Station on Silver, a 400-unit apartment community in Herndon, Va., is an example of the changing face of the suburbs.
There has been a renewed focus on the suburbs in 2020. Multi-Housing News reported in August that vacancy rates in suburban markets dipped below those in central business districts in the second quarter of this year for the first time in years.
While much of the coverage of this shift has focused on individuals’ wish to move out of crowded urban centers because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this shift predates the pandemic. The gap in vacancy rates between urban and suburban markets began to narrow in 2016 due to a number of factors, including maturing millennials looking to start families and individuals seeking more affordable rents.
But there’s no question that those leaving cities have become accustomed to a high level of quality finishes and living space, which CIP Finishes has played a role in creating in both urban and suburban communities.
CIP Finishes got its start in 1986 not in large urban markets, but in below-the-beltway counties in Virginia that were not yet seeing the flood of commuters to Washington, D.C., that has characterized their growth in the years since.
“Back then, we were installing wire shelving and other hardware in mostly garden apartment complexes,” CIP President Paul Milde says.
The company has expanded the range of products it furnishes and installs as builders have continued to up the level of luxury of multi-family communities in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Arlington and Alexandria.
But CIP Finishes has also been involved in bringing that same high level of quality interior finishes to communities in the outer rings of the D.C. market.
“These aren’t the suburbs of the 1980s and ‘90s,” Milde says. “People who move out from the urban centers have come to expect a certain level of amenities, fixtures and a general quality of living space. We are proud to work with some of the same builders who brought this level of quality to urban developments, on projects that will bring new life to some of these suburban areas. These developments will become exciting new places for people to live, work and play.”
Suburban communities in which CIP Finishes is active include:
- Reston, Va. – The planned expansion of Metro’s Silver Line through the Dulles Corridor has brought new life to this Virginia community. CIP Finishes has installed finishing hardware in multiple communities at Reston Town Center, the transit-oriented Lincoln at Wiehle Station community, the luxury VY at Reston Heights and more. CIP Finishes has also been a part of the Station on Silver community farther out in Herndon, Va., as well as multiple projects in the Tysons area, closer in on the Silver Line.
- Rockville, Md. – This town on Metro’s Red Line has become popular for quality-of-life amenities like parks and green space. CIP Finishes has participated in some innovative live-work developments here, such as Pike & Rose, a mixed-use development of shops, residences and offices, and the Perry at Park Potomac, a 298-unit luxury apartment community.
- Greenbelt, Md. – Greenbelt is another example of a transit-oriented community that offers some breathing room from the urban center. CIP Finishes is furnishing and installing interior finishes in NRP Group’s Motiva community a half-mile from the Greenbelt Metro station. Two five-story apartment buildings will hold 354 units.
These are just a few of the communities we are working in, in addition to the strong redevelopment we continue to be a part of in inner D.C. neighborhoods. Our work also includes new communities in Richmond, Hampton Roads, Woodbridge and Falls Church, Va., as well as Laurel, New Carrolton, Gaithersburg and other localities in Maryland. To see the full picture of where we are working, take a look at the map on our website.