A spirited mix of local officials, residents and guests joined executives from Atlanta-based Post Properties last week to celebrate the opening of the $95 million mixed-use community Post Carlyle Square off Duke Street. The casino night fundraiser for the Carpenters Shelter raised nearly $1,500 for the homeless shelter.
Following the general scheme of the urban landscape thats sweeping the country, Post Properties Inc. has taken a foothold in Alexandria with the Post Carlyle Square community at 501 Holland Lane which includes apartments, condominiums and retail.
The building follows the principals of a mixed use, urban infill project, providing residential and retail space to a blossoming area of Alexandria within walking distance to the King Street Metro station.
The 12-story building which opened last week is divided into 205 apartments, 145 condominiums and 18,000 square feet of retail space. The condominiums and apartments will be available in studios, one bedroom, one bedroom and den, and two bedroom units.
This building is phase one of a two-phase project that Post is undertaking in a once-industrial type of landscape off Duke Street.
It fits in with our strategic plan, a true mixed use urban infill project, said Martin Howle, executive vice president/residential investment director of the mid-Atlantic region at Post Properties.
Economic sustainability is a term Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille used describing that area where people can live, shop and work without the use of a car, or use Metro that is right across Duke Street.
The corridor bounded by Duke Street and Eisenhower Avenue would be the economic engine for the city, Euille said. The U.S. Patent and Trade Office spurring growth in the corridor is a good example of that progress, Euille said.
Diversification
The building will have a landscaped courtyard, a large fitness center, 24-hour concierge service and a two-level parking garage. Penthouse condominiums will occupy the top two floors of the building, and the penthouse units will have wood floors, an upgraded appliance package with larger terraces and tremendous views, added Howle.
The retail space occupying some of the ground level will be a mixture of regional and local restaurants and service type stores, added Howle, such as dry cleaners, convenience stories and eateries.
Keeping with the urban landscape theme, the building will be pet friendly, similar to the flavor of Old Town with its doggie spas and pet friendly restaurants. The African American Heritage Park is right across the street from the building, and the new Whole Foods store within a couple of blocks. Its going to add a lot of life to that part of Alexandria, added Howle.
With the existing businesses and Metro station right across Duke Street, Euille agreed, calling it a part of the citys economic sustainability program and transit-oriented development.
The Post Carlyle Square is just one mixed use project in the works in Alexandria. There are other mixed use developments, either already approved or planned over the next couple of years, Euille added.
Post Properties is headquartered in Atlanta and has 62 apartment communities in 10 markets across the country, including an apartment building in Pentagon City, and Alder Branch at Fallsgrove, a 361-unit luxury apartment community in Rockville, Md., that was acquired last summer.
