[Archived] Community Appearance Alliance Winners Announced

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	January 11, 2006 PIO# 012-06/rdo	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

Community Appearance Alliance Winners Announced

The Community Appearance Alliance of Northern Virginia will recognize eight projects for enhancing the visual quality of Northern Virginia over the past year at a ceremony tomorrow (Jan. 12). Winning entries of the annual Community Appearance Awards include four in Fairfax County and one each in the City of Alexandria, Arlington County, Loudoun County and Prince William County.

The awards are granted for design and construction projects, collaborative efforts and to community associations for outstanding contributions that enhance the visual quality of Northern Virginia. Founded in 1987, the Community Appearance Alliance is a non-profit organization that advocates for “visual quality in Northern Virginia by promoting the concept of beautifying our community.” Its members include architects, planners, realtors, real estate developers and citizen activists.

Recipients of the 2005 awards are listed below along with background information:

City of Alexandria

� Market Square in downtown Alexandria has served for generations as a “gathering place” for the city’s activities, music events, farmers’ markets, theater, etc. While begun more than 200 years ago, in recent years Market Square has been updated and restored into an attractive, popular community appearance asset.

Arlington County

� Arlington Gateway, at the corner of Glebe Road and Fairfax Drive, is a complex consisting of offices, apartments and retail space. Replacing a haphazard collection of retail space, garages, and debris-laden lots, a significant eyesore in Arlington has been replaced by a modern, tasteful group of buildings that enhance the entire community.

Fairfax County

� Cub Run Recreation Center, a 65,000-square-foot facility that includes an entertainment pool, fitness center, multi-use and party rooms is the first recreation center built in Fairfax County in 17 years and is a major enhancement to the community.

� Fairfax Corner, a mixed-use planned development in Fairfax County, is located adjacent to the Fairfax County Government Center at Monument Drive and Government Center Parkway. Fairfax Corner is recognized for its neo-traditional approach to an urban-upscale grid. It offers cosmopolitan living, working and entertainment options and will be recognized as an example of a premier mixed development project.

� Low Impact Development Rain Garden (Stormwater Retrofit and Retention Rain Garden) located behind the Fairfax County Providence Supervisor’s office on Lee Highway was designed as a “demonstration project” that can be replicated elsewhere in Fairfax County to control stormwater run-off in an environmentally and efficient manner. The community’s health and its appearance are enhanced by this effort.

� Mt. Vernon Plaza and South Valley Shopping Center, located on Richmond Highway in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, are highly visible, adjacent retail centers surrounded by densely populated neighborhoods. They have been upgraded with new facades, parking and lighting improvements and landscaping. The project will be recognized for making an outdated shopping center into a modern, handsome addition to the streetscape along Route 1 (Richmond Highway).

Leesburg, Loudon County

� Dodona Manor, home of Gen. George C. Marshall, is recognized for its restoration from decay to its handsome former image. The residence was home to one of the most famous generals of the US Army, chief of staff during World War II and author of the Marshall Plan which helped restore Western Europe after the war. Dodona Manor began to decline after the general’s death and in 1999 a phased restoration began with exterior and interior rehabilitation. The Town of Leesburg and the George C. Marshall International Center are recognized for the tasteful restoration of a historic and important structure.

Town of Occoquan, Prince William County

� Occoquan Boardwalk, along the Occoquan River, is a new “riverscape” for the town. The new boardwalk, of decay-resistant wood in natural finish, replaces what had primarily been a motley collection of repair shops and garages and debris-strewn river bank. The boardwalk’s design is contemporary and fits in with the river and a new highway bridge that is under construction. The town is recognized for cleaning up and improving the waterfront community.

The Community Appearance Alliance awards will be presented in a brief ceremony on Jan. 12, 2 pm, at the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, 3060 Williams Dr., Suite 510, Fairfax. NVRC is a coalition of 14 local governments, which sponsors the Community Appearance Alliance and the annual awards program. For additional information, contact Mark Gibb, NVRC’s executive director, at 703.642.0700.

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