Del Ray Rising (II)

Add another project to the growing list of development to fill in Del Ray. The latest: Del Ray Greens, at 2903 Mt. Vernon Avenue. With the paint still wet at Mt. Vernon Commons across the street, and the Lofts at Del Ray Village now under construction just down the block, change on Mt. Vernon Avenue is already in motion. If would-be developer Julie Wadler has her way, the Anthony's Auto site at the corner of Mt. Vernon and Commonwealth will add to the transformation, as it morphs from a carbon glutton filling station to a carbon-neutral office space.
The metamorphosis could begin taking place by this fall, according to Wadler, who has a self-professed longstanding fixation with environmental awareness, and simply couldn't resist the idea of turning something so environmentally unfriendly into, well, the opposite. If the vision is fulfilled, the former pumping station will be replaced with a small office sporting with a LEED Gold (fingers crossed) rating, phenolic panels (a recycled composite) and a "farmable, vegetated roof." The latter will be parceled out to the community who can ascend the building to harvest their own arugula or snap peas.

The project has been a long time coming for Wadler, who says the project has moved much slower than expected, thanks in large part to regulatory hurdles. "The city process just took forever" she says, noting she bought the property "probably six years ago." Actually, less than 5, according to tax records. "Well, it seems like six years," says Wadler, who has spent the past 3 just getting it through the city. She purchased the filling station for $1.2m after it had been remediated - "we bought the land clean" - she says, but has done extensive environmental testing since that time to satisfy Alexandria. "Part of the reason for building in the first place was to put something green there. If we're going to do it, we're going to do it right."

Despite being close to having final permits for the project, Wadler, the President of epiphany productions, has other ongoing concerns and doesn't foresee moving forward on the project until the fall. When the moment arrives, the architect of the building will be Old Town-based Skip Maginniss of Maginniss + Del Ninno, who Wadler chose for his "similar vision" for the site.

To satiate Alexandria's artsy mandate, Wadler held a competition for two mosaics that will adorn the building's entrance. A 9th grader from Alexandria and a 7th grader from Arlington won the contest for the 7' x 6' mosaics; their schools will be responsible for producing the final piece.

Of the eco-friendly design, architect Skip Maginniss says his firm proposed the green roof, "but Julie took it one step further" to create the farmable vegetation. The minor modification requires only deeper soil pans - up to 8 inches instead of the typical 4.5 inch pan, to accommodate plant varieties suitable for a "kitchen garden." Maginniss says skytubes, larger window space and a roofdeck will enhance the internal experience while providing contributive green features, and that such natural environmental controls allow them to build in "only modest mechanical controls," cutting back on building expense and utility costs.

As for the exterior design, Maginniss says he "spent probably close to 18-24 months working with the neighborhood and the city studying various options and coming up with a design that's compatible yet distinct in the neighborhood...something that was attractive but looked like it was a LEED-certified building."

Alexandria, Virginia real estate development news

Del Ray Rising (I)

It took years of planning, 3 generations of family financing, and alot of perspirational equity, but the Lofts of Del Ray Village are finally under construction. Developer-architect Gaver Nichols purchased the property eight years ago with several partners and poured the foundation last year, but when the financial world underwent cosmic implosion, things got interesting. Now, with a new financing plan in place thanks to "Grandma's CD's," construction is about to get underway.

"Tenacity pays off," says Nichols, who closed on a new financing package three weeks ago with the help of a sizable collateral from the aforesaid grandma and other extended family. "We were able to make the bank happy through the coordinated effort of all the partners," says Nichols, who "had to convince the bank that real estate is not an evil thing," not to mention getting plans through the city government. "It just shouldn't have been this difficult."

Nichols estimates that a year from now the finished product will be unveiled: a single wood-framed building with brick veneer; four townhouse components, each comprised of double two-story units. The condo units run from 2,053 to 2,949 s.f. Nichols says the units will be primarily offered for rent, though if the right offer to purchase came along he could be tempted to part with his "labor of love."

The most unique part of the project is that each of the units will be built to the higher commercial code, but with interiors that enable them to function as live-work spaces, residential condos, or pure office spaces, depending on the needs of the tenant (or buyer.) Each of the 5 partners will control two of the units, increasing the odds of a mix of uses. Nichols stresses that the development is comprised entirely of locals with a vested interest in the community - even the benches on the sidewalks, which will be dedicated to relatives that helped out at the project's inception but did not live to see the completed building.

Nichols is also designing a 4-unit condominium down the street, proof that "the avenue is coming alive." But he may be more excited about the lessons learned from this experience, which he plans to translate into what could be called a Design-Build-Finance model. Nichols doesn't want others repeating his experience, and has initiated a Collaboration of Architects and Real Estate experts (CARE) that he sees as a way to add value to other people's property. "Through our expertise of designing, building, architecture, and planning, we can take someone's land or building who doesn't know what to do with their building, and we're able to help them...show them how to better position their property, whether its financing, construction, or planning, not just the design."

At least one of his neighbors knows exactly what to do with their property, and how hard it is to get things done in Alexandria, but that's a story for tomorrow.

Footnote: Subsequent to publication, Nichols informed DCMud that the building would "probably qualify" for a LEED Silver ranking as designed, and that he is "looking at" geothermal heating as an option as well.

Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

Alexandria's New Community Space - Rockin' Out at Duron Paints

Alexandria's Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities is (RCPA) discovering that interesting things can happen when commercial property owners willingly part with their land because the city wants to use it and architects create a plan for said land, pro bono. The result of these two unusual occurrences is just now coming to fruition as RCPA seeks approval for a new community building and open space at 4109-4125 Mount Vernon Avenue near the entrance to Four Mile Run.

The City obtained the four lots through Alexandria's Open Space Program in 2007. The City had previously identified the spaces for their proximity to Four Mile Run and when the property owner approached the City, they agreed on a price ($4.8 million, including an escrow set aside for required environmental remediation), securing the space for future public use, according to Laura Durham, Open Space Coordinator for Alexandria. Once home to a Duron paint store, a dry cleaners, a check cashing business and a Pizza Hut, the spaces may in the not-so-distant-future become a temporary farmer's market and a community center. The Duron building is the only extant structure, the other three were razed between January 2007 and January 2009. Demolition of the three buildings on site cost approximately $150,000.

Durham explains that normally a public team would go through a public planning process and eventually hire a private consultant to do the site plan and engineering for a project. But the Mount Vernon open space properties are different. A group of architects from firms throughout the area, who Durham says like to call themselves Architects Anonymous, joined forces to create a concept plan. Officially called the Northern Virginia AIA Small Firms Rountable, Architects Anonymous (better than NVAIASMR), stepped into the process when the City deemed reuse designs for the site too expensive and was considering razing the fourth structure. The do-gooder architects explored adaptive reuse for the Duron property and proposed a design that would open up the interior space to allow for community gatherings and activate the outdoor space for community use.

The privately developed plan is now going through public review; the proposal "won't be the final design...it's a really good starting point" said Durham. The team is seeking a special use permit from the City of Alexandria Planning Commission on June 1 to allow a public building on the site and, pending approval, will also require approval by the Alexandria City Council.

Durham says any plans for the site will be implemented in phases. Initial work would involve retrofitting the Duron building to bring it up to code. Additionally, the design team recommends constructing stages near the north entrance and a secondary stage on the east side loading dock to be used for outdoor performances. Other improvements would happen over time "as funding became available" said Durham. The open space will read like a series of "rooms of a park" with different public uses and with "significant landscape improvement over time," added Durham. The plan will seek to be "green," using pervious material when installing paving or other improvements. Other green options include a rain garden and using recycled concrete. Even the stage would be "green," the design calls for two large cisterns to flank the north stage, capturing rain water for site irrigation while supporting a canopy over the stage. The plans should dovetail with designs, now in the works, for the improvement of Four Mile Run.

Alexandria, VA real estate development news

Condos Fail at Alexandria's Nordic Press Site

It's a fabulous condo project: the citizens' associations have supported it, the city heartily endorsed it and even gave it a special zoning exemption, and at a meeting to present their plans the developers reportedly even got a standing ovation for turning an outmoded printing plant into an attractive "gateway" into Alexandria. The only glitch is that it will never be built.

