development | ALXnow

Citizens Group Vilifies Heritage High Rise Project in Old Town

Published January 26, 2021 at 11:40AM | Updated January 29, 2021 at 12:27AM

Old Town residents have banded together against what they say is overdevelopment with the planned construction of the 750-unit, seven-story Heritage apartment buildings.

Made up of more than 80 neighbors, the Citizens Association of the Southwest Quadrant (CASQ) launched a website, sent emails to news organizations and created an online petition against the development, which they say will result in hundreds of additional vehicles on area streets, affect property values and destroy the historic charm of the area.

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Contested Parker-Gray Townhouse Returns to City Tomorrow

By Vernon Miles

Published January 20, 2021 at 3:30PM

Density is forcing some Alexandrians to get closer to their neighbors than they might want: creating some tension as a new townhouse on a vacant lot returns to the Board of Architectural Review tomorrow (Thursday).

The BAR is scheduled to review an application to turn lots 1413 and 1415 Princess Street — which have sat undeveloped since 1893 — into a pair of townhouses. Staff reviewed the application and endorsed much of it, but the project still generated concern over its proximity and scale compared to some surrounding buildings.

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“Lipstick on a Pig” Heritage Development in Old Town Headed to Planning Commission

By Vernon Miles

Published January 8, 2021 at 10:50AM | Updated January 8, 2021 at 11:38AM

The Heritage, a new development in Old Town widely reviled at a September Board of Architectural Review meeting, is headed to the Planning Commission on Tuesday, Feb. 1, for review after some architectural fixes.

The plan is to demolish four 1970s-era buildings in southeast Old Town — along South Patrick and North Washington streets — originally built as an urban renewal project in the historic Black neighborhood The Bottoms. Despite community objection, the BAR and City Council found that the buildings do not meet historic preservation criteria.

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Meeting Tomorrow to Discuss Future of Inova Alexandria Hospital Site

By Vernon Miles

Published January 5, 2021 at 1:45PM | Updated January 5, 2021 at 4:12PM

(Updated 4 p.m.) Shortly after the first community meeting on plans for Landmark Mall, Inova is planning to host a second meeting tomorrow to discuss potential rezoning of Inova Alexandria Hospital’s current Seminary Hill site.

Current plans for the hospital are to be rezoned and redeveloped as residential properties, a move that has drawn some praise from local civic associations, according to Alexandria Living Magazine.

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Old Town Parking Garage to be Replaced With Townhouses

By Vernon Miles

Published January 5, 2021 at 12:45PM | Updated January 6, 2021 at 9:04AM

101 Duke Street (rendering via Eleventh Street Development LLC)

(Updated 1/6/21) A brick parking garage at 101 Duke Street, planted squarely in the heart of Old Town, could be redeveloped into six new townhouses.

At a Board of Architectural Review meeting scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 21, a development proposal by Cummings Investment Associates Inc. is docketed for a concept review.

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Poll: How Do You Feel About Landmark Redevelopment?

By Vernon Miles

Published January 5, 2021 at 11:45AM | Updated January 5, 2021 at 1:28PM

Landmark Mall rendering (image via City of Alexandria)

(Updated 1:25 p.m.) It’s been a couple weeks since plans for Inova Health System to spearhead redevelopment of Landmark Mall were announced, and in the last few days more details have emerged.

In a meeting last night, developers outlined plans to build a state-of-the-art medical facility with a trauma center, helipad, 230 patient rooms and more. The project will also reportedly come with 4 million square feet of new development, including housing, retail, and other uses.

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Healthplex, Housing and More: What’s Next for Oakville Triangle?

By Vernon Miles

Published December 29, 2020 at 3:45PM

Proposed Inova facility in the Oakville Triangle (image via City of Alexandria)

Shortly after the City Council approved overall plans for the new Oakville Triangle, developers are coming back to the city next Tuesday (Dec. 5) with specific development applications for various pieces of the development.

Developers have submitted three applications for sites in the development area, including the creation of development blocks and the medical facility. The first application would lay out a street grid and infrastructure for the new development. In total, four development blocks would be created.

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BREAKING: Landmark Mall to be Redeveloped as Inova Medical Campus

By Vernon Miles

Published December 22, 2020 at 4:15PM

The City of Alexandria announced today that it has reached an agreement with Inova Health System and the Landmark Mall property owners to create a new hospital campus and mixed-use development at Landmark Mall.

The new campus would relocate the existing hospital on Seminary Hill and expand to over 2,000 healthcare workers. Construction could begin as soon as 2023 with the first parts of the campus coming online in 2025.

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Cadillac Dealership Near North Ridge to be Demolished and Redeveloped

By Vernon Miles

Published December 22, 2020 at 10:45AM

The Lindsay Cadillac dealership (1511 N. Quaker Lane) straddling Kenwood Avenue near North Ridge could soon be demolished and rebuilt as a new Volvo and Lexus dealership — with a few additional public improvements.

In an application headed to the Planning Commission on Tuesday, Jan. 5, the Lindsay Company is proposing to replace the existing lot and buildings with three new buildings along with surface, underground, and rooftop parking decks. The buildings will replace a dealership built in 1949 and an office building built in 1967.

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Episcopal High School Expansion Headed to Planning Commission

By Vernon Miles

Published December 17, 2020 at 10:45AM

New dorms and health facility at Episcopal High School (rendering via Episcopal High School)

Episcopal High School, a private boarding school tucked away on Seminary Hill at 1200 N Quaker Lane, could be undergoing a significant expansion soon with a new fitness center and dorms.

The proposed health and wellness center would replace the existing 90-year-old facility. The new building will be 17,000 square feet — roughly twice the size of the current structure — and if approved construction could begin next year. The facility would also have a classroom, a meditation room, a counseling center and more.

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Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published December 17, 2020 at 9:00AM | Updated December 17, 2020 at 9:17AM

ALIVE! Emergency Food Distribution This Saturday — “The nonprofit will next distribute emergency groceries at a ‘Truck-to-Trunk’ on Saturday, Dec. 19 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. There will be two locations for the event: the Cora Kelly Elementary School parking lot at 3600 Commonwealth Ave. and the Northern Virginia Community College-Alexandria Campus B-1 parking lot.” [Zebra]

Lena’s Converts Rooftop to Winter Lodge — “Lena’s Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap is expanding its dining experiences by announcing the debut of The Loft at Lena’s — Winter Lodge.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]