Samuel Madden Homes Redevelopment Receives Final Approval from the Alexandria City Council

The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Fairstead, Mill Creek Residential, and The Communities Group are reimagining and redeveloping the public housing site to create 532 units of affordable and mixed-income housing, community resources, and public open space

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Alexandria City Council approved the plans to transform the existing Samuel Madden Homes public housing site into a new mixed-use community. The City Council voted unanimously on February 25th marking the final public approval needed for the redevelopment plan.

"This is the result of the strong partnership and diligent work by City staff and ARHA to develop and implement an aggressive agenda to increase the number of new and preserved affordable housing opportunities in Alexandria," City of Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson said. "We are excited the redevelopment of Madden will more than double the number of units on the site that will serve some of our city's most rent-burdened residents."

"This approval is an important milestone for every Alexandrian dedicated to expanding affordable housing in our great city," said Keith Pettigrew, CEO of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA). "We are now a step closer to providing two new multifamily buildings with modern amenities and situated in an environmentally sustainable community. I'd like to personally thank all members of City Council, as well as the administration of Mayor Justin Wilson, for their unwavering support."

Led by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Fairstead, Mill Creek Residential, and The Communities Group, the redevelopment will consist of 532 units of affordable and mixed-income housing, 5,000 square feet of public open space, community resources run by longstanding local non-profit institutions, and 13,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

"Working alongside our partners, the residents of Samuel Madden, the Alexandria community, and City leaders, we now have a final, unified vision for the Samuel Madden redevelopment that will create a new gateway to Alexandria and bring much needed housing and supportive services to Old Town," said Noah Hale, Director, Development at Fairstead. "We look forward to turning this vision into a reality for Alexandria."

"Mill Creek is humbled to be a part of the team that is advancing this transformational redevelopment," said Joe Muffler, Senior Managing Director at Mill Creek Residential Trust. "As a native Alexandrian, this community is personally important to me, and we look forward to working with the development team, the City, and most importantly the residents throughout the rest of this process."

As part of the approved redevelopment plan, ALIVE!, the largest private safety net in Alexandria dedicated to fighting poverty and hunger, will establish a food and services hub at the site. The hub will offer the entire Alexandria community access to fresh and nutritious food, as well as connections to supportive services including financial and legal services and healthy cooking demonstrations. Hopkins House, a leading Northern Virginia provider of early childhood education programs since 1939, will operate a full-day, year-round preschool for up to 150 Alexandria children (ages 6 weeks to 5 years old), full-time employment for as many as 20 community residents, and a career development program for teens and adults in partnership with Northern Virginia Community College. Housed in a newly constructed, state-of-the-art facility, Hopkins House will be a safe haven for children while their parents are at work and provide post-secondary studies and career assistance for teens and adults leading toward stackable professional credentials and an associate degree in early childhood education.

"Food insecurity is on the rise in Alexandria, and the emergency food benefits for low-income families that were put in place during the pandemic are about to expire," said Jenn Ayers, Executive Director of ALIVE! "Being a part of the new vision for the Samuel Madden Homes will help ALIVE! grow our impact and reach even more families in need throughout Alexandria. But our mission doesn't end with food. Once we connect with a family, we work with them to understand their needs to layer in the services they need to improve their lives. You can come into an ALIVE! Food Hub location for free groceries, and leave connected to other supports, such as educational, workforce, and health care services."

"Hopkins House looks forward to providing high quality early care and education to the children of the new Samuel Madden Homes community, along with opportunities for their parents to earn professional credentials, a college degree, and a permanent career as early childhood education professionals. As this redevelopment project progresses over the next two years, we will work with ARHA to offer training, career development, and other services to residents with the goal to put them first at the front of the line as we hire educators and staff at the new Hopkins House – Helen Day Preschool Academy in the Samuel Madden Homes community," said J. Glenn Hopkins, President and CEO of Hopkins House.

The redevelopment will replace all of the existing units at the site on a one-for-one basis, with all current residents returning to new homes. Residents will have access to amenities, including a pool, exercise and community rooms, on-site management offices and more.

In line with Alexandria's commitment to addressing the climate crisis, the team will be partnering with the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech to incorporate green design elements, strategies to reduce energy and water consumption, and pursue sustainability certifications.

Renderings of the Samuel Madden Homes can be found here.

About Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority
For almost 80 years, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority has managed Alexandria's public housing units and provided affordable housing, economic opportunities and a living environment free from discrimination for low income and moderate income citizens of Alexandria. Our mission for the next five years is to become an industry leader in the development and management of model mixed income communities, while simultaneously increasing ARHA residents' self-sufficiency and quality of life. For more information, visit www.arha.us/.

About Fairstead
Fairstead is a purpose-driven vertically integrated real estate developer specializing in creating sustainable, high-quality housing. The firm's national footprint includes more than $7.8 billion in assets and identified pipeline. With offices in New York, Maryland, South Carolina, Colorado, and Florida, Fairstead's team manages 170+ communities across the country and runs its comprehensive real estate platform, which includes acquisitions and development, venture capital investments in proptech, design and construction, energy and sustainability, property management, marketing, and leasing. The firm also administers one of the industry's most proactive community impact programs to provide on-site support services to residents. For more information, visit www.fairstead.com.

About Mill Creek Residential
Mill Creek Residential Trust LLC is a national rental housing company focused on the development, acquisition and operation of rental communities in targeted markets nationwide. The national company, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida proactively develops, acquires, constructs and operates communities through its seasoned team of real estate professionals in offices across the United States. Mill Creek is building its portfolio in many of the nation's most desirable markets in Seattle, Portland, the San Francisco Bay area, Southern California, Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Austin, Houston, South Florida, Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte, Raleigh, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, New York, and Boston. As of September 30, 2021, the company's portfolio is comprised of 111 communities representing over 30,500 rental homes that are operating and/or under construction. For more information, please visit www.MillCreekPlaces.com.

About The Communities Group
The Communities Group specializes in the planning and development of affordable housing, with a primary focus on addressing the capital needs of older, obsolete properties in need of renewal. Over nearly four decades, TCG has worked with hundreds of authorities from Coast to Coast, as well as directly with HUD, and has served as technical assistance provider, planner and also as co-developer in partnership with PHAs for 30 major area redevelopments, with resources from the HOPE VI and Choice Neighborhood Initiatives programs. For the past ten years, TCG has concentrated on HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration Program. For more information, see www.tcgdevelopment.com.

Media Contacts
ARHA: [email protected]
Fairstead: [email protected]

SOURCE Fairstead