In fatter times, the Nordic Press condominium development would have been a no-brainer, bringing 28 residential units to the 800 block of Slaters Lane in Alexandria. But the developer, Diamond Property Co., bought at the wrong time, and now the 16,000 s.f. property has gone back to lender Cardinal Bank, which has leased the property to another printer, ending hopes for a transformation of the site into something less industrial.

The developer has had plans since 2005 to demolish the warehouse, just off the GW Parkway on the northern tip of Alexandria, in favor of 28 one- and two-bedroom units designed by Rust Orling Architects. The project was intended to be green enough to meet the USGBC's Silver certification, and would have required the developer to undertake streetscape improvements. The city had even approved a rezoning from commercial-industrial to residential, no easy feat, noting that the area had undergone a thorough transformation, with even more residential planned for next-door Potomac Yards. "Everything was good except the economy," lamented architect John Rust, who would have overseen the design.

The last tenant, Nordic Press, closed its doors last year, raising hope that the building would be readied for demolition, but with construction financing nil, the bank took control of the property in December of last year. Sources familiar with the project say Cardinal Bank has now leased the property to ABC Printers, ending the possibility of another developer picking up the designs and approvals. County records show the property traded for $2.2m in December, less than the $2.7m that Diamond Slater LLC paid for the land in 2005.

Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

Unforgettable: The New Alexandria Skyline

The forgettable glimpse you see of Alexandria today as you whiz by on the beltway could one day be transformed into a striking world of glass towers, reaching upwards of 30 stories into the northern Virginia skyline. A new mixed-use project, pending approval, would create a defining skyline for the City of Alexandria, add a revitalized metro entrance at Eisenhower Avenue and create over a million s.f. of retail and residential on what is currently a surface parking lot. Hoffman Towers, the residential and retail portion of Hoffman Town Center, will go for review before Alexandria's various planning entities throughout April. The future building sites are on the 11th and 12th block of Eisenhower Avenue next to the metro station.

The Hoffman Company's creatively named Hoffman Towers will deliver an estimated 1,200 new rental apartments and upwards of 70,000 s.f. of retail, likely to include a 50,000 s.f. Harris Teeter grocery store. The plan for Block 11 is one massive building with two towers: the east tower will reach 22 stories and the west tower, adjacent to the metro, will rise 31 stories. The west tower will measure in at 370 feet in height, making it one of the tallest building in the DC area. Five levels of below-grade parking will provide over 700 spaces. A surface parking lot will also remain on part of the block to serve the grocer - apparently state utility power lines overhead render the site unusable for construction. Block 12 will also house a behemoth, a 28-story building with nearly 800 below-grade and surface parking spaces.

Designed by Davis Carter Scott Architects, the towers received a bit of a beating from the Design Review Board (DRB) in July and November 2009. The DRB critiqued the massing of the buildings as "boxy" with all three towers at the same height and commented on the problems with the depth and frontages of proposed retail. Particularly problematic was the design for the Harris Teeter, which planners described as not being "fully integrated with the project or the Eisenhower East neighborhood" because the store faced inward, rather than fronting a main street. But since then, the developer and architects seem to have made sufficient changes to warrant a DRB approval and move forward with planning review.

The planning staff report describes the updated design as "slim, very tall towers" of masonry and glass. Though originally designed to be broader and shorter and uniform in height, the planning staff requested for a less boxy design. To avoid the "plateau" appearance, the new articulation provides a gradual step down in building height as the block moves away from the Metro. Staff said the buildings will be a "symbol of the transformation of the Eisenhower valley."

In exchange for height and density exceptions, the developer is providing 50,000 s.f. of residential space for upwards of 50 units of affordable housing. Additionally, Hoffman will donate $3.3 million to the city's affordable housing coffers. The developers have agreed to aim for LEED certification or a similar standard set by the Green Globes program.

