Samuel Madden Homes Redevelopment Construction To Begin In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A groundbreaking was held Wednesday to mark the start of redevelopment to more units to the Samuel Madden Homes public housing community.

Affordable housing developer Fairstead broke ground on the $120 million project where N. Henry and Patrick Streets meet in the Parker-Gray district. The 66 townhomes over multiple blocks will be replaced with a six-story, mixed-use building with 207 affordable housing units. The units will be reserved for families making 30 percent to 80 percent of the area median income. The building will also be home to a new ALIVE! food hub and other services.

"This partnership with Fairstead marks a defining moment for both our city and our residents,” said City of Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins. "By redeveloping this site together, we’re creating homes for existing and new families and reinforcing the fabric of our community."

Originally built in 1945 as a federal project for African American defense workers during World War II, it transferred in 1947 to what is now the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority. As part of the project, there will be an effort to record and preserve the stories of current and former residents, with a goal of capturing at least 10 oral histories.

The new six-story, 295,000-square-foot building will have a mix of one-bedroom to four-bedroom units. The redevelopment will be Fairstead's first ground-up development. It is partnering with the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority and The Communities Group for the redevelopment.

"Through our partnership with Fairstead, ARHA remains committed to enhancing residents’ self-sufficiency and quality of life. The team’s dedication never wavered as we worked to bring this vision to life," said Rickie Maddox, the interim CEO of the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority. "We look forward to welcoming our families back to this site and to the new beginnings that the redeveloped Samuel Madden Homes will bring to Alexandria residents."

Nonprofit ALIVE! will bring one of its food hubs to the community's ground floor to provide food to residents in need. The development will also include about 7,500 square feet of open space, a creative studio for podcast recording, a game room with free high-speed internet access, an interior courtyard and archaeological findings displayed in signage and brochures. The building will showcase energy-efficient and water-efficient design strategies developed in partnership with the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech and follow green building standards.

Partners for the redevelopment include Torti Gallas & Partners for architectural and landscaping work, Determined by Design for interior design, and Boston Financial, Freddie Mac, and Virginia Housing for pending. Sterling Bank and the City of Alexandria provided bridge financing and a soft loan, respectively. The financing utilizes a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 18 transaction along with 4 percent and 9 percent Low‑Income Housing Tax Credits and 45L Energy Efficiency Tax Credits.

Completion of the redevelopment is scheduled for fall 2027.