Alexandria
The John Carlyle Center for Health & Wellness (765 John Carlyle St, Alexandria, VA 22314) will be a 5-story, 95,000-square-foot Class A medical facility atop a 4-level parking garage in the heart of Alexandria, VA. The project shares a common, interconnected podium with a luxury-oriented 215-unit senior living residence. Construction is set to commence Q3 2022 with the building set to deliver Q3 2024.
The latest apartment community at Alexandria's Carlyle Crossing development is leasing for move-ins just before the Wegmans opens. Easton is part of the Carlyle Crossing mixed-use development near the Eisenhower Avenue Metro, which will feature 741 apartment units across three communities, over 210,000 square feet of retail, and 1,500 parking spaces. The Wegmans store at the development plans to open May 11. Easton will begin moving residents in mid-April. Carlyle Crossing has two apartment communities currently leasing — Reese and Easton. The third apartment community — Dylan — will start leasing later this spring.
The hearing will be held April 7 before the Alexandria Planning Commission.
At the April 7 Alexandria Planning Commission Hearing, the PC will hear and consider a request for (A) an amendment to the official zoning map to change the zone for the site from OC/Office Commercial to
CRMU-X/Commercial Residential Mixed Use (Old Town North); (B) a Development Special Use Permit and Site Plan with modifications to redevelop the existing office building and associated parking lots into a multifamily residential building comprised of 250 units with ground-floor restaurant or retail and an arts and cultural anchor, including Special Use Permits for a multifamily dwelling, to increase the floor area ratio, for bonus density for the provision of affordable housing, for bonus density and height for
the provision of an arts and cultural anchor in Old Town North, and a parking reduction for the restaurant.
Arlington County
This weekend, the Arlington County Board approved two apartment redevelopments that members lauded as architecturally distinct additions to Columbia Pike and Courthouse. Members heaped praises on “The Elliott,” a new apartment building replacing the Fillmore Gardens shopping center, a one-story retail strip on the 2600 block of Columbia Pike.
Meanwhile, developer Greystar now has the go-ahead to build a glassy triangular skyscraper on the 0.57-acre vacant Wendy’s site in Courthouse, about a block from the Courthouse Metro station. The building will have 16 stories, with 231 residential units and 4,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. It was approved despite some concerns among residents about the building’s height and the fact that it only provides 75 parking spots and 12 on-site committed affordable units.
Arlington County and JBG Smith are changing up plans for a second entrance to the Crystal City Metro station due to projected cost overruns. An east entrance to the station — a long-standing goal of county transportation planners — is being built through a public-private partnership with the developer, which the County Board authorized in the summer of 2020.
The applicant, Insight Property Group, proposes the demolition of the existing Ballston Macy’s department store and vacant office space above the store and the development of a residential building with grocery store anchor on the ground floor. To facilitate the density proposed with this project, Insight is proposing to transfer development rights from “The Haven” site along Columbia Pike through a Zoning Ordinance Amendment and Use Permit process. The 2-acre (87,365-sq.-ft.) site is located at 701 N. Glebe Road in the Ashton Heights neighborhood. The site is currently occupied by the Macy Department store with vacant office space above. The site is bordered by the Ballston Quarter Development (east), Ballston Point Office Building (west), Wilson Blvd. (north), and Glebe Road (south).
The applicant, Shirlington Investments LLC, proposes to build a four-story residential building on approximately 14,704 sq. ft. of land currently vacant and partially developed with gravel and asphalt surface parking. The proposal includes 30 residential units, including 3 affordable units, and at-grade garage parking. The 0.34 acre (14,704 sq. ft.) site is located at 2608 Shirlington Road in the Green Valley Civic Association neighborhood. The site is bordered by low density commercial businesses to the north and south, Shirlington Road and automotive services to the east, and townhomes to the west.
Fairfax County
The Board of Supervisors approved extra protections for Hollin Hills, a neighborhood of mid-century modern homes from Charles Goodman.
At the March 23 Decision Only meeting, the Fairfax Planning Commission approved the Elm Street Communities rezoning and proffer application for 5.42 acres located on Richmond Highway at the intersection with Buckman Road on unanimous consent and recommend approval by the Board of Supervisors. The Plan states that the area fronting on the west side of Richmond Highway is planned for townhouse-style office and neighborhood-serving retail uses. The Plan further states that redevelopment would consist of a multi-family residential building and 150 to 225 townhome units with flexibility in the unit type mix. The multi-family building will contain a maximum of 280 market and workforce dwelling units in a building that is planned to be up to five stories. The Subject Property is currently improved with eight non-conforming residential homes that will be demolished with the construction of the proposed improvements. The Application will move to the Board of Supervisors for the April 12 Hearing.