Hoffman recently reached an agreement with WMATA on the Eisenhower Metro improvements. The development rights for the station belong to the Hoffman family, who in 1978 gave to WMATA the property that became the Eisenhower Metro. WMATA will handle station improvements through existing grants. Hoffman will redesign the area on the surface, including reworking the bus and taxi circulation and relocating the Kiss & Ride lot. Design and construction of Eisenhower Station Square, a large open public space adjacent to the new and improved Metro station, will be a joint effort.

New skyline, new residential, new metro, oh my! It sounds too good to be true, and odds are the project is a long way off. You can continue to blink as you pass Alexandria on your commute.

Alexandria Virginia real estate and development news

Alexandria Live/Work Project Sees Delays

A frozen development project, evidenced by the snow-covered concrete slab at 2707-2711 Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria, is showing signs of thawing now that construction may start again this spring. Alexandria's The Lofts at Del Ray Village, a three-story, 14,096 s.f. development, was supposed to resuscitate the vacant lot beginning last May. Almost a year later, the foundation is poured, but the rest of the live/work project remains incomplete. Now developer/architect Gaver Nichols says, the project could get back on track within the next two months and could complete by the end of 2010.

The problems began about six months ago when a local lender suddenly lost its enthusiasm for all things real estate. That left Nichols and his development partners with a poured foundation and no financing to go beyond that. Nichols says carefully that "the project is moving slowly due to financial constraints" but that he and his partners are raising collateral and doing everything they can to begin building. "I have been working on this site for almost ten years, since I approached the guy about the dirt," said Nichols, "it's a labor of love."

The Lofts’ top two floors will be four, two-bedroom units, ranging in size from 2,053 to 2,949 s.f. The ground-floor will include 4,500 square feet of office space (plus basements), giving tenants the opportunity to work from home, though they will not be required to use the commercial space. Last May, Nichols described the project: “Conceptually, it’s like the traditional neighborhood warehouse that’s been renovated with a modern top." Except this is brand new construction - an entirely different ball game- and architect Nichols has earned his development stripes during a difficult time for even an established developer.

Alexandria real estate development news

Del Ray Residences to Open Soon

Alexandria's newest residential building is almost complete, as the developer puts the final touches on Mt. Vernon Commons, a 141-unit apartment building in Del Ray. By April, developer Mount Vernon Commons, LLC hopes to finish the "neo-contemporary" building at the intersection of Mt. Vernon and Commonwealth Avenues for a spring opening.

The apartments replaced 11 commercial

spaces, for which it will partially atone by adding a small retail space to the ground floor. Though originally conceived as green condominium, the developer is not pursuing LEED certification for the project, which will consist of leased apartments rather than for-sale condos. The three to four-story wood-framed superstructure will sit on top of a two-level parking garage. To enhance the design, the developer is also planning a public art piece at the intersection.

According to architect Jim Heffner of Heffner Architects, "the biggest challenge of the project was the site itself," sitting on a narrow wedge of land with a 20-foot change in elevation, peaking at 100 feet in width, that had to accommodate a triangular cut-out in the middle. A townhouse design will help the project transition away from the adjacent single family residences, and the facade will incorporate "metal skin components unique to wood framed buildings."

The residences were devised by Carr Homes, which later sold the project to its current owner, a process which entailed significant delay in its delivery. Heffner is also the architect of Penrose Square and Rhodes Hill Square, both now under construction. Clark Builders Group is the general contractor.

Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

Improvement Coming to King Street Metro?

Commuters tired of unsafe pedestrian walkways, confusing traffic patterns and inconvenient bike facilities at the King Street Metro have the chance to let the Alexandria planners know and to possibly change some of those little, or not so little, irksome details of the daily commute. The City of Alexandria and WMATA will use $4.3 million in grant funding to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians, transit vehicles and taxis at the King Street Metro. The stakeholders presented the King Street Metro Station Access Improvements design in late January and, after the public comment period ends on March 1st, the group will reconsider aspects of the design based on community feedback.

