Alexandria Police Memorial: Site

A new police headquarters facility is currently being constructed in order to consolidate operations of the Alexandria Police Department and facilitate coordination and cooperation among various divisions and shifts.  Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the facility will house a criminal investigation laboratory, state-of-the-art police and fire communications center, and a community meeting room.

The site of the new police facility covers 6.64 acres or 289,240 square feet.  The building area will consist of 124,000 square feet on four levels with the future expansion potential of 155,000 square feet.  A total of $61.3 million is budgeted for facility construction. 

Centrally-located within the City, the building is designed to provide a welcoming environment for the public and staff of more than 500.  Approximately 51% of the site is ground level open space.  The landscaped entry plaza will include native plantings and locally harvested materials.  A three-story atrium will serve as the entrance and access point to public services. 

Sustainable site design elements include rain gardens, a rainwater reclamation system, bioretention systems and energy efficiencies.  The building will be LEED Silver Certified with a goal of achieving LEED Gold.

The facility is not located within a historic district. 

The Memorial will recognize the service of Alexandria Police Officers, welcome the public to the facility and promote community engagement.  In order to reflect the diversity of the police force, the artwork should be non-representational.  The Memorial shall focus on the honor, integrity and sacrifice of Alexandria’s fallen officers, past and future, and will convey a message of honor, appreciation and remembrance rather than one of loss and sorrow.  The Memorial shall integrate well with the existing plaza design and provide an appropriate setting for ceremonial activities of the Alexandria Police Department and the City.

The design shall incorporate a location for the names and dates of Alexandria’s fallen officers, listed chronologically with allowance for the future addition of names and dates.

The proposed memorial area is approximately 30’ X 40’ or 1,200 square feet.  Please note that a portion of the designated site is over the underground structure.  Heavy loads within this sensitive area are discouraged.

The front façade (east) of the police headquarters has a height of 66’6”, and is positioned approximately 35’ from the proposed memorial site.  The total width is 192’2”.

It is intended for the Memorial to have lighting but it is at the artist’s discretion to choose whether or not to include lighting within their concept.  The required minimum average illumination for the plaza is 0.6 FC, however, certain lighting exceptions may be granted.

Any artwork and design elements must be durable and low maintenance.  Applicants should consider the high amount of pedestrian traffic around the facility, light (both natural and electric), outdoor weather conditions, and the architectural design of the new facility when designing the proposal.  Water features are discouraged due to their high installation and maintenance cost and potential heavy load.

Site Plans

Building Elevation 

Enlarged Plaza Plan 

Plaza Planting Plan 

Site Features Plan 

Artistic Rendering