Inova hosted a topping out ceremony on April 13 in Alexandria’s West End to celebrate the transformation of a vacant mall site into a state-of-the-art healthcare campus.
Local leaders and elected officials joined Inova leadership and community partners to commemorate the occasion and sign the final beam before it was lifted atop the steel structure.
“Years ago, we set a vision,” said Dr. Stephen Jones, President and CEO of Inova. “There are folks in this room who rolled up their sleeves and worked through some real challenges…and today, this is all starting to feel real. So, I’m a little bit blown away to be here.”
From Mall to Modern Healthcare
Glancing up at the glass and steel, it’s hard to picture what once stood. The site was home to Landmark Mall, a longtime retail anchor for the West End. The property had sat largely vacant, at one point making a cameo in the 2020 Wonder Woman 1984 movie, as it awaited its next chapter.
Now, in a new transformation worthy of the big screen, the site is rising as WestEnd Alexandria, a mixed-use, walkable development anchored by Inova, with plans for housing, retail, green space, and a transit hub.
“The building behind me, the new Inova Alexandria hospital, will reflect the support and elevate the excellence of the people who will serve inside it. When we talk about the future of Inova, we’re not just talking about buildings. We’re creating spaces that are modern, intuitive, welcoming, and designed not only for treatment, but for healing,” said Dr. Rina Bansal, President of Inova Alexandria Hospital and SVP of Inova Health Systems. “Today marks a meaningful milestone for our team, our patients, and the City of Alexandria.”
Built Through Partnership
The project was made possible in part through a unique partnership with the City of Alexandria and the Industrial Development Authority (IDA)—a seven-member board appointed by City Council that promotes and facilitates economic development.
The City purchased the land under the new campus, and, through the IDA, executed a 95-year ground lease with Inova, providing the investment needed to move the hospital project forward and jump-start the full 52-acre redevelopment. Plans for the site include for-rent and for-sale multifamily residential units, plus retail, commercial, and entertainment offerings, including outdoor parks and a fire station.
As Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley said during her remarks, “[This campus] will be a symbol of our land use, of our healthcare commitment, of our housing commitment, of our transit commitment. I’m excited about what people will see when they enter our City from the west and see this beacon of healthcare, hope, and opportunity.”
Rising to the Occasion
Along with the buildings themselves, Inova’s level of patient care rises to meet the moment.
“We’ve engaged more than 700 team members, patients, and family members to reimagine our care, so our clinicians have time to care for our patients because we have the right place for them to provide that care,” said Dr. Jones. “When this opens up, this hospital will be second to none anywhere in the country.”
Slated to welcome its first patients in 2028, the campus will introduce patient-centered services, including a larger emergency room, private patient rooms, and the Inova Schar Cancer Institute.
“We celebrate more than just steel, concrete, bricks, and mortar,” said Donnie Simpson, Chair of the Inova Health Foundation Alexandria Board. “We celebrate a community that believes in caring for its friends, family, and neighbors. Today, for generations to come.”
Interested in learning more about how the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) helps move catalytic projects forward in Alexandria?
Email Wynn Hunsaker at AEDP to learn more about the IDA’s role in supporting economic development across the City: hunsaker@alexandriaecon.org