Take a good look at the campus of St. Charles Borromeo Church in
Arlington. If all goes well, in a few years everything on the 2.5 acres of land
in the heart of Clarendon will be replaced with a new modern campus, carefully
tailored to support the parish’s mission. The goal is to build a new church,
rectory, office and parish center. The remaining, underlying land will be
leased, most likely for an apartment complex, to generate revenue that will
finance the project.
Construction and redevelopment are also underway elsewhere around
the diocese, as churches are improved or replaced to better serve the faithful.
In addition to the recent dedication of the new St. Mary of Sorrows Church in
Fairfax, St. Ambrose Church in Annandale is planning to construct a replacement
church in late 2021, and similar projects are well underway at several
parishes, including St. Paul Mission in Hague and St. Patrick Church in
Fredericksburg. Corpus Christi Church in South Riding is scheduled to be
dedicated by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge in early May after its completion.
Separately, the Basilica School of Saint Mary in Alexandria has planned
enhancements to its campus.
ST. CHARLES BORROMEO CHURCH, ARLINGTON
The St. Charles redevelopment project is one of the diocese’s
biggest and most innovative projects to date. It’s an expensive and complex
undertaking, but Father Donald J. Planty Jr., pastor, is up for the challenge.
“Our buildings are aging, and not only are they aging, but they don’t support
our mission as effectively as they could in terms of the spaces,” he said. “At
the same time, the site that we have has tremendous value to it. There’s the
possibility to develop, but there’s also a need to better support our mission,
now and in the future.”
One big change will be the church’s new location on the property
— more prominently facing the busy bar and restaurant hub along Arlington’s
Orange Line Metro corridor. “The façade of the new church (will) face the
public square, as has always been the tradition of town planning,” said Father
Planty. “That’s been my vision from the beginning and that was the consensus of
the parishioners. We want something visible and beautiful.”
The new church also will look different from the current one.
“The parish is a wonderful community of worship, but the building doesn’t
necessarily match the community,” said Rashad Badr, a parishioner and chairman
of the parish redevelopment committee. “Growing up, I would go visit churches
overseas, specifically in Lebanon where my parents are from. There was always
something sacred and special about all of those places, and you don’t get that
initial impression looking at St. Charles. Our hope is to build something that
matches and advances the spiritual and communal strength of the parish”
Behind the church, the parish center building will surround a
courtyard open to the sky. Parking will be moved underground. Potentially, a
preschool will be on the ground floor of the developer-managed building. The
parish also is looking into opening a coffee shop. “This is an urban parish and
two-thirds of the residents of our parish are in their 20s and 30s. The coffee
shop would be another way to draw people into the church,” said Father Planty.
The parish hired the Walsh Colucci law firm and David M. Schwarz
Architects to help map out the future look and layout of St. Charles. The
parish also is working with the diocese and Arlington County officials. Bishop
Burbidge has approved the next step: finding a development partner.
Father Planty estimates that if all goes right, it will be 18
months to two years until demolition, after which the parish will have to find
a temporary home while their new church is built. “Those will be our years of
wandering in the desert,” he said. “We’ll have to find temporary worship space,
residence for the priests, office space, meeting space.”
BASILICA SCHOOL OF SAINT MARY, ALEXANDRIA
About nine miles to the south, the Basilica School of Saint Mary
in Alexandria is working toward a new and similarly innovative look for its
historic campus. The school has awarded construction of a new skybridge to
connect the existing middle school building to the historic main building. In
addition to letting students walk over the parking lot instead of through it,
the bridge will house the school’s new library media center. Outdoor play areas
are getting an update as well.
“(We’re creating) a modern-day learning area where students can
learn some of those 21st-century skills, have makerspaces (collaborative work
areas) and really engage in some multimedia and STEM (science, technology,
engineering and math) activities,” said Principal Dan Cinalli. Plans also
include “a newly designed exterior with an upgraded recess playground area for
the students on the side and behind the school.”
The school launched the Mary Lead Us Campaign to finance the
skybridge and other campus improvements. So far, they’ve raised $6 million
toward the $8 million goal. Some of the renovations are finished, including a
refurbished chapel and cafeteria and a more secure entrance. The campaign also
will support the creation of a Mater Dei Program and Classroom for students
with special needs. “We hope to continue that legacy of providing facilities
for our boys and girls that are state of the art,” said Father Edward C.
Hathaway, pastor, in a video about the campaign.
