development

Plan: Affordable Apartments Would Replace Gas Station

By ARLnow.com

The Shell station at the corner of Columbia Pike and S. Greenbrier Street would be replaced by affordable housing under a development plan that’s currently seeking sources of funding.

The plan, from Arlington-based affordable housing developer AHC Inc., would replace the gas station with a six-story, 83-unit apartment building for lower-income tenants.

According to slides from a recent AHC presentation to the Columbia Heights West Civic Association, the building will consist of 15 one-bedroom apartments and 68 two-bedroom apartments. Residency would be reserved for those making below 50 to 60 percent Area Median Income (AMI). The building is also expected to have 6,700 square feet of retail space and a “high-level of energy efficiency.”

The development would be located next to an existing AHC property: the 116-unit Harvey Hall apartment building at 860 S. Greenbrier Street. AHC owns 22 apartment communities in Arlington.

Over the next month or so, AHC will be applying for project funding through Arlington County’s affordable housing investment fund and through federal low income housing tax credits. AHC is pursuing the development via Form Based Code, which does not require County Board approval. Last night the Columbia Pike Form Based Code Advisory Working Group held a meeting to review the project.

By replacing the gas station, AHC says the building will enhance “a site that is underdeveloped and a visual detriment to the neighborhood.” If funding is secured, and if no significant environmental contaminants are found on the site, AHC hopes to begin construction in March 2013 and finish construction in the fall of 2014.

Images via AHC Inc.

 

Office Building Would Replace Restaurants in Courthouse

By ARLnow.com

 

Update at 5:15 p.m. on 2/1/12 — The site plan is no longer expected to come before the County Board in February. It may, however, come before the Board as soon as March or April, according to Leon Vignes of the Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development.

The Arlington County Board is expected to consider a site plan for a new eight-story office building in Courthouse at its February an upcoming meeting.

The development — dubbed the “Clean Technology Center” — would be located at 2311 Wilson Boulevard and would replace a pair of two-story buildings that house a number of restaurants, including Thai at Corner, Chez Manelle, Listrani’s, and Adams Corner. A short stretch of dead-end road called N. Custis Street would also be replaced.

Two adjacent structures — a 10-story Archstone apartment building and the two-story “Superstar Tickets” office — would not be affected.

The proposed building would contain 166,380 square feet of office space, 8,660 square feet of ground-level retail space, a 5,000 square foot daycare center (plus a fenced-in, outdoor play area), a 9,432 square feet conference center, and a 1,665 square foot fitness center. The plan also includes a 20,000 square foot parcel of publicly-accessible green space to the north of the site, between the new building and the parking lot for Key Elementary School.

The developer is promising LEED Gold green building certification, including solar panels and a partial green roof. A three level garage below the building would include 264 parking spaces and 150 bike spaces.

So far, there’s no indication as to when demolition of the existing buildings would start should the site plan be approved.

Image below via Google Maps

Renderings of Pike ‘Rosenthal’ Development Released

By ARLnow.com

New renderings of the development planned for the Rosenthal Jeep/Chrysler dealership site on Columbia Pike have been released on the Arlington County web site.

The renderings show the front of the development’s “north block” apartment complex — a six-story, 259-unit building along Columbia Pike with 15,000 square feet of retail space — and views of the “south block” development, which consists of 44 townhouses. The two blocks are separated by a new, to-be-constructed street, which would be dubbed 11th Street South.

The renderings were released following the Jan. 23 meeting of the Columbia Pike Special Revitalization District Form Based Code Advisory Working Group.

Hat tip to @pikespotter. Overhead view of Rosenthal car dealership site via Google Maps.

 

New Commercial Tenant for Bromptons at Cherrydale

By Katie Pyzyk

A commercial tenant will soon move into a building that’s been the center of a years-long controversy in the Cherrydale neighborhood. A Subway restaurant is coming to the Bromptons at Cherrydale building (3800 Lee Hwy), now known as 3800 Lofts.

The residential space above the restaurant was supposed to be sold as condos, but multiple issues prompted the developer to convert the units to rentals over the summer.

Subway will be the first retail tenant in the building. The space, including the residential portion, sat empty for years due to problems with the building’s structural soundness, multiple lawsuits and a faltering economy.

Work has already begun on the restaurant, but there’s no word yet on an opening date.

New Office Buildings Approved for Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

With an eye to historic preservation, the Arlington County Board last night approved a massive new office development on the 3000 block of Washington Boulevard in Clarendon.

The development will bring more than 300,000 square feet of office and retail space and nearly 450 underground parking spaces to the 1.13 acre block between Washington Boulevard and 11st Street N., one block from the Clarendon Metro station. While the development will replace several existing business on the block — including Eleventh Street Lounge, Potomac Crossfit, T.A. Sullivan & Son cemetery monuments, Atlantic Motors and a BB&T bank branch — it will also result in the preservation of several buildings and facades.

