development | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published January 22, 2021 at 7:30AM | Updated January 22, 2021 at 11:15AM

Megachurch Coming to Courthouse — “McLean Bible Church aims to lease about 10,000 square feet at 1310 N. Courthouse Road, according to documents submitted by MRP to Arlington planners earlier this month. The church would be able to host up to 450 worshippers in this new space, and use some other portions of it for classrooms and offices.” [Washington Business Journal]

Crane Erection to Close Street — Updated at 11:15 a.m. — The erection of a crane at an apartment construction site in Pentagon City, near HQ2, will result in a road closure. The work, however, has been postponed after initially being scheduled this weekend. [Twitter]

News

County Board to Review Rosslyn Residential Development That Preserves Church and Gas Station

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 20, 2021 at 1:15PM | Updated January 20, 2021 at 1:48PM

The north tower over the Arlington Temple United Methodist Church and Sunoco gas station at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive

The Arlington County Board is slated to review plans for two residential towers at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive that include substantial affordable housing contributions.

The proposal from Arlington-based Snell Properties would replace the Ames Center office building across from the Rosslyn Metro station. A south tower will abut the Hyatt Centric hotel and a north tower will surround the existing Arlington Temple United Methodist Church and Sunoco gas station, dubbed “Our Lady of Exxon.”

News

Construction Underway for Second of Two Residential Buildings at Pentagon Centre

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 14, 2021 at 4:30PM | Updated January 14, 2021 at 5:14PM

Construction is underway at Pentagon Centre in Pentagon City (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

The second of two residential towers at Pentagon Centre, in Pentagon City, is taking shape at 15th Street S. and S. Hayes Street.

This past spring, work began on The Milton, an 11-story building with 253 residential units and 15,541 square feet of ground-floor retail. It follows on the heels of a 26-story, 440-unit residential tower with 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail called The Witmer (710 12th Street S.), which opened in July 2019.

News

County Seeks Feedback on Three Ideas for a Planned Park Near HQ2

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 13, 2021 at 3:45PM

A rendering of the proposed design concept for the new park at the "Teardrop Parcel" on S. Eads Street (via Arlington County)

Architects have developed three different visions for the new park at S. Eads Street and Army Navy Drive, an open space and proposed park in Crystal City.

Through Friday, Arlington County is once more accepting feedback on the space, which borders Pentagon City and is also known as the “Teardrop Parcel.” A third online engagement period will occur in February.

News

Proposal for Two New Residential Towers in Crystal City Enters Home Stretch

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 12, 2021 at 3:45PM

JBG Smith's renderings of its proposed mixed-use, multifamily towers (via Arlington County)

JBG Smith is proposing to replace the Crystal Plaza One office building with two multifamily towers in Crystal City.

As part of the project, the Bethesda-based developer will be shifting S. Clark Street to the east to create a new S. Clark-Bell Street and “create greater connectivity” in the area, according to a recent JBG Smith presentation.

News

Residential Proposal for RCA Building Makes Progress Under New Developer

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 8, 2021 at 2:30PM | Updated March 4, 2021 at 11:52AM

A rendering of 1901 N. Moore St (Photo via Arlington County)

(Updated 3/4/21) McLean-based Jefferson Apartment Group has taken over plans to convert the RCA building in Rosslyn into a 27-story mixed-use residential complex.

The next steps for the proposed retail and residential building at 1901 N. Moore Street include community engagement — an online feedback form available through next Wednesday — and site plan reviews in February and March.

News

County Seeks Feedback on Proposed Changes to Clarendon Sector Plan

By Jo DeVoe

Published January 6, 2021 at 9:30AM

Proposed changes to the Clarendon Sector Plan (Image via Arlington County)

Time is ticking down to weigh in on the initial phases of an update to the development plan for the Clarendon neighborhood.

Arlington County is inviting people to provide online feedback on proposed updates to the 2006 Clarendon Sector Plan through Friday, Jan. 8.

News

Americana Hotel Bought, May Be Redeveloped as Apartments

By ARLnow.com

Published December 21, 2020 at 10:45AM

Crystal City's Americana Hotel

JBG Smith announced today that it has acquired the Americana Hotel in Crystal City and intends to redevelop the property as an apartment building.

The family-owned hotel at 1400 Richmond Highway closed earlier this month after nearly 50 years in business and at least one appearance in a major motion picture.

News

Construction Wraps Up on Crystal City Building That Will House Amazon Offices

By ARLnow.com

Published December 17, 2020 at 12:00PM | Updated December 17, 2020 at 12:16PM

1770 Crystal Drive (photo courtesy JBG Smith)

Construction has wrapped up on one of Amazon’s new, temporary office buildings in Crystal City.

The renovation project, part of developer JBG Smith’s extensive development plan for the area, helped to modernize the office building’s 273,000 square feet of space while giving the exterior a shiny new glass-and-steel look.

News

County Officials Not Fazed by Drop-Off in Development in 2020

By Jo DeVoe

Published December 14, 2020 at 5:00PM | Updated December 14, 2020 at 5:17PM

The Highlands development, seen from The View of DC in Rosslyn in November 2020 (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

(Updated at 5:15 p.m.) Few office and retail spaces were approved or completed in the first three quarters of 2020, but Arlington officials say it is too early to attribute the drop to the pandemic or consider it a trend at all.

The 2020 third quarter report on retail, office, hotel and residential development appears to show that the rates at which projects are approved, buildings are demolished, and construction starts and ends have dropped off in 2020. Meanwhile, the demolition and redevelopment of single-family detached homes appears to remain consistent.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published December 14, 2020 at 8:30AM

Green Building Update — “The County Board today adopted an update to the Green Building Incentive Policy for site plan projects that strengthens Arlington’s commitment to sustainability and carbon neutrality… ‘By raising the bar on green building incentives for site plan developments, Arlington is reaffirming our commitment to our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050,’ Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey said.” [Arlington County]

Big Storm Expected Mid-Week — “A major winter storm is set to wallop the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast on Wednesday and Thursday, with many areas from western Virginia to southern New England expected to see heavy snowfall. But for the immediate Washington area, a messy mix of precipitation is more likely than a major snowstorm.” [Capital Weather Gang, Twitter]

News

Video: Implosion of Rosslyn Holiday Inn Hotel Tower

By ARLnow.com

Published December 13, 2020 at 8:55AM | Updated December 13, 2020 at 9:19PM

Implosion of the Rosslyn Holiday Inn hotel in Dec. 2020 (file photo)

(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) The 18-story former Holiday Inn hotel in Rosslyn came down this morning during a controlled demolition that closed local roads and I-66.

The implosion, which was scheduled for 8 a.m., brought down the 50-year-old hotel tower and could be heard for miles around. A large dust cloud covered much of the area afterward.