Apartment Towers, townhouses, affordable family units near Metro
ARLINGTON, Va. – June 17, 2008 – The Arlington County Board today approved the redevelopment of a key site in Rosslyn that will provide affordable, family-suitable rentals close to Metro and enliven Clarendon Blvd. with ground-floor retail.
The development, Rosslyn Commons, will replace garden apartments with two apartment towers and townhouses built around a large interior courtyard with public access. The development features sustainable design.
Rosslyn Commons will meet several County priorities, including:
- Family-suitable affordable housing in the Metro corridor
- On-site replacement of affordable housing
- Sustainability (buildings will be LEED-certified)
- Open space in Metro corridor (31,913 square feet)
- Public access (via mid-block pedestrian connection to large, tree-shaded interior courtyard)
Located on a 2.78-acre site just 900 feet from the Rosslyn Metro, Rosslyn Commons will be a transit-oriented development,designed to the standards of Leadership in Environmental Design, the U.S. Green Building Council’s ratings system that encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices.
Rosslyn Commons will include 454 apartments in two towers, 25 four-story townhouses and more than 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. The apartment towers will be built above a four-level underground parking garage. A monumental staircase will be built between the two towers.
“Rosslyn Commons offers the County a rare opportunity to secure family-sized affordable rentals within walking distance of Metro,” said County Board Chairman J. Walter Tejada. “In this era of ever-rising gas prices, it is crucial that we seize opportunities to provide housing near public transit that working people can afford.”
Redevelopment includes family-sized affordable units
The two-and-three-story brick garden apartments that will be demolished to make way for the new buildings provide 84 market-rate affordable units, most of them one bedroom. They will be replaced with 54 units that will provide the same number of bedrooms and be contractually committed to remain affordable for 30 years.
The new affordable units will include 26 two-bedroom apartments and six three-bedroom apartments. The three-bedroom units will rent for $1,535 to persons who earn 60 percent of the regional median income. The two-bedroom units will rent for $1,329 and the one-bedrooms for $1,107.
The Board also amended the General Land Use Plan to designate the site as a Special Affordable Housing Protection District. The action ensures that the market-rate affordable units that will be demolished will be replaced on-site.
Site to provide Rosslyn gateway
The site is seen as a secondary gateway to the west of the Rosslyn neighborhood, which is being redeveloped into a more lively, livable, walkable neighborhood.
One 13-story, L-shaped apartment building will frame the eastern corner of the block at Clarendon Blvd./17th St. N and N. Oak Street. The building will step down to 11 stories as it heads west along Clarendon Blvd. The second apartment building will be 12 stories, L-shaped, heading west on Clarendon Blvd., framing the western corner of the block at Clarendon Blvd. and N. Ode St.
The brick townhouses will be built in two rows, with one row fronting on the interior courtyard. The other row will front on 16th Road North. All the townhouses will incorporate stoops and include balconies and terraces.
To read the complete staff report, visit the County’s Web site.
Project at a Glance
Project Name
Rosslyn Commons
Developer
JBG/Rosslyn Commons, LLC
Architect
Architects Collaborative
9400 Old Georgetown Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 897-9000
Contacts:
JBG: Lisa Marier (240) 333-3600
lmarier (at) jbg (dot) com
Architects Collaborative:
Faik Tugberk (301) 397-9000
acico (at) aol (dot) com
Type of Project
- Mixed use residential, retail redevelopment
- 450,425 square feet gross residential floor area
- 12,635 square feet ground floor retail
Apartment Building 1
262 units
13 stories
54 units of affordable housing
L-shaped
Greatest height at the corner and along N. Oak St.
Steps down to 11 stories
Tan-brown, reddish brown and pink-brown brick, gray-blue to grey-green metal frames
Apartment Building 2
192 units
12 stories
Tan-brown, reddish brown and pink-brown brick, gray-blue to grey-green metal frames
All glass residential lobby at N. Ode and Clarendon
Retail continuing east to elevator and monumental stair case, with floor to ceiling glass windows
Retail space
12,635 square feet of ground floor retail
All glass retail lobby at corner of 17th St. N and N. Oak
Outdoor café seating
Open space
31,913 square feet, in form of interior courtyard
Serves residents of multifamily buildings with public access easement
Accessible to pedestrians via public sidewalks
Center features courtyard with seating covered by tree canopy
Townhomes
25 units
4 stories
Two rows, separated by one-way drive aisle accessible from 16th Road North.
Stoops leading to the sidewalks along 16th Road North, balconies and terraces
One row will front interior courtyard
Rear-loaded two-car garages
5 surface parking spaces for visitors
Parking:
4 levels, below grade
410 spaces for the apartment towers
LEED Scorecard:
Two apartment buildings would be LEED certified – minimum of 26 points under U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED-NC program
Townhomes to comply with County’s Green Home Choice Program
Location
Bounded by Clarendon Blvd. to north; 16th Road North to south; North Oak St. to east and North Ode St. to west
Project Features
900 feet southwest of Rosslyn Metro Transit Station
Provides 54 affordable housing rental units, including two-and-three-bedroom units
454 multi-family units
Community Benefits
Retention of affordable housing, addition of two-and-three bedrooms rental units within walking distance of Metro
Expands County’s housing supply, affordable housing supply
Builds in a sustainable fashion
Net increase of 16 parking spaces
162 spaces for bicycle parking
Improved streetscape
Ground-floor retail that will enliven Clarendon Blvd.
Open space in form of interior courtyard
Outdoor café
New off-site sidewalk
New bus shelter
Mid-block pedestrian walkway with monumental stairway n Clarendon Boulevard
24-hour ADA elevator, adjacent to stairway, available 7 days a week
Transportation Demand Management measures, including SmarTrip Fare Cards for new residents
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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. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency’s highest award for “Smart Growth” in 2002. 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.
