FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Ground could be broken this year on a redevelopment of the former Lorton prison site, bringing new townhouses, apartments, homes and retail space.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors cleared the way Tuesday with a 10-0 vote to rezone the site to allow for development. When finished, the $188 million overhaul will house residents and businesses inside refurbished cellblocks, guard towers and prison dorms.
The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/1pQU7AL ) reports the project will mostly be privately financed. The county will pay $12.7 million in infrastructure improvements. Ground could be broken after October.
The former D.C. prison closed in 2001. The site also housed landfills and heavy industry.
Now county officials are calling the area Laurel Hill as part of a rebranding effort to remove the stigma that long defined the area.
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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com
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