A nine-story building in Courthouse could become the latest to convert from office to residential use.
A proposal by Quadrangle Development seeks to turn 365,000 square feet of commercial space at 1320 N. Courthouse Road into approximately 295 dwelling units, plus small amounts of office and retail space.
The Planning Commission is expected to consider the project tonight (Monday) before it goes to the County Board on either Nov. 15 or 18.
As part of the plan, the project’s overall height would increase about 22 feet to 165 feet with the addition of a penthouse level and rooftop-amenity area. The proposal calls for increasing the site’s overall floor-area ratio (FAR) from the current 3.98 to 5.15.
Current zoning for the site allows for a maximum FAR of 4.8 for residential development, with lower amounts for commercial space.
The six-level underground parking garage will remain, as will the plaza in front of 1310 and 1320 N. Courthouse Road.
Quadrangle purchased the property in July from MetLife for $32.4 million, according to county records. Prior to the pandemic, county officials had assessed the office building at more than $156 million.
The building, constructed in the early 1990s, currently is 99% vacant, with the small remainder occupied by Verizon, county officials say. The telecommunications firm is expected to occupy the roughly 2,000 square feet of office space in the new building.
Beyond adding the two upper levels, the developer plans “extensive changes” to the building facade while adding balconies and terraces for future residents, staff said in a report to the Planning Commission.
The development plan does not include the adjacent office building at 1310 N. Courthouse Road, which has long been connected to 1320 by a covered breezeway that will be removed during the renovation project. Commercial office space at 1310 N. Courthouse Road is available through CBRE at $34.50 to $46 per square foot annually.
In a letter to the county government, Clarendon-Courthouse Civic Association president Scott Barton said the current redevelopment proposal is a mixed blessing.
“We would have preferred the larger redevelopment plan [proposed earlier], but we’re happy that something is going to happen with the site,” he wrote.
Assuming the County Board approves the project, Quadrangle plans to begin construction next year and complete changes by 2027.
