Finally, progress on the Waterfront -- going from a nasty warehouse to a small hotel is a big step in the right direction.

I am basically in favor of the city's Waterfront Plan, but doesn't this proposed hotel exceed the height restriction for the property?

Ok, so the hotel exceeds the height restrictions (and is not exactly small), but think of the great view the guests will have of the roof of Robinson Terminal!

A 121 room hotel on the waterfront would be a huge improvement. If I am correct, it would be smaller than the Hotel Monaco and the Hampton Inn on King St. I will be interested to see if its height includes a parking bay.

For sure an improvement over the embarrassment that is there now, but CAAWP aka "FOTAW" are already fighting the BAR from even looking at it. Sad.

"A 121 room hotel on the waterfront would be a huge improvement. "

Yeah, adding 250 people and 121 cars to the block is awesome!

I don't know what the proper solution is - but I would prefer fewer tourists, fewer delivery trucks double parked in the streets, less traffic, and less competition for parking spots. The current warehouse is not attractive - but it is pretty much empty. As a neighbor, I have a hard time looking forward to what I perceive as a negative impact to me personally. -- just saying.

If we want unfettered, open public access to the Potomac (I have stopped using the term “waterfront” because it is so divisive), hotels have to be some part of the redevelopment mix. This proposal seems to be worthy of consideration. Everyone will have plenty of chances (BAR, zoning, Council) to voice their concerns. Let’s let this plan go forward for open discussion. What’s there today is an embarrassment to the city! I live a block and a half away from this site so I get the parking/traffic/people concerns and want to make sure they are addressed also. But there is no reason to stop consideration of this proposal via the normal channels.

Design of red brick looks to fit perfectly with Old Town and sure is a big improvement over a warehouse!

Their application only depicts 53 parking spaces? Is that correct? Where will the 30 employee's cars park? In the garage? So that leaves 23 spots for 121 rooms?

If you thought parking was bad now, just wait. You won't be able to find one spot within 4 blocks of Virtue May-September. I can't wait to hear the supporters b*tching once they realize what's happened. They'll be begging to have that vacant warehouse back.

This hotel won't generate traffic, residents of old town do. I'm looking at the 12 Story Crowne Plaza in North Old Town as I'm writing this and I see an empty parking lot, a few taxis and a shuttle bus, but no traffic and plenty of street parking out front. During rush hour, the North-South streets are full of commuters but when rush hour hour dies, the streets near these hotels are empty.

I am not for all aspects of the waterfront development plan, but I hope there can be some compromise. Alexandria is a historic town that draws tourist. I am glad they can come and admire our port town and spend their money here. From the drawing provided, this looks like a huge improvement. The city planners and land use should require underground parking with a state-of-the art water pumping system. It is sure to flood. The thing about the waterfront now is it is ugly. I support change with taste and a nod towards Alexandria's history, and this hotel seems to fit.

"It's only common sense that most out-of-town guests won't have a rental car."

I travel for work approximately 10 weeks a year. I can not think of one trip in the last decade where I didn't pick up a car at the airport. I'm an "out-of-town" guest constantly in Chicago, Boston, Phoenix, and Denver and I ... rent a car each.and.every.time. If you seriously believe that the majority of guests will arrive by taxi or by foot than you're a dinosaur. There's this thing called the internet. For the cost of one, one-way taxi cab from National you can successfully bid on a rental car via priceline, etc for multiple days. You must be ancient to not know this. Rental cars routinely go for $10 a day. Everyday. Who (savvy, mind you) would spend $40 on two taxi rides when you could hve a car for 4 days for the same cost? No one.

"I doubt the low-wage maids and bell boys will be driving to work."

Why? Because you're a bigot? Plenty of low income individuals drive. And for the same reason you do. Public transportation sucks. And takes up valuable time.

"Employees will have a strong disincentive to drive to work considering there's no free parking in the area."

Wrong again. Their employer will surely offer garage (free) parking lest they have too much trouble recruiting employees.

Joseph,

Go back and re-read the plan- if you bothered to read it at all. Fifty three spots in the garage. You seem to have missed that *important* point.

