Inova “Tops Out” New Alexandria Hospital at Landmark Site as Dual Campuses Rise Together

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Inova, the leading nonprofit healthcare system in Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C. area, marked a major construction milestone Monday at the former Landmark Mall site, where the future WestEnd medical campus is rapidly taking shape—one of two hospital sites topping out simultaneously.

A group of invited dignitaries, elected officials, and project leaders signed the final steel beam, a traditional ceremony marking the moment a building reaches its full structural height. The beam, covered in signatures, will remain permanently embedded within the hospital. Earlier in the day, a matching ceremony was held at Inova’s Franconia-Springfield site, underscoring the system’s coordinated effort to build what leaders describe as one hospital across two campuses.

Speakers at the Alexandria event included Dr. J. Stephen Jones, president and CEO of Inova, and Dr. Rina Bansal, Inova Alexandria Hospital president and senior vice president of Inova.

Asked what distinguishes the two facilities, Jones made clear the answer lies not in the buildings, but in the care. “It’s the care. It’s identical care,” he told The Zebra, emphasizing that wherever Inova operates, it is committed to delivering the same standard. The Alexandria and Franconia campuses, he explained, are “really one hospital,” a model shaped by the simple reality that no single site could accommodate a full replacement of the existing hospital.

That commitment is perhaps most visible in Alexandria’s new Schar Cancer Center, a major addition to the Landmark campus that will bring advanced oncology services directly into the city. Gesturing toward the structure that will house the facility, Jones told Zebra patients can expect the same level of treatment currently offered at the cancer center’s flagship location. “We are providing the same cancer care that we currently provide at Inova Fairfax. You’re going to have the same level of high-quality care,” he said, adding that the investment signals a clear commitment to the cancer care community in Alexandria.

For Vice Mayor Sarah Bagley, the moment represented a striking transformation of a site long seen as a challenge for the city. She recalled standing there in September 2024 — uncertain whether the vision would fully come together. “That day we were here with sledgehammers in our hands to knock down the former mall,” she said. “And it wasn’t a given that we’d be here today,” adding that the project’s progress reflects persistence, creativity, and a shared commitment to seeing the vision through.

Among the invited dignitaries in attendance were Virginia Senator Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, Delegate R. Kirk McPike, City Councilmembers Canek Aguirre and Abdel-Rahman Elnoubi, as well as former Mayor Justin Wilson and former City Manager Mark Jinks. Jones told the crowd he was simply “blown away” by the scale and pace of the project.

For Bansal, the milestone carries both forward-looking ambition and deep historical roots. Alexandria Hospital has served the community for more than 150 years, she noted, and the new campus reflects an evolution of that legacy. The goal is not just new construction, but spaces designed to feel “modern, intimate, and welcoming,” ensuring the next generation of care is delivered in an environment built around patients.

Together, the Alexandria and Franconia-Springfield campuses—topped out on the same day—are being developed in tandem as a unified system designed to expand access, modernize care, and bring high-quality services closer to where patients live.