Developer proposing upscale housing, restaurant on Alexandria warehouse site

A massive warehouse that for 70 years has perched at Duke Street on the Alexandria waterfront would be replaced with high-end residences, retail and a restaurant with views of the Potomac River, according to plans presented to the citys Waterfront Commission on Tuesday.

Robert D. Youngentob, a principal in the development company EYA, outlined the firms concept for an approximately $200million project that he said will transform the 3.5-acre site from industrial to a modern residential-commercial mix.

The presentation was the first public glimpse of what would replace the building known as Robinson Terminal South, which Graham Holdings the former owner of The Washington Post agreed to sell to EYA last year.

In addition to about 100 condominium units and townhouses, the project includes a public promenade and an upgraded pier that would allow boats and yachts to tie up for daytime visits. It is a key part of the Alexandria waterfront plan, which was the subject of a pitched two-year battle over the eight blocks of Old Town that border the Potomac. Opponents objected to the traffic and congestion that more development could bring.

We know there is a lot of controversy and history with the citys waterfront plan, and we want to balance, not overwhelm, the area, Youngentob said in an interview.

Lawsuits by opponents have failed to stop the waterfront plan, twice endorsed by the Alexandria City Council. It allows two boutique hotels, new residences and expanded parks along the river. Traffic, landscape design and flood mitigation studies are underway.

The Waterfront Commission, an advisory group appointed by the City Council, received the proposal with little discussion early Tuesday at its meeting.

People were in general pretty pleased, said council member Paul Smedberg (D), who serves on the commission. There were some questions about environmental issues, the piers, how people would get in and out.

The next significant step will be when the developers turn the concept into an actual plan. EYA officials said they expect to stay within the citys 50-foot height limit for the site, with condominium buildings of four or five stories.

The land will be raised, an effort to prevent flooding. The waterfront street, called the Strand, will be extended through the old warehouse property, then connected with Union Street.

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Developer proposing upscale housing, restaurant on Alexandria warehouse site