JBG demolished the previous garden apartments on this site last year, but its Rosslyn Commons project has been stalled since then. Work is expected to begin in December. (Photo: TBD Staff)

Work could begin on the two-tower Rosslyn Commons residential complex sometime in December, and developer JBG is planning a groundbreaking event for sometime in January, development manager Bryan Moll tells TBD.

The project includes 474 units, including 55 affordable apartments. The two towers will be completed simultaneously, while the town houses also included in JBG's site plan will be completed in a later phase, either by the developer or by a partner.

Construction is expected to take between 24 and 27 months, meaning the first tenants could be moving in in late 2012 or early 2013. The site plan was originally approved by Arlington County in 2008.

The developer also hasn't ruled out the possibility that the smaller of the two towers will be marketed as condominiums, Moll says, although a final decision on that hasn't been made at this time. JBG would likely finalize the apartment-condo split a few months after beginning construction.

"The market has certainly come back for condominiums, we think there’s potentially a good opportunity for that there," Moll says. "We'll make that call within a few months of beginning construction."