News

Alexandria unveils major waterfront makeover and flood control plans

By James Cullum
Rendering of a riverside plaza with concrete terraces, steps to the water, long benches, a wooden pergola, planters, and people enjoying the space (inset site map in corner).
Brick pedestrian street with evenly spaced trees, outdoor café on the left, storefronts on the right, and people strolling.
Sunset over a waterfront park with people walking, dogs, and picnics on a grassy lawn and brick pathways.
Waterfront park with a bronze statue, green trees, purple flowers, benches, and people strolling by the lake; inset map shown in the top-right corner.
A riverside park with wide stone terraces, trees, and people walking along the waterfront promenade. Inset map in the top-right corner shows the layout.
Aerial map of a waterfront district with an orange dashed route outlining a corridor along King Street and N Union Street, near Torpedo Factory and Waterfront Park.
Wide waterfront park scene with paved walkway, lampposts, green lawn, and people strolling; inset map shows a proposed temporary art space area on the right.
Couple walking two dogs along a riverside promenade at sunset with trees and lampposts.
People sit on benches along a waterfront park with trees, grass, and a broad promenade extending toward the water.
Wide, tree-lined waterfront promenade with benches, lampposts, and people walking or resting.
People walk along a seaside promenade past a statue in a flower bed, with a modern brick building and lake visible in the background on a sunny day.
People walk along a waterfront promenade with trees, benches, and parked cars on the right; inset map shown in the top-right corner.
A lakeside park with green lawn, trees, paved paths, and people walking or playing near the water and a sailboat in the background. Inset map showing layout in the top-right corner.
Waterfront promenade with people strolling along a tree-lined park and a brick-paved boardwalk by the water; an inset site plan appears bottom-left.
Plan enlargement of a waterfront wharf and promenade with numbered features and a legend describing seating, stairs, and greenery near Potomac River visualized in a master plan layout.
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Alexandria is set to unveil big plans along the waterfront and King Street in Old Town.

On Wednesday (Oct. 7), the city will seek approval from the Board of Architectural Review on major aesthetic and structural changes that would see red bricks replacing asphalt along the unit and 100 blocks of King Street, a 20-foot-wide walkway with a riverside railing running from Robinson Terminal South to the base of King Street, new promenades at Waterfront Park and Point Lumley Park and more.

“The project includes the construction of a new marine bulkhead, replacement of aging and undersized stormwater infrastructure with a larger-capacity drainage system, and improvements to Waterfront Lumley Park and the 100 block of King Street,” the city said in its request for alterations.

In June, City Council approved a new plan to build an “enhanced gravity storm sewer system” to combat flooding along the waterfront in Old Town. At the time, only 30% of the plan was designed, as the city needed to pivot after the National Park Service earlier this year denied the city’s plan to build a controversial pump station at Waterfront Park (1 Prince Street).

“As part of the stormwater improvements, existing out-of-date pipes will be replaced with a new drainage system that incorporates valve vaults and outfalls in lieu of the previously proposed pump station from the Certificate of Completeness,”  the city said. “These upgrades are designed to improve stormwater management and reduce flood risks along the waterfront while minimizing above-grade infrastructure impacts.”

The city’s previously approved proposal 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 the pump station to recirculate water in flood-prone areas back to the Potomac River.

Site plan of a courtyard layout: Point Lumley Park on the left, an existing parking lot in the center, and a future bequest garden outlined in red. Duke Street along the left edge.
Area of a proposed garden at Point Lumley Park, funded by a private donation (via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria’s waterfront saw 227 flooding events at the Prince Street level from January to October 2025, 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. Without city intervention, the city predicted there would be 353 annual flooding events at the Prince Street level by the year 2100.

The BAR meets 7 p.m. Wednesday at Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe Street).

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.