Development Rundown: Ballston

Ballston and Rosslyn bookend the Wilson-Clarendon/Fairfax corridor, boasting plenty of high-rises and impressive urban-like density for a suburban hub. But while Ballston, though less eclectic than Clarendon, has long been the most wholesome urban setting (equal parts commercial, retail, and residential), it now has competition to the east.

Courthouse and Clarendon, the historically subdued middle siblings, are beginning to become a more well-rounded bastion of "smart growth." Meanwhile, Rosslyn, currently boasting more construction action than any other section of Arlington, is looking to shed its reputation as simply a business district.

Now it's Ballston's turn to respond with some action of their own. But with fewer in-fill gaps to develop, developers in Ballston have been forced to expand around the edges. And that is exactly what is happening with Ballston's two active construction sites.

The 800 and 900 blocks of North Glebe Street

Expanding the Ballston periphery is exactly what's happening at Ballston's most obvious construction site. This mammoth development project, headed by JBG Companies, is positioned just to the northwest of the Wilson-Glebe intersection. Anyone who's walked the streets of Ballston lately has likely seen the giant construction crane swinging above the horizon, or heard the incessant clanking of iron and steal.

In total, the development is expected to include two office buildings (totaling 415,816 square feet), a row of 28 four-story townhouses, and a 90-unit affordable apartment building. The bulk of the development is designed by Cooper Cary Associates, while Clark Construction is heading up the task of making the design an actuality. Both office buildings will offer significant ground-floor retail components.

Founder's Square

This mixed-use development is just south of Wilson Boulevard in between North Randolph Street and North Quincy Street. The major component of this development, a 13-story office building, securing 355,530 square feet, is nearing completion, and should be delivered by the end of the year. But the construction site is set to remain active for some time, as developer Shooshan Companies has bold dreams for the future of this mega block.

Eventually accompanying the current office building will stand a 17-story tower offering 257 residential units, as well as an 11-story, 183-key hotel. Shooshan is also hoping to top it all off with one giant cherry: a massive 20-story office building on the northwest corner of the block. Most of the buildings will include retail components.