development

County Solicits Public Input on Plans for Vacant Wendy’s Lot

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Arlington County is inviting the public to provide feedback on the planned development for the vacant Wendy’s lot at 2025 Clarendon Blvd.

Greystar Real Estate Partners is proposing to turn the 0.57-acre lot about a block from the Courthouse Metro station into a 16-story apartment building, with up to 231 residential units and 4,000 square feet of retail.

Through Thursday, Sept. 16, residents can comment on land use — whether the building should be used for apartments or offices — as well as building size, architecture, transportation and open space.

Initially, the project was set to be an office building, proposed by the former developer, Carr Properties. After receiving the County Board’s go-ahead in 2015, the fast food spot was demolished in 2016 but the office building never materialized. The vacant lot has instead been used as a staging area for 2000 Clarendon, a condo project across the street.

A Greystar representative said in a presentation that Carr could not secure a tenant for the office building. So the new developer has turned to apartments instead.

“While a conversion from office to residential use will always require some changes to a building, we took a fresh look at the previously approved project, while changing it to fit a residential floor plan and adding a modest amount of additional height,” the representative said.

For the new project, the county and Greystar are interested in feedback on the architecture.

Greystar and architect Cooper Carry liken the building to a ship, said county planner Adam Watson. At the “prow,” pointing west towards N. Courthouse Road, an “angular glass vessel” set on marble-clad columns will rise above the plaza, while the façades along Clarendon and Wilson Blvd will feature red brick, he said.

“We really look forward to hearing your thoughts and comments on what you’d like to see in terms of signature gateway architecture at the site,” he said.

A 1,497-square-foot public pedestrian plaza will sit under the columns, at the intersection of Courthouse Road, Wilson Blvd, and Clarendon Blvd. Greystar is looking to fill the retail space with a restaurant that can use the plaza for outdoor dining, according to a spokesman.

Below ground, the new project includes a parking ratio of .32 spaces per unit, for a total of 74 spaces for residents, but no retail parking, according to a staff presentation. There will be 252 secure bicycle parking spaces and eight visitor spaces.

At 16 stories and 165.5 feet tall, the project clocks in much taller than recommended maximum of 10 stories in the Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study. But Greystar has a plan for securing its desired height and density.

The project includes a 104,789 square foot transfer of development rights from Wakefield Manor, a small garden-apartment complex less than a half-mile from the proposed development. The housing on N. Courthouse Road — featuring art deco and moderne design elements — has a historic easement, according to the county.

After the comment period ends, the county expects to hold virtual site plan review committee meetings in October and November. Dates for commission meetings and a final approval from the County Board have yet to be determined.

Construction to Start on Office Building, Public Plaza in Virginia Square

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Developer and construction company Skanska announced it will be breaking ground on a nine-story office building in the Virginia Square area this fall.

The site, at 3901 N. Fairfax Drive, is an undeveloped parcel near Quincy Park currently operating as a temporary parking lot. Skanska intends to build an office building with ground-floor retail and a public plaza.

Construction work, including mobilization and site prep, will begin later this month, a spokeswoman said. Excavation and drilling activities will begin in early October. Skanska expects to finish the project in 2023.

Breaking ground will be the first action the site has seen in nearly a decade. It used to be home to a funeral home that was demolished to make way for a development. The project languished until the property was purchased by Skanska in 2019.

“Our proximity to Ballston’s vibrant urban community, a variety of transit options, and Arlington’s concentrated talent pool will make the office building an exciting and attractive business environment,” said Mark Carroll, the executive vice president of Skanska.

Once completed, 3901 Fairfax will have 191,000 square feet of office space, as well as 10,000 square feet of retail space and an 8,000-square foot public plaza.

“Designed in collaboration with Arlington County and the surrounding community, the plaza design differentiates 3901 from other mixed-use office developments in the region by prioritizing access to outdoor green space, community engagement and programming,” the company said.

