Alexandria Says Goodbye Hotel, Welcome Apartments

A West End Alexandria hotel is seeking permission from the city to revert to its original use as a residential apartment building.

Washington Suites Alexandria, an extended-stay hotel at 100 S. Reynolds St., is proposing no major changes to the existing site other than the addition of an approximately 8,000-square-foot parking garage. This week, the Alexandria Planning Commission unanimously approved the development site plan and rezoning needed for the conversion without comment from commissioners or any speakers.

The proposal’s master plan and zoning map amendments will now go before the City Council for a public hearing May 17, said city Planning and Zoning Director Faroll Hamer.

The existing Washington Suites building was built in 1966, according to city documents. Between 1970 and 1978, the building was converted from residential use to an extended stay hotel. In 1978, the owner added a restaurant on the first floor.

The new residential complex would have 219 apartments: 187 would be efficiencies, and 32 would be two-bedroom units.

Plans by Duke Street Investors also call for more surface parking, landscape improvements, additional street trees and a new bus stop on South Reynolds Street.

The proposal initially raised some concerns from nearby Cameron Station homeowners. Don Buch, president of the Cameron Station Civic Association, said the group now has no objections to the “reasonable” conversion to apartments.

His main concern—that buses travelling South Reynolds Street don’t have enough space to pull to the side of the street to stop without impeding traffic—has been solved, with a city staff promise to expand the curb cuts for buses.

An agreement between the hotel owner and city staff will increase landscaping around the parking facilities to screen parking from the roadway, Buch said. Cameron Station residents were initially concerned that an additional residential development could bring more students into already overcrowded schools.

“Obviously, a hotel doesn’t produce children going to school,” Buch said. “But this residential development the city’s favoring is very low, about six kids, and six kids won’t make a big difference.”

An official with Washington Suites Alexandria did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.