ALEXANDRIA, VA. — A public-private partnership between Fairstead, Harkins, Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) and The Communities Group has topped out the $120 million redevelopment of Old Town Alexandria’s historic Samuel Madden public housing complex. Upon completion, the six-story, 295,000-square-foot mixed-use project will feature 207 affordable housing residences reserved for families earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI).
As part of the building initiative, the project includes efforts to record and preserve the stories of current and former residents, with a goal of capturing at least 10 oral histories. Key archaeological findings will be showcased in brochures and interpretive signage across the community.
Planned for completion in 2027, the project will feature community gathering spaces, a new neighborhood food hub operated by ALIVE!, as well as other amenities designed to support residents and the broader Alexandria community like a new creative studio for podcast recording, a game room with free high-speed internet access, an interior courtyard and energy- and water-efficient design strategies developed in partnership with the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech.