Arlington Advocacy on Project Support 

Examples of the Chamber’s advocacy in Arlington on issues related to project support include:
The Arlington Chamber expressed support for the acceptance of the Sunrise Senior Living Special General Land Use Plan Study document, and support for recommending the request to advertise public hearings for the Sunrise North Glebe Road GLUP Amendment. Sunrise’s North Glebe Road property has been an integral part of the Arlington community for almost 40 years. The proposed Sunrise project would utilize the existing land Sunrise owns to accommodate a larger number of senior citizens and replace the existing facility as it nears the end of its operational life. The costs to County infrastructure for this project are minimal, and it will provide 80 additional jobs to the County.
The Chamber supported Northeastern University’s request for a federal appropriation for the acquisition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) equipment for educational and workforce capabilities. Northeastern requests funds for the acquisition as a means to teach its students and regional workers how to implement and operate AI technology, a growing component of many jobs in the technology sector. The Chamber supports Northeastern’s ongoing efforts to create a space to educate students and members of the Arlington community on AI in the interest of technological advancement.The Chamber supported Arlington Economic Development’s request for a federal appropriation for the Arlington Talent Pilot Program (ATPP). The Program helps software development employers find employees quickly by leveraging an applied work model designed to accommodate workers. Arlington Economic Development intends to scale up this program and needs additional funding to do so. We support this program as a means to strengthen Arlington’s ability to attract and recruit workforce talent.The Chamber supported Marymount University’s request for a federal appropriation for its project proposal, “Addressing the Nursing Shortage by Increasing the Number of Under-represented Culturally Competent Nurses.” The project would increase capacity for its accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing and aim to bring underrepresented racial and ethnic groups into the nursing workforce. The metropolitan area has faced a nursing shortage for years, and this proposal would help reduce the strain on the health care industry in Arlington by bringing more nurses from more backgrounds into the fold. The Chamber supported George Mason University’s request for a federal appropriation for its proposed Center for AI Innovation for Economic Competitiveness. The Center would help develop the Commonwealth’s AI strategy, track Virginia’s business AI adoption rates, and expand the talent pipeline for AI development through training and reskilling programs. The Center would be beneficial to the economic competitiveness of Arlington and of Northern Virginia as AI technologies become more commonplace. ​The Chamber supports Crown Castle’s efforts to deploy fiber and 103 small cells in Arlington County. The Chamber urges Arlington County to work with Crown Castle and other telecommunication companies to facilitate the buildout of this infrastructure. Fiber and small cells are critical for expanding the capacity of wireless networks, which are the backbone of many Arlington businesses. It’s imperative that Arlington provides the communication networks that residents, consumers and businesses demand. The Chamber supported Amazon’s application for PenPlace, the second piece of HQ2. PenPlace will bring thousands of new jobs to Arlington, helping to reduce our high office vacancy rates. It also represents a significant step forward in enhancing the strength of Arlington’s commercial sector, diversifying our economic base, and growing this region inclusively. The Chamber supported Marymount University’s request for a federal appropriation for its Caregivers to Bread Winner Project. This project will help women gain new skills to find higher paying, more flexible jobs in Virginia’s technology industry, while helping Virginia employers overcome the labor shortages that they face. The Chamber supported changes to a site plan ordinance that will allow Marymount University to convert 133 residential units at the Rixey Building to hotel units. This amendment would enable Marymount University to provide hands-on experience to students in their Hospitality Management Program. The Chamber encouraged Arlington County to amend the General Land Use Plan to support projects that will add density and provide much-needed housing at the Courthouse West site, located four blocks from both the Courthouse and Clarendon Metro stations. Approaching the third anniversary of the filing of the Special GLUP Study Application, the Chamber advocated for the amendment to be made without further delay. The Chamber supported a proposed amendment to the Crystal City Water Park site plan that will allow for the construction of features already determined to suit the community and to allow for the Water Park to be used for a variety of uses. This amendment will help fulfill the vision for the Water Park that the County Board approved earlier this year. The Chamber expressed