Photo by Alexandria Living Magazine
The owners of the Montgomery Center in Old Town North have offered tenants the opportunity the extend their leases into the middle of June — and the Art League is taking advantage of the offer.
The Carr Companies, which owns the building, plans to replace the commercial building with 360 residential units, retail and arts components and a 418-space underground parking garage (although the project requires 487 spaces unless the City approves a parking reduction).
The Montgomery Center takes up the entire 2-acre block surrounded by Montgomery, Madison, North Royal and North Fairfax streets and is home to restaurants A La Lucia and Yunnan by Potomac and several other neighborhood businesses. Some business have already moved or closed, including Extra Perks (closed) and Crooked Beats Records (moved to Del Ray).
There is no certain date for when construction will start on the new development.
The Art League is a major tenant of the building. The Art League is a nonprofit that started in the 1950s and offers studio space, classes, art supplies and gallery space to local artists. The organization also have space in the Torpedo Factory in Old Town. The lease extension is allowing the organization to set its schedule for fall, winter and spring classes — and giving the organization more time to find a new home.
The Art League earlier this month applied to the City of Alexandria for a special use permit (SUP) to operate at 800 Slaters Lane. That building is a warehouse that formerly housed a print shop and needs significant work to house new classroom and workspace for artists.
