WMATA - new 14-story building

I just ran across this press release about adjusting train frequency due to Metro constructing a new 14-story office building "near the Metrorail tracks between the Blue and Yellow lines near Eisenhower Avenue Station." Does anyone have an idea where this is occurring? Is this referring to land near the yard, or closer to Old Town where I assume it has some slivers of land as the tracks leave Old Town station? https://www.wmata.com/about/news/Blue-L ... uction.cfm

Building is in between Carlyle and Eisenhower, just north of the new Carlyle Crossing Development. The building has topped off and is getting its exterior fitted right now. Here’s the location:
https://goo.gl/maps/iHFkXaf9MCfxDsXcA

WMATA began the planning process for the construction of this building on Mill Road in Alexandria before deciding to move the headquarters out of the Jackson Graham building. As stated in the press release this new building will consolidate the location of office spaces from several other locations. There was even discussion of using the building for the new headquarters.

WMATA procured the land back in the late 1960s to accommodate the construction C&J Junction and the east end of the Alexandra Yard leads as the land on the north side of the Metrorail tracks and above the tunnels south of Duke Street were still being use by Southern Railway as a freight yard. In the 1980s and 90s WMATA used the land as a lay down site for the storage of escalator trusses and other support equipment.

I’ll also add that this area used to be a connection between Metro and the national rail system. Looking at old imagery you can see the connection between the two systems that is now gone. I wonder if there is a old track diagram of the Alexandria yard showing it.

KTHW
I’ll also add that this area used to be a connection between Metro and the national rail system. Looking at old imagery you can see the connection between the two systems that is now gone.

The former connection is clearly visible on Goggle Maps. The turnout has a hand throw for moving the switch points however the points are locked and can only be unlocked from the Operation Control Center or the C98 train control room.

I wonder if there is a old track diagram of the Alexandria yard showing it.

The yard leads are outside of the yard limits of Alexandra Yard so it would not be shown on a Alexandra Yard track diagram. The C98 train control room has control of the former connection and a track diagram of the former connection is in the train control room service and maintenance manual The train control room has an interlocking control panel in it that likely still has a button for unlocking and locking the switch points.

Thanks for the Google Maps with pin. I know that area well, but have avoided it for ages because of the insane amount of construction. I didn't realize that the work on that side of the street, which I had passed several times, was for WMATA - I thought it was the homeless shelter being expanded.

The homeless shelter has also been proposed for redevelopment into a larger affordable housing complex. I’ll try to find an article for a source.

I don't see a GM pin, but does this refer to the switch almost directly under the tower's shadow?
It appears to be cut off by the dog park. Is that correct?

My comment is that yet again, the agency running rail for commuters has a building that is a fair walk from a station. Closer than Lanham, though.

farecardI don't see a GM pin, but does this refer to the switch almost directly under the tower's shadow?
It appears to be cut off by the dog park. Is that correct?

Yes. The track use to connect to southern most track in the former Southern Railway Alexandria Yard I believe the switch on the former yard track in buried in the weeds.

My comment is that yet again, the agency running rail for commuters has a building that is a fair walk from a station. Closer than Lanham, though.

Closer to the station then the apartment building I use the live in when I lived DC west Dupont Circle.

In a way that is actually good. WMATA owning a building for office space close to one of their station would not generate any property taxes.

In addition to the Alexandria building, WMATA is also constructing a new 11-story building - now topped out - on the former surface parking lot at New Carrollton. This will complement the Stella apartment building and Kaiser Permanente office building built over the last few years.

Of course WMATA is also nearing completion of its new main headquarters - replacing the JGB - at 300 7th Street near L'Enfant Plaza in SW DC.

So that's 11 stories, plus 14 stories, plus the new main HQ. How many personnel does Metro have that sit behind desks?!? I guess an 11-story building could be pretty 'skinny', so maybe it's not that much SF...

JDC wrote: ↑Mon Oct 25, 2021 12:10 pm So that's 11 stories, plus 14 stories, plus the new main HQ. How many personnel does Metro have that sit behind desks?!? I guess an 11-story building could be pretty 'skinny', so maybe it's not that much SF...

How much of that floorspace is servers and control equipment?

How much of that is going to be leased out by WMATA?

RandallW
How much of that is going to be leased out by WMATA?

WMATA is the sole tenant of all the properties it owns or leases. The building was built to reduce the total number of properties it occupies around the region.

Sand Box John wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:55 pm RandallW
How much of that is going to be leased out by WMATA?

WMATA is the sole tenant of all the properties it owns or leases. The building was built to reduce the total number of properties it occupies around the region.

They are advertising 3 floors of their building at 300 7th St as available for lease (https://www.wmata.com/business/real-est ... Street.pdf). Is being a landlord a new activity for WMATA then?