The planners sought to address the cramped and unsafe pedestrian areas, especially the narrow walkways between the station entrance and the Duke Street Tunnel. The new design expands the walkways and creates pedestrian barriers to reduce the number of crossings at the Kiss and Ride area and protect walkers from traffic. However, several people in attendance at the January argued the design does not focus enough on pedestrian access and fails to create the fastest and most direct routes possible. City planners indicated they were open to reworking the pedestrian options, but had safety in mind over efficiency. Another questioner suggested removing all or at least some of the surface parking to increase pedestrian access, something the planners were also open to considering.

Planners also seek to improve problems with vehicular access and circulation, currently there is no re-circulation available for buses or autos. The new plan would allow re-circulation for cars, move the taxi stand farther from the station but would increase the amount of space. The design also attempted to fix problems for bike commuters by increasing the number of racks and moving the bike storage lockers to a more convenient location.

Public comments are due March 1st, email wanda.cudzilo-smith@ alexandriava.gov. The team will take comments into consideration and come up with a final design. With the money already in hand, construction could begin soon thereafter.

Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

Mark Center Drama in Alexandria

Mass murder, national security, terrorism: the usual stuff of National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) meetings. Yesterday's review of the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) at Mark Center, part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) project had all sorts of unexpected drama. The rare colorful discussion included one Commissioner who cited 9/11 as the reason for his disregard for community complaints about security measures, another sardonically suggested the Army valued employees over citizens, and a neighbor who loudly drew a picture of mass murder in the cul-de-sacs of Alexandria because of the new Mark Center. The two-hour NCPC soap opera belied the stringent federally-mandated design standards for the new behemoth, which leave few design elements up for debate. The 1.7 million s.f. building, developed by Duke Realty, will sit on 16 acres of land located west of Seminary Road and I-395 in Alexandria. Duke is working with project architects HKS and WBA, Clark Construction, as well as the Army Corps of Engineers and the City of Alexandria. The two office towers are 15 and 17 stories, connecting on their first 10 floors, and will house 6,400 DOD personnel. The exteriors will feature materials that meet federally mandated security standards including blast-resistant glass and preventative measures against "progressive collapse." Even with the limited flexibility for design, the Army Corps of Engineers worked closely with the City of Alexandria to accommodate concerns raised about the size and appearance of the buildings - with space for 29,000 employees it will be one of northern Virginia's largest - which will be highly visible from the surrounding community. Updated plans include architectural refinements such as more noticeable curvature on the rooftops and an area for a public art display at the North Parking Garage, though the City remains less than thrilled with the overall design. The planned remote inspection facility (RIF) was the reason for all the shouting and name calling at the NCPC meeting. The facility, which allows for dog inspection of vehicles prior to entering the main campus, will be located in a "secure area of the east campus, over 610 feet away from the office towers," according to the NCPC staff report. 

From the beginning, the City requested this facility be located in an off site location, citing design concerns, traffic issues and worries over the safety of the community. Since the original request the Army has determined that the facility must be located on site, but has made efforts to add screening along adjoining Seminary Road to minimize its visual impact and has added a green roof to the facility. According to Peter Sholz, Senior VP of DC Operations for Duke Realty, the group has adjusted the design significantly, even adding blast-proof features to reassure the community. Sholz said about the overall design that it is "important to note that the government agreed to make some significant modifications in response to comments from the city and citizens." He added that modifications to the RIF and changes in the design such as adding a circular loop access road, pedestrian bridge, and facade changes have increased the cost of the project to the government by between $15 and $18 million. Sholz said the final project costs are hard to estimate and it is "conceivable" that the added costs could be offset through various cost saving measures the group is taking. Despite the hubbub, the designs received NCPC approval, though not unanimous, and Sholz said the project is on schedule for completion in 20 months. On a technical note, the NCPC has an advisory role in reviewing federal projects in Northern Virginia in the "environs" if DC. Generally a project comes before the NCPC and does not begin construction until it receives final review with approval and recommendations. Mark Center is an odd exception to the processes and authorities of the NCPC in that the structure, despite lacking final approval, is already at advanced stages of construction in order to meet the BRAC federally mandated September 2011 timeline. 

