HRP Group will welcome 200 visitors during sold-out public tours of the former Potomac River Generating Station site this weekend, providing residents with a firsthand look at the 18.8-acre property before it is transformed into a mixed-use waterfront community.
The tours, held on Friday and Saturday, marked the latest community engagement effort as the developer pursues final approvals for the first phase of construction. HRP Group expects to begin demolishing the defunct coal-fired power plant in 2027, with the first residential buildings scheduled to open by 2029 or 2030.
Tour attendees were encouraged to sign a petition in support of the project, with HRP offering both paper forms and a QR code that linked to an online version. The petition asks signers to support Development Special Use Permit approvals for the first phase, which will be considered by the Alexandria Planning Commission and City Council.
“This site is almost 19 acres. It’s got a big wall and a fence around it,” said Melissa Schrock, executive vice president of mixed-use development at HRP Group, during the tour. “One of the major things we’re going to do is obviously take down the walls, and we’ll see that on the waterfront side.”
The redevelopment will create up to 2,000 residential units across six blocks, including both rental apartments and condominiums. The project includes a commitment to provide 160 to 170 affordable housing units, which significantly exceeds the typical number of affordable housing units in Alexandria, according to Schrock.
HRP Group purchased the former power plant in late 2020, after it had sat dormant for nearly a decade following its closure in 2012. The coal-fired facility operated from 1948 to 2012, emitting approximately 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
“Alexandria and Alexandria community sort of suffered the negative externalities of having that coal-fired power plant operating in their community literally for decades without any of the benefits of actually getting the power,” Schrock said.
The first phase focuses on Blocks B and C, located in the central portion of the site. Block B will feature 315 total units split between a 115-unit condominium building and a 200-unit rental building, along with 70,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space. Block C will house 500 units, comprising 100 condominiums, 400 rental apartments, and 40,000 square feet of retail space.
“We call this the Pearl and the Oyster,” said Fausto Nunes, a senior associate at Handel Architects, describing Block C’s design. “The condo, we want to make a beautiful, iconic piece facing the water. The rental in the back has much more of a city feel to it, addressing the city.”
Both buildings will rise to 16 stories, or approximately 172 feet in height, making them among the tallest structures in Old Town North. All parking will be located in below-grade garages, with no above-ground parking structures planned.
The development emphasizes sustainability through a “coordinated sustainability strategy” developed in collaboration with the city. The buildings commit to achieving 25% energy reduction compared to baseline building codes, a 10% reduction in embodied carbon in construction materials, and 3% on-site renewable energy generation through rooftop solar panels.
“We actually worked with the city as we went through our master planning and our site and infrastructure phases of the review and approvals process to develop a first-of-its-kind coordinated sustainability strategy for the City of Alexandria,” Schrock said.
The project will create 10.75 acres of publicly accessible open space, including a waterfront park and a linear “rail corridor” park running along the city-facing edge of the property. The waterfront space will feature dining opportunities, a kayak launch, and improved connections to the Mount Vernon Trail.
“We’re going to help them improve the Mount Vernon Trail,” Schrock explained, referring to collaboration with the National Park Service. “Some of you who either walk the Mount Vernon Trail or cycle the Mount Vernon Trail are probably familiar with what we call effectively the cage, right, which is a chain link fence section. That’s all going to come down.”
Yulei Zhang, a landscape architect with OJB, described plans for varied recreational spaces. “We try to make it like a very community hub and very energetic space,” she said. “Everything starts from the gateway pretty close to the pump house, and when you just move forward along the rail corridor, you’re gonna see like the renovation of the guard house.”
The open space design incorporates feedback from over 800 Alexandria residents who responded to a 2024 survey about desired amenities. Features will include play areas for multiple age groups, dog parks, sports courts, and flexible lawn spaces for community events.
Arts and cultural programming represents another key component, with 15,000 square feet of subsidized arts space planned for Block A at below-market rents. The project aims to extend Alexandria’s Fairfax Street arts and cultural corridor into the development.
Before construction begins, HRP Group must complete an extensive demolition process overseen by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Danny Pettway, a vice president at HRP Group, outlined a four-phase demolition sequence.
“Abatement always precedes, and clearances are obtained prior to any deconstruction starting,” Pettway explained. The process will include comprehensive monitoring of dust, noise, and vibration, with water used extensively for dust suppression.
The developer has committed to holding mandatory community meetings within 60 days of the start of demolition, maintaining a dedicated project website with real-time updates, and providing monthly dust monitoring reports.
Transportation improvements include four new DASH bus stops connecting to Potomac Yard and Braddock Metro stations, enhanced bicycle infrastructure linking to the Mount Vernon Trail, and a “woonerf” — a Dutch-style pedestrian-priority street that can be closed for farmers’ markets and community events.
HRP Group hopes to receive final Development Special Use Permit approvals from the Alexandria City Council before year-end, enabling final site plan approval by late 2025 and construction to commence in 2027.
The company specializes in transforming former industrial sites, having previously demolished four other coal-fired power plants along with steel mills and oil refineries. This project represents their fifth coal plant redevelopment and first mixed-use waterfront community.
For updates and more details on the project, visit https://www.hrpalx.com/.
