A developer has proposed a massive new residential development in Southeast Old Town, replacing The Heritage apartments.
Asland Capital Partners is making plans to replace the current apartments near Wilkes Street Park with a much larger, mixed-income community.
The current apartment complex, south of Duke Street and east of Patrick Street (see map here), includes one- and two-bedroom apartments starting at $1,295. Several of the units are affordable for those making less than the area's median income. The apartments there now — 244 of them — were built in the late 1970s.
The first phase of the new development, which is under review now, would include 474 apartments, with a mix of affordable and market-rate units. More apartments could be built in the coming years and the development could include more than 800 residential units by the time it is finished, Washington Business Journals reported. More than 200 of those would be affordable.
Ahead of an upcoming community meeting, local residents have expressed concerns that people living in the affordable apartments now may be displaced for years as construction progresses.
According to Asland Capital Partners' website, the company has “instituted a long-term affordability preservation and redevelopment program through which the firm is completing a comprehensive small area plan entitlement process. The firm is working closely with existing tenants, the community and the city to create a new mixed-income development that both preserves and creates new best-in-class affordable housing.”
Heritage at Old Town PropCo, the LLC formed to own the development, has submitted designs to Alexandria city officials for the new development. Those designs go before the Board of Architectural Review this Wednesday, July 15, with a request to demolish three of the current apartment building and a request for concept review.
The City’s staff report includes multiple requests for design changes and notes that there may be archaeological findings of significance during construction, as the new development would be built in “The Dip” (also called “The Bottoms”) neighborhood, which is significant for its Black history in the 1800s.
The developer is also proposing working with the City and residents to reimagine Wilkes Street Park in the future as part of the project.
The project architect is Hord Coplan Macht, which has offices in Alexandria.
Heritage at Old Town PropCo LLC will host a virtual public meeting this Tuesday, July 14, from 6 - 7:30 p.m. on Zoom. It can be joined using the link or dial-in number here:
- Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82744870339
- Dial-in: +1 646 876 9923
- Webinar ID: 827 4487 0339
