Samuel Madden Homes Redevelopment Gets Alexandria City Council Approval

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Final approvals were secured for the Samuel Madden public housing redevelopment at Saturday's Alexandria City Council meeting.

Samuel Madden Homes is a 66-unit community in 13 two-story apartment buildings at at 899 and 999 North Henry Street in the Parker-Gray district. Originally built in 1945 as a federal project for defense workers during World War II, it transferred to the now-Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority in 1947.

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority has proposed turning the community into a larger multifamily development with community resources. The redevelopment would create 532 units in two mixed-income multifamily buildings on two blocks, including 326 affordable to households with 30 percent to 80 percent of the area median income, and 208 as market rate units.

Along with the residential units, the community would have an ALIVE! food hub, an early learning and childcare center by Hopkins House, 13,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 5,000 square feet of public open space. Amenities will include a pool, exercise and community rooms, on-site management and more.

"This is the result of the strong partnership and diligent work by City staff and [Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority] to develop and implement an aggressive agenda to increase the number of new and preserved affordable housing opportunities in Alexandria," said Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson in a statement. "We are excited the redevelopment of Madden will more than double the number of units on the site that will serve some of our city’s most rent-burdened residents."

The redevelopment will be led by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority with the development team of Fairstead, Mill Creek Residential and The Communities Group. The housing authority is also seeking to expand the Ladrey public housing high rise into a larger community.

"This approval is an important milestone for every Alexandrian dedicated to expanding affordable housing in our great city," said Keith Pettigrew, CEO of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority. "We are now a step closer to providing two new multifamily buildings with modern amenities and situated in an environmentally sustainable community."

The redevelopment will bring ALIVE!, a nonprofit providing food assistance and other safety net services, to the site. The ALIVE! food hub will serve the residents and the entire Alexandria community. Along with food, the site will connect residents to resources like financial and legal services and healthy cooking demonstrations.

The ALIVE! food hub would fill a need in Alexandria, where a 2022 Capital Area Food Bank found 31 percent of families face food insecurity. ALIVE!, a safety net nonprofit providing food assistance and other programs, serves about 17,000 people and 4,500 households per month.

"Being a part of the new vision for the Samuel Madden Homes will help ALIVE! grow our impact and reach even more families in need throughout Alexandria," said Jenn Ayers, executive director of ALIVE! "But our mission doesn't end with food. Once we connect with a family, we work with them to understand their needs to layer in the services they need to improve their lives."

Another resource at the community will be a full-day year-round preschool from Hopkins House. The Helen Day Preschool Academy will serve up to 150 children between 6 weeks and 5 years old. Up to 20 full-time employees will be hired, and a career development program for teens and adults will be provided with Northern Virginia Community College.

"Hopkins House looks forward to providing high quality early care and education to the children of the new Samuel Madden Homes community, along with opportunities for their parents to earn professional credentials, a college degree, and a permanent career as early childhood education professionals," said J. Glenn Hopkins, president and CEO at Hopkins House.

The housing authority says current residents of Samuel Madden Homes will be able to return to new homes in the redeveloped community. A relocation plan approved by the city's Landlord Tenant Relations Board signals tenants would begin to be temporarily relocated off site in April 2023.

A complete construction timeline has not been shared.