WASHINGTON — Prince William County is considering a new parking garage that could cost more than $41 million to provide the Woodbridge, Virginia, area with its first sheltered commuter parking structure.
At one point, this garage on Interstate 95 near Potomac Mills could have been built as part of a new minor league baseball stadium, but that potential deal fell through. The team is moving to Fredericksburg instead.
Now, a consultant for Prince William County’s Department of Transportation has completed a review of what it would take to build the garage on its own.
Three remaining sites off Opitz Boulevard, Dale Boulevard and Telegraph Road made the final cut for a review of traffic impacts, likely usage levels, and any roadway widening or interchange expansions that might be needed to accommodate a garage at each location. But each will require millions of dollars more than originally budgeted.
The site evaluations are scheduled to be presented Tuesday to the Board of Supervisors, who will make a final decision on where to build the garage. The county hopes to have the selection in place and to begin designs this fall, which could put the garage on track to open around 2021 or 2022.
At the old K-Mart site (now the At Home store) on Dale Boulevard, a garage could replace the store building, with the opportunity for later development on the current parking lot.
Near the Wegmans between Interstate 95 and Route 1 at Potomac Town Center, a garage could be built in what is now the wooded area across from Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center. That is the site where a garage could have pulled double duty had a new Potomac Nationals stadium been approved there.
The third site that made the final cut is in the wooded area behind the Potomac Festival Shopping Center next to the I-95 south exit ramp to Potomac Mills Road.
Building at the first site would cost an estimated $46.6 million, the second would cost about $43.9 million (although that could drop somewhat if the county can negotiate to buy only the land needed for the project rather than the larger piece of property offered), and the third would cost about $41.4 million. There is $37 million in state funding earmarked for the garage, which is expected to have about 1,400 spaces along with bus stops and slug lines.
A comparison chart prepared for the Board of Supervisors suggests the first two sites have a number of benefits over the third when it comes to site design, utility impacts and stormwater management.
At the third site though, it is easiest to get the property needed and commuters would have the best afternoon travel times from the I-95 Express Lanes.
Future maintenance costs are projected to be lowest at the old K-Mart site.