Tenants will have access to a rooftop conference center that can fit 100 people and will feature a catering kitchen and expansive rooftop deck. There will be private outdoor space on certain floors, a ground-level fitness center and three levels of below-grade parking with electric car charging stations.

The project is targeting LEED Gold and WiredScore certifications, related to sustainability and digital connectivity, respectively. According to Skanska, the project became the first in the D.C. area to be recognized by the International WELL Building Institute for its focus on health and well-being.

“Our team’s vision is to bring a new caliber of office space into a post-COVID world that is committed to meeting and exceeding the highest health, safety, and sustainability standards,” Carroll said.

More Ghost Kitchens Appear in Clarendon Parking Lot Eyed for Redevelopment

By Jo DeVoe
1/8

A kitchen trailer in Clarendon that popped up last summer in a vacant lot has since been joined by two others.

And now they’re producing meals from more than a half-dozen “ghost kitchens” available on food delivery platforms such as DoorDash and Grubhub. Out of these kitchens come fried chicken sandwiches, asada fries and Asian street food, among other dishes.

The three trailers between the Clarendon Whole Foods and the PNC Bank are owned by REEF Technology, a company focused on turning underutilized, urban parking lots into food and logistics hubs. The food service arm of Reef is called NBRHD Kitchens.

In total, according to signage on the property, these three trailers produce meals for seven restaurant concepts. They’ll be bringing activity the vacant lot while Arlington County embarks on a special study to determine if the zoning codes for the property, near the border of the Clarendon and Courthouse neighborhoods, should allow for a new apartment building.

“REEF launched its delivery restaurants in Arlington in June 2020, being the first municipality in which the company establishes its operations,” the company tells ARLnow. “REEF’s delivery restaurants in Arlington are among the highest performing.”

The company also has two kitchen hubs in D.C. — at P Street NW and K Street NE — and each can support between four and six brands. But REEF did hint at possible expansion.

“As Arlington continues to be a great performing location, REEF continues to look at opportunities to grow its footprint in terms of delivery restaurants and other business verticals,” REEF said.

REEF’s growth and expansion mirrors the trends that the food delivery platforms DoorDash and Grubhub tell ARLnow they’re observing. Spokespeople for the companies said delivery-only kitchens have proliferated particularly in the last year in response to pandemic challenges and the rising costs of establishing a physical location.

“Delivery-only virtual (or ghost) kitchens on Grubhub have been a rising trend over the last year, representing a flexible way for restaurant owners to experiment with new menu concepts, brand a subset of existing menu items, or capture unmet customer demand without adding overhead,” a Grubhub spokeswoman said.

DoorDash doesn’t collect data on the breakdown between delivery-only restaurants and those with storefronts, but the pandemic blurred that line anyway, as traditional dining establishments turned to different models to keep operating when dine-in wasn’t an option.

“For many restaurant owners, ghost kitchens provide a more cost-effective way to expand their business — reaching new markets and customers — because they don’t involve the typical overhead costs associated with opening a new restaurant,” said Emily Tung, the director of DoorDash Kitchens. “Many independent businesses have been successful in their ghost kitchen endeavors and our goal is to support our partners across all their locations and help accelerate their online success.”

But the ghost kitchen activity at this location is destined to be temporary, as the company that owns the lot aims to redevelop it.

Dubbed Courthouse West, the lot at 2636 Wilson Blvd is bounded by N. Danville Street, Clarendon Blvd, N. Cleveland Street and Wilson Blvd. The property’s owner, CRC Companies, has asked the county to change the land-use designation — which currently allows for one- to four-story buildings — to one that allows for hotels or taller apartments.

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Arlington Firefighters Move Into New Fire Station 10 in Rosslyn

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

Arlington County firefighters have moved into their new, permanent Fire Station 10 in Rosslyn last Monday.

The new station, a brick building with retractable glass doors, sits at the base of one of the high-rise building in The Highlands development, two apartment towers and one condo tower on the 1500 block of Wilson Blvd.

