Several affordable housing projects are moving forward this spring and summer across Alexandria, bringing more than 1,000 future affordable housing units to the community.
Here’s where you may see construction (or pre-construction notices about community meetings) in the coming months:
Arlandria: Sansé and Naja
Image courtesy of AHDC
In Arlandria, Sansé and Naja, the two planned affordable housing buildings at the intersection of West Glebe Road and Mount Vernon Avenue, will break ground this summer. The project will include 474 units of affordable housing in addition to 36,000 SF of retail and an underground garage. More than 100 of the units will be “deeply affordable” — attainable for those making 40% of the area median income (AMI). Learn more at housingalexandria.org.
The Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (now known as Housing Alexandria) announced the names of the buildings last month, explaining: “The words "Sansé" and "Naja" come from Nahuat (na-wat), a language indigenous to El Salvador and part of the broader Uto-Aztecan/Uto-Nahuatl family. The pair of words, one for each building we have planned, were chosen to represent opposite concepts that will create a conversational whole: Sansé (san-say): a united group, unique, only one. Naja (na-jah or na-ha): me, myself.”
Elbert Avenue
About a mile from Sansé and Naja, Alexandria officials also gave the green light to a redevelopment of the three low-rise apartment building on Elbert Avenue. Community Lodgings has proposed a project would include 96 affordable housing units, with 19 of those dedicated to households at or below 50% of the area median income. Learn more at communitylodgings.org/programs/affordable-housing/elbert-redevelopment.
Park Vue
Also in the Arlandria-Chirilagua neighborhood, Housing Alexandria announced that it acquired Park Vue of Alexandria, at 511 Four Mile Road. The building currently has 196 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. AHDC intends to convert the building to affordable housing for households making up to 60% of the area median income. Learn more at housingalexandria.org/blog/park-vue-acquisition.
The Heritage
Heritage Apartments
In Southwest Old Town, construction has started on The Heritage. After a controversial series of meetings with the Board of Architectural Review, Alexandria officials gave the green light to redeveloping the garden-style apartment buildings into new, larger buildings. The first phase of construction will include 598 new apartments in two new buildings. About 140 of the apartments will be set aside for Housing Assistance Program-eligible families, with first rights to those who previously lived at The Heritage at Old Town. Learn more at heritageredevelopmentinfo.com.
Samuel Madden Housing
Earlier this year, Alexandria officials approved the redevelopment of Samuel Madden Housing just west of the Old Town North neighborhood. Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Fairstead, Mill Creek Residential and The Communities Group will work together to build more than 530 units of affordable, workforce-rate and market-rate housing. Learn more at samuelmaddenhomes.com.
Witter Place
On Duke Street, the Witter Place development is in the planning stages. The project, near the Witter recreation fields at 2712 Duke St., will include 94 apartments, all with two or three bedrooms. The apartments would be affordable to households at 40 to 60% of the area median income. There is no construction timeline available from Community Housing Partners yet.
In the West End, two projects are in the early stages of planning:
ParcView II
Wesley Housing is in the planning process for ParcView II. The company plans to add a second building to the current ParcView apartments site and renovate the current ParcView building, adding more than 200 units of affordable housing in the process. The project could be completed by 2027. Learn more at wesleyhousing.org/property/parcview-ii.
Seminary Road
On Seminary Road at the intersection of North Pickett Street, three single-family homes will be demolished to create an affordable homeownership development, giving residents the opportunity to own their own condo. The project will include 31 townhomes and five one-level condos, with three of those condos occupied by Sheltered Homes of Alexandria. Learn more at housingalexandria.org/seminary.
