Lost Dog Cafe and Hunting Terrace Get Thumbs Up from Planning Commission

At their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, April 1st, the Alexandria Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of another new restaurant in the Braddock Metro area.  As the Patch and the Washington Post reported in February 2014, the Lost Dog Café is hoping to open the fifth site for the popular Northern Virginia restaurant.  Lost Dog Café will join Bastille, approved by the Planning Commission and City Council last month, as the newest retail tenants in the neighborhood.

The new restaurant will be located on the ground floor of the Belle Pre Apartments at 800 N. Henry Street, and will offer indoor and outdoor dining, carry-out and delivery service.  The Commission heard from neighbors, some bearing props, who supported the removal of a condition that would limit the size and type of alcohol sold for off premises use.  Lost Dog Café is known for its selection of craft beer and fine wine, many sold in single-serve containers or containing higher than average alcohol content.

As the name suggests, the restaurant has a reputation for being pet-friendly- since 2001, Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation has saved the lives of over 18,000 dogs and cats, helping them connect with loving families and forever homes.

The last stop for Lost Dog Café is before City Council, who will consider the application at their April 12th public hearing.  Once approved, the new restaurant will begin work on their space build-out in hopes of being able to open in the fall.

The Planning Commission also unanimously recommended approval for Foulger-Pratt Cos. redevelopment of the Hunting Terrace apartment complex.  Located at the southern border of the City limits at 1199 S. Washington Street, the project was acquired by the Virginia Department of Transportation two decades ago as part of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge expansion project, before being bought back by IDI Group and Kay Management, the previous owners, in 2009.  

Rockville-based Foulger-Pratt acquired the site from the IDI and Kay Management at the end of 2012, as reported by the Washington Business Journal.  The redevelopment  plans, which also head to City Council for approval on April 12th, replace the existing low-rise apartments with 443 new residential units in two multi-family buildings, two levels of below-grade parking and open space courtyards.  Major topics of discussion at the meeting centered around dedicated affordable housing, overflow parking and pedestrian and vehicular access to the site.

For more information about Economic Development projects and activities in Alexandria, please visit www.ALEXANDRIAideal.com