October, 2008:
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) and Fort Belvoir
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is service-wide restructuring of bases and personnel in the US military. BRAC mandated at that about 20,000 jobs move to Fort Belvoir. As Belvoir adjusted to this influx, Army officials sought nearby facilities that would satisfy BRAC mandates, but would relieve pressure from the crowded gates of Belvoir.
As a result, last month, US Army officials announced the movement of 6,400 jobs to Alexandria. There was some opposition from state and Fairfax County officials, but ultimately the decision was made to pass-over an alternate site in Springfield and head for Mark Center in Alexandria. This move is still ahead of the 2001 deadline required by BRAC.
Mark Center is a yet to be built office complex near Seminary Road at the I-395 interchange. According to some news sources, the Army construction project at the Mark Center could cost up to $1 billion. Ground-breaking on this new project will begin in January.
This is of course good news for home sellers and owners in Alexandria and Fairfax County as an influx of service members will help steady housing prices. Fairfax County and Prince William County and Commonwealth officials argued that the site at Mark Center is not well served by the Virginia Railway Express and as a result the new site will contribute to congestion on local roads.
No doubt 6400 additional commuters will place additional burdens on local roadways. But many of these service members and support staff will opt to live in Fairfax County and Alexandria rather than in outlying areas such as Prince William and Stafford Counties.
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) impact on area real estate
How will BRAC affect area real estate? Well, one of the big pieces to that puzzle was solved at the end of last month when the announcement was made that Fort Belvoir was going to add the Mark Center to its list of holdings rather than heading for Springfield. Donald Carr Director of Public Relations for the US Army at Fort Belvoir contacted me in response to my recent post. He said, “of the total 19,300 jobs, 4,400 are coming to main post Fort Belvoir; 8,500 to the EPG (Engineer Proving Grounds); and, 6,400 to the Mark Center. Additionally, only about 500 of the 19,300 are actually new population incoming to the region.”
This makes clear that there will probably be no great regional surge in home values as a result of these changes. In fact, many service members may opt to stay where they are and drive across town to new offices and locations. The official press release regarding the Mark Center:
The U.S. Army announced today, Sept. 29, that the Mark Center in Alexandria, Va., will be the future home of the 6,400 personnel associated with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure, Recommendation # 133. The decision puts in place the last piece of the Fort Belvoir, Va., BRAC initiative that sites more than 19,000 workers to the installation.
The BRAC 133 jobs – a collection of Defense Department-level agencies whose move is being managed by the Washington Headquarters Service – are the last remaining of those being realigned to Fort Belvoir.
“The decision concludes more than a year of work by hundreds of people in the Army, surrounding communities, and all levels of government to develop proposals and options for review by the selection board,” said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations and Environment Keith Eastin.
Following completion of Fort Belvoir’s BRAC Environmental Impact Study in Summer 2007, the Army’s Record of Decision, or ROD, directed placement of all but the BRAC 133 jobs. The jobs originally would have been placed at Fort Belvoir’s Engineer Proving Ground in Springfield, Va.
However, because another 8,500 jobs of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency were also placed there, significant concerns for traffic impacts in the area prompted the Army to agree to limit EPG to the NGA jobs, and to look elsewhere for the BRAC 133 jobs. In September 2007 evaluators began work to study alternative sites, including the General Services Administration warehouse site in Springfield and commercial sites in the region.
BRAC legislation and follow-on language in the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act allow the Army to purchase land in the National Capital Region to facilitate Fort Belvoir’s realignment. “Any non-DOD site selected would have to become part of Fort Belvoir in order to comply with the law,” Eastin said. The Army must now buy the Mark Center property to make it part of Fort Belvoir.
In arriving at the Mark Center decision, Eastin said the Army considered multiple factors, including project timelines, transportation management and site adaptability. “The Mark Center site resolves security issues, improves space requirements and mission relationships, and minimizes changes to existing living, working, and quality of life issues,” he said.
“The Mark Center site minimizes to the greatest extent practicable disruption of current commuting needs and mission coordination requirements of the workers,” said James Turkel, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, who led the evaluation team. “It will also require little to no change in contractor support relationships, as well as changes to residency or schools requirements for the workers.”
Eastin echoed the point. “The new commute for the realigned personnel supports their mission by keeping them in close proximity to the Pentagon agencies and senior leaders they support,” he said.
Post officials said putting the jobs at the Alexandria City site reduces the number of jobs coming to Fairfax County’s part of the post to 12,900 – 4,400 to Fort Belvoir’s main post, and 8,500 to Engineer Proving Ground.
The Army must now purchase the Mark Center property to meet BRAC law and plans to make the purchase before the end of the year. Construction is scheduled to begin on the site in January 2009, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Condo Comparison: Huntington Club
A buyer recently asked me to do a comparison of condos that are at and around the Huntington Metro. For those who don’t know, the Huntington Metro is the last stop on the Yellow Line in Fairfax County, Virginia, just outside Alexandria. The Yellow Line is my favorite Metro line because it doesn’t have many stops and the ride from Virginia to DC is generally pleasant with nice views of Alexandria and the Potomac. The Huntington Metro has plenty of parking and is surrounded by condos and townhouses that have easy access to Huntington’s upper and lower levels. The upper level of the Huntington Station exits onto North King’s Highway. The lower level of Huntington Station exits onto Huntington Ave. Both exits have plenty of support from buses, but the lower level has better support from taxis.
