Arlington Advocacy on Project Support 

Examples of the Chamber’s advocacy in Arlington on issues related to project support include:
The Arlington Chamber requests that the County Board reject the proposed designation of the Melwood property on South 23rd Street as a Local Historic District. ​The Chamber urged the County Board to adopt the proposed development at 2000 15th Street N., replacing an outdated office building with a new multifamily development with 394 new housing units in the Courthouse neighborhood. The Arlington Chamber requests that the Planning Commission recommend denial of the proposed designation of the Melwood property on South 23rd Street as a Local Historic District, citing opposition from the property owner and the negative impact on the approved project on that site. ​​The Chamber requests that the County Board adopt the adaptive reuse project along South Bell Street in Crystal City, which converts two obsolete office buildings into 315 new residential units with ground floor retail. The Arlington Chamber expressed support for three transportation projects up for funding consideration as part of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority's Six Year Funding Program. The Arlington Chamber requested that the County Board adopt the Waverly Ridge townhouses project in the Langston Boulevard corridor. The Arlington Chamber urged the County Board to adopt the proposed Walgreens site development project along Langston Boulevard, which would generate 300 new housing units and advance the Langston Boulevard Area Plan goals. The Arlington Chamber requested that the County Board adopt the adoption of the Waverly Ridge townhouses project in the Langston Boulevard corridor. The Arlington Chamber asked the Planning Commission to support the proposed Walgreens site development project along Langston Boulevard, which would generate 300 new housing units and advance the Langston Boulevard Area Plan goals. The Arlington Chamber asked the Historic Affairs and Landmarks Review Board to not move forward with a designation of the Melwood property on South 23rd Street as a Local Historic District, citing opposition from the property owner and the opinions of County Staff. The Arlington Chamber requests that the County Board adopt the Leckey Gardens development project, which would generate 249 affordable units along the Langston Boulevard corridor. The Arlington Chamber requests that the Planning Commission recommend the adoption of the Leckey Gardens development project, which would generate 249 affordable units along the Langston Boulevard corridor. The Arlington Chamber requests that the County Board adopt the phased development site plan and the site plan amendment for the infill development project at RiverHouse in Pentagon City. The Arlington Chamber requests that the Planning Commission recommend the adoption of the phased development site plan and the site plan amendment for the infill development project at RiverHouse in Pentagon City. The Arlington Chamber requested that the County Board support the proposed redevelopment at 2500 Wilson Boulevard, which would replace an aging, mostly vacant office building with 316 new residential units near the Courthouse and Clarendon Metrorail stations. The Arlington Chamber requests that the County Board adopt the joint 2100/2200 Crystal Drive adaptive reuse project in Crystal City. The Arlington Chamber requests that the County Board adopt the 3601 Wilson Boulevard adaptive reuse project in Virginia Square. The Arlington Chamber requests the Planning Commission to recommend the approval of the proposed adaptive reuse joint project at 2100/2200 Crystal Drive, creating a new hotel and more than 190 new residential units. The Arlington Chamber requests the Planning Commission to recommend the approval of the proposed adaptive reuse project at 3601 Wilson Boulevard, which would replace obsolete office space with 94 new residential units. ​​​The Arlington Chamber requests that the County Board adopt the development project at 3033 Wilson Boulevard, recommended unanimously by the Planning Commission.The Arlington Chamber requests the Planning Commission to recommend the development project at 3033 Wilson Boulevard, which would create 309 much-needed housing units in Clarendon and advance the County's sustainability goals. The Arlington Chamber requested that the County Board approve the Hotel Pentagon redevelopment at 2480 South Glebe Road, which would transform the site of two aging hotels and a surface parking lot into a vibrant multifamily development. The Arlington Chamber supports the redevelopment project at 2480 South Glebe Road, which would transform the site of two aging hotels and a surface parking lot into a vibrant multifamily development with green space and new transportation infrastructure.The Chamber requests that the Arlington County Board adopt the GLUP amendment, site plan amendment and rezoning associated with Melwood's redevelopment project in Aurora Highlands. The Chamber endorses the design principles proposed by the National Landing Business Improvement District for the CC2DCA pedestrian connection. The Chamber supports the Planning Commission recommendation of the GLUP amendment, site plan amendment and rezoning associated with Melwood's redevelopment project in Aurora Highlands. The Arlington Chamber supported the amended use permit for Tyndale Christian School, which would increase the maximum enrollment for the school so that it would have the sufficient number of students to remain viable in Arlington.​​The Arlington Chamber supports the proposed site plan amendment to the interior area of VHC Health's main campus.The Arlington Chamber supports the amendment to the Pentagon Centre Phased Development Site Plan to allow for more retail and more green space in the long-term of the site. ​​​The Arlington Chamber supported the adoption of Arlington County's Solid Waste Management Plan, with an amendment to add more incentives-based programs and less mandates in the medium-phase term of the Plan.The Arlington Chamber’s supports Item 2 on Saturday’s County Board agenda , a site plan amendment for outdoor dining space at Smokecraft Modern Barbecue, to ensure that Smokecraft has the same amount of outdoor dining space as other Arlington restaurants. The Arlington Chamber urged the County Board to adopt the Goodwill site plan and rezoning ordinance. The site plan is part of a redevelopment of the Goodwill site, which will include a new retail and donation center with housing units and a child care center. The Arlington Chamber urged the Planning Commission to recommend the Goodwill site plan and rezoning ordinance for adoption by the County Board at their February 14 meeting. The site plan is part of a redevelopment of the Goodwill site, which will include a new retail and donation center with housing units and a child care center. The Arlington Chamber supports the County Board adopting the site plan and GLUP amendments for the 1501 Arlington Boulevard redevelopment project. The project was recommended by the Planning Commission on January 10 for County Board adoption.The Arlington Chamber supports the agenda item on the January 10 Planning Commission meeting, concerning site plan and GLUP amendments for the 1501 Arlington Boulevard redevelopment project. This project will transform the site, currently including an aging motel and two small garden apartment buildings, into a modern multi-family residential building with 446 units, 24 of which are committed affordable units. The Arlington Chamber expresses support to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s Financial Management Bureau for the Arlington County Microgrid Feasibility Study Project Scoping grant application. This grant application, which is aimed at fortifying energy supply and distribution for facilities that serve our most at-risk communities, represents a critical step towards achieving long-term resiliency for Arlington.  ​​Local nonprofit organization Melwood is undergoing a Special General Land Use Plan (GLUP) Study as part of a redevelopment of their property in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood. This redeveloped facility would house Melwood’s existing workforce development services and programs, while having additional stories that would contain approximately 100 affordable housing units. One third of those units would be set aside for persons with disabilities.  The Arlington Chamber supports the County Board Agenda item approving the Site Plan amendment to amend the Comprehensive Sign Plan for the Residence Inn Arlington Rosslyn. The Residence Inn Arlington Rosslyn is seeking to replace their current signage and modernize it to reflect national brand standards.  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. ​​