Lake Anne | Fairfax County Revitalization

Architects Present Lake Anne Revitalization Ideas
From the Observer News
By Erick Soricelli
June 24, 2005

Some of the ideas presented by two architects for Lake Anne revitalization include building several apartment towers on its northeast corner and shifting around several businesses and organizations.

The proposals came at the end of three days' worth of public meetings June 16-18 hosted by county officials, architects and urban engineers. The architects presented five proposals to residents that either shifted or increased the area's residential and commercial density.

However, an economic consultant told residents there's one major condition that needs to be met before much of the revitalization plans can go forward. "We do not have an investor or developer at the moment," said David Wilcox of Economic Research Associates, who led the meeting, adding developers would have to be convinced to plan existing sites.
Several of the proposals have eight 15-story apartment towers with up to 720 units at the Crescent Apartments affordable housing complex, on the northeast side.

The towers would sit on a two-story parking garage, according to Dennis Dornan, architect and urban engineer with San Francisco-based firm Field Paoli Associates.

The architects say the site sits on an uneven surface which would reflect on the skyscape. "You will see most of these towers popping out of the hillside," said Sameer Chadha, another architect and urban engineer with the same firm.

On the opposite end of Lake Anne, up to 120 units could go into two 10-story towers at the soon-to-be-vacated, 2.2-acre Good Shepherd Lutheran Church site, Chadha added.

Residents were uneasy about the idea, since they weren't certain how the new development would contribute to the area. "I think you have to have more specific answers about how to replace affordable housing," said Joe Stowers.

"They want to create Ballston," said Mary Buff about the towers idea. "Put them in [Reston Town Center] where they belong."

The architects also want to move the Reston Community Center Lake Anne facility over to the Washington Plaza Baptist Church site. The church would move directly behind where it sits now, and the architect suggested a small library may be able to fit into the space.

The move is designed to introduce a retail store into the existing RCC Lake Anne space and be consistent with surrounding planned retail development, the architects say.

However, residents had another suggestion for the RCC Lake Anne space: a fine arts cinema. "A fine arts cinema is a very adventurous risk," Wilcox said. "We would need a property owner to take that risk."

A fine arts cinema would also required up to 350 seats to be filled three nights a week, he added.

The Association of School Business Officials building on Village Road and North Shore Drive has been discussed to be torn down to enhance visibility to the waterfront and parking.

"We do not want to be a roadblock or obstacle in any way, shape or form," said ASBO president John Frombach at the meeting. "All we're asking is we be treated fairly."

"There are ways to find space for you," Dornan replied.
The Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the planning agency that runs such planning meetings throughout the region, will prepare a report within the next two months.