Potomac Shores - Gorove Slade

Evolving with the Times: Office Plans Yield to Housing Needs

Description

Potomac Shores, located in Prince William County, Virginia, boasts 3,800 houses, a local town and recreation center, a golf course, a community garden, and numerous walking trails and parks. Originally conceived in 2011, this mixed-use development has undergone a significant evolution to fit changing workplace patterns and office space needs. The Gorove Slade team has been there every step of the way, providing a wide array of transportation and mobility solutions to support the community’s growth.

Originally envisioned as an entirely new city anchored by 3 million square feet of office space and resort hotels, among other destination amenities, Potomac Shores has adapted to changing market demands while maintaining its core vision of creating a vibrant, multifaceted community. With a shift to creating a more robust residential community, came a need for forward-thinking approaches to mobility and transportation.

Gorove Slade helped conceptualize and evaluate cutting-edge solutions to intersection design, such as quadrant roadways, which at that time had no constructed examples in the state of Virginia. Our team also anticipated future site needs, producing a traffic study, parking analysis, and Transportation Demand Management (TDM) plan that emphasized the importance of multimodality well before the county or the state had widely adopted such practices.

The ongoing development of Potomac Shores aligns with broader shifts in transportation planning priorities within Prince William County. The county recently updated its transportation plan, adjusting its vehicular Level of Service (LOS) standard from D to E, particularly in activity centers like Potomac Shores. This change reflects a growing emphasis on pedestrian safety and comfort enhanced by multimodal transportation options. The development is also building higher density housing and a new town center elementary school that—once completed—will be the most urban, compact elementary school in the county.

Future plans include a retail-focused town center, a marina, public schools, and a Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station, offering residents and visitors a comprehensive living and recreational experience. The partnership between Gorove Slade and Potomac Shores exemplifies the kind of thoughtful, future-oriented planning that supports progressive urban design and transportation solutions that are flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen changes in the marketplace and allow communities to thrive.