In order to build to the desired density (one 10-story office building and another 8-story office building) developer Penzance arranged to transfer development rights from two designated historic Clarendon properties: the Walgreens/Kenyon Peck building at 2825 Wilson Boulevard and the Boulevard Woodgrill/Faccia Luna building at 2901 Wilson Boulevard. Both buildings, considered “important” commercial structures by Arlington County’s Historic Resources Inventory, will be fully preserved.

The frontage of a historic building on the block to be developed will also be preserved. The former McQuinn’s Sporting Goods store building — now Eleventh Street Lounge and Potomac Crossfit — will be preserved and incorporated into the northwest corner of one of the office buildings.

In addition to preservation efforts, the developer committed to achieving LEED Silver green building certification for the project, will provide public art or contribute to a public art fund, and will provide $150,000 for pedestrian improvements in the area. Penzance also agreed to contribute $1.2 million to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund and $56,500 to the county’s utilities fund.

The project’s valet-operated parking garage will be open to the public on weeknights and on weekends. The project will add 11 on-street parking spots and will fund installation of multi-space parking meters on the block.

The county noted that adding office space to the Clarendon area “will provide daytime support for retail and restaurant establishments while bringing office workers to the area in a reverse commuting pattern.”

“This development accomplishes many of the community’s goals for Clarendon, County Board Chair Mary Hynes said in a statement. “It provides balance to Clarendon’s use mix by providing two new mixed-use buildings with offices built above ground-floor retail. It helps address parking concerns in the area, by providing underground parking that will be available to the public on weeknights and weekends. And it honors our past by fully preserving two key historic buildings and the frontage of a third.”

Revamped Virginia Square Development Plan Approved

By Katie Pyzyk

A plan to revamp part of Virginia Square has been approved by the Arlington County Board. The development is planned for the site that houses the old Arlington Funeral Home (3901 Fairfax Dr) building.

BDC Crimson LLC is the developer for the nine story mixed-use commercial building, which will include offices, ground floor retail and a 12,985 square foot black box theater. The theater will cost $3.7 million to build, and will be leased to the County for 30 years, at $1 per year. It will hold 150 people.

“This project brings us closer to realizing the community-crafted sector plan’s vision of Virginia Square as a center for arts, culture and education,” said Arlington County Board Chair Mary Hynes. “The public plaza will enliven Virginia Square, and the Black Box Theater will add a significant cultural destination to this part of the Metro corridor.”

The County will collaborate with groups like the Arlington Commission for the Arts to devise a business plan for operating the theater. They’ll look at cost, use and operational alternatives for review by the County Manager in the preparation of future budgets.

The new plan also includes a 12,325 square foot public plaza along North Quincy Street. The County will hold a workshop so stakeholders and the public can give input on some components of the final plaza design, such as pattern and asphalt color.

The office building will have 250 parking spaces that will be available to the public on nights and weekends. Six additional spaces will be provided for retail customers and 17 for the theater. The developer will provide free four hour parking to theater patrons.

BDC Crimson LLC will seek LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and will contribute $1 million to the County’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund, plus $1 million to nearby Quincy Park or other open space improvements and park amenities. These contributions let the developer have nearly 70,000 square feet of additional space for the project.

This plan has been in the works in various forms since 2004, with some major revisions in 2007. Previously, the facility was designed to include residences and a new funeral home. The County Board voted unanimously to approve the current plan.

Potomac Crossfit to Move as Office Construction Nears

By ARLnow.com

The popular Potomac Crossfit gym at 1039 N. Highland Street in Clarendon is planning to close after Jan. 28 to make way for the eventual construction of a new office building.

Potomac Crossfit owner Brian Wilson says he was just notified by his landlord that he would have to vacate the space by the end of the month, despite receiving earlier assurances that the gym would be able to stay until the spring. Wilson is planning to move staff and equipment from Potomac Crossfit, which opened in 2008, to his newer Patriot Crossfit gym near the intersection of Lee Highway and Glebe Road.

Wilson hopes loyal gym members will make the extra car trip or bus ride to Patriot Crossfit while he works to secure a new location in Clarendon. He says he’s currently in negotiations with a landlord to lease a space in Clarendon that’s even bigger than the current Potomac Crossfit space. Even if those negotiations prove successful, however, Wilson doesn’t expect the new location would open any sooner than this summer. Wilson added that he’s also in negotiations to lease spaces for crossfit gyms in the Pentagon City and Ballston neighborhoods.

The closing of Potomac Crossfit comes as a planned 300,000 square foot office development in Clarendon nears final county approval. The development — on the block bordered by Washington Boulevard, 11th Street, N. Highland Street and N. Garfield Street — is scheduled to have its site plan go before the Arlington County Board later this month. The developer, Penzance, is hoping to break ground this spring.