The property is generally located north of Franconia Springfield Parkway, south of Villa Park Road, and west of Backlick Road. The adopted Plan for this area recommends 4-5 dwelling units per acre, within the Springvale Community Planning Sector in the Springfield Planning District of the Area IV volume of the Comprehensive Plan. The Board requested that staff consider an option for residential use up to a density of 8.5 dwelling units per acre (up to 49 dwelling units) for the subject property. A concurrent rezoning has been filed, RZ 2021-LE-00019, Towns at Villa Park. The Planning Commission may hear the proposal at the March 30 Public Hearing.
Boston Properties will begin a multimillion dollar facelift for its Reston Town Center development this month, the first comprehensive renovations since it opened in the early-1990s. Plans include the rehabilitation of the Fountain Plaza areas, some of it to bring the plaza up to speed with the evolving desire for more outdoor space for dining.
A Capital One Financial Corp.-owned property in Tysons will be redeveloped with a largely affordable residential building in part to satisfy affordability commitments attached to the banking giant's other nearby projects. The recently filed proposal outlines plans to erect a multifamily building up to eight stories with 460 units.
A proposal to redevelop Chain Bridge Shopping Center in McLean – home of a Giant Food grocery store, CVS drugstore and numerous retailers – is wending its way through Fairfax County’s development process.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday to build 10,000 affordable housing units by 2034, doubling its previous goal.
Fairfax City
On March 8 the Fairfax City Council approved a request from Pulte Home Company requesting a Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning) for a Planned Development Mixed Use with modifications and commitments. The applicant proposes to replace an existing 50-room motel, 38-unit apartment complex, and four (4) single-family homes with forty (40) townhouses, twenty (20) condominiums, and a
commercial building of 8,000 to 10,010 square feet. The proposal passed on a vote of 4-3 with Mayor Meyer and Councilmembers Harmon, Ross, and Stehle in favor and Councilmembers Lim, Miller, and Yi opposed.
The City Council discussed potential development of an assisted living facility on site located at 10440, 10450 and 10460 Main Street, during their regular meeting at the Council Chambers, City Hall on March 22. This pre-development briefing included information on the site, 1.25 acres, currently being used commercially, and its proposed use by the potential applicant is the assisting living facilities. This senior living community would consist of 104 units, with 130 beds of assisted living and memory care, with 50 parking spaces below the main building. This would be a 4 story building with one level of garage below the building.
Falls Church City
A recent City Council Work Session City discussed long-term goals to strengthen the East End Eden Center. Objectives include celebrating Vietnamese American culture through programming and public art investments, enhancing accessibility, activating public spaces and providing spaces for the community to gather, incorporating green space, preserving and providing affordable, quality housing opportunities. This plan will support economic revitalization throughout the East End and return the area to regional prominence.
There is something akin to a dark shroud now covering half of the four-story Robertson Building at the City of Falls Church’s central intersection of Broad and Washington. Its appearance ostensibly marks the beginning of an extraordinary new stage in the economic development boom underway in Falls Church.
The Insight Group is getting its massive project at that corner of downtown Falls Church’s central intersection underway at last, with the anchor of the project to be a mega-Whole Foods supermarket, a new home for the Creative Cauldron theater and 339 rental apartments.
Herndon
On March 28 the Town of Herndon Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on a zoning map amendment to allow the conversion of an existing hotel to multi-family residential with a workforce housing component. The existing site is approximately 6.4 acres and was developed in 1990 as a Residence Inn. The applicant is proposing to renovate and convert the existing hotel rooms to individual multi-family units. No additional buildings are proposed, and Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is not changing. The proposed conversion would result in a maximum of 170 dwelling units, and those units would be distributed as 28 studio units, 98 one-bedroom units, and 44 two-bedroom units. There may be minor changes in the unit distribution, but the maximum unit count is limited to 170 dwelling units.
The Herndon Downtown Redevelopment Project continues to "breath new life into the heart of Herndon”. This ongoing initiative is a mixed-use, bicycle-friendly development, including luxury residential units, retail/restaurant spaces, an art center and public arts plaza, and structured parking. It is being developed through a Public-Private Partnership agreement between Comstock and Herndon.
Loudoun County
ZMAP-2021-0001, Gum Spring Residential. The purpose of this item is to consider a proposal to rezone a two-acre parcel in order to develop up to 12 single-family attached (SFA) residential dwelling units. The subject property is located north of Braddock Road on the east side of Gum Spring Road in the Dulles Election District. The Planning Commission (Commission) held a Public Hearing on this item on January 25, 2022. Seven members of the public spoke on this item (five in support, two in opposition), commenting about housing availability, traffic, and safety. The Commission discussed nearby open space and architectural design. The Commission recommended approval (8-0- 0-1: Kirchner abstained) to the Board of Supervisors, subject to the Proffer Statement and subject to the applicant agreeing to ensure that home buyers will have the option to include a brick masonry table on side building elevations. Supervisor Letourneau moved that the Board of Supervisors forward ZMAP-2021-0001, Gum Spring Residential, to the April 19, 2022, Board of Supervisors Business Meeting for action.