support for a proposal by Jefferson Apartment Group to replace a 1960s office building with a 423-unit residential apartment building that includes 12 on-site committed affordable units and ground floor retail. This project would deliver on the goals of the Rosslyn Sector Plan and provide much-needed housing in Rosslyn. The Chamber supported changes to a site plan and zoning ordinance that will allow the Clarendon West project to add 20 more apartments without increasing the structural area and lowering overall building height. The proposed amendments would allow the building to fit better with its surroundings and would support Arlington’s housing goals. The Chamber encouraged the County Board to amend the site plan for Westpost in Pentagon City to provide more flexibility for providing grocery and drug store items at that site by removing a requirement for a specific size grocery store at that location. The original language reflected how supermarkets were designed when it was approved in 1998, and may not be appropriate for how consumers buy these products in the future. The Chamber expressed support for a redesign of the Crystal City Water Park and path connecting Crystal Drive with the Mount Vernon Trail and the forthcoming north entrance to the Crystal City VRE Station. This update will help fulfill the community's vision for Crystal City and the design has been updated to allay pedestrian safety concerns raised by an early proposal. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce encourages Arlington County to define and move forward with a planning process for the Courthouse West project. The applicant, CRC Companies, submitted a Special GLUP Study application in May 2019, and received its Tier I review and Tier II acceptance in November 2019. The change will facilitate a site plan to add much needed housing at this highly transit-accessible location and to bridge similar scale developments in the adjacent Clarendon and Courthouse neighborhoods.  The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board encouraging that they add more flexibility for building heights to the Shirlington Special GLUP Study. Flexibility will help all stakeholders design creative solutions that meet the project’s goals and connect Shirlington with its surrounding neighborhoods. The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board supporting the redevelopment of 1900 Crystal Drive, including plans that will allow for better traffic flow within the site and access to retailers located in this development.   The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board expressing support for a plan to renovate the Key Bridge Marriott and two construct two new residential buildings and a public esplanade overlooking the Potomac River on the site. The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board encouraging the approval of the Metropolitan Park site plan for the second stage of Amazon's headquarters.  The Arlington Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board encouraging the approval of an application to redevelop the site of the Harris Teeter and American Service Center on N Glebe Road as a mixed-use development comprising retail and residences, including an updated Harris Teeter.  The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board encouraging the approval of an application to redevelop the current location of the Holiday Inn Rosslyn as a mixed-use development comprising apartment residences, a four-star hotel and conference facility, and retail space.  The Chamber sent a letter to the Site Plan Review Committee for the redevelopment of the Holiday Inn Rosslyn site encouraging the Committee to support the site plan application, particularly the applicant’s requested amount of parking on the site. The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board encouraging the approval of the Virginia Hospital Center site plan at its November meeting. The Board deferred consideration of the application in September, requesting that the hospital make certain specific amendments. In this letter, the Chamber acknowledges the hospital’s work since then and calls for the Board to allow the project to proceed.​ The Chamber sent a letter to County Board Chair Katie Cristol encouraging the Board to approve a site plan amendment for the “Red Top Cab Site” development in Clarendon and emphasizing that Arlington County create a consistent implementation of the Residential Parking Guidelines approved last year. The Chamber sent a letter to County Board Chair Katie Cristol encouraging the Board to approve the site plan for the Crystal City Central District based on it being consistent with the Crystal City Sector Plan’s guidance for development of this area. The Chamber sent a letter calling on the Arlington County Board to approve the Virginia Hospital Center's site plan application at its September 22 meeting, writing that it is "essential" for this important project to move forward without delay. In a letter to County Board Chair Katie Cristol, the Chamber called on the County to approve the Virginia Hospital Center Site Plan as submitted, noting that moving forward with this important project will facilitate additional health care services for the Arlington community. ​​