Sketch designs for Hoffman Block 11 and 12. Photo Contributed
While arguments rage in Old Town over three- and four-story buildings, at the eastern end of Eisenhower Avenue the city is moving forward with plans for some of the tallest buildings in Northern Virginia.
The newest addition to the neighborhood is the Parc Meridian adjacent to Eisenhower Metro Station, across the street from the under-construction National Science Foundation. The 505 unit apartment tower stands at 281 feet. But current plans for nearby apartment towers will dwarf Parc Meridian.
Further up Eisenhower Avenue near the Alexandria Renew Enterprises, a residential tower at Carlyle Plaza Two will stand at 355 feet. The design special use permit that was approved for the Carlyle Plaza Two plan in June 2012 included a development special use permit that increased the building height maximum to 375 feet.
At a meeting of the Carlyle Review Board at AlexRenew on July 21, the first of the four Carlyle buildings was approved. If all buildings are approved, Carlyle Plaza Two will move into final site plan review, which includes meetings with Planning and Zoning as well as review by the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services.
Emily Oaksford, a member of the City staff, said the primary benefit the City received was in open space.
“By allowing taller buildings and setting maximum floor area we gained a huge amount of open space approved and public park area,” said Oaksford. “The recreation field built with AlexRenew will connect to the elevated pedestrian trail which is terraced down to Eisenhower Avenue. It’s five acres of connected open space.”
While Carlyle Plaza Two will briefly be the tallest buildings in Alexandria, Oaksford also noted that Carlyle Plaza Two isn’t the only skyscraper in Eisenhower’s future. Even before Carlyle Plaza Two was approved, the City Council approved Hoffman Block 11 and 12, residential towers that will reach 370 and 280 feet respectively. No timeline is available for the development of Hoffman Block 11 and 12.