Arlington County Approves Mixed-Use Residential for Virginia Square Site

• 265 new apartments, including 14 committed affordable housing units
• LEED Gold Certified Building 
• 12,000-sq. ft. public plaza, public access through site to Quincy Park
• In-building wireless

ARLINGTON, Va – November 18, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — The Arlington County Board today approved a site plan to replace one and two-story buildings located directly across from the Virginia Square Metro station with an apartment building featuring ground floor retail space, a public plaza, cultural and education space and underground parking.

The redevelopment proposal is consistent with key goals of the Virginia Square Sector Plan and the County planning goals to encourage high-density mixed-use development, with cultural/educational use, near Metro stations.

“This development offers a rare opportunity for the County to gain new, on-site affordable units in the heart of the Rosslyn-Ballston Metro corridor,” said Arlington County Board Chairman J. Walter Tejada. “And there are other important community benefits, including educational facilities and a public plaza and ground floor retail that will enliven Virginia Square.”

The County Board took two votes on this project. The Board voted 3-2 to rezone the site from “C-2” Service Commercial-Community Business Districts to “C-O” Commercial Office Building, Hotel, and Multiple-Family Residential zoning district. The Board also voted 3-2 to adopt the site plan.

New affordable housing units and cultural/educational space

The developer, Penrose Group, plans to demolish the one-story Bank of America building and two-story office building now occupying the 42,126-square-foot site. Penrose will replace those buildings with a 12-story, 265-unit apartment building with 14 committed affordable units, of which three units will be both affordable and accessible. The addition of affordable units at Virginia Square meets key goals of the Virginia Square Sector Plan, adopted by the County Board in 2002.

The first floor of the new building will include 2,800 square feet of cultural and educational space and 3,115 square feet for retail use. An underground garage will provide 262 parking spaces for the project’s residents, visitors and customers.

Offering wider sidewalks, outdoor seating, streetscapes, a water feature, and a public plaza with a pedestrian walkway directly connecting to Quincy Park, the site will encourage walking in the area.

In-building wireless technology

The developer has pledged to implement the in-building safety technology standard adopted by the County Board on Oct. 22, 2013. The new apartment building will have a wireless telecommunications system to ensure public safety radios work effectively and without interference during an emergency.

Sustainable Design and Bonus Density

The developer earned a density bonus by agreeing that the residential building will be LEED Gold certified under the County’s Green Building Density Incentive program, a policy that encourages higher levels of energy efficiency and LEED certification by offering more density on a case-by-case basis. The development is expected to achieve 18 percent energy savings by using green design in the building with:

• ENERGY STAR qualified appliances and fixtures
• Energy efficient lighting in common areas of the building
• Green roof

The project also will earn the LEED Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED EBOM) certification, which measures post-occupancy environmental performance of several factors, including energy and water efficiency, use of alternative transportation and recycling over a sustained period of time.

Community Outreach

The project was discussed at six Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) meetings, including an ad-hoc Planning Commission Committee that held meetings to analyze how the proposed Latitude residential building meets Virginia Square Sector Plan requirements.

To learn more about this planned project, visit the County website. Scroll down to Item 26 on the County Board Agenda to read the staff report.

Background

Adopted in 2002, part of the Virginia Square Sector plan’s objective is to generate 1,500 new housing units and 1.5 million square feet of commercial office development, and street-level retail in Virginia Square by 2030. Since the plan was adopted, more than 770,000 square feet of office space, more than 800 homes, and another 150,000 square feet in “other” uses have been developed.

The Virginia Square Sector Plan originally called for office use at the 3601 and 3625 Fairfax Drive site in order to bring more daytime activity to the area, provide shared parking, and complement the strong medical office presence. However, the growth of George Mason University and large employers such as FDIC in the last 10 years has helped meet these goals.

The Latitude Apartment project will meet a growing need for housing in Arlington by bringing more residents to Virginia Square and increasing daytime activity seven days a week.

Learn more about Arlington County’s current planning efforts.

Project at a Glance

Project

• Latitude Apartments
• Location: 3601 and 3625 Fairfax Drive
• Residential Mixed-use Building: 12-story apartment building with 265 residential units
• 262 parking spaces underground garage

Developer

• Penrose Group

Architect

• Davis, Carter, Scott Ltd.

Contact

• Timothy McDonald
  703-448-6059
  tmcdonald (at) penrosegroup (dot) com

LEED Scorecard:

• LEED GOLD
• LEED EBOM

Community Benefits

• Underground fund contribution – $49,176  Utility (undergrounding of all on-site utilities)
• On-site streetscape improvements – sidewalks, curb, and gutter on-site along Fairfax Drive, North Monroe Street, 10^th Street North, and North Nelson Street
• Transportation Demand Management program – $315,960 over a period of 30 years
• Public Art contribution – $75,000
• Affordable Housing Contribution – 14 committed affordable housing units
• Public Plaza – 12,000 square feet public plaza at the corner of Fairfax and N. Monroe Street; pedestrian connection to Quincy Park
• Cultural/Educational Use –2,802 square feet ground floor cultural or educational uses
• Full funding to upgrade the traffic signal at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and North Monroe Street

Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the “10 miles square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation’s Capital. Slightly smaller than 26 square miles, it is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, and one of only a handful with the prized Aaa/AAA/AAA bond rating. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods and quality schools, and has received numerous awards for Smart Growth and transit-oriented development. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world — including the Pentagon — Arlington stands out as one of America’s preeminent places to live, visit and do business.