AMT Project Receives National Recognition at ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards

Company News | June 19, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc. (AMT) announces that the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) Parking Lot Stormwater Quality Retrofit project received a National Recognition Award at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Engineering Excellence Awards, held May 5 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards is an annual program recognizing projects worldwide for innovation and engineering excellence. Juried by industry, government, and academic experts, projects advance to the national level through state and regional competitions. Building on its earlier Honor Award from ACEC Virginia, AMT’s project was recognized nationally for its innovation, complexity, and value as a resilient stormwater solution.

AMT served as the owner’s representative throughout planning, design, and construction for the $768,000 retrofit at HRPDC Headquarters in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Often called the “magic parking lot,” the project transformed a failing asphalt lot into a high-performing green infrastructure site. Since its ribbon cutting on April 17, 2025, it has achieved zero measurable stormwater runoff to downstream waters.

The design features a treatment train system exceeding regulatory requirements through pervious pavement, bioretention, and pre-treatment. Innovations include the Stormcrete© pervious pavement system and one of the nation’s first installations of the “OSU Comb,” which captures sediment and reduces long-term maintenance.

In addition to its infrastructure benefits, the project functions as an educational and research site, with native plantings, ADA-compliant parking, EV charging stations, and interpretive signage supporting ongoing studies and community engagement. Visitors can experience the system firsthand, particularly during rain events when its effectiveness is most visible.

AMT congratulates HRPDC and the project team on this outstanding national recognition.

View the HRPDC Beyond Just Parking timelapse video.

View Model Level River Star Business – Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) to see highlights of the “Magic Parking Lot” pilot program.