Lead Architect of F.C. Firm Enthusiastic About ‘Stratford Gardens’ Replacing Motor Lodge
With massive retail and residential development projects abounding in the City of Falls Church – and their towering construction cranes constantly circling overhead – the prospect of a new tree-lined, park-like, family-oriented beer garden, tentatively called “Stratford Gardens,” replacing the blighted Stratford Motor Lodge at 300 West Broad St. in the City’s center is certainly refreshing news.
The Falls Church Independent spoke to the lead architect of the project, Matt Lee of Lee Design Studio, 410 S. Maple Ave., Falls Church, about the endeavor, approved unanimously by the City’s Planning Commission in Dec., 2023.
We were curious about the design concept for such a critical site in the heart of the city and along its main thoroughfare and the potential benefits the project might bring to downtown Falls Church.
Background: A Bumpy Path to Re-Development
Built in the early 1960s, the Stratford Motor Lodge enjoyed several heyday decades as a landmark in the City of Falls Church, advertising itself on an early postcard as just “20 minutes from Washington, D.C.,” with “50 Ultra-modern rooms, featuring individually controlled air-conditioning and heat, color TV, free direct dial phones and Swimming Pool,” and “Personally conducted sight-seeing tours,” a Facebook post from Mary Riley Styles Public Library said.
By 2019, however, the motel had fallen into disrepair and its reputation had declined. A crime report that year from the Falls Church News-Press blurbed: “A 42-year-old woman was arrested for prostitution last Friday at the Stratford Motor Lodge…. According to police, the Brooklyn, New York woman was charged with prostitution and residing at a bawdy place for immoral purposes around 11 p.m. on Oct. 4. A review of past crime reports shows this is at least the fifth arrest for prostitution at the Falls Church motel in the past seven years.”
In 2019, the site was almost developed into a senior living center by Todd Hitt of Hiddar Capital, but, following an SEC civil lawsuit for defrauding investors, he was sentenced to prison. So the City balked at his plans.
By 2021, the motel was boarded up, and the News-Press referred to it as “an eyesore for neighbors and passerbyers [sic] since it closed…”
In 2022, a plan to turn the corner spot into a Wawa convenience store with a gas station was also scrapped.
In December, 2024, however, the Planning Commission of the City of Falls Church unanimously approved a plan for the site tentatively called “Stratford Gardens” proposed by Dominion Wine & Beer, of Falls Church (and other locations) partnering with Lee Design Studio of Falls Church as the architect of record.
For an excellent summary of the group’s formal proposal to the Planning Commission, see this article in the Falls Church Pulse.
Throughout the pandemic, Dominion Wine & Beer at 107 Rowell Ct., Falls Church, gained a local reputation for the vitality of its tented beer garden in addition to its fine dining, and wine and beer selections. So, their proposal to advance a beer garden concept for the city center was received favorably.
Lead Architect: Matt Lee of Lee Design Studio
Matt Lee is the Founding Principal at Lee Design Studio, a "Northern Virginia-based Architecture and Design firm... focused on single-family, multi-family, and retail projects in the Washington, D.C. area," according to the Lee Design Studio website. Founded in 2017, the studio "has grown significantly to include a team of five, highly qualified experts. With more than 15 years of experience, Matt enjoys the constantly changing challenges of running a small business and architecture practice. Prior to founding Lee Design Studio, Matt worked for leading design firms in the DMV." He also "spends a lot of his time with his kids and their sports, as well as being an active member of the Falls Church Chamber of Commerce, AIA Small Firm Exchange, and his church's Building and Grounds Committee."
Interview is edited for clarity and brevity.
FCI: So, how are you feeling about this project to replace the Stratford Motor Lodge?
ML: We’re really excited about the project overall. The fact that it’s a low-density product coming online and it’s here in Falls Church and it’s such a great concept. We’re very excited.
It’ll be providing a lot of green space and outdoor seating – something that everyone’s going to really enjoy. And it’s going to be a good draw from outside the city to the area too. So we’re excited about that.
