Work starts on a new apartment building on N. Vermont Street in Ballston

(Updated, 4/27) Work has finally started on a long-delayed “boutique multifamily development” in Ballston.

The development is taking place at 1031 N. Vermont Street in Ballston, the former site of Portico Church Arlington.

It was a year ago that McLean-based Jefferson Apartment Group (JAG) took over the site at the intersection of N. Vermont Street and 11th Street N. after plans fell through to build new condos and townhomes there. Those original plans initially drew some backlash from neighbors who worried it would create traffic congestion in an already-highly dense area.

The aging church building the development is replacing had been home to several congregations. The most recent, Portico Church, has since moved about a mile away to the Bluemont neighborhood.

In June 2020, the county approved adding another 4,300 square feet of floor space to the project by removing an “on-site alley,” among other changes. The project called for a seven-story apartment building featuring 98 units. When JAG took over the project, the company said they would mostly stick with this configuration.

Work is now underway on the site, with the existing buildings being demolished and debris being hauled away.

The apartment complex will be a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units. The building will have a rooftop terrace, below-grade parking with 120 spaces, 40 bicycle spaces, and resident storage.

Construction is expected to be completed in early 2024, with initial move-ins slated to start in the fall of 2023. Work was initially expected to start in late 2021 with a completion date of 2023. It was pushed back due to “challenges relocating existing utility infrastructure on site and securing permits from Arlington County,” a Jefferson Apartment Group spokesperson notes.

The spokesperson also noted that a planned group of townhouses across the street is being developed separately from the apartments, by local homebuilder BCN Homes.

Jefferson Apartment Group is the same company that also built the J Sol apartment building on Fairfax Drive in Ballston, which opened in 2020.

A full press release from the development company is below.

A year after acquiring a parcel at the intersection of N. Vermont and 11th Streets in Arlington, Virginia, Jefferson Apartment Group and its partner STARS REI have started construction on a luxury boutique apartment mid-rise four blocks from the Ballston-Marymount University Metro station.

This new development at 1031 N. Vermont Street will offer 98 multifamily units in a new seven-story building in Arlington’s vibrant Ballston neighborhood, walkable to ample shopping, dining, entertainment, and services. Also known as Arlington’s hub for science and technology, Ballston is home to a high concentration of scientific research agencies and employers.

“Ballston is a sought-after destination in the highly desirable Rosslyn-Ballston Corridor,” said Greg Van Wie, Senior Vice President and Development Partner at Jefferson Apartment Group, a leading multifamily developer and operator specializing in premier multifamily on the East Coast. “Following our recent success delivering our J Sol high-rise in 2020, we are excited to bring another new project to Ballston that will also reflect a similar high-end sophistication but in a boutique building that blends within the established area and still offers all the advantages of a transit-oriented district.”

A mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units will feature luxe finishes, including quartz countertops, tile backsplashes, stainless steel appliances, sleek plank flooring, and upgraded fixtures throughout. Many units will feature private terraces and spacious balconies. Lifestyle amenities will include a resident lounge and rooftop terrace, as well as controlled-access below-grade parking with 120 spaces, 40 bicycle spaces and resident storage.

This is JAG’s second project with STARS REI, as the two companies also partnered together on J Linea, a mid-rise in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

“This is an impressive development in a fantastic location on the Metro’s Orange Line, convenient to popular restaurants and retail,” said Joaquin Canessa, Vice President at STARS REI, a privately held real estate investment management company headquartered in Santiago, Chile. “We are very pleased to partner with JAG again on another high-quality project.”

This new development at 1031 N. Vermont Street was designed by Arlington’s KGD Architecture, and Donohoe Construction Company serves as general contractor. Financing is provided by United Bank.

Construction is expected to be completed early 2024.