I have some good news to share regarding housing in Arlington.

One of my biggest criticisms lately has been the County’s heavy emphasis on what gets labeled as “affordable housing,” which in many cases really just means affordable long-term renting with very few opportunities for people to actually buy and build equity.

That’s why this proposal in Ballston caught my attention.

A new redevelopment proposal at 4420 Fairfax Drive would include both apartments and condos in the same building. The current concept calls for:

182 apartments

59 condominium units

Ground-floor retail

A 23-story building directly next to the future western entrance of the Ballston Metro station

The project would replace an older office building that sold in 2023 for roughly half of what it traded for back in 2015. According to ARLnow, the building sold for about $52 million in 2023 after previously selling for roughly $101 million in 2015.

Now, to be clear, 59 condos is not going to suddenly solve Arlington’s housing issues. It is still a relatively small number and obviously just a drop in the bucket.

But I do think it is a step in the right direction.

For a long time, most of the new housing supply being added in Arlington has overwhelmingly been apartments. Rentals. Not places where people can actually buy in, build equity over time, and create long-term financial stability.

The proposal is expected to go before the Planning Commission and County Board later this summer.