The owners of Dominion Wine and Beer are the ones transporting a lot of their concept over there. They’re thinking right now it’s going to be “Stratford Gardens,” but they're going back and forth with things like names...
We’re the architect of record and we have a restaurant design firm from Miami we've been working with.
FCI: I saw that – Francois Fossard of Miami? Are they doing the interior design?
ML: They’re doing the interior design and they’re doing a lot of the exterior. We collaborated with them on the exterior as their local partner. And we’re doing the bulk of drawings for permit submission and working as their local partner and being responsible for code compliance and construction phase services.
FCI: How did you connect with them?
ML: I’m friends with the owner of Dominion Wine and Beer and he had another partner that connected them as a restaurant designer and really liked their work and put us together, so here we are.
FCI: So is Dominion Wine and Beer going to move to the Stratford Motor Lodge location?
ML: They’re debating on which concept is going where and how they’re going to finalize that but there would be something still in the Dominion space and this will be kind of the newer concept with kind of a cafe feel to it. And they’re excited about it. The renderings are on our website.
FCI: So when is the project to be expected? What stage are you in now?
ML: We’ve submitted permits to the City. We’ve gotten some permit comments back, and we're working through those. We’re hoping to receive a permit in the next month or so, and then hopefully construction before the end of summer.
FCI: So is your firm, Lee Design Studio, relatively new to Falls Church?
ML: I’ve been a resident of the Falls Church area for about 11 years. Lee Design Studio moved into the city late last year but have been serving the DMV for six years. We were working virtually during Covid, with all the fun that came with that [laughs]. We’re a team of five architects that focus on single family, multi-family, and retail architecture. We do a lot of single family customs in the area and we do a lot of multi-family infill projects in D.C. I came from a background of larger commercial firms, and taking that commercial knowledge and putting it to use on a smaller scale in our local area as well as in D.C.
FCI: So, what’s cool about the Stratford Project? Given what it’s been as the Stratford Motor Lodge – how does it help improve the public square?
ML: It’s fun to see buildings have new life…. The old restaurant, the Caraquena, and lobby space will be kept. So there’s some fun nostalgia there, repairing that building, refurbishing the existing building, and that building will be used primarily as the kitchen, a mechanical space and storage. And then we’re wrapping it with an outdoor eating pavilion space with some more bathrooms to serve the outdoor eating. So, yeah, it’s a great opportunity to give the building a new life, to keep a landmark…. So, people love it. It’s sort of a draw to bring people into the city.
FCI: Can you talk about the green space?
ML: Just a low-density project is great to see go in. Everyone I talk to is very excited about not another large multi-family building taking up the skyline, right? I design those. I love them too. But, there’s a place for everything.
And the opportunity to keep something smaller-scale so that people can feel like they’re in a park. That’s kind of what we’re going for. To feel like you're in a park in the city. It'll be enclosed and family-friendly, a little space to move around, and not feel cramped against the sidewalk. So there’ll be plenty of open space for seating. We’re still debating on final landscaping design. But, we’re hoping for some outdoor fire pits and things like that. And outdoor umbrellas for seating. Just something that people can kind of, like, get out from underneath a roof and be able to enjoy some time outside.
FCI: And it’s family friendly? Older and younger?
ML: It’ll be a good mix of both.
FCI: So you’ll be right here in the heart of Falls Church City. How does that feel?
ML: It’s great. It's a central location that just gives great access to everyone in the city. It’s such a great city, with a fun, vibrant population. And it also has the ability to draw people from Arlington, from McLean, from Annandale, and bring some vibrancy to the city. You know, night life, etcetera.
So, setting up my firm in Falls Church, I wanted something that was more affordable than in Arlington, that my staff could potentially live in, or live above in Pearson Square. I was hoping for that. And to just see the resurgence to the city and the infilling of some of the blight like the Stratford is currently very exciting.
FCI: Anything else you’d like to say to Falls Church?
ML: Sure. We’re excited to be in the city. We’re proud of our space. We’re excited to set up design consults for single family homeowners. And we’re also excited to be working in D.C. and doing some larger infill multi-families. So thanks for making us feel welcome!
By Christopher Jones
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