A rendering of the planned Westover Hills development. (City documents)
A Southside infill development that could include space for a restaurant is back on the menu after its initial entitlement expired.
Sugar Mill Construction has received city approval to build a three-story development at 1005 Westover Hills Blvd. with 12 apartments above ground-floor commercial space.
Developers Zach and Danielle Kennedy previously owned the quarter-acre plot and in June 2021 had a special-use permit approved for a similar development. That October, the Kennedys sold the parcel to an entity tied to Sugar Mill for $550,000, per city records.
Sugar Mill operates primarily in its home market of Northern Virginia and D.C., where it builds both new-construction developments and renovates existing structures.
Locally, the firm is also planning a substantial new development at 2500-2536 N. Lombardy St. in the city’s Northside that would see a series of aging commercial buildings replaced with a six-story, mixed-use structure.
Following its purchase of the Westover Hills site, a building permit for the development had not been applied for by June 2023, so the SUP expired. Last fall, Sugar Mill reapplied for another SUP for an identical project as the one the Kennedys had pursued for the site, which is currently a grassy area.
The quarter-acre site is currently a grassy area. (Mike Platania photo)
Despite its activity on both sides of the river, Sugar Mill has maintained a low profile locally. Work has yet to begin on the Lombardy Street development, and the company has yet to respond to any requests for comment from BizSense in recent years, including multiple requests for this story.
Sugar Mill’s new SUP was approved at last week’s City Council meeting, at which a higher-density development elsewhere in the Southside was also approved.
City planning documents show the commercial space at 1005 Westover Hills Blvd. could be for a restaurant, coffee shop or office user. Mario Di Marco Architects designed the building, and Baker Development Resources represented Sugar Mill in the SUP process.
Just to the north, at the intersection of Westover Hills Boulevard and Forest Hill Avenue, construction is underway at 4701 Forest Hill Ave., where a new mixed-use building from Dodson Development Group and Evolve Development is rising on the site of a former Bank of America branch. That new building will total 40 apartments with 8,000 square feet of ground-floor commercial space.
Other businesses to arrive recently in that corridor include winery Gramophone and fly fishing shop Current Culture. Local restaurant Goatocado is also planning an expansion to the area.
Build it.
I’m excited to see this project get built. It will make the area look a lot nicer, and expand rental availability around there, which is a big need.
I don’t think this project is at the top of Sugar Mill Construction’s to do list.
When is a permit no longer a permit?