New Development Profiles
Cromley Lofts:
True Lofts in the Heart of Old Town
Cromey Lofts
The building that currently houses Cromley Lofts was built in 1910 by William Peck, a prominent Alexandria merchant and real estate developer. When Peck died in 1913, his estate leased the building to the Alexandria Laundry which operated a commercial steam laundry there until 1939. Over the next sixty years, the building also served as a town meeting hall and as a residence for artists.
In 2004, local builder William Cromley bought the building and turned it into eight very impressive residential lofts while preserving many of the aspects from the property’s former lives.
Location
The lofts are located at 1210 Queen Street (see map here) in the heart of the Old Town section in Alexandria, VA. Old Town is the oldest neighborhood in Alexandria and an area known for its historic townhouses, antique shops, restaurants and art galleries. WalkScore gave the address a score of 85, an indication that you can get by without a car if you live here.
Living Space
Cromley Lofts is a LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building which means that it went through a testing process to be certified as a green building by the U.S. Green Building Council. All of the lofts have a number of energy-saving features, and there is a $50 discount on the condo fee if you do not use a car to commute to work.
Of the eight lofts in the development, only two are still on the market: a two-bedroom English basement and a two-bedroom loft on an upper floor. The size of each unit is 1,250 square feet.
When William Cromley set out to redesign the building, he focused on creating true loft living spaces. “I really wanted the units to reflect the industrial nature of the building,” he told UrbanTurf. “Many places advertise lofts, but these truly are lofts in every sense of the word.”
Instead of walls, Cromley installed 6.5-foot partitions to provide separation between various rooms, a decision that has maintained the open feeling of the property. Instead of bedrooms, you have what Cromley refers to as “sleeping niches” because there is no door separating the bed area from the living area. The bathroom is the only room in the loft with a door, which is made of frosted glass to reflect light throughout the apartment.
The living room is one large space in the middle of the unit, and an island separates it from the kitchen. In some units, the original loading dock door was kept from when the building was a steam laundry, and that door opens up to the outside. “It is almost as though you are opening up an entire wall of the loft to the outdoors,” Cromley said.
Price Range for Available Units
| Two-Bedroom Lofts | $575,000 to $625,000 |
|---|
Living Room/Kitchen in Two-Bedroom Loft
Parking & Transportation
Cromley Lofts does not provide parking for its residents, but there is plenty of street parking in this section of Old Town. There is also a parking lot across the street where residents can rent a parking space on a monthly basis.
The lofts are located about a half mile from the Braddock Road Metro station on the blue and yellow line. The trip to L’Enfant Plaza takes about 15 minutes.
Bottom Line
This is the first multi-unit residential project that William Cromley has completed, but you wouldn’t know it. The lofts are expertly designed and little expense was spared in renovating the former steam cleaning warehouse. The result is some of the best residential properties in the DC area.
Roof
Example Apartment
Price: $625,000
Condo Fee: $350/month if you use a car to commute, $300/month if you don’t
The 1,250 square-foot, two-bedroom loft is on the second floor of Cromley Lofts. The loft is identical to those described in the Living Space section. It is outfitted with pine and limestone floors, soapstone counters, bamboo cabinets and all EnergyStar appliances. The unit also has a washer/dryer and dual flush toilets. The full floorplan can be viewed here.
Quick Answers
Building Gym? No
Pets? Yes
Doorman? No
Nearest Grocery Store(s)? There is a Whole Foods Market at 1700 Duke Street that is about a half mile from the lofts.
Photos & Resources
- Green features at the Cromley Lofts
- Floorplans of available units
2 Comments
How is the condo fee cheaper for residents that don’t use a car to commute to work? There is no parking at the building so I’m not sure how they cut $50 / month off select residents. Is this just a marketing gimmick that the developer is financing for the first year? Also, the starting price was $525,000 for the basement unit at the end of July. You can see the pricing at http://www.condoauthority.com/news_and_info/cromley-lofts-wins-gold-old-town-alexandria
The builder wants to promote green practices and discounting the condo fee by $50 for those that don’t use a car to commute is his way of doing that.