The News-Press has been consistent in this space over the years on the matters of “market forces” and “market reality.” They have to be accounted for, we’ve pontificated repeatedly, often frustrated by a municipal government that, for a long time, didn’t seem to “get it” at all. Things are better now. When Atlantic Realty came to a work session of the Falls Church City Council this week to request action permitting them to switch 230 residential units in their Pearson Square project under construction on S. Maple St. from condos to rentals, the Council understood the problem. The condo market has tanked, while the rental market is booming. How long this will remain the case in this region is anyone’s guess. Atlantic has already sold the residential portion of Pearson Square to Carr Homes for the condos’ development. But now Carr feels the condo market downturn is sufficiently serious and potentially long-term enough that it has cut a preliminary deal to sell off their condos at a considerable loss to Trans-Western, on the condition that they will be converted to luxury rental units.
