94-Unit Affordable Housing Development Breaks Ground At Former Car Dealership

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A developer is breaking ground Tuesday evening on a residential community that will be entirely made up of affordable housing. The location formerly hosted a car dealership.

Witter Place Apartments, located at 2712 Duke Street in Alexandria, will be a 94-unit community from Community Housing Partners. The two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments are geared toward households making 40 percent to 60 percent of the area median income. For reference, 50 percent of the area median income is $57,400 for a household of one, $65,600 for two and $81,950 for four.

"This development is a testament to what can be achieved through collaboration and a shared commitment to creating the highest quality, affordable homes," said Andy Davenport, vice president of real estate Development at Community Housing Partners. "Witter Place will not only provide safe and sustainable living environments but will also enhance the neighborhood, serve as a model for future development, and support housing affordability for a wide range of incomes."

The community will be a single building with apartment units and amenities like a community room, underground parking, indoor bicycle storage, business office, free in-unit Wi-Fi, and resident telehealth services. Residents will be near the Witter Field soccer field. CHP will make streetscape improvements along Duke Street and Witter Drive and provide a new pedestrian link between the roads. The developer is pursuing EarthCraft green building certification for the building.

This is the first Alexandria project for Community Housing Partners, which aims to provide quality housing for low-income residents. The $53 million Witter Place development is receiving funds from Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Virginia Housing, the City of Alexandria, NeighborWorks, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Burke & Herbert Bank and Trust, and Hudson Housing Capital. CHP Real Estate Development is leading the project, with Moseley Architects and Winstanley Architects providing architectural services, and Harkins Builders serving as the general contractor.

Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins is expected to make remarks at the groundbreaking at 5 p.m. Tuesday, along with CHP's Davenport, Burke & Herbert Bank's Geoffrey Boyle and more officials.

Project completion is expected in December 2026.