Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors joined housing officials in breaking ground Thursday on the The Lodge at Autumn Willow.
Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors joined housing officials in breaking ground Thursday on the The Lodge at Autumn Willow in the Springfield District. (Fairfax County)
FAIRFAX, VA — Fairfax County officials broke ground Thursday morning on The Lodge at Autumn Willow, an independent living community that will add 150 units to the county’s affordable housing stock.
“We know that Fairfax County’s older adults need options to age in place affordably. These 150 units will provide people that opportunity,” said Jeffrey C. McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in a release. “We want the people who grew roots in Fairfax County to stay in their community of choice. This development is special because it provides an affordable place for older adults to keep writing our local history.”
Once completed, 11 percent of the affordable dwelling units at The Lodge at Autumn Willow will be for older residents at or below 30 percent of the Area Median Income; 14 percent will be for residents at or below 50 percent of the AMI; and 75 percent will be for residents at or below 60 percent of the AMI.
For a family of four in Fairfax County, 60 percent of the AMI equaled $77,000 in fiscal 2021. The completed development will also include 15 units that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Architecture firm KTGY designed The Lodge at Autumn Willow, which will include outdoor amenity space, featuring a serenity studio, reading cove, fire pit, and a recreation zone. (KTGY)
In July 2022, the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority signed an interim agreement with Michaels Development to develop The Lodge at Autumn Willow project via the Virginia Public-Private Educational Facilities Infrastructure Act.
“Getting to the moment where we break ground on an affordable housing community requires a complex set of resources and experts. That is what we do at the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority,” said RHA Chair Melissa McKenna. “We are committed to bringing together experts in the development, real estate, environmental engineering, and finance industries to create affordable housing opportunities for our community. This is especially critical for older adults, who deserve to live and thrive in their desired community.”
The Lodge at Autumn Willow project is funded with $8.7 million in Housing Blueprint loans and financed via private equity raised through Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The project received energy efficient funding from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, National Housing Trust Funds and Virginia Housing Trust Funds. Truist and Berkadia provided additional financing.
Once the project is completed, Michaels Development will manage The Lodge and FCHRA will hold a 99-year ground lease, which will ensure that the land will remain dedicated to affordable housing for the next century.
The Lodge at Autumn William is located at 13090 Autumn Willow Drive off of Stringfellow Road in the Springfield District. Construction has already commenced and is expected be completed in eight months.
The Lodge at Autumn Will will have onsite walkways that connect to Fairfax County Parks Authority trails and a high-visibility crosswalk between Stringfellow Park and the development entrance, pending VDOT approval. (KTGY)