Nearly five years ago, the County Board voted to relocate the firefighters from an aging single-story station along Wilson Blvd — which was demolished to make way for The Highlands — to a temporary station at 1791 N. Quinn Street while the new station was built. Members chose to locate the station next to the construction site for The Heights, now home to the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program and the Shriver Program, which opened in 2019.

“We cannot say thank you enough for all who have designed, funded, and built the station,” said Fire Chief David Povlitz.

The pandemic will not allow for station tours, but ACFD looks forward to sharing the features of the fire station through various media content through social media sites, said Lt. Nathaniel Hiner, a spokesman for the department.

“This is a world class facility that will allow our members to serve the community for many generations to come, while providing our firefighters a safe and comfortable work location,” he said. “The station incorporates many modern design features that improve responder turnout, safety, health, and wellness along with the ability for the department to adapt to changing needs of the community for years to come.”

The station will house a fire engine, paramedic ambulance, and technical rescue support unit, Hiner said. There are six personnel consisting of an officer, three firefighters and two medics assigned on each of three shifts.

Construction on the three towers of The Highlands, which started in October 2018, is wrapping up. The fire station appears to have finished earlier than developer Penzance anticipated. A spokeswoman previously told ARLnow the station would be ready in the fall, along with a new apartment tower and condo tower.

Passersby can see a 35-foot tall sculpture of a bronze nozzle with twisting spirals of stainless steel, representing water. At night, light illuminates the stainless spirals. The art installation, a tribute to firefighters, marks the first time public art has adorned a fire station.

Baltimore artists David and Eli Hess were commissioned for the art, which was funded by Penzance as a part of the development process.

Fire Station 10 is part of the 2015 Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study, which created a plan for developing the neighborhood. Other parts of the study included The Heights school building, the new Rosslyn Highlands Park and the recently completed Queens Court Residences affordable housing development (1801 N. Quinn Street), which features a new playground on-site.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

County Board Member Talks Gondola — “Christian Dorsey (D) said the county will have to decide whether it makes sense to commit public money to the project. ‘It’s a fairly short walk from the Rosslyn Metro station to that station in Georgetown,’ he said. In 2017, the county board said in a letter that it would not fund the gondola project despite agreeing to commit $35,000 to a feasibility study. ‘We viewed it as more of a luxury concept than an essential transportation service,’ Dorsey said.” [Washington Post]

Alexandria Mayor Gabs About Gondola — “‘Gondola, yes or no?’ Sherwood asked. ‘Anything that provides new transportation options is a good thing,’ Wilson said. ‘We’ve experimented more with ferries. The river is typically the challenge.'” [ALXnow]

Some Residents Remain Amazon Averse — “Amazon’s efforts to integrate its massive HQ2 campus into its Arlington community have come in all shapes and sizes. And while some of its neighbors acknowledge those efforts, they point to some key unanswered questions around the tech giant’s engagement strategy and eventual effects on their terrain. Still, many remain positive about the latest, and biggest, corporate addition to their communities.” [Washington Business Journal]

GMU Mulls Ways to Enliven Arlington Campus — “More vibrant outdoor areas and the potential of mid-level pedestrian bridges connecting academic buildings are among the possibilities to help the Arlington campus of George Mason University as it grows and evolves. Efforts should be focuses on ‘bringing some life and energy’ to areas like the exterior courtyard area fronting Fairfax Drive, said Gregory Janks, the consultant leading an effort to reimagine Mason’s Fairfax, Arlington and Prince William campuses.” [Sun Gazette]

New Bikeshare Station in Arlington Mill — From Capital Bikeshare: “STATION ALERT: Check out the newly installed station at 8th Rd and S Frederick St in Arlington.” [Twitter]

JBG Sells Hotels to Fund Development — “A fund managed by JBG Smith Properties is selling off two hotels near Reagan National Airport as the developer readies for still more construction in and around Arlington and Alexandria… In an earnings call this month, JBG Smith CEO Matt Kelly said the company would use asset sales, along with ground leases and recapitalizations, to harvest some of the value of its properties as it readies an extensive development pipeline totaling nearly 10 million square feet.” [Washington Business Journal]

