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ACPS seeks former proposed arena space in Potomac Yard for school bus parking lot

By James Cullum
School buses on W. Braddock Road on Dec. 10, 2021 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria City Public Schools is asking the city for permission to use a temporary parking lot in Potomac Yard — once part of the former arena proposal — for school buses this summer.

ACPS filed a special use permit application with the city asking to temporarily use a 45,000-square-foot lot for three months at 3331 Exchange Avenue in the Potomac Yard neighborhood. The property was pitched in 2023 as a new $2 billion home for the Washington Wizards and Capitals before losing support in Alexandria and fizzling out with lawmakers in Richmond.

The school system says the lot, owned by JBG Smith, is needed for 22 buses to accommodate the city’s replacement of fuel pumps at a city property at 3400 Duke Street.

Construction on the fuel pump replacement project started last October, and due to extended testing the school buses will not be able to return to their home base at 116 S. Quaker Lane until July.

The deadline for public comments on the proposal is May 21.

According to ACPS:

The City of Alexandria implemented a fuel island project that replaced the fuel pumps along with the underground infrastructure located at 3400 Duke Street. Therefore, a temporary fuel station was set up at 116 S. Quaker Lane, which was the satellite parking location for a portion of the ACPS school buses and passenger vehicle fleet. Construction began in October 2025.

ACPS worked closely with the City of Alexandria to secure temporary parking to relocate 22 buses. An agreement was executed with NOVA Parks and the City of Alexandria for leased parking from October 2025 – April 30, 2026. The City of Alexandria estimated that our original parking at 116 S. Quaker Lane would be returned to ACPS at the end of April/early May.

However, due to extended testing, ACPS was informed that our return to 116 S. Quaker Lane would be extended until late July. As a result, ACPS coordinated with the City of Alexandria to identify interim solutions, which included a vacant lot at Potomac Yard that was owned by JBG Smith and available for bus parking through July 2026.

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.