A new art installation near the Potomac River in Old Town North was quietly installed over the weekend.
Sculptor Christian Benefiel, on Saturday, installed and put the finishing touches on Beacon 3, a commissioned piece at the TideLock office-to-residential development (1033 N. Fairfax Street) in Old Town North. The piece was constructed over the last year from welded steel and resembles a nautical beacon and satellite with jet engine parts.
This story was updated with additional details and a new rendering from a Carr spokesperson.
Plans for a new Italian restaurant and a café are progressing in Old Town North, with both expected to open early next year.
Plans for a roof deck in an Old Town office-to-apartment conversion project need to be canceled, according to paperwork recently filed with the city.
The building’s owner wants to convert the 1970s-era office building at 720 N. St. Asaph Street into a 12-unit multifamily apartment building with ground-level commercial space. Previous plans also called for a roof deck, which the current building would not be able to support, according to a special use permit amendment application.
On Saturday (April 18), Alexandria City Council approved an office-to-residential conversion that will bring 32 four-story townhomes to Old Town.
Without discussion, City Council unanimously approved the Planning Commission’s recommendation to tear down the Essex Building — an office building at 333 N. Fairfax Street built in the 1970s — and replace it with townhomes. A parking garage and lot will also be demolished. Plans for the 1.4-acre site from EYA and Simpson Development reveal four-story homes with two-car garages and roof decks just a few blocks from King Street and the Potomac River waterfront.
