Several Housing Developments Approved By Alexandria City Council

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria's housing stock will get a boost with new developments apporved by Alexandria City Council Saturday.

The approvals includ a plan to redevelop Ladrey High Rise into 270 affordable units, a multifamily building at 301 N. Fairfax Street, an extension to build 383 multifamily units at Newport Village II (4898 West Braddock Road) and 14 townhouses at 816-820 Gibbon Street and 608-614 South Alfred Street.

The 301 N. Fairfax Street, an office to residential conversion in Old Town, drew the most resident opposition. One of the concerns was incompatibility of the multifamily building and its size with Old Town's historic district. Cathy Puskar, the attorney representing the applicant told the Planning Commission the project would remove a surface parking lot, provide undergrounding of utilities, exceed stormwater management requirements, meet the city's green building policy and increase housing supply.

The three-story office building will turn into a four-story multifamily building with an increased floor area ratio density of 2.5. The multifamily development project will be surrounded by office, retail and residential uses. Two of the 48 units would be set aside as affordable housing. Other components of the project are a 67-space underground parking garage, over 10,000 square feet of private open space, and streetscape improvements.

Ladrey's redevelopment by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority with developers Winn Companies and IBF Development will turn the 11-story, 170-unit Ladrey High Rise at 300 Wythe Street into 270 units. The existing Ladrey high rise and a housing authority-owned office building at 600 N. Fairfax Street would be demolished and replaced with an L-shaped building with varying five-story, six-story and seven-story sections. The existing 170 affordable units would be replaced for seniors and people with disabilities making 30 percent of the area median income, and another 100 units would be added for households with 60 percent to 80 percent of the area median income. The building will be brought up to code and provide larger units with new appliances, as well as an 118-space underground parking garage, community resident lounge, courtyard, rooftop deck, fitness room, craft/game room, mail room and computer lab.

The project could begin construction in the second half of 2025 and be completed in 2028. Residents will be temporarily relocated at the developer's expense and will have chance to return to the new building at the same rent level.

Current Ladrey residents expressed support for the project at the Planning Commission public hearing. Residents of the adjacent Annie B. Rose House shared concerns, including poor soil conditions, access to the bus stop and impacts of construction.

The extension for Newport Village II is for a project City Council approved in February 2021. The existing 24-unit garden-style buildings will be replaced by 383 multifamily units, including 12 affordable units. The developer requested the extension to start construction due to "market volatilities and the substantial amount of site work required," according to a city staff report.

The project will include accommodations for the future West End Transitway, a shared-use path, pedestrian and streetspace improvements, ground-level open space, public art, and funding for a Capital Bikeshare station.

The S. Alfred Street townhouses will be in Old Town's southwest quadrant. The 14 for-sale townhouses will replace an office building surface parking areas while providing two-garages for each home, a 1,600-square-foot parklet, streetscape and pedestrian improvements, and contributions to affordable housing and the public art fund. One of the townhouses will be for-sale affordable housing.