Benchmark at Alexandria

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Plans for new affordable apartments in Silver Spring, Md.

When Falkland Chase opened in 1937 in Silver Spring, Maryland, Eleanor Roosevelt cut the ribbon at what was then the D.C. area’s largest garden-style apartment complex.

Now Falkland Chase has a new owner and a new purpose.

Last fall, developer Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH), based in Arlington, Virginia, purchased Falkland Chase, its second property in Montgomery County, Maryland.

APAH also acquired and renovated the federally subsidized community called Snowden’s Ridge in Silver Spring. The company won Montgomery Housing Alliance’s Developer of the Year award last year.

APAH plans to redevelop the existing 170-unit property and add 1,250 new apartments to Falkland Chase, most of which will be for affordable housing for residents making at or below 60% of the area median income.

The “large-scale, high-impact project” will begin in 2026 “so that future families can enjoy quality, stable, affordable homes,” according to a statement from Carmen Romero, president and CEO of APAH, founded in 1989.

The county designated $19.5 million toward the Falkland Chase redevelopment, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement, “so families could afford to stay in their homes [and] to create brand-new, economical, low-cost housing opportunities.” The apartments are within walking distance of the Silver Spring metro and bus station.

APAH does more than renovate properties; the company builds them, too. Last month APAH broke ground on an affordable mixed-use development in Tyson’s Corner called The Exchange at Spring Hill.

The two, 20-story mixed-use buildings will include 516 residential units and a publicly accessible community center. The property, Tyson’s first affordable multifamily development, is scheduled to open in four years.

“Where you build matters, but who you build for matters just as much,” Romero said.

For more information about Falkland Chase or The Exchange at Spring Hill, visit apah.org or call (703) 276-7444.

Assisted living community to open in Alexandria

This spring, Benchmark at Alexandria, a new assisted living and memory care facility, will open in Alexandria, Virginia. The community will have 115 apartments, including 26 for memory care patients, as well as a massage room, fitness center, rooftop deck with views of the National Mall, formal dining room, and a chef who prepares meals with herbs and vegetables grown on site.

“Outside our doors are walkable neighborhoods as well as conveniences like grocery shopping, a pharmacy, medical care and other dining options.

“Easy access to the Metro also makes it easy to get across the Potomac to D.C.’s many activities and amenities,” said Doug Buttner, senior executive director, Benchmark at Alexandria.

The community is close to a school, shops, grocery stores and the Silver Diner.

“Seniors want to remain in the neighborhood they love — to be near their family, friends and the greater community as they age.

“We are excited to plant roots in Alexandria and share our purpose of transforming lives through human connection,” said Tom Grape, founder, chairman and CEO, Benchmark Senior Living.

Based in Massachusetts, Benchmark Senior Living operates 65 communities in that state and New York. This will be its first in the mid-Atlantic area.

To learn more about Benchmark at Alexandria, visit benchmarkseniorliving.com, call (571) 496-9470 , or stop by the welcome center at 3462 Berkeley St., Alexandria.