A major redevelopment project is slated to bring more housing and shopping to the current site of the Ballston Macy’s in Arlington County, Virginia.
The site will be transformed into a 16-story building, bringing 553 residential units, a grocery store and retail space to the Ashton Heights neighborhood. A total of 12 units inside the new building will be committed to affordable housing.
The two-acre site is bordered by the Ballston Quarter Development the east, Ballston Point Office Building to the west, Wilson Boulevard to the north and Glebe Road to the south.
The project, approved Saturday by the Arlington County Board, will allow 553 residential units on a site that would typically allow 280 units. The county is allowing the additional density by allowing Insight, the developer, to transfer development rights from another development to the Ballston redevelopment.
Watch the Arlington County Board meeting, where the proposal was approved:
The move preserves 118 affordable housing units along Columbia Pike at The Haven, which is in the Columbia Pike corridor. Of the affordable units at The Haven, 80 will be two bedrooms and seven will have three bedrooms.
“By drawing, for the first time, on the transfer of development rights tools envisioned in the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Form Based Code plan, it will also preserve both the affordability and historic resource of one of the Pike’s signature garden apartment complexes, the Haven Apartments. All together, these actions represent gains for Arlington’s goals in transit-oriented development, historic preservation and retaining our affordable homes for lower-income neighbors,” said County Board Chair Katie Cristol.
At the site of the new Glebe Road project, in addition to the 553 residential units, there will be 245 bicycle parking spaces and electric vehicle charging stations.
“I look for this opportunity to serve a really significant need in our community,” Cristol said.
Board member Matt De Ferranti called the project a big addition of housing.
“Both in the important way of preserving units and their quality as well as in the new units, happy to support this,” De Ferranti said.
As the project progresses, there will be monthly outreach meetings with the community. Construction is expected to begin next year and be completed by 2027.
