HRPDC Parking Lot Stormwater Quality Retrofit Earns ACEC Virginia Honor Award

Company News | February 27, 2026

RICHMOND, VA — A. Morton Thomas and Associates, Inc. (AMT) received an American Council of Engineering Companies of Virginia (ACEC/VA) Honor Award for the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) Parking Lot Stormwater Quality Retrofit project in Chesapeake, Virginia. AMT served as the owner’s representative through all phases of planning, design, and construction. The retrofit reimagines a failing asphalt parking lot at the HRPDC Headquarters as a high‑performing green infrastructure demonstration site.

Sometimes called the “magic parking lot,” the project uses innovative stormwater design and has achieved zero measurable runoff to downstream waters since the ceremonial ribbon cutting on April 17, 2025. The award recognizes the project’s innovation, complexity, achievement, value, and highlights its role as a replicable model for resilient, cost-effective stormwater solutions across the Hampton Roads region and beyond.

The project showcases a treatment‑train stormwater system that exceeds minimum regulatory standards by combining pervious pavement, bioretention, and pre‑treatment strategies to maximize infiltration and eliminate runoff. A key design feature includes the Stormcrete© pervious pavement system, which uses precast pervious concrete panels to reduce construction risk, improve quality control, and efficiently filter stormwater to an underlying stone reservoir. This project is also the third installation nationally of the “OSU Comb” developed by The Ohio State University. It traps coarse sediment in the stormwater runoff to prevent it from clogging the porous pavement, thereby reducing long-term maintenance concerns.

Beyond its infrastructure and environmental benefits, the HRPDC parking lot retrofit was intentionally designed as an active research and educational demonstration site. The parking lot features native plantings that support water conservation and habitat value, ADA‑compliant parking, electric vehicle charging stations, and interactive educational signage that explains the science behind stormwater management, urban runoff, and watershed protection.

HRPDC and AMT invite visitors, students, and community partners to experience the “magic parking lot” firsthand, especially during rainstorms, when the system’s performance is most visible. Educational displays on site highlight ongoing HRPDC experiments, innovative stormwater strategies, and the region’s broader commitment to environmental stewardship. Bring an umbrella!

View 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.