City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: DECEMBER 4, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: EMILY A. BAKER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND INTERIM DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of Authorization for the City Manager to take the steps necessary on behalf of the City of Alexandria with respect to the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA)’s Fourth Track Project.
BODY
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ISSUE: City Council consideration regarding the authorization of the City Manager to take the steps necessary on behalf of the City with respect to VPRA’s Fourth Track Project.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council authorizes the City Manager to take such steps as are necessary on behalf of the City with respect to VPRA’s Fourth Track Project.
BACKGROUND: The Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA) was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020 as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth. Pursuant to its enabling act, VPRA’s purpose is to “increase passenger rail capacity, improve passenger rail services, ameliorate current and future traffic congestion on Virginia highways, and promote the industrial and economic development of the Commonwealth.” To achieve these goals, VPRA is administering several rail corridor capital expansion projects, which requires land acquisitions and infrastructure construction. As part of the Transforming Rail in Virginia Initiative, VPRA is overseeing the Alexandria Fourth Track Project (Project) to design and construct almost six (6) miles of railroad track and related infrastructure in the City of Alexandria. The Project will install a fourth track parallel to the existing three-track segments, primarily using the existing rail corridor but also incorporating slivers of property necessary for the project. This Project will increase passenger capacity in Alexandria and throughout the region and will enable more efficient coordination of freight and passenger rail service in the Commonwealth. VPRA is also financially assisting the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) with its improvements to Alexandria Union Station and the railroad bridges over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue.
During the final project design, VPRA identified a series of permanent property rights throughout the City of Alexandria which are needed in relation to the Project. Construction of the Project within City limits is slated to begin in late 2025 and conclude in 2027. In April 2025, VPRA informed City staff that NEPA reevaluation approval had been obtained, allowing the acquisition of property interests for the Project to begin. Those property interests are:
• 0.195 acre fee simple acquisition, proximate to Dove St. & Telegraph Rd. (pg. 2 of attachment);
• 0.048 acre fee simple acquisition, proximate to Dove St. & Telegraph Rd. (pg. 2 of attachment);
• 0.222 acre permanent access & drainage easement, proximate to Dove St. & Telegraph Rd. (pg. 2 of attachment);
• 0.153 acre fee simple acquisition, proximate to Duke St. & Alexandria Station (pg. 3 of attachment);
• 0.013 acre permanent slope easement, proximate to King St. & Alexandria Station (pg. 3 of attachment);
• 0.174 acre permanent aerial easement over King St. (pg. 3 of attachment);
• 0.074 acre permanent aerial easement over Commonwealth Ave. (pg. 3 of attachment);
• 0.292 acre permanent ROW easement, proximate to Slaters Ln. & Potomac Greens Dr. (pg. 5 of attachment).
DISCUSSION: The Project offers many benefits to the City and the region, both in the form of increased efficiency in travel and commerce as well as upgraded infrastructure and facilities. The City has approached this Project with a desire to help achieve these benefits while simultaneously preserving city assets and mitigating the impacts to the community both during and after construction.
City staff from various Departments reviewed the property rights required by VPRA and supports these requirements in service of the Project but also identified property rights that could not be conveyed through the traditional disposition process. The City is prohibited by the Virginia Code from conveying permanent easements. These property rights can instead be acquired by VPRA through a collaborative condemnation process sometimes referred to as ‘friendly condemnation.’ Through this process, the City is assured just compensation for its property rights, and VPRA can obtain those rights necessary for its project which the City is constrained from conveying.
VPRA will submit a ‘Bona Fide Offer’ to the City for the subject properties based on two appraisals of each property. The City Manager will decline this offer based on the delegation of Council’s authority in this docket item, and this declination will allow VPRA to initiate its friendly condemnation action. The City will then reach a settlement agreement with VPRA for the conclusion of this action, which the City Manager will execute based upon the delegation of authority in this docket item.
FISCAL IMPACT: The City will receive compensation commensurate with the appraised values of its property interests. VPRA will initiate the required actions for the acquisition of those property interests.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Virginia Passenger Rail Authority Property Requests
STAFF:
Alex Boulden, Interim Deputy Director of Engineering & Right of Way, T&ES
Christina Zechman Brown, Deputy City Attorney
Bryan MacAvoy, Assistant City Attorney
Hashim Taylor, Director, RPCA
Hillary Orr, Deputy Director, T&ES
Jack Browand, Deputy Director, RPCA
Alfred Coleman, Deputy Director of Administration, General Services
Nathan Orr, Chief of Surveys, T&ES