Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) delivers remarks at Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon HQ2 in Pentagon City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Staircase as seen at Amazon HQ2 grand opening (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Following the lead of drummers with the Alexandria City High School marching band, an audience filed into a new auditorium Amazon built in Pentagon City.
Members of the Arlington County Board, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and Amazon corporate employees filled the first few rows of seats.
When the band stopped playing, and applause petered out, Amazon’s Vice President of Economic Development Holly Sullivan took the stage. She introduced a cast of dignitaries, all here for a long-anticipated reason: to cut the ribbon for the first phase of Amazon’s second global headquarters, dubbed Metropolitan Park, or Met Park.
Approved in 2019, work started on the first phase in early 2020 and continued despite the pandemic. It is composed of two towers — named Merlin and Jasper — which span 2.1 million square feet at the corner of S. Eads Street and 15th Streets S.
At their base are a host of shops, restaurants, a preschool, and a publicly accessible park with a dog run (which already had dogs running around), a sculpture garden and water feature.
In his remarks, Youngkin listed these and more features, joking the second campus “should be HQ1” — instead of its first headquarters in Seattle. He applauded Amazon for its commitment to Arlington.
“We celebrate this partnership as it is building a better and brighter future right here in Virginia,” he said. “The Amazon team is truly engaged fully, not just in their business, but in Virginia. So thank you.”
Of Arlington, the governor said the county “is in a critical drive of not just economic development, but future development for our nation and our world.”
Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey emphasized the ways Amazon offset its arrival — and the predicted housing crunch it would cause — through millions of dollars invested in affordable housing. This increased Arlington’s stock of affordable units by about 20%.
“Amazon found what it needed here in Arlington. But Arlington was also looking for someone. We looked to Amazon to look to our community and its values and embrace them as their own,” Dorsey said.
Another value was sustainability, according to Lee DeLong, Clark Construction Capitol Group CEO. The building is carbon neutral and draws energy from a solar farm the tech company helped to fund in southwestern Virginia.
“This building features embedded carbon dioxide, removing it from the environment to reduce construction waste,” he said. “Over 82% of the debris was recycled and therefore diverted from landfills.”
The mood today celebrated everything achieved until this point — but there is still work to do.
For starters, some construction is ongoing and employees are still moving in, according to Sullivan.
“We’re continuing construction on our upper floors right now,” she told ARLnow after the event. “We’re soon going to bring teams in — team by team — to work out any kinks within their space. By the fall we will have all 8,000 employees moved into Met Park.”
This month, DC Startup & Tech Week (DCSTW) marks its 10th anniversary, celebrating a decade of entrepreneurship, collaboration and innovation across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia tech ecosystem. The annual event, running Oct. 20–24, 2025, will once again unite thousands of founders, investors and innovators for a week of sessions, workshops and networking opportunities.
This milestone year carries special significance for Arlington. On Thursday, Oct. 23, for the second time, DCSTW will host a full day of programming in Arlington. This year will take place at Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington’s National Landing — a symbolic nod to the region’s rise as a global innovation hub.
The day is sponsored by Arlington Economic Development (AED), which worked with DCSTW to bring programming to Arlington. The partnership underscores Arlington’s growing role as a magnet for startups, investors and enterprises driving the future of technology, defense and artificial intelligence.
“Celebrating our 10th anniversary at Amazon HQ2 in Arlington is a defining moment that showcases the DMV’s transformation into a thriving epicenter of innovation globally — and this is only the beginning,” said Rachel Koretsky, co-founder and co-chair of DCSTW. “By bringing together the brightest entrepreneurs, boldest investors, and most passionate builders from across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, we’re proving that when our region unites, we don’t just compete with other ecosystems — we redefine what’s possible.”
Thursday at Amazon HQ2: Panels that Define the DMV Advantage
Thursday’s sessions at HQ2 will spotlight why the DMV has become one of the nation’s most dynamic places to build and scale a company.
At 10:10 a.m., the first panel, held on the Merlin Large Main Stage, will explore why founders are choosing to build and grow in the DMV region. Moderated by Matt Gittleman of VC in DC, the discussion will feature Gerald Kierce of Trustible, Ivan Jackson of WriteHuman.ai, and Haley Bryant of Hustle Fund. Together, they’ll examine what sets the region apart for startups — from its deep talent pool and access to federal partners to a growing network of investors and accelerators.
