Route 1 Corridor Needs 'Focal Point' to Become Vibrant Street

During Wednesday morning's Vibrant Streets Summit organized by Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation (SFDC), John Tschiderer, vice president of development for Federal Realty Investment Trust, said if you look at Route 1, the area has certain places that need some "knitting" to make it a vibrant area. He also emphasized the importance of a focal point to bring people into Alexandria.

"To create an urban district in the area, you need to find out where you want your city center or your focal point to be," he said explaining that, in Richmond Highway's case it may need two focal points. "Along this corridor, where do you want your city center?"

A full conference room of architects, designers and Alexandria residents and organization representatives participated in the summit at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Richmond Highway. Tschiderer, Heather Arnold of Streetsense and Steve Bannister of Capital Investment Advisors, LLC, discussed what makes vibrant streets successful in certain cities and how the Route 1 corridor may be able to benefit from the concept.

During the discussion, Tschiderer shared some of his suggestions on what he said contributes to a vibrant area, using Village at Shirlington and Rockville Town Square as examples. He stressed the point that certain aspects make for a good public space — including lighting, walkable communities, potted plants, retail and even the sidewalks and outdoor seating.

Federal Realty Investment Trust currently owns two properties along Richmond Highway —7770 Richmond Highway (the property where Gold's Gym is located) and the Mount Vernon Plaza. These properties are among many shopping centers along Route 1, so where exactly would be a good place for a focal point?

"Planning takes the community and local officials' recommendations," Tschiderer said. "If you get your base understood, that area that brings people in, SFDC can then characterize these areas where there is opportunity and demand. That's what's going to create that focal point."

Tschiderer explained that the Alexandria area has to become that one place where people who reside in the area and in the region can visit to meet other people, shop, eat and find entertainment.

What is a Vibrant Street?

Because of the length of Richmond Highway and the different communities it includes (Mount Vernon, Groveton, Huntington, etc.), it almost seems as if a vibrant street concept is not applicable. However, Arnold — director of research and analysis for Streetsense — said having a core is vital to every neighborhood.

"Whether that street includes your church and retail, every neighborhood should have a place like this, a vibrant street," said Arnold the creator of the Vibrant Streets Initiative.

Arnold defines a vibrant street as:

"A neighborhood's core. A retail environment that is treasured by its residents, customers and retailers whose daily actions ensure its enduring vitality.

Arnold also took the time to break down a few myths about creating a vibrant street. Richmond Highway has plenty of retail, but Arnold says one of the myths is, "You can never have too much retail."

"In order to have a great healthy tree, you have to prune the dead branches. When you have too much retail, you get vacancies, Halloween Costumes Express and somebody who wants 15,000 sq. ft. for free. Retail is not infinite," she said. "It is linked to the amount of customers and their spending. Supply should equal demand."

Like the other two speakers, Arnold agrees that there is definitely demand in this area and residents are seeking a core or city center for the Route 1 corridor.

"The opportunities are not going to be continuous [along Richmond Highway]. They're going to be sporadic," she said. "There is definitely demand in this area. Stay mindful of your retail market. Be visionary, yet reasonable."

Current Projects' Contributions to Revitalization

Bannister, co-founder and managing partner for Capital Investment Advisors, explained his company's upcoming addition to the revitalization of Richmond Highway, stating that the area has a lot of potential for growth. Capital Investment Advisors, LLC plans to redevelop the Adler Shopping Center into The Grande at Huntington. The project will include about 275 residential units and 25,000 sq. ft. of ground-level retail space.

"We can't live on just urbanization alone in this area," Bannister explained. "We have to attract people who are driving up and down Richmond Highway."

More residential space, multi-use properties and retail will demand the attention of Alexandria residents and those who live in the D.C. metropolitan area. As a result, improvement in transportation will be even more necessary — an issue that is currently being addressed with the multimodal transportation alternatives analysis.

Bannister said his company plans to move forward with their plans for The Grande at Huntington soon and in doing so, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors asked them to revise their plan to include alignment for the surrounding roads, as traffic and transportation is another major issue in the area.

"For Kings Highway and Route 1, there are a thousand ways to restructure those roads," he said. "There is a bottleneck there, so we were asked to revise our plan to include a new alignment."

Along with The Grande at Huntington, multiple other residential properties are scheduled to start construction in the corridor including Penn Daw Plaza and Mount Vernon Gateway. These properties will bring in additional residential space and retail in Alexandria.

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Do you think the Route 1 corridor has the potential to become a vibrant street? Tell us in the comments!