New Residential Development Could Relocate Half-Century Old Lighting Shop in Braddock

A proposed development at 701 N. Henry Street in the Braddock neighborhood could replace a longtime lighting store with a 94 unit residential complex.

The current occupant, Alexandria Lighting and Supply has been in business in Braddock for 55 years, and the developer is scouting for a new storefront to relocate the shop.

“It’s still operating today and it’s been there a really long time,” development attorney Cathy Puskar said at a presentation to the Braddock Implementation Advisory Group last month. “As part of this proposal, [the developer] is contemplating relocating that use so it will still exist within the city of Alexandria.”

In its stead, the new development at 701 N. Henry Street would be a 94 unit residential building, 87 of which would be market-rate housing and 7 committed as affordable units — part of a trade for bonus density.

Along with a development at 1200 N. Henry and a new mixed-use complex across from the Braddock Road Metro station, the 701 N. Henry Street project is part of a suite of new projects adding residential units and density to Braddock.

Puskar said the developer decided “it’s not really a good spot” for retail, but that if a post office caddy-corner to the development is eventually redeveloped, the lobby space could be converted to retail.

The project is scheduled to go to a public hearing in June.