Major redevelopment project to start soon in the Landmark area
Demolition is expected to start around the end of the year on a redevelopment project across Route 236 from the future development at Landmark Mall.
The project called Overlook at West End, will consist of 86 condos, 362 apartments in two seven-story buildings, retail, and an office building or hotel, says Chris Bell, project manager at Hekemian & Co. a developer based in Hackensack, N.J.
The 8.2-acre site is on the south side of Duke Street in the City of Alexandria between Van Dorn Street and Interstate 395.
Existing businesses on the property will be demolished, including the Alley Cat restaurant and bar, the Dunya Banquet Hall and Restaurant, the vacant Big Lots building, and an obsolete, mostly empty office building.
The Alley Cat and Dunya are expected to close in September or October, Bell said. The Alley Cat will relocate.
The two-over-two condos will be built first, by NV Homes. Construction of the condos is expected to start in spring 2023.
They will look like a four-story townhouse, but will be two two-story homes on top of one another. Each unit will have a garage.
Hekemian will develop the apartments. Construction will start in the fourth quarter of 2023, Bell says. The project will include an undetermined number of affordable units.
The buildings will be wrapped around a seven-story above-ground garage. Residents will be able to park on the floor where they live.
Each apartment building will have commercial development on the ground floor for a total of 6,913 square feet of retail. There are no tenants yet.
The few remaining tenants in the four-story office building will leave in September, Bell says. Future plans call for it to be replaced with either a hotel or another office building.
Related story: Here’s what West End will look like
The existing building, built in the 1980s, is obsolete and doesn’t meet current energy or other codes.
Bell says there will be a need for more medical offices in the area, as it’s close to the future Inova Alexandria Hospital complex in the West End project at the Landmark Mall site.
The office building was less than 50 percent occupied when Hekemian bought the property in 2020, he says.
It took about two years to secure a development special use permit – a zoning change – from the City of Alexandria, The company began working on a site plan in May.
“We’re excited to be part of the renaissance of the Landmark area,” Bell says.
I’m excited for this project. Along with the massive Landmark project, this will radically transform Alexandria West End for the better. Hopefully, it will spill over to adjoining Lincolnia.
It’s going to be more low income housing dressed up. Oh Joy!
Why all the negativity “miike”? I’m with Javier on this one. This development project is long overdue and hopefully, Penny Gross is watching! Landmark Plaza needs a similar fate.
There’s been no input from VDOT (as usual) about the number of vehicles expected to use the two developments. VDOT has basically stated (hands off) according to published reports. Each of the townhouses will have at least 2 vehicles, a medical building, unknown #, an office bldg (unknown#) a hotel (unknown #). That’s on the west side. Add in the east side with INOVA (level 1 trauma center) (helicopter pad?) apartments, condos, shopping and restaurants (all unknown # of vehicles). You’re going to view absolute chaos
Vincent, come on man! Get out of here……if you don’t want any modernization in this area, move to Columbia, MD or beside Penny Gross’ house.
Finally some modern upkeep of the area. You can tell that this is not Penny Gross heading any of this development……she has no vision and thus, the area is perishing by Landmark Plaza. I am sure that the buildings in that particular area don’t meet current energy and other codes…..maybe someone can fix that. It won’t be Penny. She will be too busy awarding her “constitutents that vote for her” on her way out…..quite the politician she is.
There should be plans for a pedestrian bridge to cross Duke street at that location. Also, traffic situation revamp. That area is very congested and the merging situation off 395 South onto Duke street (especially if you live on stevenson) is horrible.
I agree. We def need some sort of pedestrian bridge. I live on Stevenson and I cant imagine walking to the Landmark Mall location when its built even though I am across the street
one big traffic jam coming to Duke/Little River and 395…what a mess…
Very excited for this development in addition to the landmark mall redevelopment! A huge positive change to the area. I hope this brings further development along the van dorn corridor towards the metro.