Landmark Mall Blocks Approved By City Council, Planning Commission

ALEXANDRIA, VA — On Dec. 17, Alexandria City Council voted for development approvals for four blocks of the Landmark Mall development named WestEnd. That followed Planning Commission recommendation on Dec. 6.

The first blocks up for consideration in the city were Blocks E, G, I and K. According to a city staff presentation, Blocks E and G are proposed to have 390 apartments with 16 committed affordable units, at least 80,400 square feet of retail and at least 119,500 square feet of medical office space.

Block I is proposed to have 390 apartments with 15 committed affordable units and 105,000 square feet of retail. Block K is proposed to have 337 apartments with 14 committed affordable units and 32,000 square feet of retail.

The Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend approval of the development applications for the four blocks, with Commissioner Vivian Ramirez recusing herself from the vote. Next, City Council had public hearing and consideration on Dec. 17. City Council's meeting begins at 9:30 a.m.

Plans for the redevelopment of the former Landmark Mall were announced in December 2020, and City Council approved redevelopment agreements in 2021. The development, named WestEnd, will be anchored by the relocated Inova Alexandria Hospital and include residential, retail, commercial, and entertainment uses. The development will have central plaza, new roadways connecting the development, parks and public spaces, and a transit hub serving bus rapid transit, Alexandria's DASH Bus, and Metrobus. The Alexandria Fire Department's Fire Station 208 would also be relocated to the site.

Demolition at the Landmark Mall site began earlier in 2022, and construction activity is expected soon, Mayor Justin Wilson said in his December newsletter. After demolition, the site will be re-graded for future construction. The current parking garage will be kept as part of the new development. Permitting for new infrastructure is expected to continue into 2023.

With the hospital relocation, Inova will invest $1 billion to create an expanded hospital with a larger emergency room, private patient rooms, and the Inova Schar Cancer Institute. Inova's preliminary timeline calls for permitting to continue to 2024, construction of the hospital from 2024 to 2028, cancer center construction from 2026 to 2028 and opening in 2028.

Along with recommending the block approvals, the Planning Commission approved four proposed street names for the development — Alex Way, Hecht Avenue, Tucker Street and Verve Street. Another name — Julia Johns Place — was approved in place of Healthway Place to honor a woman who helped Alexandria establish a hospital, according to ALX Now.

Two private streets already received administrative approval for names — Westend Boulevard and Landmark Street.