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Old 04-24-2012, 10:33 AM
 
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Garden Center Proposal for North Hill Rejected - Huntington-Belle Haven, VA Patch
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Old 04-24-2012, 11:07 AM
 
Location: The Port City is rising.
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fairfax got a federal grant to build housing on the site - to accommodate the garden folks theyd have to hand $16 milllion bucks back. Sounds like its reasonable to say no - and it certainly does not show that the area will never improve. It just shows this one business wont get the deal they were pushing for (it sounds like the county never suggested they would get it, they just looked around and said "hey, WE want that land")

That said, there are obstacles to redeveloping the Rte 1 corridor (competion from closer areas for housing demand, competition for transit bucks, road capacity and design issues, etc) but I don't think the issue of land having been purchased decades ago for affordable housing apply elsewhere on the corridor.
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Old 04-24-2012, 11:28 AM
 
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Yes, land bought over THIRTY YEARS AGO and sitting vacant; guess that need for affordable housing was REAL urgent!
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Old 04-24-2012, 11:31 AM
 
Location: New-Dentist Colony
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I think that over the long term, land near Route 1--especially near Ft. Belvoir--is going to increase in value. There's already *some* redevelopment. Not a lot, but it is happening. Belvoir has taken on so many major commands and agencies that it's become a major employment center. That means more people will be willing to live nearby, once a more plentiful supply of nicer housing becomes available.

On the other hand: The schools are low-ranked, and that won't change until a more affluent and education-minded population moves in--which won't happen until the schools get better. A catch-22. (Old Town has high prices despite its bad schools, mainly because it's so picturesque that empty-nesters, singles, divorcees, gays, etc., will buy there for the ambience. Not so on Route 1.)

I definitely think that if they build some nice apartments and condos nearby, they would quickly fill up with unmarried and/or childless civilian employees.

Last edited by Carlingtonian; 04-24-2012 at 11:43 AM..
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Old 04-24-2012, 11:38 AM
 
Location: The Port City is rising.
8,868 posts, read 12,529,033 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Yankeesfan View Post
Yes, land bought over THIRTY YEARS AGO and sitting vacant; guess that need for affordable housing was REAL urgent!

Whatever happened or didn't happen over that period (some land WAS used for affordable housing - the Patch article does not say why it wasnt developed sooner - but then it IS a Patch article) doesn't change the legal constraints - plus it appears there is a proposal in the works now.
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Old 04-24-2012, 11:40 AM
 
Location: The Port City is rising.
8,868 posts, read 12,529,033 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carlingtonian View Post
I think that over the long term, land near Route 1--especially near Ft. Belvoir--is going to increase in value. There's already *some* redevelopment. Not a lot, but it is happening. Belvoir has taken on so many major commands and agencies that it's become a major employment center. That means more people will be willing to live nearby, once they build nicer housing.

On the other hand: The schools are low-ranked, and that won't change until a more affluent and education-minded population moves in--which won't happen until the schools get better. A catch-22. (Old Town has high prices despite its bad schools, mainly because it's so picturesque that empty-nesters, singles, divorcees, gays, etc., will buy there for the ambience. Not so on Route 1.)

I think the real potential is the motels along rte 1 very close to Old Town. Thats appealing for just the folks who want old town, but want new units for a little less $$. Just tear the motels down and build dense multiuse.
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Old 04-24-2012, 11:44 AM
 
Location: New-Dentist Colony
5,759 posts, read 10,695,803 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brooklynborndad View Post
I think the real potential is the motels along rte 1 very close to Old Town. Thats appealing for just the folks who want old town, but want new units for a little less $$. Just tear the motels down and build dense multiuse.
One of the rare times we agree on something. Few would lament the demise of those meth-and-bedbug palaces.
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Old 04-24-2012, 12:58 PM
 
Location: Tysons Corner
2,772 posts, read 4,306,915 times
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Problem becomes, yes it is close to Old Town as the crow flies... but as the man walks... its not a very easy walk across 495 (though the new overpass with 495 made it a bit easier, its still a cluster at Huntington/route 1 at H-Towers)

They should continue what Old town did, make Route 1 divided in two directions with a full block in the middle so that it doesnt have to be the 10 lane monster it is at every intersection.

Google Map in the area

No one wants to develop a 100 million dollar project with mixed use... next to that hot mess. Thats the real problem with route 1... if I had 100 million dollars of capital/investment clout I would be looking internal to Route 1, areas that are not directly next to the highway to invest my money in... and I doubt I am thinking differently than most developers
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Old 04-24-2012, 01:06 PM
 
Location: The Port City is rising.
8,868 posts, read 12,529,033 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tysonsengineer View Post
Problem becomes, yes it is close to Old Town as the crow flies... but as the man walks... its not a very easy walk across 495 (though the new overpass with 495 made it a bit easier, its still a cluster at Huntington/route 1 at H-Towers)

They should continue what Old town did, make Route 1 divided in two directions with a full block in the middle so that it doesnt have to be the 10 lane monster it is at every intersection.

Google Map in the area

No one wants to develop a 100 million dollar project with mixed use... next to that hot mess. Thats the real problem with route 1... if I had 100 million dollars of capital/investment clout I would be looking internal to Route 1, areas that are not directly next to the highway to invest my money in... and I doubt I am thinking differently than most developers

Walking to Old Town would be challenging. But walking to the Huntington metro, two stops to old town, not so much. Or taking the REX bus. Id like to explore the biking options. And then its a short drive.

No, its not going to be Ballston. But enough to get started, to where the County can think about improving pedestrian access.
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Old 04-24-2012, 01:09 PM
 
Location: Tysons Corner
2,772 posts, read 4,306,915 times
Reputation: 1504
Well and thats why the route 1 corridor doesnt show improvements, but the area around Huntington Metro itself is (internal portions of Huntington). The problem is, Route 1 is the face of huntington, and as long as it looks as bad as it does, people going through that area, and generally aware of that area will consider it run down (no matter how nice internal portions get).

Same reason why parts of Tysons get bad mouthed, because of how Route 7 and 123 look.
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