Ballston: Manhattan Near the Potomac — “Three [census] tracts make a slice of Ballston the highest-density residential neighborhood in Greater Washington. For decades, Arlington’s plans have encouraged high-rise residential and office on the blocks immediately along the Orange Line corridor, while strictly limiting additional homes even a short walk away. All those people in close proximity can support a wide array of dining choices and retailers, including multiple groceries and pharmacies; the tract’s 94 Walk Score makes it a ‘walker’s paradise.'” [GGWash]

Local Storms Not Getting Significantly Worse — “One local weather expert says he hasn’t seen much evidence to suggest D.C. storms in recent years have been getting more severe, or even more frequent. ‘In some years we have a lot, in some years we have very little, depending on how the day-to-day weather trends add up over the course of the year,’ said Christopher Strong, a Sterling, Virginia-based warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service.” [DCist]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Review Process Set to Begin for Wendy’s Development Project in Courthouse

By Jo DeVoe
1/4

The county review process is just about to begin for Greystar Real Estate Partners’ proposed redevelopment project for the vacant Wendy’s site in Courthouse.

It’s the same process that former developer Carr Properties went through seven years ago to get county approval to build an office building. After Carr received the County Board’s go-ahead in 2015, the fast food spot was demolished in 2016 but the office building never materialized.

For almost five years the triangle lot sat vacant; for the last two years it was used as a construction staging area for the 2000 Clarendon condo project across the street. Now, the site plan review process is about to kick off for Greystar’s plans to turn the 0.57-acre lot at 2025 Wilson Blvd into a 16-story apartment building, with up to 231 residential units and 4,000 square feet of retail, according to the county’s site plan website.

In September, residents will have an online engagement opportunity in which they can comment on land use, building size, architecture, transportation and open space. Site plan review meetings are slated for the fall, but dates for the final approvals from the Planning Commission and the County Board are still to be determined.

As part of the project, Greystar proposes a nearly 3,300-square-foot public pedestrian plaza at the intersection of N. Courthouse Road, Wilson Blvd, and Clarendon Blvd. The plaza, with movable tables and chairs and space for temporary vendors, would surround a possible retail entrance at the tip of the Wendy’s site, facing N. Courthouse Road.

The project includes a 104,789 sq. ft. transfer of development rights from “Wakefield Manor,” a small garden-apartment complex less than a half-mile from the proposed development. The housing on N. Courthouse Road — featuring Art Deco and Moderne design elements — is designated as having “a historic easement,” according to the county.

That could be part of Greystar’s plan to achieve higher density while providing affordable housing. Greystar’s proposal clocks in at 166 feet tall and 16 stories, much higher than the recommended maximum of 10 stories in the Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study.

Documents filed in April stated Greystar “is open to the provision of on-site affordable housing to further justify the increase in height” but said nothing further than that the developer is committed to “work with staff throughout the site plan process to develop an affordable housing plan.”

Another development preparing for site plan review also proposes using the transfer tool. Insight Property Group plans to transfer density from garden-style apartments it owns on Columbia Pike to the Ballston Macy’s, which is set to be redeveloped as an apartment building.

Greystar, meanwhile, has another project in the works nearby. Demolition has started of the low-slung commercial buildings that make up the Landmark Block, making way for a new 20-story apartment building adjacent to the Courthouse Metro station.

Hat tip to @CarFreeHQ2

Apartment Building with Grocery Store Proposed for Ballston Macy’s

By Jo DeVoe
1/3

Plans are taking shape for an apartment building set to replace the Macy’s store in Ballston.

Insight Property Group proposes to demolish the long-time department store and vacant office building at 685 N. Glebe Road, in the heart of Ballston. In its place would go a 16-story, 555-unit apartment complex atop a planned grocery store.

The developer plans to designate 236 units as affordable through the use of a novel zoning tool, and requests the flexibility to possibly dedicate almost half the square footage toward elder care.

