ARLINGTON, Va. – Non-profit housing developer The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) has received the go-ahead for more than quadrupling the number of affordable housing units at its garden-style apartment community known as Rosslyn Ridge, located near the Rosslyn Metro station in Arlington, Virginia. The Arlington County Board approved the innovative project at their Saturday, July 10 th meeting.
The transformation of the existing Rosslyn Ridge community into Rosslyn Ridge II will result in the addition of nearly 100 units of affordable housing to the County, representing 40 percent of the new building’s 238 units. The project will also significantly contribute to Arlington County’s publicly stated goal of adding 360 affordable housing units during 2004.
According to APAH Executive Director Douglas Peterson, “A very diverse group of citizens from throughout North and South Arlington, the Virginia Hospital Center and the Arlington Chamber of Commerce all supported this project, realizing the great need that the County has for affordable housing, especially in the Metro corridor.”
Rosslyn Ridge II is one of 12 successful affordable housing complexes that the nonprofit APAH owns in Arlington County. The redevelopment of the existing Rosslyn Ridge apartments into Rosslyn Ridge II will substantially increase the total number of affordable housing apartments in APAH’s portfolio from 410 to 626. Last fall, APAH acquired Columbia Grove, a 210-unit garden-style apartment just off Columbia Pike.
Recently, Rosslyn Ridge II was acknowledged by the Washington Urban Land Institute's Smart Growth Alliance Recognition Program for the merits the project would bring to the community and the region. Over its 15-year history, APAH has consistently gained recognition for innovative design, noteworthy renovation and preservation efforts, and for its sensitivity to community concerns.
Rosslyn Ridge II’s 95 affordable units will replace 22 existing affordable units presently at Rosslyn Ridge. Affordable units at the new Rosslyn Ridge II will include 6 efficiencies, 55 one-bedrooms, 26 two bedrooms, 5 three bedrooms and 3 three-bedroom townhomes. Five units of the 95 will be fully accessible to persons with physical disabilities. Residents eligible for these units must meet income requirements of no more than 60% of Area Median Income, among other requirements.
As part of its July 10 th agenda, the Arlington County Board also approved a request from APAH for a loan of up to $1.8 million from the County's affordable housing fund to cover the redevelopment project. The loan of up to $1.8 million will be provided from the existing Arlington Housing Investment Fund and the Rosslyn Fund from monies earmarked for affordable housing. According to Arlington County, primary financing for the project is expected to be provided by the Virginia Housing Development Authority.
APAH acquired and rehabilitated the original Rosslyn Ridge project in 1994 with the assistance of a loan from Arlington County, which was repaid in full in December 2002. The redeveloped Rosslyn Ridge II will be a 15-story, "L"-shaped building, located near the corner of 16th Street North and North Pierce Street. It will provide affordable housing near in the Rosslyn Metro Station, where such units are in short supply, and is intended to decrease dependence on automobiles.
Construction is estimated to begin in early 2005 with completion in early 2007. Rosslyn Ridge II will be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as a “green” or environmentally sustainable building at the Silver level.
About APAH
The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1989 whose mission is to provide safe, affordable housing to residents throughout the County. APAH purchases and renovates apartment buildings and rents the units to low- to middle-income individuals and families. All APAH communities are Equal Housing Opportunity communities.
For more information on the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, visit us online at www.apah.org. |
