As Arlington leaders consider ending public access to a Rosslyn observation deck in exchange for $14 million, a civic association is seeking an additional benefit.
A proposal to eliminate public access to the “View of D.C.” is scheduled to go before the Arlington County Board on Monday. Funding from the proposed deal with CoStar Group, which announced earlier this year that it is relocating to 1201 Wilson Blvd, would fund a major overhaul of Rosslyn’s Gateway Park several years earlier than previously expected, county staff have said.
A letter from the North Rosslyn Civic Association, however, refers to “angst” and “much push back” from residents over the proposed deal.
“Arlington County residents’ use of the Observation Deck was certainly a community benefit for increased density and other development variances,” the letter says. “This community benefit will be taken from the community. A public place that was promised will be eliminated and will be missed.”
To help soften the blow, the organization wants CoStar to provide a space for civic association meetings up to four times per year. Specifically, the group requests access to a furnished room on at least the 20th story of CoStar’s property to hold meetings of up to three and a half hours in length.
“Nonprofits have few resources and meeting space is at a premium,” the letter says. “We believe this is a reasonable request and not dissimilar to what Amazon has provided in their new Headquarters.”
As part of a larger HQ2 community benefits package, Amazon agreed to provide an event space with a capacity for up to 700 people, free of charge, for county events at least four times per year.
The “View of D.C.” observation area previously charged admission but it didn’t catch on as a commercial venture and in 2019 changed to being free to the public. It is on the 31st floor of 1201 Wilson Blvd and provides 360-degree views of D.C. and Northern Virginia.
While the County Board has not yet considered the proposed deal with CoStar, county staff are currently wrapping up a second round of community feedback on ideas for improvements to Gateway Park. Three proposed options all involve keeping popular features including Gateway Park’s lawns and dog park, while adding more greenery and new areas geared toward a variety of activities.
