Crystal City’s Verizon site will be redeveloped with a 19-story apartment tower within walking distance of Metro that will include 12 affordable housing units, under a plan approved today by the Arlington County Board.
The major site plan amendment allows the owner to redevelop the property with a 306-unit multifamily residential building with approximately 11,428 square feet of retail and related modifications of use regulations.
“The community’s goals for Crystal City, as embodied in the Crystal City Sector Plan, include a better balance of housing and commercial buildings, more affordable housing in this transit-rich neighborhood, and new open space,” County Board Chair Christian Dorsey said. “This redevelopment is in keeping with all of those goals.”
The Board voted unanimously to approve the removal of a portion of the right-of-way for Old South Eads Street, a rezoning and site plan amendment for the proposed redevelopment. To read the staff report, visit the County website. Scroll to item No. 41 on the agenda for the Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019 Regular County Board Meeting.
Developer LCOR has agreed to provide on site seven two-bedroom and five one-bedroom affordable units that will be contractually committed to remain affordable for 30 years. Two units will be fully accessible. The developer also will contribute $1.059 million to the County’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund. The building will achieve a Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design (LEED) Silver certification.
The approved tower, located at 400 11th Street South on a nearly one-acre site, will front County-owned property (the “Teardrop Parcel”) and 11th Street South to the north and 12th Street South to the south. The building will be divided into two sections at the 11th floor, with an offset between the upper and lower sections, and will include a 19th-floor terrace for residents. The apartments will be built above ground floor retail and a three-level underground parking garage with 148 parking spaces.
The developer has agreed to contribute $1.43 million to the County for open space improvements to help plan and design the New Park at South Eads Street and Army Navy Drive, and construction of the South Parcel adjacent to the site. The Board indicated, in its discussion, that it expects the planning effort to get underway within 180 days, and that another $1.179 million public open space contribution associated with the adjacent Altaire Apartments will be added to the New Park budget. The County will engage the community in shaping the Park Master Plan and Design Guidelines for the new park.
Additional community benefits include the developer improving the streetscape around the site’s perimeter; contributing $75,000 to the County Public Art Fund; $90,000 to support the Eads Street Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements Project, and installing an in-building wireless emergency responder communications system to enable public safety to communicate within the building during any emergency.
Public engagement for the proposed redevelopment included informing civic associations around the site, review by the County’s Site Plan Review Committee over three meetings between May and July 2019, and reviews by the Housing, Transportation, and Planning Commissions in October 2019.