SPARC Online

For background information and clarification, download these two documents:

CRA-2 Timeline

CRA-2 Action Items

The City Administration has recommended awarding investment packages totaling $28M over five to ten years in incentives and hard infrastructure costs. This means the public would own significant properties and have a significant investment in the area—investment that would be used and enjoyed by citizens on a daily basis.

An initial assessment and certificate for the areas designated CRA-2 might benefit from the following funding limits: $667,000 in CRA funds; a new fire station in and around the old north traffic circle footprint; $7.5M in hard infrastructure improvements to the North MacArthur Roadway and $2M to Bolton Avenue in hard infrastructure improvements; and, now, up to $10M in North MacArthur-Bolton Avenue reinvestment/infrastructure monies to be allocated by the Commission or Management Teams to a mega project or projects.

The latter $10M could be funded from the City Capital Outlay portion of S.P.A.R.C. or the remaining $10M in capacity under the $50M bond portion of S.P.A.R.C. The City has bonded $40M to date.

The City previously identified key transportation corridors and now provides infrastructure suggestions for the activity corridors, or SPARCs.

North MacArthur Drive Road Improvements: $5M

Corridor Roadway Enhancements

Possible solutions include traffic calming methods, increased landscaping, and the installation of sidewalks.

Bolton Avenue Road Improvements: $2.5M

TOTAL: $7.5M in permanently-owned infrastructure improvements

$7.5M

North MacArthur Drive currently serves as a gateway and a principal entrance into the City of Alexandria from Interstate 49. Additionally, North MacArthur Drive contains a number of hotel properties as well as a convention center. Infrastructure needs to be improved in order to make this corridor more attractive and welcoming. North MacArthur also ties significant transportation corridors together and is adjacent to the principal commercial corridors of Jackson Street and South MacArthur. The North MacArthur area also creates a crossroads with those areas and the fast-growing Highway 28 corridor. This SPARC creates an “L” bracket of support into the City’s core.

Existing planning and targeted public investment can dramatically alter this corridor, or SPARC, in a relatively short period of time. The City of Alexandria believes there are substantial opportunities along North MacArthur to take advantage of already-spurred reinvestment. This corridor can lead back into the heart of the downtown border along Bolton Avenue as well as represent the crossroads point into the thriving commercial corridors connected to South MacArthur.

SPARC-CRA-2 contains two distinct corridors: North MacArthur Drive and Bolton Avenue. A coherent redevelopment strategy must recognize the distinct uses and functions of these corridors as well as the way in which they interplay.

As a principal gateway into and therefore first impression of Alexandria, North MacArthur Drive currently suffers from years of poor planning and a lack of attention regarding how the former North MacArthur traffic circle could benefit from intervention and additional infrastructure improvements.

Accordingly, a commercial corridor of significant mixed-use and commercial opportunity seems most appropriate. The opportunity might be a series of developments or a single “mega-development.” A mega-development here makes the most sense for a true “destination” development. Perhaps, it is because there is room for a new development while using existing infrastructure and being located within the City.

North MacArthur Mega Project Infrastructure: $9M

Street design, drainage, sewer, utilities and

permanent public space to be donated/owned by the COA

Soft Incentives such as plan costs and feasibility studies $333K

TOTAL: $9.333M in permanently- and privately-owned infrastructure improvements

$16.833M

The leverage sought will use existing business activity and development to increase surrounding land values and create housing opportunities. The City will capitalize on value capture models with significant public investment into special and even ideal infrastructure. This corridor can demonstrate mixed opportunity on a grand scale.

In accord with the American Society of Civil Engineers, which has stated a policy with which the COA Administration concurs, the listed project recommendations qualify as “economic stimulus investment,” meeting certain fundamental criteria. Each recommendation herein involves:

· Projects that create and sustain employment increases;

· Investments that provide long term benefits to the public (such as congestion relief);

· Long term maintenance and upkeep needs of all infrastructure projects—existing and new—or adherence to good future planning; and

· Accountability and transparency by Commission oversight and a commitment to review the program and to measure desired outcomes.

The COA Administration also certified these initial selection decisions have followed multiple vetting processes and will result in a project that:

· Delivers measurable improvements in public health, safety and quality of life;

· Provides substantial, broad-based economic benefit;

· Will be designed and built in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, with proper consideration given to life-cycle costs; and

· Will have a significant environmental benefit through reduced congestion and use of property in a compact, multi-storied and mixed-use manner.

Please note that the deadlines have passed for the following Requests for Qualifications and Requests for Proposals:

1. Market Feasibility Study (GAEDA)

2. Directional Signage Study (City of Alexandria)

3. Hodges Stockbarn (City of Alexandria)

4. Lower Third Streetscape (City of Alexandria)

We appreciate the tremendous response we have received, and we will be announcing selections in the very near future.