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Mixed-use Samuel Madden Homes project reaches topping-out milestone in Parker-Gray

By James Cullum
Aerial view of a curved, white, multi-story building under construction in a downtown block, with orange scaffolding and surrounding streets.
A group of construction workers and supervisors in hard hats and high-visibility vests stand on a white rooftop next to a small brick structure, with a crane in the background.
Corner of a multi-story mixed-use building with storefronts on the ground floor and people walking along a tree-lined city street.
Render of a modern mixed-use building on a tree-lined street with pedestrians, crosswalks, and parked cars at curbside. (informative)
Man in suit speaking at a clear acrylic podium with a microphone in a construction-warehouse setting, blue and white balloon decorations in the background
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The Samuel Madden Homes public housing redevelopment in the Braddock/Parker-Gray neighborhood just hit a major milestone.

Last week, city leaders celebrated the topping out ceremony for the six-story, 295,000-square-foot project at 899 and 999 N. Henry Street that will be home to 207 one-to-four bedroom affordable housing apartments, 7,500 feet of open space, a 500-square-foot ALIVE! community food hub, a Hopkins House early learning and childcare center and retail.

Mayor Alyia Gaskins said that the project is a transformative way to expand affordable and workforce housing in the city.

“The topping out celebrates when the last structural beam is put in place, and represents a point when we transition the development to begin to focus on the interiors,” Gaskins said on Facebook. “This project will include an opportunity for all of the original residents to return, as well as new residents to be welcomed into this new mixed-use, mixed-income development.”

Samuel Madden Homes were first built in 1945 for defense workers during World War II. The $120 million project to replace the 66-unit apartment complex broke ground last November and has a fall 2027 deadline.

The project is being built in a partnership between the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA), The Communities Group, Fairstead, Freddie Mac, Boston Financial and the city.

The first floor will include a 10,400-square-foot community space with multipurpose areas and a business and fitness center for residents.

The architect is Torti Gallas and Partners, and the interior designer is Determined by Design. The development has a green design goal, aiming for Department of Energy Zero Energy Ready Home criteria and an Enterprise Green Communities certification.

Roy Priest photo via ARHA Resident Association/Facebook

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.