Long-awaited plans for the redevelopment of the Park Shirlington apartment complex into affordable homes are now moving forward.

Standard Communities, the affordable housing division of Standard Property Co., and the National Foundation for Affordable Housing Solutions are advancing plans to build 612 new apartments and townhomes on the property and renovate 105 existing homes. That adds up to a total of 717 units on the 16-acre site, located just south of the Village at Shirlington and adjacent to Interstate 395.

The developers plan to build 189 new apartments in a first phase of the project, then subsequently build about 267 more apartments and 156 townhomes, according initial plans presented to Arlington County officials. The first phase would be designed to remain affordable, multifamily housing, while the rest would be a mix of “missing middle housing” and homes that could be cheap enough for people further down the income ladder to purchase.

The county played a critical role…