The proposed project “will complete the redevelopment of this section of Ballston as well as complement the adjacent Ballston Quarter development,” write land use attorneys Nan Walsh and Andrew Painter, in a letter to the county.

The building was marketed for sale in the spring of 2020. Last summer, the County Board approved an extension until 2023 for the owner to file development plans. Aspects of these designs were first reported by UrbanTurf earlier this month.

Insight will “provide a much desired grocery store and new residential units in a building with high-quality architecture that is within short walking distance to many community amenities and transit options,” said their attorneys, from the land use firm Walsh Colucci.

At 563,336 square feet, the complex would be 198 feet tall and have 41,500 square feet of ground floor retail space. Residences would be split between a northern tower, with an entrance on Wilson Blvd, and a southern tower, with an entrance on Glebe Road. The towers would be built in two phases, UrbanTurf reported.

“The two portions of the building will have distinct, but complementary, architectural features that will form a unified composition,” write Walsh and Painter.

Insight requests “potential flexibility” to convert 201,500 square feet into elder care uses, they said.

The main grocery store entrance will be on Wilson Blvd, and the store will have 148 parking spaces — split between underground and second-floor parking. Residents will have 241 underground spaces.

An “underutilized, ‘back of house’ alley” will be transformed into a “more inviting, safe, curbless shared space for pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles,” the letter said.

Wilson Blvd and N. Glebe Road will remain largely the same, save for upgraded sidewalks. Insight will also provide bicycle parking and public art contributions.

As for affordable housing, the company aims proposes using a mechanism in the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Form Based Code to transfer density and development rights from a Columbia Pike apartment complex it owns to the Ballston site.

To do so, it needs the county to designate the Haven Apartments (5100 7th Road S.), which are garden apartments, as historically important.

That’s because the mechanism it wants to use currently allows developers to transfer density from two other garden apartments, with historic designations, to anywhere in the county. In exchange, developers commit to preserve the buildings, renovate the units and keep rent affordable.

The transfer “will ensure the preservation of committed affordable housing units and architecturally significant buildings in the Columbia Pike corridor,” the lawyers said.

Insight acquired Haven in January of 2017 for $20 million, according to the company’s website. Since then, it has rebranded the property, renovated the units, exteriors and landscaping, and replaced the property management.

County Board Approves Changes to Ames Center Development in Rosslyn

By Jo DeVoe
The north tower over the Arlington Temple United Methodist Church and Sunoco gas station at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive (via Arlington County)

The Arlington County Board approved changes at its Tuesday meeting to an already approved project for two residential towers in Rosslyn.

And the changes — including larger apartment sizes and a work-from-home space — reflect a trend toward larger layouts and more remote-work amenities in new projects in Arlington. Analysts and area developers attribute these kinds of tweaks to changing preferences during the pandemic.

Arlington-based Snell Properties is working on two towers at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive that 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, and preserve, the existing Arlington Temple United Methodist Church and Sunoco gas station, dubbed “Our Lady of Exxon.”

The Board’s vote allows to convert about 3,000 square feet of “flex” commercial office space into residential space. Snell can also move forward with a plan to cut eight apartment units, from 740 to 732, and eight parking spots, from 574 to 566, and some design revisions.

The Board unanimously approved the changes — citing support from neighboring civic associations and apartment buildings — despite a plea from a lawyer representing the Hyatt Centric hotel.

“We are worried about the deterioration of the intersection with Wilson Blvd, but most significantly, we are worried about the digging at the foundation of the Hyatt,” said Gifford Hampshire, of Blankingship & Keith, who represents the owner of the Hyatt.

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District supported the changes, the report said.

“The proposed second-floor residential amenity space and various interior/exterior design enhancements are aligned with the Rosslyn Sector Plan’s guidance and reflective of the community’s feedback,” it said.