The condos that I selected for this comparison are Huntingon Club, Hunting Creek Club, the Midtowns of Alexandria and Montebello Condos. I selected these condos because they are within walking distance of the metro. Each of these condos offers different values for different folks. I’m going to break down some of the features of condos in general and then speak to the differentiators among these condos.
- For sale — Live data on all condos for sale in 22303 zip code.
- For rent — Live data on rentals in 22303 zip code.
- Homes for sale — All homes for sale less than $500,000 in 22303 zip code.
- Homes for sale — All homes for sale from $300,000 to $700,000 in 22303 zip code.
- Homes for sale — All homes for sale over $650,000 in 22303 zip code.
River Farm — headquarters of the American Horticultural Society
River Farm is on Virginia’s side of the Potomac River in Fairfax County just south of Alexandria. Originally together with nearby Collingwood, River Farm was a sprawling farm that was one of five farms that compromised George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. Today, River Farm is twenty five acres of meadows, woods and landscaped gardens.
The gardens bloom all year from the daffodils and lilacs in early spring to the cherries and dogwoods of late spring. Magnolias in the early summer give way to the Crepe Myrtles in later summer. The asters of fall herald the brilliant fall foliage that promises a winter of holly and persimmon. The woods and river banks of River Farm provide habitat for many birds, including bald eagles and ospreys, as well as animals as small as lizards and as big as deer.
These and many other plantings make River Farm an excellent destination for a one day outing but also a lovely place to host an event. River Farm is open to the public from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, excluding national holidays. In addition, from early April through September 25 River Farm is open on Saturdays from 9 am to 1pm. River Farm organizes special events
and children’s programs throughout the year. River Farm’s ballroom,
patios and gardens are a great place for a spring wedding or corporate
get-away.
River Farm
7931 East Boulevard,
Alexandria, VA 22308
Toll-free: (800) 777-7931
The headquarters of the American Horticultural Society is also at River Farm. The American Horticultural Society strives to inspire Americans to appreciate the vital connection between people and plants so that we might become become better caretakers of the Earth. Both experienced and novice gardeners may find the many publications of The American Horticultural Society very useful. Here are a few of their resources:
Details about condo ownership
Architectural detail
As with any home purchase, location, size and price are important. With a condominium you’ll also want to understand the ownership scheme. This type of information is found in the “condo docs” or condominium documents. Most states, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, require condo doc disclosure before any purchase contract is finalized. The condo docs will contain detailed information on the ownership and property rights of the condo and its owners. The rules of the homeowners association are generally explained in the condo docs in plain English and not in legal jargon. It’s important to read the condo documents to understand the annual maintenance and upkeep fees, as well as to obtain a full understanding of exactly how much control the association have over the regulation of the property.
Condominiums can be found all over the country, with more being developed each year. Condominiums are quite common in Northern Virginia and the National Capitol area. Some condos are new construction and a few are apartment buildings that were rental apartments before making the switch. In newly constructed condos, it’s common to find a sales office onsite at the condominium.
Details about condo ownership
As with any home purchase, location, size and price are important. With a condominium
dining room at Island Creek condos
you’ll also want to understand the ownership scheme. This type of information is found in the “condo docs” or condominium documents. Most states, and the Commonwealth of Virginia, require condo doc disclosure before any purchase contract is finalized.
The condo docs will contain detailed information on the ownership and property rights of the condo and its owners. The rules of the homeowners association are generally explained in the condo docs in plain English and not in legal jargon. It’s important to read the condo documents to understand the annual maintenance and upkeep fees, as well as to obtain a full understanding of exactly how much control the association has over the regulation of the property.
Condominiums can be found all over the country, with more being developed each year. Condominiums are quite common in Northern Virginia and the National Capitol area. Some condos are new construction and a few are apartment buildings that were rental apartments before making the switch. In newly constructed condos, it’s common to find a sales office onsite at the condominium.
Alexandria’s Best Real Estate Deal … EVER
Art Festival in Old Town
In 1669 John Alexander bought the land that became Old Town from an English ship captain. John Alexander paid the tidy sum of 6,000 pounds of tobacco. Almost twenty years later, the town of Alexandria was formally established in 1749.
Today, visitors, tourists and travelers alike come to Alexandria VA to taste the quaint colonial and historical feel of this city not far from Washington DC. It’s a place frequented by historical figures like George Washington and Robert E. Lee. Even for those like me, who were born in Fairfax and who have lived for many years in Alexandria, one never tires of the rich heritage of Alexandria.
Maybe that’s because there’s always something to do in Alexandria. A bike ride or a stroll along the Potomac Waterfront is pleasant, or perhaps a boat ride on the river. There are more than a hundred restaurants in Old Town
Cherry Blossom sternwheeler
alone. Standard favorites such as seafood, steak or Italian are here, as well as ethnic cuisine from around the world. For a taste of the colonial try Gadsby’s Tavern, where George ate.
Alexandria is easily accessed by Metro and free trolley. The King St. trolley passes antiques shops, art galleries, boutiques and shops. Take a walking tour of Alexandria, or visit the Ramsay House to get a feel of Old Town.
With the new US Patent & Trademark Office, Alexandria’s proximity to the Pentagon and DC and it’s easy access to Fort Belvoir and Bowling AFB, every day more people discover why this is such a great place to live and work. I work, play and live in and around Alexandria VA. I’d love to help you find a place but doubt I can top the deal that John Alexander got when he paid 6,000 pounds of tobacco for his homestead. Today, that much tobacco might set you back $9000!
USPTO in Autumn
The good news is that 6,000 pounds of tobacco will cover your closing costs for most condos in Alexandria!
