[Archived] City of Alexandria Receives Virginia Municipal League Achievement Award For Chatham Square Mixed-Income Community

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	October 18, 2006 PIO# 238-06/rdo	Brian Hannigan, Director of Communications, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA RECEIVES VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
FOR CHATHAM SQUARE MIXED-INCOME COMMUNITY

The Virginia Municipal League (VML) has presented the City of Alexandria with a 2006 Achievement Award for Chatham Square, the mixed-income Old Town community that replaced the aging Samuel Madden Homes public housing development with a unique project combining 52 public housing units with 100 market-rate townhouses. Mayor William D. Euille accepted the award at the VML’s annual awards banquet Tuesday evening in Virginia Beach.

“I am very proud to accept this award on behalf of the City Council and the entire Alexandria community that helped to make Chatham Square a reality,” said Mayor Euille. “We believe that Chatham Square can serve as a model for the nation to create quality mixed-income housing.”

Chatham Square is an innovative public-private partnership between the City, Eakin/Youngentob Associates, and the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Federal, state, local, and private monies funded the construction of the 52 public housing units. Eakin/Youngentob Associates served as the project’s developer and general contractor.

The former 100-unit Samuel Madden Homes was built in the 1940s to house military employees. After years of discussion about how to redevelop the property, the City Council approved the project in 2002. In January 2005, the City held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the new residents began to move in. Today, all 52 affordable rental homes operated as public housing units are occupied and the community is thriving.

The City of Alexandria is one of seven Achievement Award winners for 2006. Others include Roanoke County (population 35,001 to 90,000), City of Winchester (population 10,001 to 35,000), Town of Pulaski (population 5,000 to 10,000), and Town of Hillsville (population under 5,000). The Town of Culpeper received the 2006 President’s Award for its Local Government Academy in conjunction with Germanna Community College, and the City of Virginia Beach received the Communications Award for its campaign to save Oceana Naval Air Station.

The VML is a statewide, nonprofit, nonpartisan association of city, town, and county governments. It was established in 1905 to improve and assist local governments through legislative advocacy, research, education, and other services. Its membership includes 39 cities, 156 towns, and 16 urban counties.

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