Snell will contribute 24 units and $2.5 million in cash toward affordable housing. Additionally, it will contribute $5 million to the Fort Myer Drive tunnel project, which includes plans to convert the road into a two-way street, remove the tunnel, widen sidewalks and add protected bike lanes.

A cement plaza will separate the two towers and form one segment of a planned pedestrian pathway. This street-level walkway will replace the existing, elevated passages. Mid-block crosswalks will join the plaza to 18th Street N.

The towers will share four levels of below-grade parking and the south tower will have four levels of above-grade parking.

The south building will be built in phase one, along with an interim open space and other streetscape improvements. The north tower, the plaza and remaining streetscape improvements will be built in the second phase.

A layout of the pedestrian plaza and corridor at 1820 N. Fort Myer Drive (via Arlington County)

Future Ballston Silver Diner Spot Aims for 2022 Opening

By Jo DeVoe

A planned Silver Diner location in Ballston, at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Glebe Road, is moving through county approval processes and aims to open next year.

Developer Saul Centers announced in 2017 that the regional chain would open a spot within its development at 750 N. Glebe Road. Now, Silver Diner is obtaining the needed approvals to move into the ground floor of The Waycroft apartment building.

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board approved a two-part application from the company to allow for the installation of lighted architectural features on the façade of the building as well as the operation of an outdoor sidewalk café.

“Silver Diner is proposing to have a 961 square foot, 68-seat, outdoor café… however, 229 square feet of their outdoor café is proposed to be located within the building’s Wilson Boulevard streetscape, which is County owned right-of-way,” a board report said.

Although the Silver Diner “anticipates operating the restaurant 24 hours a day,” operating on public property will restrict the hours of its outdoor seating between 6 a.m. and 2 a.m., according to the report.

Despite the approvals, a spokeswoman for Silver Diner said the company does not have any updates to share.

“They’re still planning on opening in 2022,” she said.

Once complete, the 6,700-square-foot eatery will join Target, which opened last summer, and Enterprise Rent-A-Car on The Waycroft’s ground floor.

The planned Ballston location is expected to one day replace the currently operating Silver Diner spot in Clarendon. A 224-room hotel and a 286-unit residential building will replace the Silver Diner and The Lot beer garden. The redevelopment is part of a bevy of projects slated to change the look of Clarendon.

Demolition Starting at Landmark Block in Courthouse

By Jo DeVoe
1/6

The “revolution” in urban living set to take place in the Landmark Block in Courthouse is currently being fomented.

Residents who pass the site near the Courthouse Metro station can see preparations underway to tear down some of the low-slung retail buildings along the 2000 block of Wilson Blvd.

Demolition work is starting on the site’s aging brick retail buildings, as Bisnow reported earlier this week. John Clarkson, the managing director Greystar Real Estate Partners, told the site that work began last week, and the developer aims to deliver a 20-story apartment building by the third quarter of 2023.

The Landmark Block site is one of two projects — the other is a 220-unit building on the vacant Wendy’s lot — that Greystar is overseeing in Courthouse. Clarkson said the developer is focused on this neighborhood because it has the demographics, schools and walkability that make Clarendon attractive but less of the growth.

“We really want to establish a sense of place,” Clarkson tells Bisnow. “With some real density, some real scale it will feel like we have filled in that hole in the doughnut between Rosslyn and Clarendon, so we’re very excited about [the] upside of that submarket.”

Seven commercial buildings on the Landmark Block site will be demolished, including the former Summers Restaurant. The façades of the First Federal Savings and Loan Building (2050 Wilson Blvd) and the Investment Building (2049 15th Street N.) will be preserved, according to the county. The buildings, constructed in 1946 and 1948 respectively, are identified as “important” on the county’s Historic Resources Inventory.

The County Board approved the project at 2050 Wilson Blvd, featuring 423 apartment units, ground-floor retail and an underground parking garage, back in March. For proponents, the building and accompanying community benefits will make Courthouse Square “the civic and cultural heart of Arlington,” and will be “where the revolution begins,” as phrased in a county planning document.

