Summary

The Economic Development Authority received updates on major building and other projects planned for 2024, noted the problems limited parking causes in adaptive reuse of older buildings, and reelected Robert (Bob) Young chair and Ross Litkenhous vice chair. The City Council, meanwhile, denied architect, real estate professional, and former Mayor Alan Brangman a seat on the Authority Board, reappointing small business owner Rachelle Barimany Dove and Mr. Litkenhous, instead.

In its first meeting of the new year, January 9, 2024, the Economic Development Authority (EDA) heard City staff updates on major development projects underway in Falls Church and noted the City’s receipt of an application to construct a 7-story mixed-use building at the corner of South Maple Avenue and West Annandale Road.

The EDA specifically reviewed progress on the acquisition of Virginia Village properties with the goal of redeveloping some or all of them as a 6-story, mixed-use development with both affordable and market-rate residential units.

Reelection of Young, Litkenhous

EDA members also reelected Robert Young, principal of The Young Group, Falls Church-based real estate developers, managers, and consultants, as chair of the Board of Directors, and Ross Litkenhous, founder and managing partner of Cavalry Real Estate Advisors in Falls Church and founder and CEO of Taxonics, a commercial real estate tax advisor in Washington, DC, as vice chair.

Mr. Young has served on the EDA since 2015 and has developed several properties in the City, including the Railroad Cottages and the Read Building, while Mr. Litkenhous, who previously served one term on the Falls Church City Council from 2018 to 2021, was appointed to the EDA in 2022 and currently advises such development projects as Quinn Enterprises LLC’s proposed 10-story building at the juncture of South Washington Street and South Maple Avenue. That project is scheduled for a public hearing and final City Council consideration on February 12, 2024.

Jim Snyder, the City’s director of Development Services/Community Planning, will continue to serve as the EDA’s full-time executive director. In this role, he is responsible for implementing the programs and policies of the EDA.

Former Mayor Alan Brangman denied an EDA seat

Other members of the EDA’s Board of Directors include:

James Coyle, retired from a career in administration and programs at all levels of government and former Mayor and City Councilman of Rockville, Maryland, who was appointed to the EDA in 2019;
Sandra Kiersz, owner of Jazzercise who has served since 2018;
Matt Quinn, owner, appraiser, and auctioneer of Quinn’s Auction Galleries who has been on the Board since 2021 and is a principal in the proposed Quinn development on South Washington/South Maple; and
Brian Williams, co-founder and CEO of Viget, a designer and builder of digital products and websites who has served since 2013.

At its January 22, 2024, meeting, the City Council reappointed Mr. Litkenhous to another four-year term through November 30, 2027, on a 6-1 vote with Councilmember David F. Snyder voting against. In addition, Council confirmed Rachelle Barimany Dove, chief operations and financial officer of Dominion Jewelers, to a second term on a 5-2 vote with Councilmembers Erin Flynn and Mr. Snyder voting against in favor of another applicant, Alan Brangman. Ms. Dove previously served on the EDA Board in 2016-2017.

Edward Saltzberg, executive director at the Security and Sustainability Forum who has served on the EDA for some 40 years, also was not reappointed by the Council’s Appointments Committee, which included Mayor Letty Hardi and Councilmembers Marybeth Connelly and Caroline Lian when these recommendations were made.

Councilmembers Flynn and Snyder expressed their preference for former Falls Church Mayor Brangman, who is president and CEO of Brangman Consultant LLC and an architect and real estate professional. “I have concerns that we are passing over a citizen resident with stellar credentials in terms of economic development, architecture background, finance, [and] understanding of complex real estate deals,” said Ms. Flynn, noting that while Ms. Dove is a small business owner, she does not reside in the City.

Mr. Snyder added, “It is very important to have a diversity of thought on the EDA, and former Mayor Brangman would bring that as well as significant expertise in negotiating with developers and contractors. … I think passing over him for appointment to the EDA [is] an error.”

Councilmember Connelly noted that all four applicants – Mr. Brangman, Ms. Dove, Mr. Litkenhous, and Mr. Saltzberg – are well-qualified, but in the end, she found that Ms. Dove’s and Mr. Litkenhous’s approaches “aligned better with my ideas about the future of the City.” Councilmember Lian said she thought it “important to have a female perspective on a body that has traditionally been male,” and said it was “a hard decision.”

The City is investing in the redevelopment of Virginia Village

“I hope this year will have more meat on the bone,” Mr. Young said following his reelection as chair at the start of the January 9, 2024, EDA meeting. “We have lots to accomplish.”

Regarding new building projects, the EDA learned from Cindy Mester, Community Relations and Legislative Affairs director and Pension Plan administrator, that the City’s planned transfer of the Virginia Village properties it owns to Wesley Housing will likely be finalized in February 2024. Ms. Mester also said that the City is actively working to acquire another Virginia Village parcel (the privately owned building at the corner below the building shown in yellow in the City graphic, which is owned by Homestretch).

