A covered patio and plaza venue are planned for the proposed pump station at Alexandria’s Waterfront Park.
The city’s proposal to combat flooding in Old Town will close Waterfront Park and Point Lumley Park from the fall of 2026 until the fall of 2028 to rebuild segments of the sea wall and install a pump station to recirculate water in flood-prone areas back to the Potomac River. The pump station plans are heading to the Board of Architectural Review on June 5.
According to the city:
The proposed pump station is located to highlight the landscape design, enhance view corridors of Strand Street, and maximize amenities facing the Potomac River. The rectilinear framework used to layout the landscape design and its programmable space are directly referenced in the design of the pump station. The structural frame for the scrim and the canopies it forms are mirrored across the lawn from the arrival plaza. This relationship will provide a flexible space alongside the building that creates a backdrop to the park.
The footprint of the pump station itself is aligned with the Old Dominion Boat Club (across Prince Street) and allows for pedestrian and vehicular traffic traveling up Stand Street to have unimpeded views of the renovated Waterfront Park.
The covered patio and plaza venue space created by the overhang of the pump station has been situated to open up to and face the Potomac River. This architectural element is emphasized by the pedestrianization of Prince Street and the flexible game/seating space. The canopy itself opens outward and upward towards the Potomac as well, engaging directly with the waterfront.
