legal market changed that suddenly in a matter of weeks.

If they had gone through with the project, the school would have had as many as 1,300 students, with 22 classrooms, a law library, a bookstore, a moot courtroom and a cafe. No word on how many of those students would have been able to find legal jobs after graduating from the school.

In any case, the search for tenants at National Gateway continues on. Perhaps when flying cars and bikes become the primary form of transportation in the year 2046, the Dept. of Transportation will need new office space to house regulators overseeing the aircar and airbike industries. Then they might move into the still-empty National Gateway.

http://www.arlnow.com/2013/06/14/plans-for-arlington-law-school-fall-through/

[Overtone]

I asked Gabriel yesterday what’s the current status, here’s his reply.

Hi John,

Thanks for the interest … trust me, you are not the only one waiting for the expansion of CaBi! Right now, the best estimate we can give is this winter, but that is always changing. I would try us back in about two weeks … also make sure to check our website and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/LocalMotionAlexandriaVA page for updates.

THANKS

Gabriel D. Ortiz
Transportation Demand Management Coordinator
City of Alexandria
Transportation Planning Division
421 King Street, room 300
Alexandria, VA 22314
http://www.alexandriava.gov/LocalMotion
703-746-4083

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