Office campus, two new hotels, urban plaza included
ARLINGTON, Va. – December 18, 2007 – The Arlington County Board today approved the construction of two hotels, more than one million square feet of office space, retail space and an urban plaza in site plans for the last two undeveloped parcels of land in Potomac Yard.
This completes a development plan for Potomac Yard first approved in 2000, and brings the County closer to achieving the vision articulated in the plan of a lively new urban community whose pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development provides round-the-clock vitality. All of Potomac Yard’s “Land Bays,” or parcels, now are under site plan development.
“Arlington continues to be a sought-after location for innovative projects that showcase the best in transit-oriented urban design,” said Paul Ferguson, Chairman of the Arlington County Board. “This approval of the final phase of the Potomac Yard project is a milestone for Potomac Yard and the County.”
Office campus designed to attract large companies
The Board approved site plans for Land Bays B and C. Site plan B features a campus of four office buildings — a total of 1,064,298 square feet of office space and 41,325 square feet of ground-floor retail space — to be built by Meridian. The campus is designed to attract very large companies to Arlington and to help the County’s goal of expanding Arlington’s competitiveness regionally and nationally. The plan also includes a 1.6-acre urban plaza. More than 1,700 parking spaces will be provided. Construction of hotels, offices and the urban plaza is scheduled to begin in 2008.
North Park Plaza
The planned urban plaza, known as North Park Plaza, will provide both a daily gathering space for people working and living in the area, and a space for special events. Cross-shaped, it will serve as a north-south link to Land Bays B and D and an east-west link to Potomac Avenue and Crystal Drive.
Marriot’s first Renaissance Hotel coming to Arlington
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| Rendering of Potomac Yard Land Bay B |
Land Bay B will include two hotels developed by Marriott: Arlington’s first Renaissance Hotel, with 300 rooms, and a 325-room Residence Inn. The hotels will operate separately but will be joined at the garage and at the first few above-ground levels. They will maintain separate lobbies but share amenities and meeting rooms.
This unique solution proposed by Marriott allows this block to maintain the 625 hotel rooms designated for this site in the original Potomac Yard Phased Development Site Plan (PDSP), adopted in October, 2000. The approved site plan also includes 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, which will include a restaurant with outdoor seating. The two Metro-accessible hotels, adjacent to Ronald Reagan National Airport, are a significant addition to Arlington’s inventory of more than 10,000 hotel rooms. Marriott, the largest hotelier in Arlington, already has seven properties in the County, including the Residence Inn currently under development at Courthouse Plaza.
Background:
Potomac Yard, a narrow strip of former rail yards, lies directly south of Crystal City on the east side of Arlington. It offers panoramic views of the nation’s Capitol’s monument core and is adjacent to National Airport. Potomac Yard was the single largest undeveloped site in the County when the Board approved a general plan for its land use, public facilities, transportation and utilities in 2000. The plan was developed during ten months of intense citizen participation. The site now includes almost 2.1 million square feet of office space, almost 248,000 square feet of retail, almost 1.7 million square feet of residential and 430,000 square feet of hotel space. Since 2000, eight final site plans have been approved for Potomac Yard.
Contacts:
- The Meridian Group (Developer/Owner), (301) 718-0800
- Marriott (Developer/Owner), 301-380-5654.
- Arlington County, Freida Wray (703) 228-3541
Project at a Glance
Project Name
- Land Bay B: Potomac Yard Renaissance Hotel and Residence Inn
- Land Bay C: National Gateway at Potomac Yard
Developer
- Land Bay C: The Meridian Group
Contact: John Wilkinson 301-718-0800, JohnWilkinson (at) meridiangroupinc (dot) com - Land Bay B: Marriott International, Inc.
Contact: Tom Burdeshaw 301-380-5654, Tom.burdeshaw (at) marriott (dot) com
Architect
- Land Bay C: Davis Carter Scott LTD, Christopher Garwood, 703-821-6976
- Land Bay B: Cooper Carry, Inc., Andrea Schaub, 703-519-7127
Type of Project
- Mixed-use: hotel, office and retail
- Office space: 1,064,298 sq.ft.
- Retail space: 51,325 sq.ft.
- Hotel space: 625 rooms in two Marriott hotels; Residence Inn (325) and Renaissance Hotel (300)
- 2,297 parking spaces
Location
- Land Bays B & C, Potomac Yards
Project Features
- 625 hotel rooms, adding to Arlington’s inventory of over 10,000 hotel rooms
- The first Renaissance Hotel in Arlington
- Shared amenities between the two hotels, including a parking garage and meeting rooms
- Four office buildings designed to attract large companies
- A 1.6-acre urban plaza, known as North Park Plaza
Community Benefits
- Affordable housing contribution of more than $1.9 million for Land Bay C and $790,000 for Land Bay B
- Contributions to Utility Under-grounding and Transit Station Funds of $331,687 for Land Bay C and $132,000 for Land Bay B
- Transit Station Fund of $134,464 for Land Bay C and $51,920 for Land Bay B
- LEED™Core and Shell Silver Certification for Land Bay C and LEED™-New Construction Certification for Land Bay B
- Developer to implement green hotel management program, participate in Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Virginia Green Lodging Program.
- Public use and access easements over North Park Plaza and North Park Road
- Dedications in fee to the County of additional site area for the transit way and for 29th Street South
- Public pedestrian pathway through office building 4, from Crystal Drive and the transit station to North Park Plaza
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Arlington, Va., is a world-class urban community that was originally part of the “10-mile square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation’s Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Known for its urban villages and transit-oriented development, Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use. In 2002, the county was the first recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency’s highest award for “Smart Growth.” Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world – including the Pentagon – Arlington stands out as one of America’s preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
