The PYMIG held a virtual meeting via Zoom on October 26, 2020, at 7:00 pm. The meeting’s purpose was for the builders (Potomac Yard Constructors or PYC) to update the Metrorail Station’s progress and address the future construction schedule. The agenda, presentation materials, and video of the meeting are available at https://www.alexandriava.gov/PotomacMetroWorkGroup (Note: The presentation material slides will significantly help you understand the synopsis below).
1. Construction Update.
a. Southwest Pavilion (Potomac Yard side). The City’s Board of Architectural Review has granted final approval for the southwest pavilion design. Slides 8–11 provide artist renderings of pre-construction efforts for the southwest access.
b. Headhouses. Slides 16-20 show the progress on both headhouses. You can find more current photos of the East Headhouse columns below.
c. Station Platforms. PYC is placing the rebar for the platforms and has begun to pour concrete (slides 22-26).
d. AC Switchgear Building. As reported earlier, the PYC concrete sub-contractor incorrectly poured the building’s south and east walls, so PYC demolished those two walls. The walls have now been re-poured. Slides 33-34 incorrectly state the “West” wall was being replaced. It was the “East” wall. Photos below show PYC removing the forms from the south and east walls. PYC also noted that the AC Switchgear building’s exterior would be very similar to the generator building to the north of the Switchgear building. You can see the corner of that building on the far right-hand side of the 4th photo below.
2. Future Schedule. You can find PYC’s short-term construction schedule (through December 2020) on slide 12. The long-term project schedule (through project completion in March 2022) can be found on slide 36. PYC has coordinated with CSX and WMATA to close their tracks over Presidents Day weekend (February 13-15, 2021) to install the pedestrian bridge that will span over the tracks and connect the Knuckle to the Headhouse/Mezzanine. PYC also expects to close the Metrorail tracks for two weeks in late-2021 to tie-in the new tracks to the existing tracks. When that is complete, the portion of the existing tracks no longer needed will be removed. Metrorail trains will then move through the new station, although the station will not be open to the public.
3. City Staff will present a new landscaping plan, as part of the amended DSUP for the project, to the Planning Commission on November 5, 2020, and to the City Council on November 14, 2020.
4. The next PYMIG virtual meeting is scheduled for November 23, 2020, at 7 pm. The link to attend the Zoom meeting is posted on the City’s PYMIG webpage, shown in the first paragraph.
Update courtesy of Steve Crime – PG neighborhood’s PYMIG liaison