[Archived] Alexandria City Council Takes Action to Support Ramsey Homes Redevelopment

For Immediate Release: March 18, 2016

On March 12, the Alexandria City Council took actions in support of continued exploration of alternatives for the proposed redevelopment of the Ramsey Homes public housing site.  City Council seeks to identify an alternative that best balances the need for additional affordable housing, financial viability, compatibility with the neighborhood’s character, historic preservation, and other City goals. 

City Council unanimously approved the following items:

• A master plan amendment and a rezoning, which create a general framework for the potential redevelopment.
• A request from the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA), the property’s owner, to defer consideration of a two-building, three-story, 53-unit affordable housing project that ARHA had proposed for the site.
• A “Joint City-ARHA Work Plan for Ramsey Homes,” which sets out the scope of the alternatives to be evaluated and the issues to be studied, as well as the process for involving City Council, the ARHA Board, and members of the public throughout the process.  The Work Plan was approved separately by the ARHA Board of Commissioners on March 8.

The ARHA Redevelopment Work Group, which is comprised of representatives from City Council, the ARHA Board, and the Planning Commission, will provide oversight and guidance for staff work in evaluating development options.  The Group’s next meeting is scheduled to take place on April 14, at 5:30 p.m., in the City Council Workroom (2nd Floor of Alexandria City Hall, 301 King St.).  The meeting will be open to the public.

Materials related to the Ramsey Homes Redevelopment, including copies of the Work Plan and the resolutions adopted by the City Council and the ARHA Board of Commissioners, are available on the City’s website and on the ARHA website. An online comment section will be added soon.

For media inquiries, please contact Andrea Blackford, Senior Communications Officer, at andrea.blackford@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3959.