Four years after the demolition of Landmark Mall, Alexandria officials and developers broke ground today (June 8) on the first residential building project for the 52-acre WestEnd site.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins was joined by many City Council members, as well as leaders from Foulger Pratt, Howard Hughes Communities and Silverstein Properties for the groundbreaking of the Aspect buildings at 5801 Duke Street. The seven-story Aspect will be connected by a sky bridge, which will also be used for the property’s fitness center, Foulger Pratt says.
The Aspect buildings are expected to be completed by 2028 and will include 390 modern apartment residences above 66,000 square feet of retail. One of the development’s retail anchors is Tierra Encantada, a Spanish immersion daycare.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins said WestEnd is one of the city’s most significant redevelopments, bringing a hospital, housing, parks, retail, a fire station and more features.
“Aspect is an important step forward in creating the connected, walkable and vibrant community envisioned for Alexandria’s West End,” Gaskins said. “This development will bring much-needed housing, create jobs, expand economic opportunity and help establish the foundation for a thriving mixed-use district that reflects Alexandria’s values of connectivity, sustainability and community.”
Overall, the development partners are planning to build more than 2,500 new residential units in the 52-acre development, the new Inova Alexandria Hospital at Landmark, 300,000 square feet of retail, four acres of parks and open space and a transit hub. The city is also considering relocating one of its fire stations to the area.
Inova broke ground on its hospital campus in 2024 and topped out the hospital in April. The health system is targeting completion of the four-building hospital campus by 2028.
Jay Kelly, a senior vice president at Foulger Pratt, said that breaking ground during a tough economy shows the economic viability of the site and and long-term potential of the West End.
“Four years ago, we stood on this site as Landmark Mall came down and a new vision for Alexandria’s West End began to take shape,” Kelly said. “Today, we are celebrating another important milestone as that vision becomes reality. Aspect represents the beginning of a vibrant new neighborhood that will serve residents, businesses and visitors for generations to come.”
Second groundbreaking image via Mayor Alyia Gaskins/Facebook
