Initiative To Bring Programs To King Street Park At Waterfront

ALEXANDRIA, VA—As Alexandria prepares to open the King Street Park on the Waterfront this fall, the city and private partners have announced an effort to boost the image of Old Town Alexandria as a waterfront destination.

The King Street Corridor Initiative is a public/private marketing partnership to increase support for programming and events in the new park, part of the city's plan to revitalize the waterfront.

The three core components of the King Street Corridor Initiative are programming, beautification and marketing. The City of Alexandria is investing $357,000 in the beautification of King Street, which will entail hanging flower boxes and increased street cleaning and maintenance.

Programming in the works could include pop-up beer garden, mobile history exhibits, public art and live music. The marketing component will entail the profile of Alexandria as a waterfront destination to overnight visitors.

The city will match $175,000 in private sector funds for the marketing and programming parts of the initiative. Visit Alexandria is leading the effort of adding private sector partners and is 80 percent toward the goal.

Private sector partners include:

Lead Partners

• Alexandria Restaurant Partners (Mia’s Italian Kitchen, Virtue Feed & Grain, Vola’s Dockside Grill and Hi Tide Lounge, The Majestic, and Lena’s Wood-fired Pizza & Tap)
• Carr Hospitality (Owners of Hotel Indigo Old Town Alexandria, Hilton Garden Inn Alexandria Old Town and Embassy Suites by Hilton Alexandria Old Town)
• Alexandria Hotel Association

Community Contributors

• EYA (Developers of Robinson Terminal South)
• Tall Ship Providence Foundation (Adding tall ship as permanent attraction in summer of 2019)

Neighborhood Partners

• Chadwicks Restaurant
• Pizzeria Paradiso
• Port City Brewing Company
• Potomac Riverboat Company
• Asana Partners

The launch program happen from July 2018 to June 2019.

"This fall, Alexandria will realize the dramatic integration of its two biggest public assets—the waterfront and its historic retail corridor, King Street," said Patricia Washington, president and CEO of Visit Alexandria, in a statement. "The goal of the King Street Corridor Initiative is to maintain a thriving downtown and celebrate the opening of our new waterfront park in a way that is cost-effective, leveraging existing resources and expertise wherever possible."

Construction of the King Street Park at the Waterfront began in the spring. Located next to the existing Waterfront Park, the new King Street Waterfront Park will encompass the location of the Old Dominion Boat Club, a current park at the foot of King Street and a parking lot. Two phases of construction are planned, but the park will initially open to the public in fall 2018 and tentatively undergo final construction in 2026.

The park opening this fall will offer extensive views of the Potomac River, a lawn area, a multi-use space for events, a marina terrace with movable tables and chairs, a river terrace and a promenade path connecting the existing Waterfront Park with the plaza. The space will be flexible to offer seasonal pop-up activities.

Image via City of Alexandria