Fort Henry Gardens Redevelopment Overview

Built in the 1960s, Fort Henry Gardens currently incudes 82 apartments. To increase the number of affordable housing options in the Green Valley neighborhood and to provide current residents with updated and more energy efficient homes, AHC Inc. is proposing to redevelop the property. This page will include updates, FAQs and links to Arlington County information as the project progresses.

Improved Amenities and Upgraded Features

The new Fort Henry will provide significant benefits to the community and be a welcome change for current residents. Some highlights include:

  • Improved accessibility – apartments will be fully accessible with elevators, ADA bathrooms, and designed to meet universal design standards.
  • New and much larger community center to provide expanded resident services programs.
  • New fitness center.
  • Two playgrounds.
  • Outdoor seating and gathering spaces.
  • Energy efficient appliances and construction that will provide lower utility bills for residents.

Meeting Community Affordability and Demographic Needs

The proposed Fort Henry is designed to welcome households of all sizes. The current plan includes 21 three-bedroom apartments and 143 two-bedroom homes to provide broadened options for families. There will also 184 one-bedroom apartments to serve single individuals and couples.

The property will serve a variety of income levels, but the majority of the homes will be for households earning 60% of the Area Median Income, which mirrors current Fort Henry residents’ income levels. This means returning residents will pay the same affordable rents that they currently pay (adjusted, as is already done annually, for any increases in the Area Median Income)

Gathering Areas and Green Space

Our goal for the new Fort Henry is to create an inviting mix of outdoor spaces that will encourage a cohesive sense of community. Some areas will be small and intimate with lounge furniture for rest and relaxation, while others will allow for larger gatherings—possibly with outdoor cooking and dining. Some of these spaces will be embedded in areas of lush plantings or shaded by large trees, while others will be open and. sunny. Additionally, there will be three areas on the site that are open lawns bordered by tall shade trees. Two will include play equipment for children of pre-school to elementary school age. These play areas are meant to complement the existing recreational field used by teens at Drew Elementary School.

Neighborhood Compatibility

We are committed to thoughtfully and carefully integrating the new development into the established community. The site itself has a significant grade change and drops approximately 25 feet as you move from the north to the south. Our design team has used this topographic change to mitigate the perceived heights of the proposed structures. They have placed the largest building along 25th Street so it will not block any neighboring views. At the other end of the site, a pedestrian looking down on Fort Henry from the top of the hill (where Lowell meets Monroe) will see only three stories of the building. This is because the two buildings fronting Lowell Street are effectively built into the slope of the hill. We are also placing a smaller-scale building on Lincoln Street to ease the transition between the apartment building and the surrounding single-family homes.

As we move through the planning process, our design and engineering team will work with the neighborhood and Arlington County to ensure the project meets all required infrastructure upgrades. Transportation and environmental analyses are part of the site plan approval process.

Tentative Schedule

If the planning process moves forward, construction could begin in spring 2022. Families could start to move into the first new building in summer 2024.

Links

Arlington County project overview: https://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/fort-henry-gardens/

For More Information:

Jennifer Endo, AHC Inc., 703-486-0626 x 131