Arlington Mill

Project Details

Project Description

Arlington Mill Residencies is a one of a kind, 122- unit affordable housing development completed in 2014. With the Arlington County community and culture in mind, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) collaborated with multiple public agencies as well as surrounding communities in order to conceptualize and develop the Residence. The affordable community serves as a four-story 5A building which includes 98–two and three bedroom units and includes 13 lower income units designed for formerly homeless individuals and families. Arlington Mill Residencies is now the first ground-lease of public land by Arlington County for private development making it the first example of the County’s “Public Land for Public Good” policy, adopted in 2013. The first redevelopment of an avenue site along Columbia Pike since its adoption of Form Based Code, and the first residential project in Arlington to be “district energy ready.”

The project required extraordinary cooperation and collaboration in the development approach & planning process. From the very beginning of the effort throughout construction, the goals, purposes and design of the project were guided by an intensive and comprehensive community engagement process that included website, hotline, and frequent stakeholder meetings. Additional open forums were frequently held, ensuring the community that its vision would become reality.

Community + Culture
Arlington Mill Residences is the first multi-family property built in conformance with the Columbia Pike Form Based Code and actualizes an opportunity for infill development on a county-owned site. The county issued a Request for Proposal aimed towards developers to create a partnership in creating an affordable housing project in which APAH won. Since 1998 Arlington County has focused on building a safer, cleaner, more competitive and vibrant Columbia Pike community. A long-range vision and plan emerged that that focused on economic development, land use and zoning, urban design, transportation, and public infrastructure initiatives, as well as existing and future open space and recreational needs. These efforts led to the development of the Columbia Pike Special Revitalization District Form Based Code and the Columbia Pike Area Neighborhoods Plan, documents that represent the overall framework for the revitalization of Columbia Pike.

The development set a standard of design excellence and revitalization for the Greater Columbia Pike community and beyond. As the first new multi-family affordable housing development built along Columbia Pike since approval of the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Plan, Arlington Mill Residences enjoys extraordinary market acceptance. APAH received thousands of applications from potential residents for Arlington Mill. The 100% affordable, four-story 5A, building includes 98, two and three bedroom units to support larger families. Arlington Mill dramatically increased housing for extremely low income households by including 13 units designated for formerly homeless individuals and families – a notable accomplishment in this dense, high-cost and difficult-to-develop urban community of Arlington, Virginia.

Sustainability + Environmental Sensitivity
Arlington Mill Residences contribute to energy conservation and have earned EarthCraft certification for sustainability. The building includes 15 SEER HVAC systems, gas tankless hot water heaters, Energy Star-rated windows and appliances and wood panelized construction. In addition the building is, “district energy ready” in anticipation of the implementation of the County’s community energy plan.

Unique Approach to Project Finance
High land costs in the Washington, DC region creates a formidable economic challenge to developing affordable housing in Northern Virginia. Arlington County provided APAH with a pre-paid 75-year ground lease of the land. The unique financing structure enabled APAH to submit a competitive application for low-income tax credits and to target more units to lower income households while eliminating needs for additional gap financing.

Total Development costs for Arlington Mill was approximately $31 million, or $253,373/unit. APAH estimates that the discounted land and shared infrastructure costs saved the project nearly $9 million or about $75K per unit. These savings enabled APAH to submit a highly competitive application for Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and to target more units to very low income households while eliminating the need for additional GAP financing. In addition to the discounted land, the Residences were financed with a first mortgage from the Virginia Housing Development Authority and tax credit equity through the Bank of America. In addition the County’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) provided bridge financing to fund APAH’s share of the garage construction costs.