Post by ferryfast admin on Oct 29, 2007 13:43:03 GMT -5
Monday, October 29, 2007 - 2:35 PM EDT
Developer's plans could take travelers off the road and onto a boat
Washington Business Journal - by Erin Killian Staff Reporter
www.bizjournals.com/
Real estate company Kettler plans to build a ferry terminal north of Marine Corps Base Quantico and wanted to see how long it would take for a passenger ferry to make the journey to the Navy Yard in D.C. The answer from an Oct. 25 trial run: 58 minutes.
McLean-based Kettler is building a community called Harbor Station on 2,500 acres it owns in Prince William County. The project includes a town center, golf course, 2,500 residential units, 2 million square feet of office space, a Virginia Railway Express commuter station with a $20 million parking deck, a marina and the ferry terminal.
Alexandria-based MetroMarine Holdings, which develops and operates passenger ferry services in the mid-Atlantic states, has partnered with Kettler.
"Presumably all of this could happen and ready to go in three years," said Kettler spokeswoman Cassie Cataline. "Funding is a big part of it."
With only anecdotal information from local boaters on how long the trip would take, Kettler chartered a 49-passenger ferry, the MS Provincetown III, which usually operates between Boston and Providence, R.I.
The next steps include a demonstration project followed by a pilot program of ferry service for civilian and military commuters.
"With base realignment and growth of the defense employment along the I-95 corridor, it's all the more important to broaden options for travel to D.C. and the Pentagon," said Kettler President Richard Hausler in a statement.
Other developers also are exploring possibilities to use the Potomac as way to connect the region. National Harbor in Prince George's County, for example, has signed a deal with Alexandria-based Potomac Riverboat Co., which has been running water taxis between Georgetown, Alexandria and Mount Vernon since 1983. As part of the agreement, Potomac Riverboat bought two new 99-passenger boats for $3 million. They are expected to be ready for the extra service in the spring.