The owner of the dilapidated former Potomac River Generating Station in Old Town is hosting a community meeting next month on mixed-use redevelopment plans for part of the site.
HRP Group‘s virtual community meeting will be held via Zoom on Monday, May 4 from 6-7 p.m. Under discussion will be the special use permits for Block B and Block C (both submitted in July 2025), as well as open space along the waterfront and Norfolk Southern rail corridor.
“The City of Alexandria and the HRP team are committed to engaging the community and obtaining feedback on this project and are working together to facilitate the best possible process to encourage public participation,” HRP said in a release.
HRP Group bought the former power plant in 2020 and plans to convert the 18-acre site at 1300 N. Royal Street into a mixed-use development. Block A (65,000 square feet), with a riverside view of the Potomac River, is envisioned as a 70-foot-tall arts and cultural center with retail and office uses. Two large condo and apartment buildings with rooftop open space are proposed for Block B (415,000 square feet), with designs inspired by the Flatiron Building in New York City. Building heights are capped at 172 feet, or 17 stories.
Retail and condos in Block C (635,000 square feet) are also capped at 17 stories, with rooftop open space proposed as well.
According to HRP Group:
The project is a mixed-use development, which means that it includes residential, commercial, retail, restaurant, and arts and cultural uses. The CDD Concept Plan approved by the City allows for flexibility in the mix of uses. Between 40-80% of the total building square footage may be residential use, including both condo and rental uses and an affordable housing component, and between 20-60% may be commercial space, which could include retail, restaurant, hotel, office, and arts and cultural space. Blocks B and C house a mix of residential uses, including both for-sale condo units and rental apartment units, as well as retail and restaurant uses.
The power plant shut down in 2012, and the site needs extensive remediation after leaky storage tanks bled pollutants into the soil. The city approved plans to redevelop the site into a mixed-use property starting in 2017, and with preliminary plans submitted to the city last summer.
