After years of debate, Alexandria has finally settled on a design for a disputed entrance to the new Potomac Yard Metro station on the Blue and Yellow lines.
The recommended southwest entrance includes two elevators and stairs up to a pedestrian bridge. The city did not release the exact price, but said the entrance is within the $50 million provided by Virginia’s state government for the project as the state lured Amazon and the new Virginia Tech Innovation Campus to the area.
The initial changes that removed entrances to the station, and the way the decisions were handled behind closed doors, triggered significant push back from the community and played a significant role in a city council race.
The pavilion on the southwest side will replace a long ramp the Alexandria City Council had previously approved, if a community advisory group and the city council sign off on the plans.
The new design is projected to cost about $10 million to $15 million more than the ramp option.
Under the agreement, the newly added entrance should be ready when the station is scheduled to open in 2022.
Construction is already underway on the station on the Blue and Yellow lines between Braddock Road and Reagan National Airport.
The city council is due to approve changes April 14, which would allow technical contract and funding agreements involving Metro, the city and the construction contractor to be finalized.
Alexandria is planning significant development around the $320 million station.