David Levy, NCPC Director of Urban Design and Plan Review, said the Commission gave the project foundation approval in February, hence the construction, and that yesterday's meeting addressed the preliminary and final site and building plans. The design elements for the two towers debated at yesterday's meeting have not yet been constructed, though the developers hesitated to bend to the requests from Alexandria for further adjusted building designs; the steel for the structures has already been ordered. Sholz did say that the team spoke with their steel company just yesterday to see if there was a way to change the shape of the ordered product to meet the City's design requests. Sholz's continued efforts support Levy's assertion that the NCPC approval was in part an expression of the Commission's confidence the design issues could be worked out. 

Alexandria real estate and development news

Arlington and Alexandria Hope to Lure Developers for Restored Waterfront Property

Have you heard about Four Mile Run, the next hottest waterfront development area in the DC suburbs? Arlington and Alexandria urban planners are hoping to transform the Four Mile Run into a draw for developers seeking to capitalize on a waterfront environment. The restoration project set out a series of wish lists for environmental improvements and guidelines for greener, more modern buildings. Arlington and Alexandria continue to push forward on the three year project, optimistically riding the storm of the current economic downturn.

For those unfamiliar with the Four Mile Run Project, here’s the rundown: The lower 2.3 mile portion of Four Mile Run runs from Shirlington to the mouth of the Potomac and acts as a natural boundary between the cities of Alexandria and Arlington. In the 1970s and 80s, the Army Corps of Engineers channelized this portion of Four Mile Run to control a major flooding problem. The solution worked, but the resulting channel became an eyesore that eliminated the vegetation and aquatic wildlife that used to call that part of the stream home.

In March of 2006, the cities of Alexandria and Arlington drafted a plan to revive the once thriving environment along the channel bed without sacrificing flood control. Enter the Four Mile Run Restoration Plan and the Four Mile Run Design Guidelines—an overview of improvements planned along the stream and a guide for developers hoping to take advantage of what the cities of Alexandria and Arlington hope will become a bustling gateway between the municipalities over the next 10 to 15 years. Another plus for developers: the guidelines do not set new ordinances or even make hard and fast development rules for that matter.

“We wanted future developers to focus their orientation toward the stream instead of turning their backs on it as developers had done in the past,” explains Arlington County Urban Planner, Leon Vignes, adding that in the years to come, the newly revitalized stream will come “to be seen as a feature for building in the area.”

According to Arlington Environmental Planner Aileen Winquist, developers should look forward to the completion of the Tidal Restoration Demonstration Project within the next two years. This project will restore the stream banks and improve the appearance of the channel bounded by Route 1 and extending to Commonwealth Avenue/South Eads Street. Additionally, a design competition for a new pedestrian/bicycle bridge extending from South Eads Street to Commonwealth Avenue to connect the cities of Alexandria and Arlington is also in the works.

“Our mantra in Arlington has been cafes and retail on the first floor. We’d love to see that and development with an eye to the stream. But we don’t make land use recommendations,” says Vignes. “We really just want to leave the possibilities open and see all types of development.”

On the Alexandria side, you’ve got the Potomac Yard project. New apartments and condominiums will join the relocated Signature Theatre in Shirlington. And rumor has it that the Target on the Alexandria side might also be up for redevelopment.

As long as developers strive for greener building practices, do what they can to incorporate public spaces and the newly improved stream in their designs, and take into account storm water management, they'll be welcomed by city planners in Alexandria and Arlington. (Not that they could actually penalize developers for not following the plans).

Public hearings and planning meetings to discuss additions and finalize the Four Mile Run Design Guidelines are scheduled for the 14th and 26th of this month.

Alexandria Workforce Housing Opens Sales Today

Developer EYA will hold a grand opening today for Alexandria Crossing, its workforce housing project in Alexandria, Virginia. These new homes will be priced from $300,000 to $365,000, and will include as much as $20,000 in purchase assistance subsidies from the City of Alexandria's Moderate Income Homeownership Program. Employees of the city and its public school system are eligible for an additional $10,000 in assistance from the city.

