The 2,000+ Units In The Works In Ballston

• 11:05 AM EDT

by UrbanTurf Staff

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Ballston has long been one of the more active redevelopment corridors in the DC area, and the pipeline isn't slowing down. Hotels are closing, office buildings are being converted, and construction financing is coming together on projects that have been years in the making. Below is an updated look at what's in the works.

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Ballston Office Redevelopment

The long-dormant site at 4420 Fairfax Drive (map) is finally moving through the county approval process, though the project has evolved since plans were first filed. Aria Development Group is now seeking approval for a 23-story building with two options: a 302-unit all-rental building, or a revised 241-unit alternative that would mix 59 condominiums with 182 apartments. Both versions include roughly 4,400 square feet of ground-floor retail. As part of the development, Aria has been working with Arlington County on a new western entrance to the Ballston Metro station at the corner of Fairfax Drive and N. Vermont Street — a fully funded project that will be owned and operated by WMATA.

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YMCA Redevelopment

Plans to redevelop the YMCA campus at 3400 13th Street N (map) into a new recreational facility and a 374-unit residential building remain in limbo. The YMCA is still searching for a new development partner after Orr Partners and Republic Properties exited the project, citing higher interest rates and other economic headwinds. No replacement developer has been announced, the unit count is now listed as TBD, and the project's status with Arlington County remains under review.

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Macy's Redevelopment/Mira and Ador

Demolition is well underway and Insight Property Group has secured financing for the two-tower project it is developing in partnership with PGIM Real Estate at the former Macy's/office building at 685 N. Glebe Road (map). FCP has put $47.1 million into the capital stack to help fund what is now being marketed under the names Mira and Ador — two 16-story buildings that will deliver 553 apartments in total, along with a 38,400-square-foot organic grocery store and 2,000 square feet of additional retail. The project, designed by SK+I Architecture, is expected to be complete in approximately three years. A grocery tenant has not been officially named, though Insight has previously indicated it will be an organic grocer.

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Ballston One

Penzance received Arlington County Board approval in July 2025 for its 328-unit adaptive reuse of the Ballston One office building at 4601 Fairfax Drive (map), but the timeline for construction hinges on a federal lease. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) currently occupies a significant portion of the 12-story building and is expected to relocate to its new headquarters at the St. Elizabeths campus in Southeast DC — but its lease could theoretically be extended indefinitely. When it gets underway, the project will reuse the existing underground parking garage and deliver studios through two-bedroom-plus-den units, along with 13 two-story loft homes. 

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600 North Glebe Road

The three-phase UrbA development around 600 N. Glebe Road (map) is now in its second chapter. Phase 1 — 310 apartments above a new Harris Teeter at 624 N. Glebe Road — opened in early 2024. Demolition of the original Harris Teeter building has since begun, clearing the way for Phase 2: a 197-unit apartment building and a new 0.6-acre public park. Phase 2 is expected to wrap up in 2027. The third and final phase will add 227 apartments with ground-floor retail on the remaining parcel. Developer Southeastern Real Estate Group and architect DCS Design are behind all three phases.

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4600 and 4610 Fairfax Drive

This project has cleared a number of hurdles since the plans were first filed. The Holiday Inn at 4610 Fairfax Drive has closed, and permits for asbestos removal and excavation support have been filed — signs that demolition is approaching. On the financing front, Hoffman & Associates and Snell Properties have brought in a third partner, Mitsui Fudosan America, and have secured a $195 million construction loan from Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. The development will replace the Holiday Inn and the adjacent Arlington Center office building at 4600 Fairfax Drive with 475 apartments and 29 townhome-style units spread across two buildings — a seven-story north building and a four-story-plus-penthouse south building. The hord|coplan|macht-designed project will target LEED Gold certification.

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4100 Fairfax Drive

The Arlington County Board has signed off on plans to convert the 13-story office building at 4100 Fairfax Drive — home to Bronson Bierhall on the ground floor — into 296 residential units. The building footprint stays the same, but the structure will gain about 15 feet in height, rising from 170 to 185 feet, to accommodate a rooftop amenity space that will include a pool. Ground-floor retail and the building's 441 underground parking spaces are unaffected. Some commercial tenants will be allowed to remain through the end of their leases, with some potentially staying as late as 2029.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/the_2000_units_in_the_works_in_ballston/24753.