One of the features the county said will usher in changes for Courthouse is a pedestrian promenade.

“The promenade was one of the addendum’s top recommendations for the area around Landmark Block,” the county said in March. “The N. Uhle Street promenade…will be lined with trees, and offer retail shops and plenty of space for community gatherings.”

Greystar will provide a portion of the Courthouse Square promenade that is envisioned in the Courthouse Square Addendum to the Courthouse Sector Plan. The full promenade would run between Wilson Blvd and 14th Street N. along N. Uhle Street.

An architect’s rendering of the pedestrian promenade on N. Uhle Street (Image via Arlington County)

The county said the promenade will be “the main gateway from Clarendon Boulevard into Courthouse Square.”

Meanwhile, the long-vacant Wendy’s site will no longer look on while other sites are developed around it. Greystar’s plans for the triangular site at 2025 Clarendon Blvd are going through entitlements, Clarkson tells Bisnow.

The developer expects to break ground on the 220-unit building by the second quarter of 2022. For the last two years, construction crews have used it as a staging area while building a condo project across the street at 2000 Clarendon.

The old Wendy’s site has sat vacant since it was demolished in 2016 for an office building that never came. Greystar acquired the property from Carr Properties in January, according to real estate firm JLL.

Amazon Donates Land to County to Develop More Affordable Housing

By Jo DeVoe

Crystal City could get more affordable housing under a new agreement between Amazon and Arlington County, announced earlier today.

The tech giant said in a new blog post that it would hand over to the county the rights to $40 million in vacant land within the Crystal House apartment property, on which Arlington County could develop more than 550 new affordable homes.

“Amazon is committed to promoting economic inclusion for all families and fostering a thriving community in and around Arlington,” said Catherine Buell, Amazon’s head of community development.

Construction is slated to begin in 2025, the Amazon blog post said.

The contributions are part of Amazon’s new Housing Equity Fund, a more than $2 billion commitment to create and preserve more than 20,000 units in Amazon’s three primary footholds: the Seattle area, Nashville and Arlington.

This announcement follows up on a commitment Amazon made in January to preserve 1,300 affordable housing units in Arlington as property values are rising amid its expansion. As part of the commitment, the company financed $381.9 million in loans and grants to a D.C. area housing nonprofit so that it could buy and stabilize rent at Crystal House (1900 S. Eads Street), a set of two apartment buildings one block from Amazon’s future HQ2.

The financing allowed Washington Housing Conservancy to preserve units in the existing Crystal House apartment complex, which has 828 units, for low- to moderate-income residents for 99 years.

“We are excited to build on our earlier work to preserve affordable housing at Crystal House in the heart of our new headquarters,” Buell said. “This donation to the County brings us a step closer to achieving up to 1,300 total affordable homes at the site for families earning moderate- to low-incomes.”

If the agreement is approved, the county will be carrying out a development plan that the County Board approved for the Crystal House property in December 2019. This site is set to have six more “Crystal Houses,” adding 820 units in total, as well as two public open spaces and a protected bike lane along S. Eads Street.

According to a county report, WHC does not intend to serve as the property’s developer, so Amazon purchased development rights for the vacant land. It approached the county in early 2021 with its plan to give the property to the county to develop.

Proposed development plan for Crystal House property (via Arlington County)

According to Arlington County’s map of projects, the project’s status remains “approved.”

The Arlington County Board is set to review the agreement during its regular meeting this coming Saturday, July 17.

“Amazon is demonstrating dedication and commitment to the Arlington community with this game-changing opportunity to increase affordable housing in the County,” said Arlington County Housing Director Anne Venezia. “Future development on the Crystal House site will help bolster critical housing supply goals in an area with limited affordable housing options.”

If the board accepts the gift, the county will embark on a national search for a master developer and sub-developers. The site could have 554 affordable units on it by Jan. 1, 2028, according to a county statement.

Of those units, at least 148 will be committed to households earning 50% or less of the area median income, and at least 406 will be committed to households earning 80% or less of the AMI.

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