You trust the developer. That's your first mistake. He/she/they couldn't care less about their impact on parking. Their concerns are capital expenditures. They will build only the minimum. Ever been to Tysons on December 22nd? Had a hard time finding a spot? Why is that?

Some of the parking can be off site as well. A valet can easily use a secondary garage for long term parking or make a deal to have employees park a few blocks away at an alternate location. The bigger consideration is car traffic....which I dont see as any worse than putting a popular restaurant there, office building or worse yet a popular museum. Anyone living more than 3 blocks away would have to be happy the area is improving. People living close by only care about their parking and traffic.

I travel every week for work- Sunday night through Thursday night and I rent a car each time (Hertz gold, natch;)). How else am I to get from my Random Starwood to whatever client site I'm assigned? Cab it twice per day? Be hostage to my room and cab? No thanks! I can expense the parking but it's part of my per diem so I first try street parking so I can splurge on dinner (that's pretty common in the biz Joseph, sorry. Maybe that's what Mcbrinn was getting at?).

So yes, I'm a business traveler that adds to parking congestion. But don't hate me, I live in Alexandria and am gone each week so the city actually has +1 spot cause of me!

One Austen Flajser is "president" of Carr? News to me! What's happened to Mr. Shah?

Fact checking not a priority at the Patch? Apparently not.

Hey Robert- check out the Carr Hospitality website. (www.Carrhospitality.com). You will find that it is a simple one page website, similar in complexity to many little league baseball teams websites. Ain't much information there at all. No page listing the management team... Did I mention that the other two Carr properties in Old Town are in my opinion "dumps.". Their recent food safety inspections were both quite disturbing... It's all online so check it out - yum!

I am 50/50 on this. The more I think about it the more I worry about the extra traffic on Union St. It's already a pain getting through King/Union intersection and often until you get past Duke St. it's very slow going around parked cars, cars turning, cars parallel parking, cars double parked and bikes. Any additional traffic will make this even worse.

also keep in mind that presently the Hotel site is used for parking - in the warehouse which accomodates maybe 30 or 40 cars (my estimate). So where will these 30-40 cars go? this capacity needs to be taken into account when you look at the total impact on parking and traffic. on weekend evenings especailly, it is a mess down there and surrounding residents have to compete with tourists, restauarant patrons, workers, and tourists for parking. Parking is a real problem there already and the neighbors have very valid concerns...... it is a residential area after all.

Hello Alex Andria- thanks for your reply. I couldn't figure out how to reply to you within the thread. Also I apologize if my post offended you in any way. I re read it today and worried that I may have been viewed as an attack against you. Not so I enjoy spirited and respectful debate. You mentioned "do nothing" as a risk which I agree with. I definitely dont want status quo. However current zoning allows quite a substantial amount of development (2.0 far and 50 foot tall buildings)) at this site yet Carr appears to be going for the jugular. I applaud what eya is doing with the sheet metal worker building. Check it out..

Alex, hi. It would be nice to find an appropriate use for the property, but it's not clear why a hotel is it, especially since the property has been zoned for a lower density since 1992. My understanding is that the current zoning permits public parks, restaurants and retail shopping, among a long list of permitted uses.

And what's next? An even larger hotel at Robinson Terminal South? (And another hotel at Robinson Terminal North?)

While we're at it, how will our city officials plan to develop the site of the power station?

I believe that they could build a 30 foot structure "by right" (without a sup). With a sup they can go higher (up to 50)

Isn't the property directly across Union a parking garage

Yes, right across the street is a parking garage so no one's view will be impacted. I am more worried about the nastiness toward each other (who are our neighbors) illustrated by the tone and content of Mcbrinn's comments than I am by the hotel. I look forward to a hotel on that site in light of what is there now and I live in Waterford and drive through the King and Union Street intersection every day. I too see how empty the streets are around the other hotels in Old Town, other than the Hotel Monaco, which manages it's traffic very well. Btw, I travel all the time for my job and I never rent a car unless I am in LA. If the city is walkable, I take cabs.