ALEXANDRIA, Va. (DC News Now) -- In Alexandria, efforts to create more affordable housing are starting to take shape. There are plans to potentially convert an office building that has been empty for decades into homes. 5001 Eisenhower Ave. has been vacant since 2003. The 600,000-plus square foot building was once the U.S. Army Material Command, but the Alexandria building has sat empty since its move to Ft. Belvoir. It makes up 3% of the city's office vacancy rate, which is just over 15%. "It's like 20 years worth of work," said Councilmember Sarah Bagley. Animal Welfare League of Arlington hosting Santa Paws photo opportunity at Dogma Bakery The proposal that the city council is considering would give the property owner of the building a partial property tax abatement. In exchange, the building would turn into 378 rent-controlled units, the majority of them affordable or workforce units. Those eligible for those units would make between 50% to 80% of the area median income. The city also discussed a second phase of the project, which would bring additional units to an adjacent lot, as well as an affordable daycare and retail space. "This committed affordable housing does not exist in this neighborhood or area of the city," said Helen McIlvaine, Alexandria's director of the Office of Housing. "It would be something new here." The city hopes if the plan advances it could revitalize the area, which is near the Van Dorn Metro Station. "It's a beautiful multi-use zone," said Peter Brown, of Alexandria. "I mean, you've got a lot of offices, you've got a lot of residential, I see it as the new end of Alexandria at this point." GIANT Company donates thousands of turkeys to Virginia, Maryland to help feed families for Thanksgiving Councilmember, and now-Mayor-elect Alyia Gaskins, said this plan is a good way to solve an ongoing problem. "We need new solutions or new tools to address our affordability challenges," she said. "And so I'm glad to see us kind of experimenting with tools we used in other spaces, and really thinking about how they can help us achieve our housing goals." The city council will hold a public hearing on Saturday.