The National Park Service has denied approval to build a pump station at Waterfront Park, the City of Alexandria has confirmed today (Wednesday).
The Alexandria Times was the first outlet to confirm the news. NPS sent the city a letter on Feb. 20 “indicating a reversal of their previous position on the City’s Deed Modification request for the Waterfront Flood Mitigation Pump Station,” according to the city website.
“The goal of the Waterfront Flood Mitigation Pump Station is to mitigate flooding that occurs along the waterfront, particularly in public parks and on King Street, Prince Street, The Strand, and Union Street,” the city said. “The City remains committed to finding a solution to ongoing flooding that addresses the effects of climate change, reduces our building footprint, and is a collaborative effort with our regional and national partners as well as members of the business community, residents, and others who enjoy our waterfront.”
The city’s proposal to combat flooding in Old Town would have closed Waterfront Park and Point Lumley Park from the fall of 2026 until the fall of 2028 to rebuild segments of the sea wall, and to install a pump station to recirculate water in flood-prone areas back to the Potomac River.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins told ALXnow that NPS determined the pump station was an “impermissible” use of the park.
“This direction is counter to prior communications we have received from NPS, indicating that they were proceeding with and supportive of this request from the City,” Gaskins said in a text to ALXnow. “Addressing flooding and improving the resilience of our waterfront remains a top priority for the city and we will continue engaging with staff and the community to find the best path forward. Also, I have asked the manager to post the communication from NPS on the website, so everyone can access it.”
As of October 2025, the waterfront experienced 227 flooding events at the Prince Street level over the past year, compared to a 20-year average of 145 events, according to city data. Annual flood-related costs, including cleanup, sandbagging and lost business revenue, range from $400,000 to $800,000.
By the year 2100, the city predicts 353 annual flooding events at the Prince Street level without intervention.
NPS has jurisdiction over the area, and must approve:
- A deed modification to remove or adjust the current height restriction within the park necessary to construct the pump station
- A Bed of River Permit to construct the bulkhead and other waterfront improvements
The proposal previously drew the ire of the Alexandria Waterfront Alliance, a group that includes the Historic Alexandria Foundation, Old Town Civic Association, and Old Dominion Boat Club. A Change.org petition against the pump station had garnered more than 1,100 signatures.
Last July, the Alliance sent City Council a 15-page letter arguing that the $145 million project violates federal deed restrictions on Waterfront Park and proposed moving it to 1 Prince Street.
Then, on Sept. 30, City Council signaled support for a $150,000 study to look at the Prince Street alternative.
“The stated purpose of the pump station is to partially mitigate ‘nuisance’ stormwater flooding at a small number of locations that is caused by occasional rain events,” the Alliance wrote in the letter. “The City’s own data indicates that this nuisance flooding only occurs a few times per-year. 1 By and large, the citizens and businesses would rather to continue to experience this level of flooding than to have the proposed pump station in Waterfront Park, and the related disruption to business and traffic.”
