The Tall Ship Providence Foundation will soon be floating an expansion plan past the Alexandria Planning Commission. The proposal would add outdoor dining with alcohol and live entertainment to its offerings along the waterfront.
The proposal by the nonprofit to amend its special use permit would expand its current footprint along the Potomac River at Waterfront Park to accommodate a portable bar, 78 seats, and an area for live music performers.
The bar and seating area would be open to the public and not require a ticket to visit the historic ship or take in the foundation’s educational offerings at its Senator John Warner Maritime Heritage Center.
According to the proposal:
The Applicant seeks to attract additional visitors and enhance the experience by providing limited live entertainment and alcohol sales on the barge. The limited live entertainment will consist of a variety of musicians and will be amplified. Amplification will be monitored and controlled by staff to ensure compliance with the City’s noise ordinance. There will be no change to the area accessible to the public or to the facilities’ operating hours.
The application says to expect a maximum of 150 patrons at any given time on the pier, and that limited live entertainment would be offered from 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and from 1 to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The Providence is a replica of the first naval warship commissioned by the Continental Congress in 1775, and visitors are welcomed aboard by an actor portraying Captain John Paul Jones.
Construction was significantly scaled back by the pandemic in 2021, and the facility opened to the public in 2023.
ALXnow has reached out to the Tall Ship Providence for more details.
The proposal goes to the Planning Commission on Sept. 5.
