Robinson Terminal North Photo by Vernon Miles.
Rooney Properties and CityInterests are reconsidering their options at Robinson Terminal North. The development, approved in October 2015 as a residential, hotel, and commercial space, has been put on indefinite hold. The companies announced the decision in a joint statement: "Rooney Properties and CityInterests have been working diligently over the past three years to entitle a project worthy of the truly unique site at Robinson Terminal North. Due to shifting market dynamics, the as-entitled, luxury boutique hotel at Robinson Terminal North is no longer economically viable and high construction costs have resulted in a reevaluation of the project as a whole. As a result, we are currently considering a number of options that better reflect the market demands while providing substantial benefit to the city and community. As owners of the property, we are committed to working closely with the community and the City of Alexandria as we evaluate all options to ensure we deliver a first class development that complements the beauty of the neighborhood, respects the historical context of Old Town Alexandria, and delivers on the commitment to provide the missing link in the Old Town Alexandria linear waterfront park.”
In an email to members of the Waterfront Commission and the Ad Hoc Monitoring Group, attorney Kenneth Wire, representing the owner of Robinson Terminal North, said the owner will continue with the environmental testing outlined at a community meeting on May 25, but demolition and construction work is put on hold while the owners evaluate design and economic alternatives.
But on specific questions, like what shifting market dynamics led to the change, the answers have been vague. In an email, CityInterests Development Manager Russ Wheeler said that CityInterests will provide the community with an update at the September Alexandria Waterfront Commission.
As the owners consider their options, many local residents are feeling left in the dark.
“Obviously that’s a big question mark for that part of the community,” said Tom Soapes, president of the North Old Town Independent Citizens Civic Association. “I know the city was counting on that development heavily. It’s just a big question mark right now.”
Some local residents embraced the decision
“CityInterests was very smart to go back and revisit what they want to develop,” said Ann Shack, president of the Tobacco Quay Citizen’s Association. “We residents know that somebody in the city is pushing for the developers to do commercial only … but residents know residential is what should be there. We’re hoping the city wakes up and lets CityInterests come back with residential plan. We residents are not against an improvement over what’s there now, but the city pushed development too fast. I like the idea that they’re slowing things down so more information can be collected.”
Shack said that so far, the property developers have been very responsive to the neighbors about concerns over damage to nearby properties during construction. Shack says residents are in support of development, but hope any new design comes with a more historic look and doesn’t remove parking from the area.
“I think we’re looking forward to finding out what exactly is going to happen,” said Shack.
Yvonne Weight Callahan, president of the Old Town Civic Association, said she wasn’t particularly surprised by the decision.
“In one sense, we saw it coming,” said Callahan. “A few months ago, Wire said they were holding off development of the hotel portion when they couldn’t find anyone waiting in the wings to take it over.”
Both Callahan and Shack said they were happy the property owners were going to proceed with plans for an environmental clean-up of the site. Mayor Allison Silberberg said that, along with the environmental cleanup, the developers have also indicated to the City Council that they intend to keep one acre of land on the site as open space.
“While this is not what has been planned, we look forward to working with the developer to envision what is possible for this three acre site,” said Silberberg. “Right now, we all need to be patient as Mr. Wire’s client looks at their options. Clearly all of us want something to replace the warehouse … I look forward very much to working with Ken Wire and his client to see what is possible.”
According to Frank Shafroth, director of the Center for State and Local Government Leadership at George Mason University, the questions surrounding Robinson Terminal North are emblematic of the struggle between conservation and development along the waterfront.
“Alexandria has a yin and a yang,” said Shafroth in an email. “Most citizens want lower assessments and lower property taxes, but a significant segment of citizens do not want development, such as we have in Crystal City or Rosslyn. That is especially true of Old Town. Thus, the waterfront has long been a center of contention … but the community has, at least so far, been unable to reach real consensus with regard to benefitting from the exceptional value of the city’s waterfront. While we cannot be certain of all the reasons the developer has withdrawn, we can be certain that the developer lacked confidence that there would be further development which would, over time, benefit the value of his investment and reduce pressure on rising assessed property taxes for all Alexandria citizens.”