County Board members are about to consider replacing an aging office building in the Courthouse area with a new 19-story residential building.
The project, called Alexan Courthouse, is expected to go before the Board on Saturday (June 13) with support from three key advisory bodies and county staff, likely paving the way for approval.
The 1.15-acre site at 2000 15th Street N. currently contains a 12-story, 1980s-era office building that is largely vacant. The development plan by a subsidiary of Trammell Crow Residential calls for replacing it with a building rising nearly 200 feet with 394 residential units: 37 studio apartments, 220 one-bedroom units, 122 two-bedroom units and 15 three-bedroom units.
“The project was generally really well-received by members of the community,” said Karen Guevara, vice chair of the Planning Commission and chair of the site-plan review committee (SPRC) that vetted the plan in recent months.
Planning Commission members serving on the SPRC expressed that the project had some flaws but was an acceptable proposal, Guevara said at the June 3 Planning Commission meeting.
“One of the concerns that some of the commissioners brought up is there’s no retail proposed,” Guevara said. “Then other commissioners mentioned that it’s better than having vacant space there.”
As part of the proposal, the developer has agreed to either provide nine on-site affordable units or contribute $5 million to the county government’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund, at its discretion.
“From the affordable-housing standpoint, I think it’s a win-win,” Housing Commission member Joe Ventrone said at the June 4 commission meeting where the project was considered.
“Alexan” is the branding used by Trammell Crow for many of its upscale residential properties on the East Coast.
The Housing Commission was previously briefed on the project in March. They offered suggestions but generally appeared supportive of the proposal.
Nearly 270 underground parking spaces would be provided. That parking level “seems adequate given the proximity to public transportation,” Guevara said.
The 1.15-acre site is bound by 15th Street N. to the north, N. Taft Street to the east, the Tellus apartment building to the south and N. Troy Street to the west. A pathway constructed by the developer will connect to the Tellus site.
Under current zoning rules, the property would be limited to 180 feet. County planning staff says going up to approximately 194.5 feet, as requested by the developer, is acceptable, given the community amenities provided as part of the plan.
The project received support from three key advisory panels over the past two months:
- The Planning Commission recommended approval on a 9-0 vote
- The Housing Commission supported the plan on a 6-0 vote
- The Transportation Commission backed it on a 9-0 vote
County Board action will come after a public hearing on the proposal, also to be held on June 13.
The property last changed hands in 2023 for $45.8 million, down from sales prices of $57.5 million in 2019 and $71.5 million in 2007, according to county records. The decline represents the overall softness in the Arlington commercial sector, particularly for aging properties.
With the building now mostly devoid of tenants, the 2026 property assessment was just over $15 million, down from a peak of more than $87 million in 2019.
