Mission Lofts to start signing up tenants in January
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| A conference room at Mission Lofts |
Mission Lofts, the nine-story live/work building at 5600 Columbia Pike in Bailey’s Crossroads, is nearing completion and is expected to be ready for occupancy in mid-January.
Tenants will be able to use their units for living, working, or both. Potential tenants can’t sign a lease until an occupancy permit is approved.
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| An open kitchen in one of the units |
The type of work permitted will be office work – such as consulting – and businesses could have no more than 10 employees.
There are 156 units, ranging from 620 to 1,100 square feet. Rents haven’t been finalized yet but will probably start at $2,000 for the smallest units.
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| The entrance area |
See related story: Construction well underway on live/work building in Bailey’s Crossroads
The units have an open layout, polished concrete floors, and large closets, which can double as server rooms. To facilitate office uses, they have fiber optics and full data and cable capacity.
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| There are murals on every floor created by Sabrina Cabada. |
Because the structure used to be an office building, it has features not found in traditional apartments, such as high ceilings, huge windows, individually controlled heating and air conditioning, and extra separation between units, co-owner Robert Seldin said on a tour of the building Dec. 17 hosted by the Bailey’s Crossroads/Seven Corners Revitalization Corporation.
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| The common area features quiet spaces for working or meeting. |
Mission Lofts’ common areas include conference rooms, a fitness center, pet spa, music practice rooms, and a large communal kitchen and gathering space. Non-residents will be able to join the Mission Club and use those spaces for a monthly fee of about $300.
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| Robert Seldin (left) in the future fitness center. |
Being able to live and work in the same place will “drive down the cost of starting a business,” said Seldin, founder of Highland Square Holdings LLC.
Mission Lofts is the first live/work building in Fairfax County. There’s also one in the City of Alexandria’s West End, known as e-lofts, also developed by Seldin.
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| The pet spa |
Seldin’s company plans to adopt the live/work concept for three office buildings recently purchased by the Wolff Co. at the Skyline Center. One of those buildings will be restricted to older adults.
See related story: Live/work concept proposed for Skyline office buildings
Seldin calls traditional office buildings anachronistic because they tend to be only open during traditional working hours. At Mission Lofts, “it’s never weird working here at night because people will live here.”
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| A special room for music practicing |
Because Mission Lofts abuts Arlington, Seldin calls it “the gateway to Fairfax” and predicts it will spur more redevelopment in Bailey’s Crossroads. A community park is being developed in front of the building along Columbia Pike.
“There’s no reason why this area shouldn’t be flourishing,” he said. “It’s the center of everything.”
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| The communal kitchen |
I had the opportunity to tour this building a few months ago. Rob and his team are bringing vision to Mason! As the article mentions, the three 70s-era triplet office towers at Skyline will go through a similar redevelopment.
Tangible progress.
The conference room looks like a strange sauna, but this is a HUGE improvement over that vacant office building. Hope they get some good tenants.
Or a coffin? I hope that is not a metaphor.
Wishing them much success, we need healthy and innovative businesses to take root here.
I think this is a cool concept. Taking this concept to Skyline may be a life line, however with out good mass transportation links like metro I think that this could be a non starter. Put metro in and watch them flock to Mason.
And for the person who keeps noting that 16L and 16A are good options, these are not. These busses sit in traffic and the commute takes twice the time of a vehicle and three times the travel time of a good cyclist. Perhaps w dedicated bus lanes this may improve. Good luck trying to get one down Columbia Pike where its needed to the Pentagon Metro station. Will have to try 16L now the new HOT lanes have opened up, perhaps there has been an improvement over the one hour commute to go 7 miles. Sad shame that County leadership has continued to fail their constituents on this issue, unless you live in Tysons.
I made the comment about the bus. It is certainly a good option. Just not glamorous like Metro. The point is that buses can be enhanced this week. The Metro will take years AFTER it is approved and financed. In a perfect world, ten years, realistically, 25. The developer of these lofts did so with another bus in mind: the one that goes down Carlin Springs to Ballston.
Its not a matter of being glamorous, it is painfully slow. But will try it not that the HOT lanes are open, maybe the busses won't sit in traffic near the Pentagon as it use to trying to get off the HOV lanes into the Pentagon parking area.
How is congestion to Pentagon on HOT lanes now?
Its seems to be less because one has to pay to over the Potomac. I have not been on the 16L since the HOT lanes opened, but worth an experiment.
Thanks! The bus strike occurred before the new lanes opened, so who knows when I will observe it myself