At 1:45 p.m., don’t miss “The $100B Defense Tech Opportunity: Why AI & Autonomous Startups Are Winning in the DMV.” Moderated by AWS Defense, the discussion will feature Blake Souter of AeroVironment, Christian Seifert of Forterra and Dr. Jenny McArdle of Helsing, among others. The session will examine how the DMV’s defense and intelligence ecosystem is fueling breakthroughs in AI, autonomy and dual-use technologies.
Arlington’s Moment
For Arlington, hosting DCSTW’s 10th anniversary reflects its growing influence in the region’s innovation economy. We hope you’ll join us as Arlington takes center stage during D.C.’s biggest week for entrepreneurs.
Tickets for DC Startup & Tech Week are available at dcstw.com. Attendees can receive 20% off with the promo code AED20OFF.
Northside Social in Clarendon (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
The makeshift outdoor dining areas that sprung up in the early days of Covid, and gradually took on a more permanent feel, could be here to stay.
On Tuesday, the Arlington County Board voted to hold hearings next month mulling zoning changes that would give most restaurants a way to add outdoor seating areas without special Board approval.
Restaurants were able to do this during the pandemic — adapting to social distancing and indoor gathering regulations — via a special county program that is ending on Aug. 15.
Under the proposed ordinances, temporary outdoor seating areas (TOSAs) that are on private property and on public sidewalks within rights-of-way would be approved administratively. Those on privately owned public spaces, like the patio outside the seafood spot Seamore’s in Clarendon, would require a County Board use permit.
How outdoor seating areas could be approved (via Arlington County)
Restaurants could go to the Board to have parking spots converted to outdoor dining space.
The proposed ordinance changes, which will be discussed in a Board meeting on July 15, have been under development for the last year. The county says the code changes support local businesses, about 100 of which have TOSAs, and account for livability concerns some residents raised.
“This is a huge body of work. A huge thanks to staff, who’ve been working on this comprehensively for a while,” Board Chair Christian Dorsey said. “I know it seems like a simple issue to some, but as you peel layers of the onion, you continue to find more complexity.”
The Board initially approved TOSAs early in the pandemic to help restaurants circumvent the typically lengthy process for getting an outdoor dining permit. These spaces were popular for offsetting revenue lost to closures and social distancing and for creating a safer dining experience.
As the pandemic wore on, the Board allowed TOSAs in common areas, such as plazas, and for restaurants to continue operating them at full capacity once the indoor capacity restrictions lifted.
“It was a life saver for our family and employees and continues to be a large part of our business,” Lebanese Taverna Executive Vice President Grace Shea said during a forum hosted by the Arlington Committee of 100 on Wednesday night.
Now, she says, it brings more people to the restaurant.
“Outdoor seating enhances the streetscape of where the restaurant is. It attracts people by creating a welcoming atmosphere,” she said. “It’s also additional revenue that we do not have to pay rent for.”
In 2021, Arlington County signaled plans to study early a dozen separate policies governing outdoor cafés to figure out how to make TOSAs permanent. That started in the fall of 2022, after a local Covid emergency order ended.
County staff say it heard both support and concerns from the community. One strong supporter is the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.
“The Chamber and the county both agree that we want to make this transition smooth for restaurant owners who want this outdoor dining,” said John Musso, the government affairs manager for the Chamber, at Wednesday’s forum. “We’re looking forward to continuing this conversation.”
Shelby is the softest girl who will look at you adoringly with her pensive blue eyes.
She loves pets, particularly under her chin and on her butt. While she isn’t a total lap kitty yet, she likes to check in for a cuddle and some biscuit-making when she’s in the right mood. Shelby is still a bit nervous about new people, so she’ll probably benefit from a family that is happy to give her the time that she needs to settle in and gain her confidence.
She hasn’t shown much interest in toys or her feline foster sister, but she does really enjoy looking out the window and snoozing under pieces of furniture.
Want your pet to be considered for the Arlington Pet of the Week? Email [email protected] with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet. Please don’t send vertical photos — they don’t fit in our photo gallery!
