Arlington County Board Passes Redevelopment Plan for Marbella Apartments

On February 28, 2022, the Arlington County Board voted 5-0 to move forward with the phased redevelopment of the Marbella Apartments as well as $21,400,000 in loan financing (Affordable Housing Investment Fund) for the first phase of the project. A portion of the Marbella’s existing apartments will be redeveloped into two new 12-story buildings with a resulting 555 committed affordable homes (CAFs)—an unprecedented number for one location in the County. All 555 homes will remain affordable for 75 years and will include much-needed family-sized and senior units. In addition to the nearly 500 new units on the site, approximately 60 existing older garden-style apartments will be renovated to better serve the current families in need of affordable housing.

The project will also help achieve digital equity in Arlington by providing hard-wired, free internet access to all residents. The new buildings will meet many green building goals including an array of rooftop solar panels and a green roof, as well as native plantings and stormwater management features.

The Marbella’s developer, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), will now begin applying for financing and permitting for the first phase of the project, which will begin construction in 2023.

The Marbella is an ideal location for affordable housing because it ensures that residents have convenient access to the Rosslyn and Courthouse Metro stations, bus transit, restaurants, parks, and employment.

 AHS applauds this important step forward for affordable housing in Arlington and urged the County Board to support the project.

AHS’s full letter to the County Board reads:

February 11, 2022

Hon. Katie Cristol
2100 Clarendon Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22201

Dear Ms. Cristol, 

The Alliance for Housing Solutions is writing to support the Marbella Apartments redevelopment project to be considered by the Board on Feb. 12.  We would like to thank you, the other Board members, and County staff for maintaining affordable housing as a priority.   

The Marbella Apartments will provide 555 newly constructed units, which will be committed affordable units (CAFs) for a period of 75 years. The developer also proposes to preserve and renovate the remaining garden-style apartments in the complex.  Use of the new Zoning Ordinance amendment allowing additional height is an important component of the success of this project.  We applaud the number of family-sized units planned for these buildings and the depth of affordability of the units, as well as the designation of 125 senior-restricted apartments. 

The Marbella Apartments project is an excellent example of appropriate in-fill development for this site and will provide housing, employment access, and community opportunities, to hundreds of low-wage families in this resource-rich neighborhood.  It will advance County priorities of equity and sustainability, two important goals in Arlington’s Affordable Housing Master Plan.   

We urge the Board to support this important project in the Radnor-Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, and once again thank you for your continued commitment to affordable housing throughout Arlington.    

Thank you for your consideration,

Jenny Denney Lawson
Chair, Board of Directors

Martha Bozman
Interim Executive Director

FY 2018 County Budget Recommendations & Results

Each year, AHS is actively engaged in monitoring the Arlington County budgeting process and advocating for the level of funding and specific programs and policies needed to meet the housing needs of the County.

Working closely with the HousingArlington group and others throughout the FY 2018 budget process, AHS helped create a set of recommendations on housing and services issues. Between February and April, AHS and other advocates met with each of the County Board members to present and discuss the group's priorities and concerns.

AHS also submitted detailed recommendations to the County Board on the main housing-related budget items to help guide the Board's work sessions with County staff.

The final decisions for the FY 2018 budget were made at the April 22 County Board meeting, including the following - most of which are consistent with the housing and services groups' recommendations:

Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) - allocated $4.9 million in ongoing funds and $10.1 million in one-time funds, for a total of $15 million. This final allocation is $1.3 million higher than FY 2017, but still far short of the amount needed to cover the pipeline of projects proposed for 2018.

Columbia Pike Transit-Oriented Affordable Housing Fund (TIF) - reset the baseline of the TIF to remove the current balance of $880k from the fund. This action placed the funds into the County's general fund, which means that almost half of the funds will be shared with Arlington Public Schools due to existing County revenue sharing principles. Of the County's $471k portion, $200k will go to increased funding for the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) and the remainder will be added to AHIF (included in the numbers above).

Community Services Board's recommendation funded to add 2.2 development disability FTEs. These positions are funded mainly by 3rd party (Medicaid) revenues, so they will have little impact on the County's budget while providing vital new services to the community.

Lee Highway - funds the Lee Highway Alliance with $60k, and keeps the planned funding for the County to move forward on the Lee Highway planning process. This planning process is key to the area's ability to create and preserve affordable and middle-income housing options.

Childcare - the Manager had recommended adding a position focused on childcare in Arlington Economic Development (AED), but the Board decided to move the position to add a planner to CPHD to deal with planning and zoning barriers to childcare, plus consulting money for a study.

The final “Chairman’s Mark” (with the details of changes the Board made to the Manager’s proposal) is available online.

HousingArlington's Comments on FY2017 County Budget

Twenty-two Arlington housing and service advocacy organizations ask for additional consideration in the 2017 budget.