A 12-story, mixed-use development with a possible grocery store in Ballston received the Arlington County Board’s endorsement over the weekend.
The board Saturday unanimously approved a proposal by developer Saul Centers Inc. to construct the building on the former Rosenthal Mazda dealership site at 750 N. Glebe Road, which is three blocks from the Ballston Metro station. The dealership closed in April, in advance of the redevelopment.
In addition to a possible full-service supermarket, the almost three-acre property is set to have an Enterprise Rent-a-Car location and 491 apartments, 22 of which are slated to meet the county’s threshold for affordable housing. Saul Centers also is expected to earn LEED Gold and Energy Star certifications for the development.
“It will enhance the vibrancy of one of the County’s most successful urban villages, and offer residents easy access to transportation options, lively outdoor cafes, shopping and more,” County Board Chair Libby Garvey said in a statement after the vote.
But not everyone at the meeting was in support of the project.
Independent County Board candidate Audrey Clement and other locals at the meeting said they were worried about a major influx in traffic from a grocery store, among other concerns.
“The traffic generated by the grocery store will not only add to the hazard of walking in the vicinity, but will also add to the gridlock of traffic dumped by a newly constructed lane on I-66, just one block away at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and Glebe Road, which is in the works.”
Images via Arlington County