Overview:

The BRAC consolidation process has resulted in Mark Center being chosen as the new site for BRAC 133, an office with about 6,400 employees. The Congress-mandated deadline for completion of the BRAC process is September 2011. Ground has already been broken at Mark Center . The planned development consists of three new high-rise office buildings around a central plaza/park with an adjacent transit center.

The movement of BRAC 133 to Mark Center is not ideal. Most of the workers will have to commute by car to work as there are few transit opportunities from locations outside of Alexandria. In addition, shopping and retail will be difficult to access from the site and the City will derive very little income from the new development while having to absorb all of the traffic. To add to the problem, Alexandria's sewer capacity will not be able to handle much new development.

Connectivity:

ADAM advocates creating transit connections with Mark Center and supports the planned transportation hub. There must be transit to the Metro stations, to shopping areas (namely the Hamlets shopping center) and to regional transportation networks. This is essential for preventing a traffic disaster.

ADAM also supports extending the Columbia Pike Streetcar line into the Northern Virginia Community College's Alexandria Campus and then to Mark Center.

Mixed Use Development and Urban Form

We must, if possible, position retail development closer to Mark Center or incorporate it into the new buildings. This will help prevent a lunch-time commute, will create increased tax revenue for Alexandria, and will make Mark Center more enjoyable for those who work there.

We must also protect the Winkler Nature Preserve from noise, littering and other harmful effects of development.

Conclusions:

The BRAC 133 development at Mark Center will add thousands of cars to the West End's already saturated roads. Strong efforts must be made to extend transit lines and create shuttles in this area. We suggest extending DASH service to Mark Center as an intermediate solution in anticipation of an immediate and comprehensive transportation plan with a mix of solutions. In addition, Mark Center lacks retailers and as such, we must encourage their incorporation either into the project itself, or as a ring of new development around Mark Center.

Mark Center and the new traffic it will create needs to be integrated with the Beauregard Street study; this study needs to be completed by spring of 2010 in order to implement a solution by BRAC 133's 2011 opening. The City needs to coordinate mass transit and transportation planning efforts along Beauregard and Van Dorn Streets with counterparts in Fairfax and Arlington Counties; the solution needs to be regional. We emphasize immediate action as the situation is urgent.