Most (if not all) of the other businesses on the block, including the T.A. Sullivan & Son cemetery monument business, are also expected to close as the groundbreaking nears.

Work Spotted on Development Site in Clarendon

By ARLnow.com

Some minor construction work has been spotted at the long-stalled apartment development site at 1200 N. Irving Street in Clarendon.

The site — which was recently purchased by USAA Real Estate from developer Zom Inc. — has laid fallow for years as Zom struggled with financing. A 186-unit apartment building with ground floor retail (previously dubbed “The Waverly at Clarendon Station“) is planned for the site.

Contractors started bidding on the project this fall, though no construction timeline has been formally announced. Late last month a tipster sent in a photo (above) of a small group of workers shoring up the empty shell of the former Madhu Ban Indian restaurant.

Renderings show that the building will preserve the existing retail facades on the block, though it’s not clear which of the establishments — including O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub, Sam’s Corner Deli and the new LeoNora Bakery — would remain open during and/or after construction.

Arlington Funeral Home Closes to Make Way for Development

By ARLnow.com

After 55 years in business, Arlington Funeral Home in Virginia Square (3901 Fairfax Drive) has closed its doors to make way for a new office development.

Once called “the most modern funeral home in Northern Virginia,” the business has transferred its remaining operations to the Murphy Funeral Home at 4510 Wilson Blvd in Bluemont. Both funeral homes are managed by Service Corporation International under the Dignity Memorial brand.

The Arlington Funeral Home building and its surrounding surface parking lot was purchased by developer Crimson Partners in 2010. The developer is expected to bring a site plan before the County Board next month that calls for the property to be redeveloped as an office building with 173,700 square feet of office space, 3,200 square feet of retail space and a 9,900 square foot black box theater.

If the site plan is approved, a groundbreaking can likely be expected at some point next year.

1/6

Big Changes Coming to Crystal Drive

By ARLnow.com

Starting next year, two one-way portions of Crystal Drive are set to be converted to two-way roads — a move that planners hope will prepare the Crystal City area for future development and a proposed transitway.

The first phase of the project will add a southbound lane to the portion of Crystal Drive between 12th Street and 15th Street, just north of the Crystal City water park. It will also convert a one-way section of S. Clark Street between 12th and 15th Streets to a two-way road. Construction on this phase of the project is expected to begin in the spring of 2012 and wrap up in winter 2012.

A second phase is expected to begin construction in fall 2012. That phase will add a southbound lane to the one-way portion of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 27th Street. Changes will also be make to 27th Street, which runs between the Courtyard by Marriott and the Hyatt Regency hotels.

“The Crystal Drive Two-Way Conversion project will begin to establish the street network needed to support future development and transit improvements planned by the Crystal City Sector Plan and Crystal City Multimodal Study,” Arlington County said on the project website. “The intent of the project is to improve the navigability of Crystal City by converting Crystal Drive and the surrounding street network from a one-way to a two-way directional roadway.”

In addition to converting traffic lanes, the project will also add new traffic signals, street trees, ADA-compatible intersection upgrades and a new southbound bicycle lane.

Drivers can expect lane closures during the construction project.

DEVELOPING — Pike Streetcar Cost Soars

By ARLnow.com

Late this afternoon, Arlington County revealed that the estimated cost for the proposed Columbia Pike streetcar line has increased by as much as $100 million over a 2007 cost projection.

The five-mile Columbia Pike streetcar line will run from Pentagon City to the Skyline area of Fairfax, and cost between $242 million and $261 million, according to “a new, more detailed analysis.” In 2007, officials pegged the cost at about $161 million.

“Inflation, an increase in the scope of the proposed project, additional engineering requirements, and federal requirements for higher contingency funding and escalation accounted for the increase in projected costs,” the county said in a press release. “The $50 million per-mile cost now estimated for the proposed streetcar project is comparable to the costs of similar projects across the nation.”

Arlington and Fairfax counties are still pushing forward with the streetcar project, which will serve a transportation corridor that’s expected to add 2.2 million square feet of commercial development and 7,300 residents over the next 30 years. Officials are calling the streetcar an “innovative solution” to transportation challenges on Columbia Pike, which is currently only served by bus.

“Clearly, a streetcar-and-bus system is the best solution for people who live and work on the Pike and the people who travel along it between two major employment centers,” County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman said in a statement. “A streetcar will enhance the Pike’s livability, help realize the vision that Arlington and Fairfax have for this vital corridor, and help ensure its long term economic and environmental sustainability.”

Construction on the streetcar line is currently projected to start in 2015, with streetcar service starting in 2017.

View More Stories