ZMAP-2020-0013, SPEX-2020-0009, ZMOD-2020-0030, ZMOD-2020-0031, & ZMOD2021-0019, Commonwealth Center Residential. The purpose of this item is to consider a request to rezone 23.03 acres from commercial use to residential use in order to develop a maximum of 507 residential units, including 222 multifamily stacked units and 285 multifamily attached units. The applicant also requests Special Exceptions to reduce side and rear yards, a Zoning Ordinance Modification (ZMOD) to allow heights up to 60 feet without additional setbacks, a ZMOD to reduce building and parking setbacks along Commonwealth Center Drive, and a ZMOD to allow access via private roads. The site is located on the south side of Route 7, north of Russell Branch Parkway, and east of Loudoun County Parkway. The Planning Commission held a Public Hearing on October 26, 2021. There were no public speakers. The Commission discussed the applicant’s proposed transportation contribution credits, affordable housing, building height, the provision of public facilities, parking, and the project’s consistency with the criteria for the Suburban Compact Neighborhood Place Type. The Commission held a Work Session on the item on January 13, 2022. The Commission forwarded (6-3: Combs, Miller, and Salmon opposed) the application to the Board of Supervisors (Board) with a recommendation of denial. Supervisor Glass moved that the Board of Supervisors forward ZMAP-2020-0013, SPEX2020-0009, ZMOD-2020-0030, ZMOD-2020-0031 & ZMOD-2021-0019, Commonwealth Center Residential, to the April 19, 2022, Board of Supervisors Business Meeting for action.
ZMAP-2016-0011, SPEX-2016-0037, SPEX-2020-003, ZMOD-2021-0010, ZMOD-2021- 0011, ZMOD-2021-0012, ZMOD-2021-0013, ZMOD-2021-0014, & ZMOD-2021-0048, Avonlea II. The purpose of this item is to consider a request to rezone approximately 15.54 acres in order to develop up to 447 attached multifamily residential units. The remainder of the property, 13.27 acres, is proposed for office and retail development. The applicant is also requesting two Special Exceptions to permit: 1) a 300,000 square foot continuing care facility containing up to 220 beds, and 2) office uses which exceed 20 percent of the floor area of the PD-CC(SC) zoning district. In addition, the applicant is requesting several Zoning Modifications (ZMOD) that address setbacks, building massing and scale, access, and district size. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on October 26, 2021. There was no public comment. The Commission discussed the application’s conformance with the Suburban Mixed Use Place Type, streetscape design, parking, building massing and scale, and proffered transportation contributions. The Commission directed the applicant to provide a more detailed design framework for the proposal that aligned closer with the design policies of the Suburban Mixed Use Place Type. The Commission held a Work Session on January 13, 2022. The Commission forwarded (8-1: Kirchner opposed) the applications to the Board of Supervisors (Board) with a recommendation for approval. Supervisor Letourneau moved that the Board of Supervisors forward ZMAP-2016-0011, SPEX-2016-0037, SPEX-2020-0003, ZMOD-2021-0010, ZMOD-2021-0011, ZMOD2021-0012, ZMOD-2021-0013, ZMOD-2021-0014 & ZMOD-2021-0048, Avonlea II, to the April 19, 2022, Board of Supervisors Business Meeting for action.
The U.S. Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic Section on Thursday announced plans for a 36-court tennis campus in Loudoun County, replacing a similar facility that had been planned for Prince William County.
Prince William County
For the first time in 23 years, residents in western Prince William County will soon have to travel a little farther to catch the latest blockbuster movie on the big screen. Bethesda, Md.-based Parkridge Center Retail LLC wants to redevelop the shopping center of the same name near the Manassas National Battlefield to construct more than 300 housing units.
The Prince William County school division is moving forward with a new elementary school in Woodbridge near U.S. 1 that will displace an existing church, a homeless nonprofit and the residents of two mobile homes in the Marumsco Neighborhood trailer park.
But the new school, which will be built beside Fred Lynn Middle School on Prince William Parkway, will also move the county toward its goal of eliminating classroom trailers in eastern Prince William elementary schools, according to Woodbridge School Board Representative Loree Williams.
The Planning Commission approved application unanimously to rezone ±3.44-acre from General Business to Suburban Residential, for the development of 48 multifamily units. The subject property is located at the northwest quadrant of the Mary’s Way and Jefferson Davis Highway intersection behind four vacant commercially zoned parcels fronting Jefferson Davis Highway. The property is designated SRH, Suburban Residential High, in the Comprehensive Plan and is within the North Woodbridge Small Area Plan and the Potomac Communities Revitalization Plan.