🚫 Stop the Pump Station in Waterfront Park - or any park! 🚫

The City of Alexandria is moving forward with a $148+ million plan to build a massive two-story pump station in Waterfront Park— a plan that is destructive, unnecessary, wasteful, and in violation of public trust.

We, the Friends of Waterfront Park, a welcoming coalition of Alexandria residents and businesses, urge you to help stop this ill-conceived project.

1. Say NO to the Pump Station in Waterfront Park—or any city park.

2. Say YES to smarter, sustainable solutions that protect the waterfront and our community

❌ What’s Wrong with the City’s Current Plan?

1. The plan eliminates valuable public parkland and open space.
This proposal replaces open green space with an industrial facility—permanently removing parkland that took over 75 years to create.

2. The plan blocks iconic views of the Potomac River and D.C.
The massive, noisy, two-story windowless structure would obstruct key views from Prince and Union Streets, harming both resident and tourist experiences,  and decreasing tax revenue.

3. The plan violates legal deed restrictions on the use and development of Waterfront Park.
The land is legally protected for use only as public parkland, and no structure over 15 feet is permitted. This building would rise 33 feet.

4. The plan causes years of disruptive construction, traffic chaos, and lost business and recreation.
Construction of large underground infrastructure along Union Street could last over 3 years, reducing business revenues by up to 40%, and canceling beloved Waterfront festivals.

5. The plan is based on inflated flood assumptions that exaggerate the problem.
The City designed the project using unrealistic storm scenarios, with peak intensities double what VDOT uses, and far above neighboring jurisdictions.

6. The plan lacks a cost-benefit analysis.
Despite the $148M+ price tag, the City has done no formal review of whether the marginal benefits justify the enormous financial and social costs.

7. The plan creates a perverse financial incentive for private contractors.
The project is led by a for-profit design-build company who benefits from creating the largest, most expensive pump station, unwanted by the citizens and businesses affected by flooding.

8. The plan violates the City's own Waterfront Small Area Plan (the Olin Plan).
The City is ignoring its own guidelines from the Olin Plan (2014), ultimately voted on and approved by City Council after extensive review and public comment by stakeholders.

9. The plan ignores better, less costly alternatives supported by affected property owners.
Options like gravity-based drainage, raised grade levels, and targeted flood-proofing were never seriously pursued—even though they could eliminate the need for this pump station entirely.

📣 Take Action Now: We urge Alexandria’s residents and visitors to learn more about the City’s plan and to encourage the Mayor and City Council to act now, before it’s too late.

📝 Sign the Petition if you urge Council to:

1. Stop all planning for the Pump Station in Waterfront Park (or any park)
2. Commit to smarter, sustainable, community-backed solutions

📬 Email City Council Directly: Send a message through ALEX311

💻 Research: City of Alexandria Waterfront Flood Mitigation Project Design

📚 Learn More: "Thousands Sign Petition Against Waterfront Pumphouse"

*Donations go to Change.org, NOT this petition! We raise awareness, not 💰!