"It has a combination of location, accessibility with the Metroand a large number of one-of-a-kind retail establishments thatoffer a comfortable community living experience," Fairchild says.The neighborhood has a residential vacancy rate of less than 0.1%,according to the Alexandria real estate research firm DeltaAssociates.

Plans for the area include two joint projects by the JohnAkridge Cos. and Holladay Corp. One, a 249-unit, 11-story apartmentbuilding at 3000 Washington Blvd., is scheduled to break groundthis winter. The other is a 75-unit condo project at 3101 WilsonBlvd. The office portion of that tract will be developed as a223,000-sf building with ground-floor retail.

In addition, Ed Peete Corp. of Falls Church is seeking countyapproval to build a 23-unit townhouse community at WashingtonBoulevard and Kirkwood Street, and McCaffrey Interests is building300 apartments and 87 townhouses as part of its Market Commonsproject on Clarendon Boulevard.