Economic Development Authority - Virginia Village aerial showing ownership of buildings — Virginia Village, S Maple Avenue, ownership as of January 2024

Mr. Young said he hopes redevelopment can begin as soon as the City acquires enough adjacent properties, either to the right or left of the overall site, as shown in the graphic. He said he would move to persuade Atlantic Realty to sell the three properties it owns (shown in purple) to the City. “I don’t think it makes sense to wait until we have all of [these properties] to [build] what I hope will be a 6-story, mixed-use, affordable and market-rate project,” he said of all the Virginia Village structures.

A new mixed-use development

In addition, the EDA learned that an application has been filed for a mixed-use building behind the Burke & Herbert Bank building at West Broad and South Maple, next to the Harris Teeter, and across the street from Bowl America for a 7-story structure with 196 residential units and 11,930 gross square feet of commercial space. Whether an initial public hearing will be heard on this project in February depends on how complete the application is, said EDA Executive Director Jim Snyder.

“Right now, [this property] is a weedy vacant lot,” he said, adding that part of this project would involve a new streetscape with new sidewalks from West Broad Street all the way down Maple to Annandale. He envisions a traffic circle at Annandale and Maple and noted that this project would need to use the same sewer infrastructure that the Quinn development will use, requiring significant enhancement of this infrastructure. Mr. Snyder added that at some point, Burke & Herbert Bank may also want to build something at the back of their lot.

Other project updates and potential new businesses in the City

Becky Witsman, Economic Development Division chief and staff liaison to the EDA, offered the following additional updates:

West Falls: One garage is complete, and seven buildings are currently under construction, including two kiosks and another garage. This garage and the medical office building will be finished early this year, while the hotel is scheduled for completion this summer, and the condo building and apartment building with ground-floor grocer should open by late 2024 or early 2025.
Founders Row I: A sandwich and coffee shop, Semicolon Café, and an optometrist office have signed leases, and the movie theatre is 5% complete.
Founders Row II: 15% complete, this building will likely open after June 2025.
Broad & Washington: 40% complete, this development will begin renting its residential apartments in May/June and expects to complete the Whole Foods and Creative Cauldron portions of its plan by the fall of 2024.
Additional updates:
- The site plan for Stratford Garden passed the Planning Commission on December 20, 2023, and the next step is for the owner to apply for building permits.
- The owner of Sfizi plans to open a new restaurant, Café Zevian, at the site of Famille in the Kensington on West Broad Street.
- Stylish Patina is moving from the Spectrum to the old Galleria Florist space at 248 West Broad.
- Ms. Witsman and EDA members celebrated the success of Godfrey’s and said its owners plan to open a cocktail lounge that would accommodate up to 37 people on their building’s second floor and would be open Friday and Saturday evenings.
- There is still no word on Solace’s plans to open Victura Park at Meeting House at the rear of Godfrey’s at 419 West Broad.
- Both the Corral Restaurant Lounge with plans to take over the old Falls Church Distillery space and Troika Gastronom slated for the Broadway are taking longer than anticipated and may not happen, according to Ms. Witsman.
- The Economic Development Division hopes to announce a new tenant for the Target space at 455 Tinner Hill next month, and the GrillMarx Steakhouse & Raw Bar on the other side of the building at the intersection of South Maple Avenue and South Washington Street plans to open in late 2024.
- The founders of Pupatella have purchased the property at 106 Little Falls Street where they anticipate opening a creperie/French café. The 3.542 sf building was built in 1860 and sits on a 0.29 acre lot.

Economic development for 106 Little Falls St - photo of property — SOLD! 106 Little Falls Street

Parking in the City is a key concern

While praising adaptive reuses of buildings like 106 Little Falls and the Meeting House/Godfrey’s, Mr. Young called parking “a major, major issue.” Mr. Litkenhous warned, “If we don’t deal with parking requirements, we will miss out” on additional businesses coming into Falls Church.

Mr. Snyder suggested changing the code to say of old buildings that “the parking you have is all the parking you need.” He added that he believes the Planning Commission would be an ally to the EDA in addressing this challenge by helping owners of older buildings “find parking elsewhere.”

Restaurant Week, Gift Cards, and Parklets

The EDA meeting also covered excitement surrounding the first Falls Church Restaurant Week from January 19-28 in which more than 40 restaurants participated, the success of the Little City Gift Card Program, and a new parklet for South Maple Avenue at the intersection with South Washington Street scheduled for completion by Memorial Day 2024. The parklet represents the combined efforts of the City’s Planning, Parks, and Public Works departments.

new parklet photo and location on S Maple Avenue — A new parklet on S Maple Street

Upcoming meetings

The EDA next meets on February 6, 2024, at Viget’s offices at 105 West Broad Street, and plans to hold a retreat in March. Board Member Coyle asked whether the first hour of the retreat might be devoted to a public forum on economic development in the City. “I think we don’t do enough to educate the public,” he said. Mr. Young expressed his concern that such a forum “might be a pretty heavy lift for the staff.”