Applicants must live or work in Alexandria, and qualify as a first-time homebuyer with an income of less than $71,900 (for an individual) and less than $102,700 for a family of 4. The project is located between Mt. Vernon Avenue and W. Glebe Road - in the words of the developer, "walking distance to countless restaurants and shops."
The 18 new townhouses being offered are part of 102 units of new and converted housing that EYA is building at the site.

Alexandria's Eisenhower Project Close to Approval

After over four years of jumping through bureaucratic hoops, Lane Development, LLC's sizeable four-tower, mixed-use project in the Eisenhower Avenue section of Alexandria, Virginia, is nearing the home stretch for city approval. After giving initial approval June 13th, Alexandria government planning staff lauded the architecture and landscape design destined for the intersection of Mill Road and Eisenhower Avenue, saying the project has the makings of a "landmark building" for Alexandria. Now comes the largely administrative process of final site plan review, when developers incorporate requested changes into their plan and resubmit it to the Planning Commission and City Council for the final word.

One of the conditions for final approval requires the developer to work with the City and the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) to consider providing 16 public housing replacement units, rather than the proposed affordable units. Additionally, Lane will have to create a Transportation Management Plan (TMP) fund, based on the goal of reducing single-occupancy vehicles by 45%. The TMP translates into a built-in fee per unit and is meant to act as a disincentive for driving; if the building occupants are able to reduce single-occupancy vehicles by more than 45%, the fee will be reduced. The idea behind the TMP is to encourage the use of public transportation, given the proximity of the Metro station.

The entire development is being designed by James Wright of Lee Harris Pomeroy Architects. The buildings will weigh in at 22 stories and 19 stories for the residential towers, and at 15 stories and 13 stories for the office towers, the combination of which will include a 515-space parking garage, 5,700 square feet of ground floor retail and 485 residential units. Not small beans for a DC area project.

Construction dates depend on how quickly (or not) Lane works to push through their final site plan. According to Natalie Sun, an Urban Planner for the City of Alexandria, even with final site plan approval, if there is no "substantial construction" the new approval would not expire until June 13, 2012. Which may, just possibly, allow enough time for the commercial and residential markets to correct.

New Public Housing and Mixed-Income Units in Alexandria

On August 7th, Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille, Redevelopment and Housing Authority (AHRA) Executive Director Roy Priest, and developer EYA will break ground for the construction and rehabilitation of 102 homes off West Glebe Road near Mount Vernon Avenue. This is the second public-private partnership between EYA and AHRA.

On the 800-block of West Glebe Road, 48 new apartment homes will replace out-of-date public housing. On the 900-block of Old Dominion Boulevard the developer plans to rehabilitate two apartment buildings and construct a new apartment building and 18 for-sale homes, for 54 units. Ten of the for-sale homes will be targeted for workforce families. "The combination of rental and homeownership units will assure the continuing affordability of housing in Alexandria,” said ARHA Executive Director Priest.

According to Jennifer Hebert of EYA, two or three-bedroom workforce homes (pictured above, right), ranging in size from 1,024 to 1,416 s.f., will be priced from the low $300s, with a financial subsidy from the City of Alexandria to the buyer. The planned two or three-bedroom market-rate townhomes (pictured at left), ranging in size from 1,920 to 1,944, will be priced from the upper $400's.

Live/Work for Alexandria's Main Drag

Virginia architect-cum-developer Gaver Nichols is gearing up to begin work on a new trend for Alexandria’s main drag, a project he is calling live/work housing. The Lofts at Del Ray Village - a three-story, 14,096 square foot development that will resuscitate a vacant lot at 2707-2711 Mount Vernon Avenue - will add much needed rental apartments, and offer tenants the opportunity to work from home from ground floor office space.

"It’s a unique mixed-use structure and the first form-based, code-designed building on Mount Vernon Avenue with a living/working space concept. It’s a brick structure with aluminum...roofs, aluminum panels at the top and rooftop decks," said Nichols. “Conceptually, it’s like the traditional neighborhood warehouse that’s been renovated with a modern top.” Residents of the apartments are not required, however, to utilize the commercial space below them.

