Virginia Tech Wants Potomac Yard Metro Station to Include ‘VT’ Initials

Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus could bring a wealth of economic sustainability to Alexandria, and now the school has requested that the future Potomac Yard Metro station include “VT” in its name.

If approved, the name of the station would be “Potomac Yard-VT.”

Virginia Tech plans to open its doors at Potomac Yard in 2024, and construction is slated to begin this fall. When all is said and done more than 3,000 students will attend classes at the campus in 2028.

The city anticipates no new costs or adjustments to the construction schedule of the metro station due to a potential name change, and the station is scheduled to open in spring 2022. City Council will have to approve the resolution for the name change request, and it will then go to the board of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for final approval, according to a city release. Additionally, WMATA will have to approve an exception to its rules for the name change, since there needs to be a “significant classroom presence” in order to meet specific criteria, and Virginia Tech won’t be there at that time, according to the city.

“This issue is currently anticipated to be docketed for consideration at the City Council Legislative Session on Tuesday, September 8, 2020,” according to the city. “The City has conducted outreach to stakeholder groups comprised of residents, businesses, and Potomac Yard advisory groups within a half-mile radius of the station to solicit feedback on the potential name change.”

Image via City of Alexandria