Standing on The Lofts’ top two floors, the four rental units will range in size from 2,053 to 2,949 square feet and each include two bedrooms. The ground-floor will include 4,500 square feet of office space (plus basements) that Nichols says would be well-suited to a small office or bank, a corner plaza at Raymond and Del Ray Avenues and a 16-space surface parking lot. It’s a development scheme that Nichols has been pursuing since initially acquiring the property in 2005.

“We took an empty lot that none of my developer clients wanted,” he said. “I decided to buy it with a couple of guys, took them through the development process and the city rewrote the zoning concept for us to allow for the live/work use concept.”

Having already been awarded approval by the Alexandria Planning and Zoning Board, Nichols now awaits building permits, at which point his in-house general contractor will begin construction. “I could have them as soon as two weeks from now, if everything goes well…All these permutations make [the project] very unique, but it's very difficult to get through the process,” he said. The build-out is expected to be underway by July with construction slated to take at least a year.

Alexandria Virginia real estate development news

Alexandria "Gateway" to Start in '09

Following January approvals from the Alexandria Zoning Commission and City Council, Bethesda's Green City Development (alternatively known as Tall Cedars Development) is moving forward with their plans to add another landmark to Alexandria, at least in name. The so-named Landmark Gateway project is the Northern Virginian city's bid to redevelop an area primarily known for strip malls and warehouses and, for many local officials and community members, the work can't start soon enough.

"The Landmark Gateway proposal has been reviewed in numerous community meetings over the past two years as well as by the Landmark-Van Dorn Corridor Small Area Plan Advisory Group," said Department of Planning and Zoning Director, Faroll Hamer. "This project will be an important catalyst for an area that is struggling to turn itself into a vibrant revitalized community, and with the current economic downturn and difficulty in securing loans, it may be the only chance in quite some time.”

Located on a six-acre parcel at South Van Dorn and Pickett Streets, the Gateway will replace the industrial structures on site with a three building “Art Moderne”- style development that will include 431 rental apartments (with an unspecified mix of affordable and market-rate units), 35,000 square feet of retail space and a 544 space underground parking garage. The designers behind the 550,000 square foot project, Architects Collaborative Inc., are currently working with landscape architects, The FAUX Group, to create “a series of urban…lively streetscapes, public plazas [and] promenades linking storefronts to the retail parking areas, public art elements as well as private courtyards…for area residents.”

Green City is currently projecting a December 2009 start for the first two, five-story buildings in the $100 million project. Both are aiming for a LEED silver certification. 

Greater Washington DC real estate news

Alexandria Eyes New Metro for Potomac Yard

Just in time to reap some juicy stimulus dollars, the City of Alexandria is now exploring an additional front in their ongoing plans for the redevelopment of the city's former industrial sector, Potomac Yard. This month, the Alexandria City Council formally established the Metrorail Station Feasibility Work Group with the express purpose of "assess[ing] the technical and financial analyses required for a potential new Metrorail Station in Potomac Yard."

Both the Planning Commission and City Council expressed interest in a possible Metro expansion into Potomac Yard back in May 2008, when they undertook a "preliminary analysis of concept." That study resulted in a Washington Metro Area Transit Authority estimate that priced the project at $125 to $150 million with an operating cost of roughly $1 million per year. The hope is that a Metro outlet in the currently barren Potomac Yard quadrant of Alexandria will kick start – or, at the very least, accelerate - the redevelopment effort that aims to add 1 million square feet of office space, 750,000 square feet of retail, 2500 residential units and an undetermined number of hotel rooms to Northern Virginia.

Members of the Work Group include William Euille and Timothy Lovain of the City Council; Eric Wagner of the Planning Commission; Noah Teates of the Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group; and Jennifer Mitchell of the Transportation Commission. The Work Group will hold its first public meeting on Thursday, February 17^th. The meeting will be held at the Sister Cities Conference Room at 7 PM.

Though the House and Senate versions of the stimulus package have yet to be reconciled with one another, both versions contain large - though differing - amounts for infrastructure spending. Once the money is routed to the State Legislature (and possibly WMATA), these seems like precisely the type of project they'd be willing to explore. Barring, of course, that it doesn't cut into the caviar fund.